Random thoughts I have had this week. You're welcome.
1) Last weekend I was walking Hannah and there were two tiny squirrels wrestling by a tree in front of us. Now, if you are someone without a dog with a high prey drive, you probably would not have even noticed these TEENY TINY squirrels, but I noted them because if Hannah noticed them, she would rip my shoulder out trying to get to them.
ANYWAY. They scurried up the tree when we were half a block away and I didn't worry about them anymore because Hannah cannot climb. Then, when we were within five steps of the tree, they FELL OUT OF THE TREE. They were wrestling so hard and were just babies who didn't know their own limitations, and they FELL OUT. And they seemed a bit dazed, so I did some fancy dog training bullshit (I spun Hannah around and started walking back in the direction from which we came) and we went around the other way. That's all. I didn't see any dead squirrels when we walked by later, so I assume they made it.
Also, where do the squirrels go? Like, the trees are naked right now, so I can see most of the squirrel nests in our neighborhood and there are WAY MORE SQUIRRELS THAN NESTS. Where are they going when it's negative eleventy billion degrees outside?
2) Tangentially related, but I recently listened to a podcast episode where a dog walker found a dead body. Friends, I have worries about this. Hannah and I generally walk well-trodden paths, but there's a park we regularly go to that isn't as busy and I sometimes worry that she and I are going to be out on our 6am walk and stumble upon something bad. Please take some time to remind me in the comments that finding dead bodies is extremely rare and my dog has a terrible nose for things.
 |
| Is it here we will find the dead body? |
3) Suzanne recently wrote a post about how when she pictures bloggers, she sort of assumes they are all the same height as her. I do not assume this because when I met up with Sarah and Anne recently, I felt like the Jolly Purple Giant. I am almost 5'7" if you want to know and these two ladies are teeny. But I also sort of assume everyone looks vaguely like me (dark hair, bad teeth, roughly my age, and apparently gigantic).
4) Wednesday and Friday are so hard for me in terms of exercise. Saturday and Sunday are generally easy on a regular weekend without a lot of obligations because I can just do it whenever. Monday and Thursday I can usually get yoga in during lunch at the student union. Tuesday I do a fitness class at the university. So that leaves Wednesdays and Fridays. The rush to get home from work, walk the dog, exercise, and deal with dinner is very challenging. One of them can usually be my day off, but then I have to grit through it and exercise on the other, which usually leads to a late dinner and not enough sleep. Argh. Why is scheduling so hard?!
 |
| This angle is hysterical. She does not really look like this. She's BEAUTIFUL. |
5) Let's talk about the cat again. She's doing better in that on Wednesday she had her first solid BM in about a month. Woot woot! She is still hungry all the time. And she has basically stopped cuddling with me at all in favor of hanging out by her food dish and crying for food. Maybe as her gut settles, she'll feel more like cuddling? She is starting to play again, going for her beloved brown ball, knocking pens off the table, and throwing hair ties around like she just don't care. She'll be back at the vet for blood tests in a couple of weeks and it seems like we'll do a taper so she won't be on this crazy amount of steroids forever.
*****************
Have you ever had squirrels fall out of a tree right in front of you? What hug team are you on? Do you worry about finding dead bodies?
Squirrels! So I walk Rex with a waist leash and the number of times I have been pulled to a run because of squirrels. Barkley was the same but being only 50 pounds it was much more manageable. Also, once Barkley CAUGHT a squirrel by cornering it on our garage wall and chasing it back and forth until it became exhausted and fell off. It was probably Barkley's best day ever. I don't worry about Rex finding a human body, but he's found plenty of other dead things. I feel fairly confident this won't be a problem we'll have. Let's manifest this anyway. LET OUR DOGS NOT FIND DEAD PEOPLE THX.
ReplyDeleteJolly Purple Giant, lol, I get that, I get that. I am 5'7" and I seem to have a lot of petite friends. If we are out and I'm wearing heels, I'm towering over everyone. I think of myself as a friendly moose at parties. I know you are very self conscious about your teeth but can I say that your smile is beautiful? I hope you don't mind me saying that. From my perspective your teeth are just fine and you have a lovely smile!
