Posted in June 2012 …

28 June, 2012
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Maggie & Bender show

Bender’s twin

A couple of nights ago Paul and I were disturbed by a lot of rustling coming from the dog’s room while we were trying to fall asleep. Normally the dogs go to their room (Maggie in her kennel and Bender on his plush bed), eat their treat, and go to sleep. Occasionally Maggie will “dig” the yoga mat that’s at the bottom of her kennel, but this was different.

I turned on the hall light and quickly pulled the bedroom door open to find Bender with a big mouthful of toilet paper. The rest of the roll was in shreds at his feet. He seemed to be proud of his accomplishment, yet sheepish at being caught.

I’ve noticed recently that he’s developed “a thing” for tissue paper. It’s the one of the only things he’ll dive into our bathroom garbage can to get and he eats it in big chunks, wagging away like he’s eating a delicious treat. He like to shred it up and wolf it down. I supposed compared to what some other Labs get into it’s not so bad!

Bender also has a twin in our neighbourhood. I call him Flexo. He has almost identical markings as Bender, his size and shape is the same, he has a puppy-face like Bender, and his mannerisims are the same.

I’ve paniced more than once because I saw Flexo running around in the park at the end of our street and I thought it was Bender. He has a ball that’s exactly like Bender’s too.

Bender is from a littler of five other males, so it’s possible that Flexo is his littermate. Stranger things have happened. One day I’ll have to stop and ask Flexo’s family what his actual name is and where they got him.

 

21 June, 2012
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Life, Maggie & Bender show

Plans change

I took tomorrow off  because I planned to be at a track day getting my racing license. That didn’t really fit into our budget and then I discovered that both Maggie and Bender both need their teeth cleaned. Maggie needs dental x-rays and possibly an extraction as well. Coincidentally the dental cleanings cost as much as the racing licenses. I wasn’t actually planning on racing next year and I’d rather spend the money on the yet-to-be-announced upcoming Pacific Riding School California trip.

So I kept my day booked off and planned to take them to the clinic in the morning. I booked myself a doctor’s appointment too.

Now it turns out that the veterinarian isn’t available to do the dentals tomorrow. At first I was a little (okay – very) annoyed, but that’s life. It’s not the end of the world, and as it’s my old boss I can appreciate a little why it happened. The veterinarian filling in (whom I know as well) isn’t comfortable doing Maggie’s extraction if it turns out that it’s needed. I understand because it’s a pre-molar: a big tooth that won’t want to come out.

So now other than my doctor appointment, I have a free day! Maybe we could ride to Squamish! Then I took a look at the weather:

Well, crap. Reading on the couch it is. At least the doggies will be there with me. Or maybe we’ll go crazy and get the oil changed in any of the four vehicles that need it (both bikes, my car, and Paul’s truck).

18 June, 2012
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Random

I am exhausted; these are my thoughts

Even though I had a five-hour nap yesterday (come on: it was pouring rain and I was exhausted), I only got another five or so hours last night before a text message woke me up and I launched head first into fixing a user account/access issue. Between the lack of sleep, the subsequent over-dosing of caffeine, and the  two-hour commute to work this morning, I felt a little punchy yet philosophical, which is a dangerous combination.

Some people think being a tiny inconsequential being in an incomprehensibly large universe is daunting, so they search for a relationship with a higher power. Some people spend all their lives searching for meaning, for life’s purpose, for their calling. There is no meaning or purpose to life other than to live, and perhaps pass on your genes, and die.

This isn’t morbid or depressing to me. It’s freeing. There is no expectation other than to live. Expectations are social constructs, not mysteries of life. Sure, a lot most of my life fits into the social and cultural norm. I’m not sure how much of it is ingrained in me by society (I’m going to go out on a limb and say a lot) but I do have a choice.

A lot most of who I am and the choices I make must be an accident of birth. Would I be the same if I was raised in America, Europe, Asia, or Africa? What if I was born into a different race? We’re all just little bundles of potential when we come into the world. And from that moment on we’re shaped. Depending on where and when we live, we get different opportunities, which lead to different choices. I acknowledge that I have been brought up in a time and a place that allows me to make the choices I want to make, and that I am luckier than a large percentage of the world’s population.

The question for those of us who live privileged lives shouldn’t be “what’s my purpose/what’s the meaning of life/what’s my calling?”We should ponder our responsibilities (if any?) to those who through the accident of their birth are deprived of our choices.

17 June, 2012
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Me, Random

June-uary

I’ve been tired. Too tired to want to do much. Social activity seems hard to get to, then hard to get through. So does any physical activity. I just don’t want to.  I think maybe I’m just having some FM/CFS/ME issues. No pain though, so that’s not so bad. Just fatigue.

It probably doesn’t help that every time I look outside I think of “June Gloom“. I usually don’t let the weather get me down, but it’s been grey and rainy for so long. I’m really hoping that we don’t have a repeat of last year’s summer…because it never came. Though summer can be slow to start here, I think we’re on track for a record-low June.

Although there is something soothing about falling asleep to the sound of rain.

At least the carnations in my front garden are enjoying the weather; they’re soon going to overrun the garden bed with hot pink flowers and spicy scent. And for once my hanging baskets aren’t lifeless dead husks from baking in the sun.