I Live in Interesting Time (and other shaggy dog stories)

[vanillafluffy]

The last few days have been intersting. The session with Thursday's dog, the chihuahua from Hell, went on for three hours while J and I tried to get a leash on him. We finally cornered him, literally---he was backed into a corner and surrounded on three sides. The dog we were supposed to meet with at noon on Friday was a no-show, but J took us out to lunch as an "oh well" bonus.

Of course, my microwave decided to die last night, so I have leftovers I've looking longingly at---but I'm down to my last five cups of soup, which is something.

Today---first dog of the afternoon was big, shaggy and goofy. Very Heinz 57. Owner had a lot of antique oak furniture and some decent repros...a bit more country than I would opt for if I could start from ground zero, but a little kitsch mixed in.

Second session: "Yappy Hour", a dog-friendly event at a local Mexican restaurant sponsored by a local rescue group. There were two absolutely gorgeous, immaculately groomed standard poodles, one black, one apricot---I was in love, as I grew up with a silver standard bitch. There were the greatest number of Shelties that I've ever seen in one place---I counted eleven at one point!---plus a variety of other breeds and crosses, including the Bull Mastiff pup (8 months) belonging to our client. He was very good---he didn't bark at all, didn't chase or jump on anyone---he's definitely a lot better behaved then when we started working with him a couple months ago!

From there, I got J to drop me off at Kat's, because GK is there...I finally collected my Christmas present---a rolling piece of leopard-print luggage---and hung out until she was starting to lag. At which point, she brought me home...I'm about DONE myself.
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Comments

[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

There's always the good , old-fashioned way of heating up left-overs- in a pot or skillet! Eureka!!!! My grandmother has refused to ever have a microwave in her home. She's nearly 92 and has apparently gotten along just fine without one.

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

To me, reheating ala stovetop is even more quaint than a wristwatch. On the other hand, I've never had a dishwasher, and don't particularly care to. I know there are people who would have a four-star freakout if they had to manually wash dishes, but I'm not one of them, slothy tho I am. I just object to unnecessary dishes.

I hate spending fifteen minutes standing around staring at something, stirring, waiting...and then suddenly it's smoking and scorched and sticking to the pan. So then I have to spend another ten minutes scrubbing the pan, plus the dish I ate it from, instead of just the dish that came out of the microwave after three minutes, no fuss, no mess.

As a matter of fact, I *did* just find my smaller cooking pot---as opposed to the 5 quart job!---so I'm ready to go that route if I have to. GK thinks there may be a spare microwave at Kat's, the one that G'ma had in her apartment at the nursing home. We'll see.

[socialhermit.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry about your microwave. Gads, it's always something, innit?

I'm like you - I've never had a dishwasher and don't even want one, but I *love* my microwave and use it several times each and every day.

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

It IS. The stove is okay for cooking, but for reheating, give me a microwave every time. We've had a microwave in the house for about as long as I've had to fend for myself, cooking-wise, and the rare occasions when I've had to try to coax something back to life in a skillet have been painful. I do not have the knack, and like algebra, I figure I've lasted this long without it.

[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

You crack me up! That's the longest negative reasoning I've ever read regarding heating food on the stove!!!
It doesn't HAVE to burn and scorch, you know!! Then you won't have to scrub- and all will be right in the world of Fluffy. :)

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

I had no idea that the topic of stovetop reheating was so...well...HOT. And yet you say you've read up on it? Wow. Silly me, to be so clueless!

What can I say? I've got very little patience and a poor attention span. This does not bode well for something as fidgity as resusitating leftovers.

And now I'm off to church, see ya later!

[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

Ha! Ha! Have a good day, ya nut!

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

I didn't have a microwave until fifteen years ago when I had to teach Mom how to heat up Healthy Choice dinners after it became dangerous for her to use the electric stove. It's now my assistant chef.

I could manage without it or a dishwasher, but that would make me cranky. :D

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

Not to be snarky, honestly, but how often did she try to put metal in the microwave? Spoons, foil, etc.? I had a coworker once who nearly set the place on fire when she tried to reheat a Wendy's burger in one of those foil-paper wrappers---and she was at least nominally "with it".

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

She never did put metal in the microwave. She still had just enough on the ball to learn the drill with Health Choice dinners (they were pretty much all she ate for supper for a couple of years until she had to go into assisted living) and never deviated from it.

[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

I am with you, pwcorgigirl, the dishwasher is a great thing and I would be cranky without one. You can go a day or so without running it, the dishes aren't piled in the sink and they are sanitized when finished. I think it's the best invention since sliced bread. I raised 3 children and cooked all of the time- it's a real lifesaver.

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

Let me give you a tip---this shows up as a reply to the original post. If you want to reply to pwcorgigirl's comment, look at the bottom of that comment where it says "Reply". Click on that, and your reply to her comment will be indented under it, and she'll get an email letting her see what you wrote, so she can reply. Same goes for anything below the main post, whether it's my answer to your comment or someone else's comment to my post or whatever. Otherwise, a third party isn't going to know you commented since they won't get an email and they might or might not read all the comments under the main post. I hope that helps!

[karaokegal.livejournal.com]

chihuahua from Hell

That could be any of them, really. For all my puppy-love, it generally doesn't extend to rat-dogs.

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

I used to feel that way about them, too. I've broadened my horizons, though, and while they'll never be my favorite breed, I'm more inclined to think the owners are the real problem. There's a tendency for them to be very "Oh my baby!" and spoil the wee beasties, which turns them into little tyrants with sharp teeth. This seems to be a pattern with toy dogs and puppies---most dogs that get surrendered to shelters are under two years old, and it's because their owners babied them and didn't just lose control---they never had it!

Sorry. New soapbox. Just getting it broke in....

[karaokegal.livejournal.com]

Nice box!

For me it's just that's little rat-face look they have as much as their personalities. Although of course they're still PUPPPPPEEEES.