Dog Door!

Many months and many dollars later, the new door I scheduled to have put in at the beginning of winter is finally here! What a strange sensation! To have to TURN THE KNOB to get the door to open!
As you can see, I also had a dog door installed. Harlow is still learning. For example, in the morning, I feed her and open the dog door (there's a sliding door that locks on it). She doesn't go outside however, She harasses me with the I wanna go outsiiiiiide whine, complete with actual whimpering.
I've realized that she doesn't actually understand yet that once the door is open, she can use it....wait for it...without permission!

It's all very exciting. Except it isn't yet because she hasn't totally figured it out. For a while, coming back into the house was the easy part and getting her out I basically had to shove her through (I'm trying the rogue dump the kid in the deep end style of training this time).

In the photo below, she's actually just getting the lay of the land this morning. In this moment she's not interested in completely committing to going outside, so she's option for having a look while keeping the backend warm.

Last night I was watching TV and had given her a kong with a meaty treat inside to get myself some peace. She began tearing at her bed. "Don't do that!" I scolded her, but a few moments later she was at it again! I went over to her and flipped the bed over in an effort to get her away from the holes she'd made.

She began looking around in confusion. Her eyes went to her tennis ball, No, that's not my meat-filled kong!, then to the bone Nope, that's not my meat filled kong! Then her head swished back and forth in a panic and I figured it out.

She somehow got the Kong into the lining of the bed, thus her reason for ripping at the bed!  I reached in there and got it out and all was well again. 

Mark Edelson

Today FB is buzzing with comments about Mark Edelson, a (basically famous) photo editor at the Palm Beach Post. I worked with Mark while I was at The Post, but not so closely, as my beat with the Neighborhood Post didn't warrant his editing really.

I heard early yesterday that he was losing, quickly, his battling with three different cancers. Basically everything fell to shit and he died within a day. Meanwhile, leading up to that, he survived in isolation since December for all his treatments. It was a miserable, horrible existence and I hope with everything in me that he was at least pain free at the very end. Because he was anything but for the two years leading up to it.

Last night I got word that he'd died when I got a text from Shannon, who also worked with him at The Post years ago, as did her husband. We all knew it was coming, but when it happened, I thought of Susan and well, last night was a hard one. I thought about her and what she went through, and I thought about Mark and what is lost with his exit.

And I thought about Susan more and cried more too; the look in her eyes that last night I saw her at the hospital, watching her body go into the ground inside that simple pine box, the feeling of not wanting to leave her there. I didn’t want to leave. Everyone else was walking away and I just didn’t want to leave her there. Being on stage talking about her at the memorial service. So many people were there in her honor.

I emailed Mark's daughter Vaughn via FB, "Vaughn, I worked with your dad at The Post when I was a shooter there from 2002-08. He was an exceptional person. I just wanted you to know I'm thinking of you and your family. I'm sure he didn't want to go, but I'm also sure he felt very loved as he did. I'm so very very sorry for your loss."

Within an hour she responded, "thank you, Cydney. We are happy he is pain-free now, and I am especially moved to hear from all his colleagues. I feel like I know him better now."

I didn't sleep well last night. I was up til one, just not wanting to go to bed, and I was restless through the night, waking and 5:30 and Mark coming to my mind the minute I woke. Today there are lots of post on Facebook linking to stories about him, including the one below, which has a video in it I participated in a while back to try and lift his spirits. His service is this weekend. In less than 48 hours actually, so I won't make it. But, I'll be there in spirit.

http://clikhear.palmbeachpost.com/2015/mark-edelson/mark-edelson-1951-2015/

Goin to the Car Wash! Goin to the Car Wash yeah!

Today Harlow came with me to run my  wonderful trusty Honda Civic through the car wash one last time before attempting to sell it. 

Dad drove me down to Rhode Island to pick up my Volkswagen golf which is purchased A little over a week ago. I'm very excited to be driving this new car, even though it's an automatic and I feel like I've sacrificed to better myself by relinquishing a stick shift! I'm sure I'll be grateful on my way into Boston during rush hour.

Harlow seemed skeptical of the car wash. Maybe she wasn't so convinced that it would actually clean the car.

Muzzle Massage

mustache massage from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.

Spring is Coming

This is my first video using the slow motion feature on my phone. I wish I could adjust the brightness, but I'm sure the next one will be better.

