tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73667823120984347892024-03-05T08:30:53.801-08:00Skeletor's SalvationThe Skeletor Foundation: Promoting Animal Rescue • Raising Awareness • Battling Abuse & Neglect • Curing and Preventing Heartworm and Other Disease • We're working to save one, and so can you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-12753758314186726002016-11-30T12:05:00.000-08:002016-12-01T13:53:34.647-08:00Celebrating the life of our sweet boy, SkeletorAfter a few months battling kidney failure, our sweet boy, Skeletor ended his journey in a very peaceful and beautiful way. We had been struggling to get him to eat for months. In the past couple of weeks, it was getting worse. His water intake had gone town too. His legs were weak. He was wobbly. He had gone from 1-2 meals a day to less than 1. The night before, I fed him some chicken, rice, and yogurt. The next morning, the carpet next to his bed was covered with rice. I knew that it was time to help him move on.<br />
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I gave him some nice pets and encouraged our nearly 4 year old son Conrad to do the same. I emailed his vet, Dr. Erdman, then cleaned up the mess and grumpily made my way to work, dropping Conrad off at daycare on the way.<br />
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Shortly after I got to the office, I called the vet to get info and schedule his Euthanasia. After texting the options and details to Melanie, I broke down in tears and could barely speak to her when the phone rang. She suggested that I leave work and come home to spend some time with him. I didn't hesitate.<br />
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Sobbing the whole way home, I pulled up while talking on the phone with my mom. She suggested I spend some quality time with Skeletor, taking him for a walk and letting him do the things he most enjoyed. This was great advice!<br />
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I offered him some chicken, which he wasn't interested in. I took Skeletor outside to the front yard. I set up some shade and put his bed near the grass with some water. He was enjoying the smells and the sunshine.<br />
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I put Genevieve (our 7 month old daughter) in her stroller and we went for a short walk. Skelly seemed happy to be outside, but walked so slowly, I didn't want make him go too far. We returned to our yard, and I gave him some more water. He had a drink and relaxed on the grass for a while. I brought out the chicken he refused earlier. He wagged his tail and ate some.<br />
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One of the hardest parts about this whole ordeal has been his unwavering spirit. Despite all of the signs and symptoms of illness, he maintained his loving personality. No matter how weak, he would always force himself up and walk over to me for pets. Regardless of whatever his previous owners (captors / monsters) did to him, he retained the capacity for an overabundance of love for people. For me, especially. This made the decision to help him move on that much more difficult.<br />
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After hanging outside for a bit, we decided to go in for lunch. I set up Skelly's bed in the dining room so he could relax with us as we ate. I was far from hungry, but managed to eat.<br />
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The clock was moving so quickly toward his 2:30 appointment. He received continuous hugs, pets, and love from his family. My brother Ian was planning to meet us at the Vet's office.<br />
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Wherever we went, I brought Skeletor's bed along so he could relax right there beside us.<br />
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Melanie and I were trying to decide what was best for his final arrangements. There were communal and private cremation services available, neither of which sounded appealing to me. I didn't like the idea of his body being incinerated with other animals. I didn't like the idea of sending him for a private cremation and then waiting to get his ashes back before having a ceremony. (What would we tell Conrad in the meantime?)<br />
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We were very concerned about how to break the news to our son Conrad. We didn't want to lie to him. We had given him a primer, talking to him about how sick Skelly was, and telling him that we need to give him lots of lovin' because he may not be alive for much longer. This was to be Conrad's first experience with death. We had read about the experiences of others, and determined that we should not make it confusing for him. I didn't want him to hear the words "put to sleep." I didn't want him confusing bed time with death. I didn't want him to think that any day he goes to school, he may return home to find that he has lost a family member.<br />
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I was overcome with grief, and felt like I was having a hard time making any type of decisions. I felt like burying him in our yard was the best thing. This was his home. These were his people. There's nowhere in the world he would rather be laid to rest. Melanie supported my decision, but said she couldn't help me and was worried about me burying him by myself.<br />
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At 2:15, it was time to go. Tears were flowing as I loaded his bed into the back of my car. I walked him out to the car, picked up my dear sweet boy, and placed him on his bed. I thought about the many car rides we took, more of them to the vet than to the beach. I would have liked it if he could have enjoyed some of the things I saw other dogs enjoying, but he's always been perfectly happy just being with the people he loves. He would take a hug and some scratches from his people over a playdate with another dog any day.<br />
