It 's Your Doody!

With the Spring weather and the disappearance of mounds of snow that once covered our yards is the emergence of ....yes you guessed it....unharvested dog poop! One of life's less than tasteful tasks. I must pat myself on the back this winter though, I have kept up with it for the most part! If you are looking at an uninhabitable back yard there are options! There is the always reliable Pooper Scooper, which puts some distance between you and poo. Then there is the ever available plastic bag that shields our local newspaper from the elements. Put one on each arm and you can tag team the mounds of waste! If you can't bring yourself to do the clean up you can always hire one of the various pet waste removal outfits that have been pooping ( oh excuse me ) ah popping out due to a lot of entrepreneurial spirit these days. Lately I have been listening to my eco-conscience and have felt a twinge of guilt throwing out poo in plastic bags. I know that it will mummify in these bags and sit in landfills for generations before they degrade! So the other more earth friendly options of disposal are looking good to me. There is the high tech waste disposal systems that work much like a septic tank. You throw the poo into the container and it basically liquefies it and releases it into the surrounding ground. They start at around $60.00 and I have heard pro's and cons about these. Apparently they do not work well when the ground is frozen during the winter months so it might be more appropriate in warmer climates. A cheaper option are biodegradable bags. These kind of plastic bags will break down by organic living organisms and are usually made from a corn base. Some brand names are Business Bags and Pooch Pick Up. Then there are degradable bags which differ from the biodegradable kind. They are broken down by heat, sunlight or pressure, which doesn't happen as quickly as the bio bags but much better than regular plastics that will be around when my children's children's children are colonizing the moon! So we have our options dog owners. Then of course if we do nothing and allow mother nature to take care of business it will eventually go away but until then you may find yourself having barbecues in your neighbor's yard. Oh and on a hot and humid day when the wind blows...ewwww!

Ozzie's Appearance on You Tube

Spring is Hair!

Yes, at last the days are getting longer and there is a hint of warmth in the air. Crocuses are pushing their way through the earth and Robins have graced our lawn with their presence! With all this comes the shedding of the hair. Ozzie has been releasing these follicles with abundance and there is not a surface in our house that has not been spared! Balls of fur roll gracefully across the wood floors like tumbleweeds in Tucson! We brush him religiously and had him bathed to no avail. Mind you that nothing is sacred. I went to apply my lipstick and found Ozzie hair stuck to the end of it! Ew! Dog hair has now become a condiment in our house right next to the ketchup! I figure the shedding of his winter coat is a seasonal occurrence that just has to be tolerated . Though I don't know why he builds up a winter coat at all since he spends most of the winter on the couch. Maybe it's colder there?! A northern exposure in the living room perhaps? Clogged to the gills with dog hair, my vacuum has surrendered to it. I have been enticed to purchase a state of the art Dyson Animal vacuum. With a hefty price tag as a deterrent I am not sure if it could pick up it's cost in dog hair anyways! In the meanwhile I will try to enjoy the new season and eventually the fur will stop flying. Besides I am getting use to having dog hair in my coffee!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

It's a beautiful day today in the NYC Tri-State area. The high temp is suppose to go up to 64 degrees making it perfect weather for the St. Patrick's day Parade in the city! We celebrated over the weekend with a corn beef and cabbage dinner. The only one with a pinch of Irish blood in them is my son who's great grandmother on his father's side was of Irish descent. I guess on this day everyone is a little bit Irish! Even Ozzie who is an Irish Bulldog on this day! I wanted to make my own Irish Soda Bread but got a bit lazy and bought it from our local bakery. I found a recipe that seems fairly simple and since I have all the ingredients I have no excuses so I will give it a try today! I will post it below in case any of you are interested. In the mean while I will try to get Ozzie motivated for a walk later on. With this Spring like weather it should be hard for him to resist! Knowing Ozzie it still may be a battle of sorts! Let me leave you with an Irish saying:

May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live.

