Brilliance. And trying to put everything in one post. And lots of agility. And grad year! And life and love and laughter and awesomeness.

Wicked post title.

So, I thought I should reflect on last weekend's trial before I go into another trial this weekend.
Here goes.

It was brilliant. Both dogs were really running superbly.

Let's start with Toffinator.
She's cool. Rad. Awesome. Wicked. Amazing. That's all I really have to say about her. She's done her share of incredibleness and I couldn't ask for more with her. She's my special little girl...and...gah, I just love her. I wanna squeeze her little pointy face all the time. Squeee!

She was a little sore though. She took a few jumps kinda wierd and was really twitchy for a few days after. I mean, she's always twitchy, but it was worse than usual. Poor squirly. This is how awesome she did.

I meant to get a picture of her and Mach, but I forgot. I don't think I took any pictures all weekend. Sadness.

Mach! There's always lots to talk about with Mach. We're always growing, learning and being awesome together. There used to be lots to talk about with Toffee, but she's all grow'ded up.

So.

The first run of the day was a clean run and a title!! Weee! We're up to Masters Standard now! How cool!?!!! So much excitment!! His other runs that day were really nice. I could feel a difference in him from turf to grass. He's a lot more powerful but cleaner and tighter with his movements. He got a steeplechase Q on Saturday, too!

Masters standard is only challenging with the dogwalk exits. Other than that, he's perfect. I had to leave after the dogwalk on his first standard on Sunday. Even when I took him back and ran him straight off, he still missed it. Sigh. I guess it was a soft turn. And those are hard. But I needed to get off. My brain was mostly a bunch of "kjsdf;lkajsdj|" On our way out, though, he had a really nice aframe contact! haha.

We got our second Advanced Gambler Q, which means 1 more for our title! He didn't even hesitate on the main gamble. Which is cool, considering I haven't really trained him to do gambles. H didn't do one of the minis, but the weave one he did perfect! Cool dog. And and and and and, probably the most exciting part was when we got our starter snooker Q!!! FINALLY! That was our Starter games title! Now we're out of starters in everything.

To solidify his wickedness, when I fed him his supper after he was done running, I acidentally left his crate door wide open. Now, you have to realize how terifying that is to me. Remember his running away incidences? Where he would run away and not come back. ever. and it was really. scary? Remember that? Well, my golly, that dog, an hour later, was sound asleep in his crate.

I LOVE THIS DOG OKAY.

Here's how he did!

Life.

I only have 10 days of highschool left. EXCITED. I've been so incredibly busy with all these grad events and end of the year projects, essays, assignments and tests, and other school events and agility that .... well, it's insanity.

Monday we had "Lion King". Our school mascot is a lion, and this is a show for the Grad boys. It's basically a pagent, but it's hilarious. I wish I took videos or pictures. I laughed a lot. A lot. We went out for ice cream after. Yum.

Last night was the last dance. I wasn't planning on going. I usually don't like them. They're really lame, the music sucks and I'm tired and want to fall asleep. And it's so loud. But friends convinced me. Guilt trip....and I'm so glad they did. It was so much incredible fun! Way awesome to just let go and DANCE. I love dancing. We went out for ice cream after. Yum.

Today was Aboriginal Awareness Day. At the end, we went and danced in front of the school. That was fun. And we got free food. Win.

After we mowed the agility fields, mom, dad and I went went out for ice cream. Yum.

Come to think of it, I've been eating way too much ice cream. Don't care.

Then we have a trial this weekend, another grad dinner on monday, the last coffee house on tuesday and who knows what else.

I like mangos.

Wanna see an awesome picture? Yes.

THAT IS ALL.
GOODNIGHT.

Getting There

TNA Trial.

First trial at 26" for Mach. All in all, it wasn't bad. Started off a little rough. Maybe a little stiff from hill running? Maybe not. Drop 3 bars and then 1 bar in the steeplechases on friday, but he had good strides all the way around the course. So I'm happy with that!

He had a beautiful gamble. Fantastic contacts and weaves. Although he kinda sorta kinda maybe took the double sideways. Ouch. Had a little crash and burn, but recovered extremely well and even though we were on the other side of the ring from the main gamble when the buzzer went, we got it! Yay! That was our first advanced gamble. The rest of saturday wasn't really good. We trained in both the standard are jumpers. But had really good moments up to that point. (Especially the standard! Beautiful opening and that DOGWALK!)

Sunday was better. No Q's, although we were one bar from getting our standard and jumpers. Oh well. I was in a better space all of sunday and we ran a lot better because of it. I'm really happy with how he's running. I love how I can relax when I got into the ring with him. He doesn't need to be on leash anymore, he doesn't need a "catcher" at the end of a run. He's there with me the entire time, so it's the least I can do to be there with him the entire time, too.

La la la, life goes on. My mind was at war with itself for most of the weekend trying to find a good balance in there somewhere. I knew that it really wasn't a big deal that he was knocking all these bars and that he'd get the hang of it. And we were on some pretty slippy turf...but I knew he could have done all of those with ease. On the drive back, Obla Di Obla Da came on....la la la, life goes on. And it does. That trial had some really fantastic moments, and some not so great, but now it's past and all I can do is better prepare ourselves for our future. All is well.

Toffee girl was as fantastic as she always is. Friday night, we got into the finals for steeplechase again, and {won it!!} weeee! I love this dog so much!!! 100$ is a much needed deposit into my pocket at the moment.

