wordinista (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
wordinista) wrote2009-09-23 07:18 am
wordinista) wrote2009-09-23 07:18 am
certain unshakable truths
1. Agility class = awesome.
2. Thundery, rainy mornings with a forecast for a thundery, rainy day = awesome.
3. Feeling the writing bug making a return-trip after a too-long absence = awesome.
4. Morning cuppa of perfectly brewed, deliciously strong English Breakfast tea = awesome.
So far, it's a good day. I woke up to thunder and rain (and Sydney seems finally to be over her thunder phobia), and while it's not actively raining out NOW, it's dreary and overcast and tonight's class was cancelled, so I honestly have NO WHERE TO BE today.
Last night's class was fantastic -- it's like after a year and a half of lessons and practice and a lot of me being completely unconfident and uncoordinated, something has finally clicked in my head. I fret less about the placement of my body and the timing of my commands. Yes, I still screw up, but I no longer get frustrated and furious with myself for screwing up. (One day, during a private lesson, I was getting really pissed at myself for not getting this stupid tiny detail right, and Darwin fed off of that frustration, eventually shutting down and and basically avoiding me completely. THAT was a serious wakeup call for me, let me tell you.) It's a fairly mixed class, with some dogs more advanced than others, and for the first time, I'm actually one of the more advanced students. And after doing private lessons for so long, I didn't really have any way to gauge my own improvement, but being back in a class environment has really shown me that, yes, I HAVE improved, and that was really kind of an amazing moment.
One woman in the class has done trials before, but has a very young dog, so while SHE knows what she's doing, her dog is very exuberant, but not very disciplined (she's a lab -- very happy-go-lucky and wants to be BFFs with every dog in the class). So she knows what she's doing, and has been offering me a lot of helpful tips. I think she was surprised when she found out I wasn't interested in formal competition, because she said to me: "You have a fast dog and long legs! You could WIN!" I laughed -- I'd never heard it put quite that way before. I'd never given much thought to competition, but we'll see. There are a lot of expenses when you get into competition, so I don't know. (Which reminds me, I have the Incredible Dog Challenge saved on the DVR...)
Sydney's had some tummy issues lately, so she went to see the vet on Monday and it turns out she has a touch of bacterial colitis. She's on meds and seems to be doing better (no upset tummies is a good thing!) -- I told her that this is what she gets for litterbox diving. (Sigh. Why must dogs be so cute and wonderful and yet so gross?)
2. Thundery, rainy mornings with a forecast for a thundery, rainy day = awesome.
3. Feeling the writing bug making a return-trip after a too-long absence = awesome.
4. Morning cuppa of perfectly brewed, deliciously strong English Breakfast tea = awesome.
So far, it's a good day. I woke up to thunder and rain (and Sydney seems finally to be over her thunder phobia), and while it's not actively raining out NOW, it's dreary and overcast and tonight's class was cancelled, so I honestly have NO WHERE TO BE today.
Last night's class was fantastic -- it's like after a year and a half of lessons and practice and a lot of me being completely unconfident and uncoordinated, something has finally clicked in my head. I fret less about the placement of my body and the timing of my commands. Yes, I still screw up, but I no longer get frustrated and furious with myself for screwing up. (One day, during a private lesson, I was getting really pissed at myself for not getting this stupid tiny detail right, and Darwin fed off of that frustration, eventually shutting down and and basically avoiding me completely. THAT was a serious wakeup call for me, let me tell you.) It's a fairly mixed class, with some dogs more advanced than others, and for the first time, I'm actually one of the more advanced students. And after doing private lessons for so long, I didn't really have any way to gauge my own improvement, but being back in a class environment has really shown me that, yes, I HAVE improved, and that was really kind of an amazing moment.
One woman in the class has done trials before, but has a very young dog, so while SHE knows what she's doing, her dog is very exuberant, but not very disciplined (she's a lab -- very happy-go-lucky and wants to be BFFs with every dog in the class). So she knows what she's doing, and has been offering me a lot of helpful tips. I think she was surprised when she found out I wasn't interested in formal competition, because she said to me: "You have a fast dog and long legs! You could WIN!" I laughed -- I'd never heard it put quite that way before. I'd never given much thought to competition, but we'll see. There are a lot of expenses when you get into competition, so I don't know. (Which reminds me, I have the Incredible Dog Challenge saved on the DVR...)
Sydney's had some tummy issues lately, so she went to see the vet on Monday and it turns out she has a touch of bacterial colitis. She's on meds and seems to be doing better (no upset tummies is a good thing!) -- I told her that this is what she gets for litterbox diving. (Sigh. Why must dogs be so cute and wonderful and yet so gross?)
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God, I want a dog...