Those damn dogs!

So,
the other day the boy and I go to SeaWorld for the day. We had a great time. It was the middle of the week so no one was around. Then we drove our happy, very sunburned selves home to relax with the doggies.

We get home and we have a nasty note on our front door from none other the Animal Control. (Somebody really should talk to them, leaving notes on fluorescent pink paper isn't very scary. Well, actually it kinda is in a handlebar mustache 80's way) We had received a citation for the dogs "repeatedly running at large."

There is no way Lulu could "at large" anything.
And Katana's getting up there, she's not one for "repeating."

The dogs were found running in the street and cornered a neighbor and didn't allow her out of her car for 10 minutes as she feared for her life.

I immediately run over to 3 of our direct neighboors to genuinely apologize because, ohmigosh, if my dogs really did somehow get out and terrorize the neighborhood, I would really feel dreadful! No avail. 2 neighbors aren't home. The other one (not the lady who has "relations" in her pool, the one on the other side) says, "Who's dogs don't get out every once in a while" and that she saw them sitting on the grass, waiting for us to come home.

I go home and start to explain this to the boy and- BLAM BLAM BLAM. Shyt. This is probably the neighboor.

I answer the door to a half naked, chubby, frizzy haired woman with bad teeth. Before I have a chance to-

"I'M THE ONE WHO CALLED THE COPS! YOUR DOGS WERE...BLAH BLAH BLAH"

Yeah, she goes off on me. So I turn on the charm. I tell her how sorry I am, I clasp my hands to my chest and furrow my brow as I nod in apologetic sympathy. (And, I really did mean it, a 80 pound Rottie can be scary) But I eventually have to tell her that I am not sure it was my dogs since the gate was locked and there were no holes under the fence. Then the woman has the nerve to shove two 8.5X11, full color photos in my face. Like she was going to blackmail me. There, in both pictures, were my doggies, chillin in the front yard. With the front door wide open.

I tell her I can't believe how sorry I am, I can't understand how they could open a door. But then I grow a bit more angry. I ask her, why, if she'd seen these dogs out before, why she didn't stop by and let me know?

She said she didn't think it was polite to meddle.

Then, I kinda yelled at her. "What kind of a neighborhood do we live in that when somebody's animals, part of the family, are in potential danger, running in the streets, we don't immediately tell that neighbor? Since when is it socially unacceptable to let someone know that hey, they may have made a mistake and you are looking out for them?"

She left on good terms. The woman had come over to kick my butt. But she couldn't. Because I was nice and right. Sheesh.

THEN the kid from across the street comes through selling RobinWrap with mother in tow. Mother wants to know all about everything that happened. And I tell her. In a Wisteria Lane sort of way, how I feel soooo bad, and I am soooo embarrassed. Oh and do they like the new deadbolt and handle I am in the middle of installing? I'll take 3 orders of the gold foil wrap and its good to see you got the cast off your arm little Johnny, have a great night!

There is nothing like Suburban politics to bring out the little Broadway starlett in me. Mwah, hah ha!

New Baby in the Family!

The boy and I have a new baby. And I didn't even have to go through morning sickness!

You see, in the boy's time, B.M. (before moi), he had a dog. Circumstances lead to the dog being cared for by his mother up in Seattle. Well, this week we got word that his mom would be unable to care for said dog anymore and the boy needed to come claim his baby.

An overnight drive to Seattle in my new car yielded the delivery of our new bundle of joy.

Get this- on Tuesday the new car had 650 miles on it. By Thursday it hit 2600!

I just looked at the speedometer in this photo. Hmm.

The boy did clean the car upon arrival and is covering the next oil change, so I'm really not upset.

Her name is Katana. 7 years old, Rottweiler and Yellow Lab mix. Sweet as can be. Loud ass bark. Know a TON of tricks. Not so fun fact: Severe hip dysplasia. Actually has a plastic hip.

"In dogs, there is considerable evidence that genetics plays a large role in the development of this defect. There might be several contributing genetic factors, including a femur that does not fit correctly into the pelvic socket, or poorly developed muscles in the pelvic area. Large and giant breeds are susceptible to hip dysplasia, and Cocker spaniels and Shetland sheepdogs are also known to suffer from it...It is most common in medium-large pure bred dogs, such as German Shepherd Dogs, Labrador or Golden retrievers, Rottweilers and Mastiffs, ..."

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_dysplasia#Causes_and_effects


There, see, you learned something.

The good thing is, she seems pretty used to it, not in much pain. The darn dog took me for a walk today!

And I'm off to study this condition and the correct care of it. Any feedback would be appreciated.