Sunday, April 29, 2012

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.

Monday, April 16, 2012

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.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

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.

Friday, April 13, 2012

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.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Perspective

Sometimes I get into these bizare moods where I think about the depths of the universe. And all the people that live in it and all of their stories - their journies. Sometimes I freak myself out and get really overwhelmed by it all. My eyes get all shifty and foggy.

And parallel universes. Those are mind blowing.
The moon, the stars, the sun.

And then I think about moments in time and those who I shared them with. Those moments were so different for me than they were for them. Each person was going through something completely different than I was going through in that moment. We all see things differently, we all do things differently, we all smell things differently, we all hear things differently, yet we were all there, all sharing that one moment. I keep thinking to myself how insane it all is, all the dynamics and perspectives come together all in that one teensy tiny moment. Or maybe it's a big moment, and then it's even cooler.

I wonder how we all exist. The mere existance and function of humans, to me, is so far out that I will never be able to grasp any form of a concept in my mind.

Society, a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me
Society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me
Society, have mercy on me
I hope you're not angry if I disagree
- Eddie Vedder

Then there's the corner of my mind that wonders about all the different perspectives of not only people, but of society and the views and beliefs it plants in peoples minds. How can people think someone or something is wrong or right? Maybe it's all morals. But it was all planted there. Nobody really thinks of anything on their own, do they? It all comes from somewhere. Where it originated, I can't say. But it's odd to think that there are so many fights and wars and arguments about a difference in perspective, when they probably don't even know where they gained the belief that they are fighting for.



Blah, blah, blah, I know, I know.

If there's something that I know for certain, for myself, I need to go on a trek. Through the wilderness. Somewhat of a pilgrimage, for the spiritual aspect, but not for religion. I need open space. I don't need things, I just need space and fresh air. I need adventure. It's something that has been scarce. I need to go Into the Wild.

"The freedom and simple beauty is too good to pass up."



WOAH.
 Okay, side note.
I've been obsessing lately over Into the Wild. I half watched it when it came out, with my brother (who reminds me so much of Chris McCandless) But there's been something inside me that felt like I needed to read the book and watch the movie again. I've been listening to the soundtrack all day, and I realized what song Hard Sun actually is. And that I LOVE Eddie Vedder. Like, love. Anyway, I saw on a video that quote above. I wanted to make sure that it was from the movie, and I came across this and this quote (after I wrote this entire post);

"Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, 'cause "the West is the best." [Editor's note: This is quoted from Jim Morrison and the Doors song "The End"] And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild."
- Alexander Supertramp, May 1992

"The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage"

I think it's a sign. I'm just gonna run on fate on this one.

Go find yourself.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

A Matter of Love

Love is all that is on my mind. My doggies especially! I wrote most of this post in my head on the drive home from Truro Sunday night, but I think I've forgotten most of it. I'll try to remember. I was falling asleep, you know. Disclaimer: This will be very disjointed. Enjoy my srambled eggs of a post.

Friday night was steeplechase round 1 and 2 - the fastest two times from each regular, specials and veterans from whichever run would go to the finals and rerun the second course. Toffee and I made it - Mach was close for regulars! I was up against a 22" border collie. His time was 1 second faster than Tof's, but when I finished and looked at the clock, I forgot that he knocked a bar, so when they yelled to me that I won, it was a surprise all over again! Fun times! I don't hate winning 100$. I tested the blind-cross waters in the final run. Eek! They're kinda fun - and so much easier than front crosses. I don't think I'll use them all the time, but since I know Toffee so well, I think I can do one here and there when she's in the tunnel - just because I can! :)



{Toffee's Steeplechase Runs Here}

Saturday was wonderful! Toffee went 3/4 that day. She only knocked 1 bar in Challenge (the first challenge we haven't Q'd in!) Silly girl. She never kocks bars. But it's okay. She had the fastest time out of everyone!

