A little bit of Jasper in my life...

Sheesh, I'm such a slacker! I've been promising myself that I would get around to blogging several times over the past few days but somehow the days have been getting away from me. What have I been doing, pray tell? To be honest, not a whole lot. I know...I'm a horrible blogging person.

But really, why does it seem that as the weather starts to get warmer, the days start to go faster? I can honestly say that there were a few days in the depths of those dark January days when I thought spring would never come. But alas, here it is. Something else I have noticed as of late is how my entire day seems to hinge on the actions of our not-so-newly acquired Beagle. Okay, for all those who know me, you know that these past for months have been something of a struggle for me, dog wise. For a while there, it seemed my life had been separated into two distinct parts: BJ (And that stands for Before Jasper so get your mind out of the gutter, you dirty, dirty people!) and AJ (predictably, After Jasper). Things were awfully tense for those first few weeks...alright, for those first few months, in all honestly. There were many times that I found myself bursting into tears of frustration at the office when a co-worker would innocently ask how our new puppy was doing. And I can't count the number of times when Adam (my husband) would come home to find me sobbing on the couch while poor beagle friend stared at me like I had lost my mind. To put it bluntly, I hated the dog (yes, I admit it) and I wanted nothing more than to take him back to the Shelter where we had found him.

But then, something rather astounding started happening. Day by day, things started to get better. Oh don't misunderstand me...there are still plenty of times when I find myself ready to inflict some serious damage but more often than not, I'm laughing at something cute or silly he has done and calling out "Love you angel boy..be a good dog" when I'm heading out the door in the morning. What in the world has happened to the woman who wanted to send him back to the shelter?! Oh, I'm sure she is still in there somewhere but slowly, she is being beaten into submission. Yes, her, not the dog..lol.

So where is this all going, you ask? I have no idea. I just felt the need to talk about Jasper and about the stunning realization that Adam and I had this weekend that we have now had him for four months. Four months! Where does the time go? I think back to that time, just before Christmas when all Adam and I could talk about was how much we wanted a dog...how much I wanted a dog. I guess I just never imagined that *my dog* would be the 10 month old beagle that is now running around downstairs like an animal possessed while I am typing this. I had always envisioned myself with something more...more...well, more *me*, like a lab or something. But in all truthfulness, I wouldn't trade Jasper for the world. And in saying that, I suppose I shouldn't be offended when, upon hearing that we had got a Beagle, one of my very good friends replied with the following: "A beagle? That is such a perfect dog for you. It IS you!" Umm...I am still not sure what that means but I'm hoping that she isn't implying that I must be kept on a leash at all times for fear of me escaping into the wide world beyond!

And just as a side note to add to all of this (and probably what sparked all of this in the first place), we had a bit of a Jasper breakthrough this afternoon. Those of you in the know, and for the most part, this would apply first and foremost to my ever patient co-workers who hear a LOT about Jasper on a daily basis, you know that things have been steadily improving. The poor beast has mastered how to sit, stay, etc...but the most frustrating thing for me from the start has always been the fact that he absolutely, ABSOLUTELY refused to walk properly on a leash. Now this might not seem to be that big of a concern but for me, it was tantamount as I am the one that walks him most in the daylight hours and for Jasper, seeing other people or dogs was like what a red cape must be to a bull. Just one glance and he would be off, dragging a helpless and hapless me after him for whatever length of time it would take me to finally bring him back under control. Yes, as you can imagine, this is what led to many of the breakdowns that Adam would witness when he came home from work at night as I have been put in charge of taking the energetic Jasper for a walk after I get home from work. Yes, I get home first so that lovely honour falls to me. Now don't get me wrong, I am in charge of popping home and taking him for a short walk at lunch as well but being as it is the middle of the day, there are not very many people around our area at that time so the most he usually gets up to is chasing the odd squirrel. And frankly, I've become quite adept at squirrel spotting, which gives me those few precious moments to prepare before my arm would be unceremoniously ripped off.

But I digress. So basically, the whole walking thing was quickly becoming the bane of my existence (Isildur's Bane, for all of my fellow LOTR friends) because frankly, I just couldn't handle the pulling. It was so bad that for me, just the thought of having to take him for that walk after work was enough to send my stress levels soaring at the end of each day. I dreaded it, and even more so as the weather has started to get warmer for two very important reasons.

1) With the warmer weather, people have started to crawl out of the woodwork again. Where before, on those dark, snowy and cold after-work walks, Jasper and I might see the odd person or two with their equally odd dogs, now there are *scores* of people out and about...scads even! I have taken to walking Jasper through a park near our house and I just couldn't believe the number of people there the other day. Okay, enough of that..on to number 2.

ahem..