Spring is Here! from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.

Wrong way, Genius

In her defense, we were parked and the view out of the front was not interesting in the least. 

Muzzle Massage

I recently learned that this is a thing with Harlow. I love the squishy part around her mouth and one night I started playing with it. She likes it. If I stop she'll often jam her nose back into my hand.

Oh, my lovable weirdo.


muzzle massage from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.

Rope Bones and Barfing

Harlow, when I said "leave it" this isn't actually what I meant. I just meant I don't want you bringing toys outside and leaving them there. But good girl for leaving the toy!

barf from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.

Easter

It was a nice day starting with breakfast at Christopher and Jodi's. I took a bunch of pics of their new dogs, but no shots of humans. Well documented, Me!

Toby, top, and Stella. 

Harlow greeted everyone on the interwebs this morning too..

When I put stuff on her head she does that thing that toddlers do when they lose it- sort of goes limp and collapses to the floor. In this picture she's fighting the urge to do that. I use very yummy treats

In the afternoon, I spent a lot of time on the computer. I'm redesigning my website, and I wanted to post things on ebay to sell; My Little Ponies, my iPhone, etc.

When I lay the ponies down to photograph them though, Harlow laid down very close to them. I don't know if she was being territorial about the rug I was using, or if she just didn't really know what was going on and felt a need to be very close to "keep an eye" on things or what. But it amused me.

Keeping an eye on those shifty looking ponies!

And Now We are 39

Yesterday I turned 39.

Last week I was dreading it. Well, maybe not dreading it, but not happy about it. Disproportionally upset about it. I am not alone, but I am alone. Every birthday I think to myself "Maybe I'll have someone special with me next year". And the next year comes and while I have to wonderful company of my friends and family, I don't have that person.

I think perhaps the challenge for my 39th year is to embrace my freedom. I want a person of my own around and maybe a family too (seems silly to say anything other than "maybe" at this point), but on my birthday I got out of bed, threw on some sweats, piled the dog into the car and went to the muffin shop to pick myself up a birthday treat for breakfast. On the drive there I thought that I wouldn't be able to do this if I had kids at home. I mean, I guess I could, but not on such a whim. I need to embrace this, because that guy I've been hopin' for? He's nowhere in site.

I'm tangenting. And whining. Because al that said, any day above ground is a good day. Quityerbitchin, Cyd

Harlow and I lazied around the house for a bit then went for a nice hike.  She got a bath in the afternoon and after that I went to a nearby salon to have my nails done and get a relaxation massage. That was a new thing for me! My regular massages are deep tissue, which isn't very relaxing but still seems important for me to do for myself considering the gear lugging.

Relaxation included my entire body, a scrub on my back, etc. Good stuff!

With a solid hour and a half to spare before dinner with my parents and friends, I went to a nearby AT&T store where I wanted to upgrade my phone and ended up paying full price for it (with an adjustment to the family plan saving us some money but in truth, not so much that made paying full price for my phone OK).

I now have a severe case of buyers remorse which nagged at me throughout my evening and woke my at 6 this morning. I'm usually so conscientious about such things, I don't know how I managed to get screwed.

Fortunately, I learned when talking today that AT&T has a 14 day, appropriately named Buyers Remorse Refund policy.

Anyway, running late after being stuck at the store for longer than I anticipated, I hurried home, changed and joined Mom, Dad, and my friends at Blue Stove grill for dinner.  I was great fodder for teasing during dinner because I kept struggling to find words for things and kept using the wrong words for things. I wish I were joking! Ha!

After dinner, we (Ben and I carpooled together) stopped at Mom and Dad's for their gift. A porch swing! How fun!

As I hugged Mom and Dad goodbye, Dad said in my ear, "Merry Christmas" We laughed hysterically and he said "Don't tell anyone (I just did that)!"
"How much is (my silence) worth to you?"

Clearly Dad drank or ate whatever mind-confusing item I consumed (sorry, Dad, I had to write it down because it's exactly something I would do too!). In his defense, it IS still cold outside.

looking pretty rough pre-bath

birthday hike

all clean!

when you can't decide just get one of each!

the guy in the background is an asshat

A Birthday Surprise from Ben

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

April 1

An April fools email from mon that's no joke!