Machstar was amazing...I can't help but get all mushy when I think about him. Gah. His steeplechase runs were really good, just kocked a bar in the second round and didn't get his weave pole entry! (note to self: Work onside entries!!!) His runs on Saturday were fantastic. He was entered in Advanced standard and Masters Jumpers for the first time this trial and !!!!! Q'd both of them on his first attempt! His yps for standard was around 5 (had to take out the table count, etc) and his jumpers was 6.8 << !!! The point is, we're right on track for Worlds!! :) But his jumpers run. That was my favorite all weekend, I think. Only one little wide turn at the beginning, but made up for it in other spots. Man, I'm just really proud of this dog. I really, really am.

A bunch of us went out to supper that night. Food was yummy. I was in a weird-food-mood. Turkey burger with ketchup and coleslaw? It was oddly delicious. Later friends came to our room and we jammed on his guitar and learned some new songs. I need a cappo.

Even though Sunday was April 1, my morning was not an April Fool's joke. Mom and I both slept through the alarm, the dogs didn't bark at the noise (or we had no idea about it) outside our door, and we woke up at 8:11. (First dog on the line at 8) Sadly, it was starters snooker that was first, so we completely missed it. I ran into the building just as the last dog was running. Sad. I really wanted to get that snooker run in. I still need one more. Sigh. 'Til next time, I s'pose.



Then everything that day went kinda downhill. I mean, Toffee still had a wicked day, 3/4 Q's again (just one little bobble at the end of her jumpers - my fault, you can see in the video, I think it's kinda cute:)). {Toffee's Runs Here} Mach's first run was standard and it was like it was his first time on all the equipment! lol, baby dog run to the max. It was quite comical.Seriously, this is what happened: Missed aframe contact, fly-off on the teeter, I started training to redo the teeter, knocked a bar, bum kept coming up on the table (way cute), bad dogwalk contact, redid that, wide turns, and went around the last obstacle. Haha, all I could really do was laugh. He made up for it in his next standard when he kicked major ass in it!! Q #2!! He had an amazing dogwalk in that run. So good. His jumpers run was so good, i just didn't support him to the back side of a jump and he came through the gap. Still had the third fastest time with the refusal!



To add to me missing my snooker run entirely, mom and I both forgot to walk our masters standard course. (Thankfully it was basically the same as advanced - poor mom was having a little trouble figuring it out;)), I also ripped the seat out of my pants. It was kinda hilarious. But it's a really good excuse to get rid of them - they're 6 years old. I'm surprised they even fit me anymore. But they were basically disintegrating.Old clothes, ftw. Toffee also broke her startline (she never breaks her startline), Newman wouldn't come off the startline (he was notorious for his bad startlines), Toffee slammed into the aframe and almost didn't make it over. She had really bad twitches in her back for the rest of the day. Newman slipped and fell off the aframe and ripped/split/cracked his dewclaw. We had to bandage him up. Poor old thing. And McDonalds gave us fried, not grilled chicken.

Quite a day.



(TNT fam photo) Mach, Wysh, Quake, Kes, Mirage

I ran Jag on Sunday. Eeek! I love running this dog! He's so much fun! We Q'd our standard run, and beat Toffee's time. He's a little speed demon. Our jumpers run was really great, too. Just had some bars. I also ran Ace (the border collie we were against in steeplechase) and had a really good run, too! It's so fun to run other people's dogs. Out of everyone, Ace, Jag and Mach had the fastest times! hehe, cool!
Mach and The Monster

Back to Mach.



Have I mentioned how proud I am of him!?! You can just tell that he loves it now. And it's so comforting to know that I can trust him now. Not necessarily out on the course, which I can do more so now, but before we go into the ring and when we come off the course. He's right there with me. He's not worrying about what's going on around him. He's in the zone. And that helps me be in the zone. It helps me to be "In it to win it" (you won't understand). I was in such a good space for every single one of my runs this weekend, with him and with Toffee. (and Jag and Ace) I can campare this weekend with nationals last summer. It was just all clicking, it was all so serene. When I think about being in a good space, I see the color blue, with thick lines of green paint. Like the ocean and mossy woods together. That's my happy place. That's my good space.

{Mach's Runs Here}
I like it there. :)



On another note. Regionals entries are due this week. (so early, I know) I had to decide what height to jump Mach at. And I've made my decision. Mach is now officially 26". Goodbye 22", it was nice knowing ya!!

Ouuu, the adventures that are awaiting us are all too exciting...can't wait!!


Siblings!