What else, what else. Oh yes, the hug thing. I am such a hugger and I will initiate but I have to remember NOT EVERYONE ENJOYS ATTACKS FROM THE HUG MONSTER. Covid was hard on me, friend. I mean I can usually tell by someone's body language if they want a hug or not, but I always default to hugging. I'm also an arm-squeezer, a shoulder patter, and if someone cries in front of me I wrap myself around them like a cardigan of love. I NEED TO REMEMBER NOT EVERYONE LIKES THIS. I generally remind myself of that and will if any bloggers ever make their way up here. I should just ask up front.
Zelda sounds like she's feeling well! I'm glad to hear it!
BARKLEY CAUGHT A SQUIRREL!! He must have been SO PROUD. But why are dogs so disgusting? I guess it's my fault for adopting a dog with a strong prey-drive, but dogs will be dogs, right?
DeleteHere's the thing with my teeth. I just try to ignore them. They're bad, but if I become too self-conscious about them (close lips smiles, etc.), it just draws more attention to the fact that they are bad!!! So I appreciate your compliment. If you had a closer look at my teeth, you might not agree, but, hey, at least I still have teeth!
You are definitely in my list of Team Hug people. I never doubted it!!
There are many fat squirrels on our nearby trail, including one ro two red squirrels. They do well at a bird feeder that backs onto the trail in one spot.
ReplyDeleteHugs are one thing, but the French Canadian thing of air-kissing the cheek was quite another. TG I only had a very brief encounter with the situation.
My dad's family did double kisses on the cheeks and I HATED it. That's all.
DeleteI NEVER thought of you or Nicole as 5'7! I guess that's because I'm 5'3ish and always think everyone is going to be my height.
ReplyDeleteThis is me 100%: "Team I Will Not Initiate A Hug, But Will Happily Participate." I'm not a huge hugger, but am happy to oblige. Though I'm pretty sure if I met you in person I would run and jump in your arms because...well...IT'S ENGIE! Consider yourself forewarned.
I'm so glad Zelda is improving. Yay for solid poops.
Oh, Elisabeth, I had you pegged ALL WRONG. I assumed you were Team Hug. Egads! I'm happy to know that you'd go in for it with me, though!
DeleteI have seen my life flash right before my eyes many times with dog & squirrel situations. Let me tell you how much I appreciate having a 40 pound dog compared to a 60 pound dog for being able to put the brakes on. I've never really fretted about finding a dead body in the neighborhood, but we've had some encounters with dead squirrels and birds over the years. Walking a dog takes a lot of attention to see things before the dog does.
ReplyDeleteI'm about to meet my coworkers in person for the first time so I will get the lowdown on how tall everyone is. I'm trying to make predictions. My bet is that my boss is very tall and that the HR team is playing in my league at the 5'5" mark. I wonder if anyone is noticeably short?
I'm Team Hug, but like Nicole says I am aware that not everyone else is. I'm more likely to go for the hug if it's someone that I'm really excited to see, and next week when I meet my coworkers I have a feeling that there will be lots of awkward hybrid hug/handshakes.
We have definitely found our fair share of carcasses, Hannah and I have. Squirrels and birds mostly, but one memorable time it was an entire dead deer and Hannah WOULD NOT DROP A BONE. I have nightmares about that walk. She's just about 50 pounds and I do find I can control her with the leash, but sometimes it's pretty forcible and I worry that I'm hurting her. *sigh* If only I could just pick her up with one arm, you know?
DeleteI have never even touched my co-workers. I would probably file and HR complaint if someone touched me at work. (No, I would not. But I would be uncomfortable.) Good luck with the co-worker meeting! It could be fun or it could be reallllly awkward.
Oh hooray!!! I'm so glad Zelda is better.
ReplyDeleteI'm 5'7", and also assume everyone is my height. But I just read Elisabeth's comment that she's 5'3"- how is that possible? In my mind of course she's 5'7" .