2) With the onset of the warmer weather, I can no longer wear my padded ski mitts that have been my saving grace up until this point. You see, the poor dog pulls so much that the handle from the leash cuts into my skin and damn well hurts..ALOT! But for some reason, people don't seem to take well to seeing you wearing ski gloves in 15C temperatures, even as protection.

So basically, I was at a loss and didn't know what to do. I had taken to wearing mini gloves but still, it didn't do much to save my hands from the leash and even they were too warm for the nice spring days we have been having of late. But then it seemed, everything changed this weekend.

For one, I went out and bought Jasper (and myself) a new leash. And this one is an uber-leash..the leash to end all leashes...MY leash! And the key to this one...it is round and therefore has no nasty edges to cut into my ever so tender flesh! Score one for me! And for two, Adam and I FINALLY got around to going back to PetSmart (the place that has replaced IKEA as my #1 money taker) to exchange the halter harness we had bought about 2 months ago for the proper size. Ding ding ding...still not sure what took us so long.

So okay, the new leash was a stellar idea and we tried it out on Sunday and Monday, noticing that it indeed was an improvement on the hands. But it still wasn't doing anything to help the fact that Jasper was still pulling like a fiend. Damn dog...that is my new name for him. And so after what was probably our worst walk to date, yesterday after work, Adam took the halter harnness thingy out of the package and fit it on to Jasper to see how it was going to work. I'm sure I don't have to tell you just how unimpressed he was to have this "Mask of Zorro" contraption attached to his face and he fought like mad for the entire 10 minutes that he had it on, trying to pull it off his face. To put it lightly, I wasn't hopeful.

But Adam, bless his soul, is persistant. He took him out in it for his bedtime walk last night and had some minor success with it, although it did manage to come off a couple of times and Jasper would have been just a speck on the horizon if it weren't for the convenient "safety strap". But you know me...I was still skeptical. I mean, what would happen if I took him out in it and he somehow managed to get out of it AND unhook the safety strap?? We would be dogless and I'm pretty sure Adam would think it was premeditated..thusly, never forgiving me. And yes, I do realize that this would have to mean that we had one terribly impressive Houdini of a pooch on our hands to manage such a feat but still...it *could* happen.

Anyway, I had been debating this whole "should I", "shouldn't I" thing all day today, having just opted for the leash at lunch. And when I was driving home, I finally convinced myself to give it a try. What is the worst that could happen? So arriving home, I took a deep breath, grabbed the halter/harness thingy with a firm hand and forced it on to a very unhappy puppy. I then clipped on the uber leash and headed out the door, keeping very close watch on the constantly protesting Jasper to make sure that he wasn't pulling the halter/harness thingy off. And you know what? It worked....it actually worked. Really, I think I'm still in shock over it.

The one we have is one that fits around the snout of the dog and then clips behind his head. The leash is attached to a ring underneath the dogs chin which in effect, pulls the dogs snout closed and down to his chest each time he starts to pull. And from first hand experience, I can honestly say that it is a godsend! I mean, part of it could have been the fact that Jasper was trying so hard to get the darn thing off that he didn't have time to pull like he normally does. But halfway through the walk, he seem to reach some point of acceptance and stopped struggling so much...and still, he didn't start pulling. Every time he did, it would just take a little tug on the uber-leash to get him back in line again. God, I LOVE this thing!! We even came across PEOPLE...and DOGS!! And still...no pulling! Sweet Jesus, this is what having a dog is all about! And you know what the best part was? We walked by this man and woman and I heard her commenting about what a nice dog Jasper was to walk so well beside me. I actually had to look around to make sure they were talking about MY dog! I'm just thankful that they weren't around to witness the little spectacle that he made of us yesterday afternoon, pre-Halti! I'm just hoping that I will again run into the man that I saw in the park one day late last week that laughed at me while I was trying to rein in an especially exuberant Jasper. My favourite part was when he then proceeded to tell me that I was fighting a losing battle since he had a beagle once and was therefore the foremost expert on them, informing me that they were absolutely impossible to train. Well, I'll show him, I thought...and now, I can!

I suppose I'm really hoping that this walk wasn't some sort of an abberation (of whatever that is called) and that he won't start pulling like a maniac again tomorrow when I take him out. But I really think we might be on to something here. At least I hope. I can handle and accept the rest of Jaspers unique quirks but this walking thing was so important to me, just for the lack of stress alone. I'm looking forward to actually being able to *like* him again, as well as love him.

Anyway, this has gone on longer than I had wanted/expected but thats okay because its my blog and I'll cry if I want to..lol. I didn't get the chance to talk about all the other things I wanted to talk about but I suppose those shall wait for another day.

