Paws For Peace: June 2011

Well, what an interesting weekend...

Weather wise, it sucked. As per usual. I think only 2007 and 2009 were nice, every other year has been RAIN RAIN RAIN. This year we were accompanied by thunder, lightning and hail, on top of the rain rain rain rainnnnnn. The sun did come out a couple times, but I think it only lasted 5 minutes and then a huge ice filled black cloud blew over.

This weekend could have also been my lifetime weekend, too. I needed two more standard and there was two being offered, one each day, before the regionals events. No pressure at all, eh?

Me and my two favorite boys friday night before regionals. :)

Friday night was fun, though. I was catching up with my buddies who I hadn't seen since september. We took the dogs swimming, but Mach decided to wear down his nails all the way down to the quick and have bloody paws like it's his job. Poor thing. He's fine, though.

I also had a jammin' sesh with my buddy Tony with our guitars. He taught me some really cool stuff. Can't wait to perfect those!

Rowdie's first swim!

My first run of the weekend was the standard, which if I didn't get, I wouldn't be able to get my lifetime, not for another month until the next trial where there was standard. And also, this one lady who has been "Toffee's biggest fan" was there, and she isn't always around, so I really wanted to get it when she was there, too.

But, I didn't hold my threadle long enough and she took the Aframe instead of the tunnel in the discrimination. Bummer. OH WELL. It was a nice run anyways!

Seriously? Stop with that camera thing...

The regionals courses were challenging, but super fun! The standard was first and it was, of course, pouring rain when we were running. It was going really well, I only had one bobble where I didn't get my front cross in on time (stupid wet grass), so I had to do this weirdo threadle verbal flick thing (yuck), but hey, whatever works right? And at that point, I just wanted a clean run. The fourth last obstacle, however, I was late getting to my front cross (again) and had to last minute decide to threadle -rear cross. But I stepped in too early and pushed her out to the tunnel! ahhhg 20 faults..big bummer! ..and I was 27 seconds undertime on that course, too....

But Mom, I tried really hard...can I have some nachos?!! :):):)

Next was gamblers. It kinda sorta looked hard, but not really. It's weird, though. I had that exact same set up at my house the week before. Granted I didn't practice that numbering, nor did I practice it as a gamble, but it was very ironic how that happened! We had a good opening, a good amount of points. We would have had a few more, but I didn't see a little trap coming out of one of the mini's and she took the wrong jump. Ah well. She did however hold her dogwalk FOR ONCE IN HER LIFE in trial! pround of here there :):) And then she went on and got the main gamble! YAY!

Rowdie and Bailey chillin in the trailer!

The last course of the day was jumpers and..well, it wasn't nice. It was sure fun though! I like challenges.
The beginning wasn't cool though. I had to do this nasty late cross to get her to one of the jumps. Okay, maybe I held it a little longer than needed, but I really didn't want a fault!! Couldn't afford one! Just getin' 'er done, ya know. But other than that, the rest of the course ran beautifully and Toffee kicked some bum.

Here's the courses from Saturday

Then Saturday evening was the banquet.....

The Dog Cake for regionals!! Thanks Lisa!! :)

Since I'm the president of the club, and since we were hosting the regionals, I was told...nono, FORCED to do a little welcoming speech thingy at the banquet. Mayzle shoot me. First of all, I don't talk much in general. No matter who you are, I don't say a whole lot. So getting in front of a bunch of people is like torture. Seriously. I'm getting better at getting in front of my friggin class, but only when it's on my own terms..if you MAKE me do it, well...it's gonna be awful. And it was. I think I said something like "Well, I don't speak in public, sooo...thanks for coming out..uh, sorry about the rain today, hopefully tomorrow's better, drink up, get drunk and have a rockin' time..."

Umm...who the frig says that? Actually, I don't even know if I said those words...I go blank afterwards and I don't remember things. hahaha...it's a serious problem.

hah..shoot me. Then I had to introduce the people who prepared the food for us. So up I go again. :\
and then I had to cut the cake. It all of a sudden got really HOT in there....

**Note the digust in my face. "just get me outta here!!!"

Pretty cake, though!