I'm on your hugging team, but I would probably hug most bloggers that I meet, because I feel like I know everyone so well already, it would feel weird NOT to hug. I'm meeting several bloggers next week and now I'll probably be overthinking it ("Do I hug? Is it weirder to hug or not hug???")
Oh, no! Don't let it get in your head. You will do what comes naturally. If I met you, Jenny, I would definitely go in for a hug. :)
DeleteMy natural inclination is to Want To Hug, but I am very mindful of other people's space/headspace, so I tend to wait for a cue. With everyone else, I go right in and grab for it.
ReplyDeleteI'm 5' 4". I used to be 3/4" taller--no idea where it went, but I informed my family that they were at fault due to crushing stress and responsibilities.
My granddog Zydrunas* has never found a dead body in 11 years; however, he does not walk extensively in areas where they may be. He is very reactive to other animals and has dragged me at least 50 feet twice. As a result, I am no longer allowed to walk him or even take him outside on his leash to pee. It is important to note that he DID feel very, very sorry each time and came back to check on me, licking my face and tucking his tail.
*Z is a 70+ pound American bully breed mix.
I will brace myself for the feeling like a giant if we ever meet. So many petite ladies in the blogging world!
DeleteHannah once pulled really hard and I got a rope burn-type injury on my hand and Hannah felt TERRIBLE. She knew she had done wrong. I appreciate the Zydrunas is just so strong that he doesn't know his own limits!!
I'm so glad to hear that Z is on the mend! What a relief that must be. I think she will adjust to the medication and start cuddling again. I am manifesting that for you both.
ReplyDeleteCaroline Girvan's Iron series has not 1 but 2 rest days. One is an 'active rest', which means you do something else, but I would think that walking the dog counts for that. There, I just solved your problem. 2 rest days. ;)
I have never considered that I might come across a dead body, though I do think that often dead bodies are found by people walking their dogs. But dead bodies laying around is RARE and you and Hannah are NOT going to find one. I'm sorry to say that now that I don't have a dog, I avoid going places that are unpopulated, mostly out of fear of becoming said dead body. Sigh. I mentioned this to Ted, hoping it would sway him in the direction of 'well, let's get you a dog then!', but it didn't, he just said he thought I was being smart. Sigh.
I'm 5'4". My BFF is my same height, but another BF is 5'10", and so are several others, and she told me once that she was at a party with some women who were 6' or more, and she said, "Look, I'm Julie!" which to me meant, "Hey, I'm short!" but to her meant, "Oh, I'm petite!" which she rarely gets to feel. So find yourself some tall bloggers, I guess is what I'm saying.
So, I cannot do Girvan workouts five days a week. I would never get over DOMS!
DeleteSo many petite ladies in blogging!! Where are my other jolly giants at?!
As you know, I am Team No Hug— I’m just not touchy at all, which is probably weird but seems normal to me after almost 50 years. Also, I am 5’2” and love hanging out with Anne because I never get to be the tall one.
ReplyDeleteI was so amused at how much of a giant I felt like when I was with you two. I started thinking that I had to protect both of you!
DeleteLove the Zelda news, poops and all!
ReplyDeleteAnd now you have me worried: Where do the squirrels go? Ditto the winter birds?
I don't think you'll find a dead body, Engie.
(Did I do that right?)
I don't know where the birds go, either. I assume their nests are small and camouflaged and I can't see them, but what do I know? I'm not a for real scientist!
DeleteI do not think you and Hannah will find a dead body on a walk; but, after watching way too much CSI, I firmly believe that I will come across a body at some point because the odds of it happening seem so much higher as a person weird things happen to? I am 5'4" and on team I Will Not Initiate Hugs But Will Participate (with people I enjoy). Yay for Zelda feeling better and hopefully getting back to cuddling!
ReplyDeleteZelda came up to me for cuddles when I was eating breakfast this morning! Yay! Hopefully we're on the right track.
DeleteI have never seen a squirrel fall out of a tree. In fact, I'm constantly amazed by the acrobatics of the squirrels in our backyard, the way they leap from branch to branch, and even tree to tree – confidently if not always gracefully – and yet, they never miss. I guess your junior squirrels were still in training!