{The rest of her runs we fantastical!} I'm always just so happy when I run her! She's so much fun :) 6 more Q's for da girly.

Today Mach and I went to another Jess Martin seminar! It was really awesome. They always are. Jess is so full of knowledge. And her head is full of really great sequences. Challenging ones. Lots of thinking this morning. A lot of go go go and decel and then go go go and then decel. And turning hips to the right, and then to the left and then decel and then go go go! Weeooo. I was toast by the afternoon. Mach was zonked right out in his crate. I had to wake the poor guy up for his last couple of turns.

What a special little snail :) Love him. Toffee was very excited to see me when I got home. :) Love her.

The End is Near

It's approaching rather quickly. I graduate in 53 days. That's not even two months away. June 22 can't come soon enough, that's all I have to say. Although, I know it'll be here before I know it. Convoluted sentence? Why yes.

First there was the Hypnotist. That was cool. And hilarious.
Then there was grad dinner, which was even more hilarious. You know, I really do have a pretty cool school. The teachers are actually human and have a good sense of humor.

I'm so ready to get outta highschool. This is a fact.

Cheers to the freakin' weekend

I don't actually like that song.
I like these guys, though.

My two friends and I went out the other night and did Dance Dares. Okay...WAY TOO MUCH FUN. We did tape ours, but my friend still has them on her phone. Seriously, it's addicting.

We also went to see The Lucky One last night. I read the book in two days..meaning, I finished the book two days ago. It really helped that I could imagine Zac Efron. He's a fine looking man, lemme tell you.

Anyhow, I don't really have anything to say other than my weekend has been awesome. That's all mates. (that was an Australian accent, ps)

Lucky

That's me. I'm really lucky.

Sometimes. A lot of times, I take mostly everything I have for granted. And that sucks. I try to be a grateful - oh, and I am, but I don't always show it.

THANK YOU.

To everyone who has ever touched, even grazed my life. You have changed me. And I'm so happy about where I am in life in this moment. So I really can't thank you enough. There are no words.

Since  half of my life has been my dogs/agility, you can understand that I associate anything and everything with those things. So I can't help but think of how lucky I've been to have met all of those "agility people".


I was 9 years old when I came on the agility scene. Well, my mom did. I was just along for the ride. I'll admit it, it was love at first sight. I was still trying to fit in with my brothers. Apparently Dragon Ball-Z was more interesting than agility? Wahh?! I dunno. But I'm so glad she dragged me along all those years ago.

I was terrified of everything. Seriously. I couldn't talk to people, or even look at them without crying. I would hide behind my mom when people approached me. Let's just say I was a very shy child. But once I started getting into agility and saw just how freakin' awesome it is, I started opening up. It really saved me from myself, if we're being honest here. Agility was my calling. I just got it. I underdstood it. And then all those people didn't seem so scary anymore. If you were one of the few I actually talked to when I was 10 years old, you are AWESOME, jussayin'.

Growing up with a bunch of older people (no, I'm not calling you old. You just weren't 10 years old, that's all :)) is actually quite rad. I have like 30 parents. That's 30 people I can talk to. 30 people who have real life experience and can give me great advice and not just what my friends think I want to hear (although, they are great).

I feel a great deal of love towards all of those "agility people". Personally, I think "agility people" are the coolest. Maritime agility people are even cooler. We're all a big family and I think that's rather special.

They have taught me countless life lessons, told me all about the things that go wrong when you get old and brought me up as one of their own. There's nothing that I am more grateful for than all of their spirits that have guided me through my jouney so far.

So there. That's my lousy attempt of telling you guys just how much I adore you.

Really, I do love you all.

That's us being awesome in 2008.

the perks of growing up

FREEDOM.

I went to the barn by myself today.
It was awesome. Mach's turns on the dogwalk are getting soooo much better!!! So happy with him!
I was hot from the barn, and it was really nice out - like 24 degrees, so I went to DQ and got the new frozen hot chocolate, peanut butter flavour. That was delicious. I ran into my friend and we chatted for a bit, then I went outside and hung out with Mach on the picnic tables.

Two of my friends got back from Aruba last night and her house is close to where I was, so I waited for her to get home from her grandparents house. I took the dogs swimming for the first time this year!! And then just hung out on the green.

and look what she bought me down there!!!

Then another friend came over for supper - bbq's are the best.

I think I got a couple freckles, too.

Did I tell you that my mom booked our flights for Nationals? YES!

Woah, I'm EXCITED.

Harry Potter

I finished.
The last book.
Monday night.
I'm sad it's over. Really really really sad.

Those were the most fantastical books I ever did read. All of them. I'm in love.

SO GOOD!

And I've spent most of my evenings this week(when I should have been working on my english presentation) watching videos on youtube - interviews, behind the scenes, anything and everything Harry Potter. And then my computer got a virus. It might have been trying to get in for a while, but it wiped almost everything from my hard drive. Music, pictures, videos and documents. This is all very sad.

BUT. I still love Harry Potter.

There is still some anticipation left, as I haven't seen the last few movies. I need to watch them soon, or I might implode.

I'm going to give myself another excuse to prowl through pictures of the cast just so I can add one to this post to give it some sustenance. Does that word even work in that sentence? Probably not. Don't care.

I love Harry Potter. Forever.

And this is the best picture ever.