This Irish Soda Bread is so moist and tasty you shouldn't save making it just for St. Patrick's Day.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons sweet butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 1 cup currants

Cooking Instructions

1. Butter a cookie sheet. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar together to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine.
3. Beginning and ending with flour mixture alternately add flour and buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Stir in currants.
4. On a generously floured hard surface knead the dough about 4 minutes until smooth and not sticky, adding flour as needed.
5. Form into 7½-inch round. Transfer to prepared cookie sheet. Etch an x in the top of the loaf.
6. Bake about 1 hour 10 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped on. Move to a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Substitution(s)

• Raisins can be used in place of the currants

My Chubby Dog

This morning I took Ozzie for his quarterly bath and nail grinding at the local PetSmart. He was reluctant as usual! The last time he was in the car he was deathly ill and ended up at the vet for two days so he was not too enthusiastic about a car ride. It took two slices of American cheese and a biscuit to get him in the car. Once we arrived there was a considerable amount of tugging and pleading on my part to get him out of the car! We waited in the outer section of the groomers room to check in. There was one little hairy white pup shaking away with an anxiety attack who was first. As his owner signed him in and turned around to leave, Ozzie was right behind him and out the door! "Get back here Ozzie!" I apologized to the groomer " He seems a bit nervous today!" That's alright , we get that all the time here! I returned 3 hours later to pick him up. He sauntered out all ready to go , no longer smelling like a backside of a horse! I was prompted by my husband to weigh him while I was there. He called me from work in the morning to remind me. " I think Ozzie may have put some weight on this Winter!" I took Oz over to the Vet clinic connected to the store and asked to use the scale. Ozzie willingly stepped onto the scale with not a worry in the world! I watched the digital numbers fly past his preferred weight! It stopped at 80.74 pounds! Yikes! That can't be! Can it?! The one sales gal Gwen who has a bully of her own followed me over to the scale. "Wow, he is a big boy isn't he?!" Ozzie sat there proud as punch as people where gathering around us. "Hey, look at the big Bulldog!" someone shouted. "Come Ozzie we have to go home now." All this attention was not going to go to waste and Ozzie took his time. Women were rushing over to look at him, asking if they could pet him. Sure go ahead looks like we will be here for a while! I am always surprised how many folks come up to me and say the have or had a Bulldog too. Two women told me they had bullies that lived to be 13 years old! Though the one gal was kind enough to remind that you have to keep them on the slim side for that to happen! A man came up to me with his cute 6 year old daughter. "Look Jessica, look at the chubby dog!" 'Is it okay for her to pet him?!" "Sure, as long as your not made of cheese he won't bite!" The little girl giggled and stroked Ozzie's ears. It took me another 45 minutes to leave the place. Ozzie was in his glory! I got him home and told him how it was going to be. "Look Ozzie you need to cut back on the treats and you need to exercise!" I saw the little thought bubble above his head " Yeah sure, tomorrow I will start." Ozzie then turned around and piled onto the couch for a well deserved nap. " I have to rest up for my fans you know" "
I suppose it is not in your DNA to be thin! Yes Ozzie sleep well my prince,my chubby dog!

Skate Boarding Bullies

What I Learn From My Dog

In the news today a 48 year old woman dropped her bag onto the tracks of a New York subway. Seeing no other option ( I guess?) she jumped onto the tracks to retrieve it. What could be in there that was so valuable? Bars of gold? The cure to the common cold?! Proof that Big Foot exists?! The train came bearing down on her, blowing it's horn in a feverish warning to get out of the way! On lookers screamed to her to lie down in between the tracks to avoid being hit! She panicked ( who wouldn't?) and braced herself up against the walls along side the tracks only to be crushed to the horror of rush hour commuters! Phew! Horrible!! My condolences to her family.
What I have learned from my dog that material objects in this life are transient and optional. All my dog needs is what is necessary. Food and water, his collar and leash, a warm bed and the love and care of his owners. Simple! Yet as humans we resist to embrace these basics. I mean you can do the collar and leash thing if that floats your boat but its the creature comforts that count! Why is it that we value these possessions over life and limb?! Designer bags do have their allure to women but come on! Another good reason why I only buy twenty dollar pocketbooks! "Woof!" Well said Ozzie!