SUNDAY!
Another standard before the regionals runs...and I got it!! It was a really pretty run :) ONE MORE FOR MY LIFETIME!!!! YAY

Standard was next and it was more of a Challenge course than a standard..which I'm pumped about, because I usually kick butt in that course. Super FUN! Again, it was a beautiful run, everything was perfect (although, I almost lost her on the threadle right at the start) until the end (again...) on the %&^(*&^^&*^ dogwalk. (my nemesis) Missed contact. 5 faults and lost my extra 28 points that I was undertime. Bummmmmerrrrrrrr. Boo. I'm not going to lie, I was upset about this run. I can't help it, really. I try to be all "oh that's okay!! We did our best, blah blha blha blhasldkjhslkdjflksdjf" But I'm too competitive..I think I'm a guy..eeek.

Mach bored out of his noggin'

I did my best to block the last run out of my mind..what's in the past is in the past. It's time for gamblers. Except it started the thunder and lighting...the dog right before us...so we took a little break. And then it started to downpour. Rain and then HAIL!!!

This one, I knew for sure Toffee would get it. We had another nice opening, gathered a good amount of points again..had a few bobbles that cost us a few seconds, therefore the last mini gamble points, but in the end, she got the gamble and we got our bonus points. Good stuff!!

Jumpers was last and it was a really cool and fun course. Just a couple tight spots, but the rest was wide open..yay! Clean and fast for that one..although I almost sent her over the wrong jump. I really wasn't in the zone this weekend!!

Here's some of my favorite pictures that I took of other dogs!

Mom and the ol' Newmster came 1st!!!

love this piccy :)

The Henry Champs!!

so much happiness :):)

:) Score keeper :)

We ended the regionals in 2nd place, with 518+ points. It probably looked like I was disappointed with those results when I went up to get my ribbons. Which I entirely wasn't. I was more disappointed that I had been disappointed after my two runs that I didn't go clean. I'm so stupid sometimes, hah. And if anyone came up and said "Congrats" or "good Job", forget it, I'm tearing up. It's an uncontrollable reaction of mine.

day 2 courses

But after I made my video..watched my runs, it really wasn't bad. Not at all. She did awesome, as always.
So moral of the (long) story, don't get upset, because in the end, everything is going to be better than okay, you've got your little girlie, so happy always there beside you :)

yay.

side note: I got my wisdom teeth out today. I can't smile. how brutal is that?!

I'M EXCITED!!!! HI SUMMER HI HI HI HIIIIIII :) I've missed you

Grade 11 was far too much work. I'm so glad it's overrrr, ahhh

I'm completely exhausted from my exam today. My brain can only take so much. Well, staying up too late last night could be a part of my exhaustion, but I can't help it.

Regionals are this weekend! I completely forgot until monday evening when I was at agility class that one of the ladies reminded me. In the last three months, I know I've only trained Toffee enough times to count on two hands, no more. Ah well, last night after class, we stayed and trained the dogs. I made up this insane course, and Toffee rocked every little piece of it. She's ready, of course. So am I.

I don't get nervous. I only was nervous my first run with Toffee. But it didn't last long. I had already competed before as a Junior, so I was used to the pressure. I knew Toffee could do everything, it was just her reactiveness--leaving me to go after a dog that was in her 100 ft radius of "Don't you dare enter" zone, that made me nervous.

I can't believe how far she's come. How far we've come. It's pretty incredible.

I was also nervous my first nationals, only a little. But I was able to get my jitters out in the steeplechase runs, so by the time I got to the actual national courses, I was all set to go!

I hope I didn't just jinx myself for this weekend, though! haha

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh , Oh Oh!!!! Looky here!!!

MY CHAIR CAME IN YESTERDAY!!!!
As a prize that came along with winning Top Junior Handler last year at nationals, I was able to order a chair with a picture of my puppers and a caption!! I am in absolute love with it!! Very well done!

The lady who did it is Shannon Darch of Shannon Darch Animates..she's awesome!
She also did up a canvas of Toffee in 2008 at nationals. She took a picture of Tof, printed it and then had this absolutely gorgeous painting done by the end of the day. I'm sure she had like 10 others done, too. She's friken awesome!