Contacts

I don't think I've posted this yet but I got contacts about a month ago. I had no trouble putting them in but I did have a bit of trouble learning to take them out. I love them...no more cleaning glasses and prescription sun glasses and glare...

The first thing I did when I got my contacts: I bought cheap sunglasses; it was great!

Scary Worm Snake Thing

OK scared myself on a nighttime walk with Penny again but this was for a good reason. Right there on the sidewalk was what looked like a worm or a snake or something. It was thin and tapered on the ends, it didn't appear to have a head, it was dark brown or black, it appeared to be smooth maybe even wet, and it moved in waves sideways. I ran away from it, the dog went to the bathroom and by the time I came back it was gone...Probably slithered into a bush or the grass. I searched the internet to find out what it could be but I couldn't find anything that matched it. It might be an earthworm but I didn't think they moved in waves like that. I thought they inched along. The best way to describe this would be a very small eel. It was dark so I may not be describing it exactly how it would look in the light but I thought this was very freaky. Fifty points to whoever finds out what this might be so I can walk in the grass without fear.

Scaredy Jen

Last night I took the dog out before bed. It was cold so I put the hood up on my sweatshirt and I was startled by a large dark shape that I saw out of the corner of my eye....

I was scared of my own shadow, wah wah...

Fetch

Drop It, Give It and Fetch are not commands that Penny ever learned. Penny runs after a ball if you throw it but she probably won'tt bring it back or if she does she'll stop about 2 feet away from you and back up whenever you lean forward to get the ball. I think she likes running after it but she doesn't quite get that she has to give it back in order for it to be thrown again.

Tonight I decided to try to teach her fetch. I got a handful of bits of jerky and threw the ball. She decided jerky was better than the ball and just stared at my hand with the jerky in it. I went down the hall to get the ball and tried to shove it into her mouth. That didn't work. So I put up the jerky and threw the ball. She ran to get it and then ran back stopping about 2 feet short. I gave her a jerky bit and she dropped it. This went on for another 10 or so tries and she brought the ball back everytime.

Somewhere around try number 10 she decided to just hang around and not run after the ball so I grabbed a nearby stuffed squirrel and threw it. She didn't go after it either. So I went down the hall but this time Penny knew what I was after. For some reason this human really likes gross dog slobbered balls and will give treats for them. So she ran down the hall and grabbed the ball before I could get there. So I walked back down the hall and she followed me with the ball. I gave her a treat.

I threw the ball a few more times and it was clear this she was getting tired. Good, a sleeping dog can't get into trouble. I threw the ball one last time and promised the dog (not that she could understand me) that she would get a big treat, that is, what was left of the jerky bits. She ran down the hall and grabbed both the squirrel and the ball, not an easy feat for a little dog, and came running back very pleased with herself. It was so cute, I bet she thought that if she gets a tiny bit of jerky for bringing the ball back then she must get something really good for bringing back all the stuffed animals in the hall. She was right, I gave her the rest of the jerky bits. Now she's asleep...life is good.