Woman arrested for allegedly abusing dog

This video on the local news made me sick this morning. I can't stop thinking about it and how it probably it is one of many incidents of animal abuse happening in this country each day. This woman had apparently be abusing this poor 11 month old bulldog named Spike for months! He was taken to the vets dozen of times with various injuries! My questions are : How did this past through legitimate veterinarian care without someone getting wise to the situation? Why did the husband and son not step in and get this poor dog away from this situation?!
Okay now I am done being nice and politically correct! What is wrong with this sick twisted excuse of a human being. The video is nauseating at best to watch but hopefully will get her prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law! I would like to have my five minutes in a room with her! I would tie her up and dangle her from the ceiling and make her a human pinata! Argghhh! All right I am calmed down now.
Spike is blind out of one eye has a fractured hip, broken teeth and other insults to his little body. I can only pray he will heal quickly and someone who will properly care and love him adopts this brave little guy! We are suppose to be superior in mind and soul than the creatures we share this planet with. Apparently that does not apply to everyone!

We have enslaved the rest of the animal creation, and have treated our distant cousins in fur and feathers so badly that beyond doubt, if they were able to formulate a religion, they would depict the Devil in human form. ~William Ralph Inge, Outspoken Essays, 1922


Warning: Upsetting to those who love animals!

Woman arrested for allegedly abusing dog




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Patiently Waiting for Spring

Happy St Patrick's Day!

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Pet Peeves: Waiting Room Madness

Today I am inspired to share with you my frustration with a recent encounter that I think most of us have experienced. I had a doctor's appointment Monday morning at 9:30 AM to have some routine blood work done. This particular Monday morning was quite hectic. I had woke up around 5:30 AM when my husband was leaving for work. The night before we had gotten in late after a 6 hour road trip from Vermont so we were both pretty weary! I was feeling restless and perhaps a little guilty that he had to leave so early so I refrained from going back to sleep. My dance card was full for the day. Besides the doctor I had to take my son to an impoundment lot to retrieve his car. Over the weekend we had a huge dump of snow in northern NJ. William decided to get a hankering for a Big Mac at 1:00 AM in the midst of this snowy mess and got stuck on a snow bank! His car was towed by a town towing service to remove it off the exit ramp and 175.00 dollars later.......one expensive hamburger! This of course threw me off schedule and caused me to be late for my doctor's appointment. I struggled to parallel park in front of the office to the amusement of onlookers! I hurriedly open the car door and grabbed my open pocketbook which then dumped it's entire contents onto the wet macadam. After collecting my things I rushed into the office just to be confronted by a surly receptionist. " I'm sorry I am a bit late this morning but I have a 9:30 appointment!" Well she replied brusquely "Your are just going to have to wait now!" I scanned the telephone booth sized waiting room that was packed with people. "What?!" was all I could reply. I reluctantly took a seat next to some guy with a tissue stuck up his left nostril! "Great, I'll probably catch the Swine flu now!" I sat there for a while trying not to breath in the Petri dish of germs that was the waiting room when some young guy entered the office. He approached Miss Snip and told her that he was here for some routine blood work. He then gave her his cell phone number and said "Call me when its my turn I will be waiting in my car. I don't want to get sick from sitting in here!" Wow, why didn't I think of that?! A brilliant plan! Too late for me though, I felt infected already with some malady! After an hour of sitting there I went up to my new BFF and asked her when was I going in to see the doctor? "Oh" she responded with a blank stare..."Your next." Sure I knew that she had forgotten about me just like an old pair of socks! The rest of the visit went quite quickly and a pin prick later and I was out of there! I can only add that waiting room to my list of most despised places on earth along with the Department of Motor Vehicles and the laundromat on a hot summer day with no air conditioning. Oh Ozzie you are so lucky you are a dog!