My friend Kate..

Today is a very special day in that it is a very important birthday of a very good friend of mine..my friend Kate.

Kate is, well.. it is kind of hard to know where to start as there are just so many facets to her. But I guess the easiest way to put it would be to simply say that Kate is the person that I consider to be my best friend. And she is definitely that. She is the one I can talk to about anything, she is a great listener, a wonderful shoulder to cry on and funny as hell. She has an amazing sense of humour, a gentle soul, a good heart and a beautiful smile. When I talk to her, I know that she isn't just listening but is actually hearing what I am saying and I know, without a doubt, that if I ever needed her, she would be (and has been) right there for me, just as I would be for her. And above all of this, I know that we share a connection with each other that is precious and so very rare...we just *get* each other and throughout the years I have come to realize that this sort of friendship doesn't come along very often.

I can't count the number of nights where we have passed the hours by just talking, talking about anything and everything. And the laughter...oh the laughter. Right from the start of our friendship, it became very apparent that not only did we share many of the same interests and experiences in our lives, but we also shared the same sense of humour. An overheard comment or a shared look is often more than enough to just set us off laughing and there have been more times than I can count that my stomach has actually *ached* from laughing so hard with her at something that I'm sure no one else would find nearly as funny.

Looking back, Kate and I actually met a few times before we really started to become friends and it wasn't really until one night after a get-together at the new home of her and her husband that we really clicked. And from there, it just seemed to snowball. We have so much in common and we share so many similarities that to me, it feels like I have known her forever. And if that isn't the sign of a good friendship, I'm not sure what is.

I guess to me, the most amazing thing is that every time we are together, another memory is made. There are so many times when I find myself saying to her.."Remember when we did..." or "Remember that time when we...". And most often, all that is needed is just a word or a phrase to set us off, like "You be Kid Rock" or "I'll take that one" or "I need a beverage, stat!" or...god, I could go on forever.

I think I have always been aware that Kate and I shared a friendship that was unique and rare but it became even more apparent on the day that the two of us had the opportunity to spend some time with my sister and her husband when they came to visit. I am pretty sure that my sister was actually frightened of how alike we are and that same reaction was shared by my mom the first time she had the pleasure of the full on "Kate and Heather" experience..lol. I'm sure they were wondering if it were possible that there were *two* of me in the world and just how that managed to come to pass.

But regardless of how we got here, the simple fact of the matter is that I can't imagine my life without her in it and I am so very grateful for the gift of her friendship. So if you are reading this Kate (and I hope you are..lol), thank you for this once in a lifetime friendship. Love you.

But what does it all mean..?

Now isn't that the question of the day...what does it all mean? I had thought that with my second-ever blog post, I would take a few minutes to explain just what the title of my blog means, for anyone who is not familiar with my love of all things celtic. But of course, as life would have it, the dawn of the day today brought a few twists and turns with it and now, I find myself with a few other things on my mind as well.

But first things first. As I mentioned in my last post, I have been pondering the creation of this blog for a few weeks now and in fact, there had been many times when I was more than ready to jump right in but as a certain person who sits across from me at work can attest, there was always one thing stopping me. I didn't have a name for my blog. Now at first glance, I will be the first to admit that this doesn't seem to be that big of a stumbling block. I mean, what difference does it make, really? "Just pick something," I would say to myself..and over the course of the few weeks that I thought about this, I came up with quite a few potential names, only to discard them just as quickly because they weren't 'right'. I think the whole root of this problem lay buried in the fact that I *really* wanted an Elvish name for my blog. Oh yes, I am a Lord of the Rings freak and pround of it (and for the record...we are called Ringers, not geeks!!) and as such, I thought it would be very cool if the title of my blog could actually be written in elvish. But again, that is much easier than it sounds.

So I hmmmed and hawwwed over it, racking my brains for what elvish words I knew that would make sense but still to no avail. It just wasn't coming to me. Now again, why is this so important, you ask? Trust me when I say that...I have absolutely *no* idea!! Most people who know me will be able to tell you that, for whatever reason, I am what one might call obsessed with naming things. I'm pretty sure that virtually every stuff animal that I have ever owned has had a name, my pet fishies had names (Pugsley and Sludge..hehe), my cars have all had names...and I won't even go into the internal debate that was waged when we got our Beagle, Jasper! But anyway, names have always been very important to me and so I knew that I needed to find just the right one if I was going to make a serious stab at this whole blogging thing.