ReplyDeleteI sometimes worry about stumbling across a dead body too, but I haven't done a ton of hiking yet since moving here.
They definitely were young squirrels. I had so much faith in them because I've also seen squirrels jump from tree to tree and skinny branch to skinny branch. But they just hadn't learned yet, I guess.
DeleteIt's probably because I watch too much Law and Order, but I am *constantly* in fear of finding dead bodies in a park.
ReplyDeleteI don't even like to initiate hugs with people I *do* know, so hugging an internet stranger would make me tense up. I'll be okay to be on the receiving end of hugs, but I'm not going to be the one to flying squirrel leap at someone when I first see them. Which sometimes makes it awkward because I *feel* an impulse to do something warm and inviting, but haven't figured out what that thing is yet.
Interesting, Diane! Do you still think of your blogging friends as strangers? I sort of feel like they're not anymore. So if a cool blogger came up to me and went in for a hug, I wouldn't think twice about it. I don't know. It's so complicated. Why is adulting and adult friendship so hard?!
DeleteI have become more pro-hug as I've gotten older. When I worked at a previous firm with my mentor I had a firm "no hugging coworkers" rule so when he resigned to leave the company and come to the company I now work for, on his last day he jokingly said "now I can hug you!!" I've moderated my view and will now hug coworkers but I will not initiate the hug and I know of one person that is very anti-hug so I make sure to fist bump him. I think having kids has lowered my barrier for hugging? Or just realizing life is short and it's ok to hug? My MIL IS NOT A HUGGER THOUGH and neither is Phil so maybe I also am more of a hugger to offset Phil's more standoffish approach?
ReplyDeleteSo we started the new OJ Simpson doc on Netflix this week (not sure why - what is there new to say about that case??) and in the first episode, they talk about how a dog tipped neighbors off to the murders because he was traipsing through the neighborhood with bloody paw prints. I am sorry - that is probably not going to help you get over your fear of discovering a body! I'm terrible.
I'm so glad that Zelda is doing better. And hey, her and I can be steroid buddies. I know all about the steroid-fueled hunger. Sigh. I try to eat less but it's really hard to feel constantly hungry. I started to taper off it this week but by taper I mean I took 12.5 mg instead of 15 and that is still quite a high dose for daily use.
There's a new OJ Simpson doc?! That's crazy. I feel like that market has been oversaturated!! Nicole Brown's Akita is legendary in our house. I feel like if Hannah found me murdered, she'd just lay down and take a nap.
DeleteOh, I didn't even think about what the steroids would do to your level of hunger! What are you doing to help with that? I presume you don't stand by the fridge and yell at everyone who approaches it, which is Zelda's strategy.
I've never had a squirrel fall out of a tree in front of me. Whew! And thankfully, I've never found a dead body, and I hope that neither of us ever does.
ReplyDeleteI'm on team no hug - except for people I know very well. I would happily accept hugs from the Cool Bloggers!
I am also 5'7"! I used to be closer to 5'8", but I've shrunk a bit.
I hope Zelda continues to feel better and better!
Whew! I'm glad the cool bloggers have received hug status!
DeleteI laughed at so many parts of this post. I'm trying to remember. Throwing hair ties around like she just don't care. Not sure why but that struck my funny bone. I am CONFIDENT that you will not find a dead body. Ever. I do not run in the woods, so it's never occurred to me, but even now that you say that, if I was to walk in the woods - I still wouldn't expect to find a dead body. For your info: I'm almost 5'10", well I was but now that I'm older, I've probably shrunk some. I could be team hug, but I also would be fine if someone doesn't want to hug. I don't know that I've ever seen a baby squirrel, and that's my question: where are the baby squirrels hiding out? They always look full grown when I see them. I hope Zelda continues to improve.
ReplyDeleteErnie, friend, have you ever lived with a cat? You buy them TONS of expensive toys and what they really want to play with are hair ties, cardboard tubes from toilet paper, and pens. And they don't seem to care that you don't want them to play with those things!