So fast forward then to Friday night and there you find me gearing up for a Girls Night Out to celebrate the birthday of a friend. We went out to dinner and drinks and then some of us moved on to this bar to continue with the festivities. The bar we went to was called Slainte (pronounced Slawn-cha) and it was as I was sitting there on my barstool at the bar, discussing the many attractive attributes of the bartender with my friend, that it occurred to me....I love this bar! Slainte is a great place to be and...wait for it...OMG, wouldn't that just be the *best* name for a blog??

So yes, there you have it, yet another brilliant observation aided by the warming (aka:mind-numbing) effects of my good friend, Rye and 7. And so on Monday, when I *finally* got around to creating this blog I had thought so much about, I eagerly typed in Slainte as the title but at the last minute added Mhath (together, it is pronounced Slawn-cha Vah) because it still just didn't look right.

So after all that, am I going to tell you what it means? Yes, I am. Slainte Mhath is a gaelic phrase meaning 'good health to you', which seemed pretty fitting for here. And on an interesting side-note, Slainte Mhath is also the name of an amazing band from Cape Bretton that I had the pleasure of seeing when they opened for Great Big Sea one memorable night in Ottawa. What can I say...just one more reason for me to love the name! So there you have it...the long and convoluted story of how I named my blog.

Now, with that out of the way, I can concentrate on what has really been on my mind today. My mom called early this morning with some bad news..my uncle had passed away during the night from cancer. And isn't it kind of strange how even though you know it is coming, it still gets you like a blow to the solar plexus when it finally comes to pass. I have been pretty much a mix of emotions all day, each one vying for it's own turn in the spotlight and so tonight, I find myself just plain worn out. I guess if there is one good thing that has come of this along with the pain that is undoubtedly sure to come over the next few days, it is this: when something like this happens, it really has the power to make you sit back on your heels and take a deep breath of fresh air. Life passes us by so quickly that it is even more of a shock when something like this happens, simply because it literally makes you stop. You have no choice. And for a few days, a week, a month, whatever...everything becomes real again and you rediscover just how important things like your family, your friends, and your health really are. I guess that is where I am tonight. My family will be together this weekend for the funeral arrangements and to celebrate Easter and to me, that is more important than ever.

I also had an interesting experience at lunch when I was driving in my car that seemed perfectly fitting with the day that it has been. Driving home at lunch, I was flipping through the radio stations in search of something half decent to listen to when I came across "Time of Your Life" by Greenday, which has always been a very poignant song for me, and truthfully the song that I would want played for me should something ever happen to me (god forbid..sorry, not meant to be morbid). And then when I was driving back to work, I was flipping through the stations again and came across a song that was playing that I just knew couldn't be a coincidence. It was "Country Roads" by John Denver and that song is perhaps the one that I will always associate with going to visit my aunt and uncle when I was much younger. My cousin used to sit with me for hours and play that song on the guitar while we sang it together..and so hearing it today just seemed to be a fitting tribute to all that has passed. I'm not real sure what else to even say about this so I will end by simply saying this...Uncle Norm, you will be missed.

And away we go...

Hello everyone,

Well, against the advice of some (who shall remain nameless!) and probably against my better judgement, I thought I would give this blogging thing a go. Actually, it seems lately that everybody who is anybody has caught on to the blogging craze and as per usual, I'm a little bit behind the times but I'm getting there in the end. Maybe it is just me but it seems that almost everyone that I have talked to as of late is blogging, has blogged in the past or is at least thinking of blogging at some time in the near future so...why not me? After all, I like to talk (no, really..!) and I think that I can be at least semi-witty at times so this might wind up being a great outlet for me.

Also, it is just a little like my journals (aka: diaries) of old where I could write down my most private thoughts for perusal at a later day. Although...I suppose that it isn't quite the same as my most private thoughts could potentially be viewed by, well, an untold number of people and I used to keep my journal between the mattress of my bed but...I digress. So right..not quite the same and not such a good idea to include my most private thoughts. Blogging Lesson Number One learned and duly recorded.

But seriously. Ever since one of my co-workers told me a couple weeks ago that she was creating a blog of her own, I have been somewhat fascinated with the concept. There have even been a few times when I have been driving along in my automobile and a thought has occurred to me that has caused me to think to myself..."That would be a very cool thing to write a blog about..". Okay, truthfully most of those thoughts have been generated by a song that I happen to be listening to at that particular moment that has unearthed an old memory somewhere in my mind but still...that has to be interesting to someone, right? And really, if not, at least it is interesting to me and that counts for something!

So that brings me to here. Hopefully you shall be seeing many more of my posts and I look forward to finally having a place to trap the various musings that seem to dance around in my head at any given time. I can't promise not to rant and rave as I'm wont to do both at times but hopefully it will be enlightening at best and entertaining at worst. Oh yeah..and I'll see what I can do about working on the semi-witty part.