DeleteI don't think think these were babies - I just think they were teenagers who don't really know how to squirrel correctly yet. Squirrels have nests in trees, but I guess they also will sometimes take shelter in garages and sheds and woodpiles and leaf piles and things like that.
That's funny, dead bodies are constantly being found by dog-walkers in literature and tv, why have I never worried about finding one? I do not think you and/or Hannah will find a dead body.
ReplyDeleteI thought baby squirrels weren't supposed to be out, so I'm worried something happened to those squirrels' mom, but I don't want to be, so I'm just going to assume she found them and took them back to the... next? hive? den? Wow, I don't know shit about squirrels, as it turns out.
I am majorly team hug, but I don't initiate, just try to look open for the possibility.
Jolly Purple Giant ha ha - you would probably be a smidge taller than me.
Could you not just call walking the dog your exercise for the Wednesday or Friday that isn't a day off? I know you're probably going to say no, but I'm not entirely clear on why. Loss of momentum? Compulsion? Any answer is valid of course. I only aspire to your determination.
I don't think they were truly baby squirrels - just naughty teens. They looked healthy, which is to say they were small, but had big bellies, which is pretty cool since it's winter.
DeleteDog walking isn't really exercise for me. It's more of a saunter for Hannah. She's very sniffy and slow. So we're out for 40 minutes, but may only go a mile or so. So I can't really sub that in - I'm not doing any strength training or getting my heartrate up, you know?
I do know! And yet you are also not sitting on the couch, you are moving your body. I just think that if it's causing stress trying to fit in a more vigorous exercise session that you could call this something other than a total day off. But I am just very much trying to move past the 'exercise as duty or punishment' thing, so our frames of reference can totally be different.
DeleteI am a hugger! Sometimes I forget to ask because I'm usually just so excited to see people! I need to do better about that. I can usually tell by body language but in my family and friend group, we just always hug when we see each other and leave, so I forget that not everyone is like that!
ReplyDeleteYAY ZELDA and YAY SOLID POOPS. I am hoping she's on the mend for good and will be back to her snuggling ways in no time!
Interesting! I would NOT have put you in Team Hug, but now I will recalibrate!!
DeleteI think Zelda's really feeling better today. She came up to me for cuddles after breakfast and Dr. BB in the early afternoon. She is still constantly demanding for food, but as a fellow hungry girl, I respect that.
I was once on a hike with my kids and we saw a squirrel fall an incredible distance, like 30 feet, and then lay on the ground absolutely still. I don't know if it was officially dead because I hustled them away quickly so they didn't have to be traumatized by a squirrel death.
ReplyDeleteMy husband found a dead body, but that's not unusual because it was in the course of his job as a first responder. I can tell you though, through him, it's almost impossible to just "find" a body. You have go to looking for one.
Oh and I'm 4'10". Literally everyone is taller than me including my 11 year old.
I would NOT go looking to find a body, but my dog goes wandering if I let her. I guess this is a good reminder that I should just keep her on a leash at all times. LOL.
Delete4'10"!!!! Can you even reach the bottom kitchen cabinet? So tiny!!
Haha! I can reach the bottom cabinet, and the second shelf, but only because I moved it to be lower. Otherwise I stand on a chair or get my husband to reach stuff for me. I definitely injured myself climbing a shelf in the grocery store the other week, though...
DeleteI'm glad to know that Zelda is starting to feel a bit better (yay for good poop) and surely, she'll get back on the cuddle train really soon!
ReplyDeleteI am Team Hug, all the time. I've always thought that people who don't hug aren't as warm and friendly. No? I have a SIL who doesn't hug, or touch, not even her husband and she's not so warm or fun to be around.
Girl, you will not stumble upon a dead body...why must you even put that out in the universe? Take it back!
I WILL hug, but I don't initiate. I DO, however, touch my husband all the time. LOL. I can't imagine NOT.
DeleteThe blogger meetup pictures make me so, so happy <3
ReplyDelete