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We arrived and met Ian in the parking lot. I asked if he had to go back to work. He said no, and that he could help me with the burial. We walked Skeletor up to the front door. He did his usual routine of checking his messages (ie sniffing and then peeing on the sidewalk.)<br />
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Dr. Erdman's staff were very gracious as they immediately lead us to a comfortable room with a soft blanket on the floor. I sat down with my dear sweet boy's head in my lap. We all gave him lots of gentle pets and words of encouragement and praise.<br />
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Dr. Erdman assured us that we did everything we could for Skeletor. He said that it's better to be a day early than a day late for something like this, which was definitely helpful for me to hear. He explained that Skeletor would receive a shot of a sedative. This would make him get very sleepy. After giving us a few minutes with him, they would return and give him a second shot, which would stop his heart. They assured us that beyond the initial pin prick, he would not feel any discomfort.<br />
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He was startled by the first shot, but quickly calmed down. I showered him with pets and listened to his breathing. I looked in his eyes. He seemed to be very comfortable. I think he was very happy to be with his people, whom he loved more than anything. I felt tremendous sorrow and tremendous love at the same time. I thought about what this must be like from his perspective. It seemed to me that this was the perfect way to go. His breathing was fast at first, and gradually slowed and slowed. He was completely relaxed. He was completely at peace.<br />
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Dr. Erdman returned with the second injection. We lifted Skeletor to the table. They pressed his paw into a piece of clay to make us a keepsake. We wrapped him in a blanket. My brother carried him out to his truck.<br />
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We returned to our house and found a good place for a grave. We dug and dug, sharing memories of Skeletor's strength, courage, and personality. When the grave was ready, I went in and asked Melanie if she wanted to join us. She came outside with Genevieve in her arms.<br />
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I told Ian that I wanted to carry Skeletor from the truck. We walked over and I lifted him up. He was wrapped in a blanket. He felt heavier than usual. I took each step with deliberation. Taking in the catharsis of this last moment together. I arrived at the gravesite, thinking I would be able to utter some kind of meaningful words before lowering him in. I was able to half muster the word "bye" before choking up.<br />
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I bent down and as gently as possible, placed my sweet friend into his final resting place. In the very yard he spent his time running around and barking at the neighbor's dogs. Three feet from the house where he spent his time with the people he loved. He was home.<br />
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A short while later, Melanie returned from picking up Conrad. We told him about how Skeletor was very sick. We told him that there was no medicine that could make him better, so we took him to the pet doctor who helped him die peacefully. We explained that this is the only way we could help him not feel sick anymore. Conrad was upset for a short while. Fortunately, it seems he's a little too young to be hugely impacted by this kind of loss.<br />
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We asked Conrad if he wanted to go say a few words and put some flowers on Skeletor's grave. We went out back to the burial mound, and hammered in the cross Ian made for him. Conrad placed flowers and asked a few questions. I spoke a little about Skeletor's strength and love. I commended Skeletor on how he never stopped wagging his tail. Every day we shared together, no matter how sick he was, he would always manage to light up for his friends and family. This was a testament to the love and adoration he held for us, which we are extremely grateful for. We love you, Skeletor!<br />
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Rest in peace my dear friend. You were with me for 6 of the most important years of my life. With you at my side, I married my beloved wife, we were blessed with two beautiful children, and I grew into a much stronger, more compassionate, appreciative, and supportive man.<br />
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Thank you for choosing me, Skeletor.<br />
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Rescuing you was the best thing that could have happened to me. It was an incredible journey that showed me the true power of love. Love from you, a neglected puppy. Love from the world, as people from all over provided words of encouragement and donations to help us get you the heartworm treatment you needed. Love from me, more love than I knew I was capable of.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-30566461079052996502012-01-22T16:43:00.000-08:002012-01-22T16:48:56.181-08:00Captain Insano has been promoted to Admiral :(Insano's adopted owner, Elmer said that he had been sick with an upper respiratory infection of some kind. He started Insano on anti-biotics and he was starting to feel better. He was going up and down the stairs, eating and using his litter box like normal.<br />
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Unexpectedly, my old friend Insano was found dead this morning.<br />
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He had lived nearly 12 years. I've been reflecting on his life, and thinking about his many interesting traits, his loving personality, and all the funny faces he used to make.<br />
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When I lived with my friend Jimmy, our friends Becky and Levi were getting evicted from their apartment and asked for our help. We took my old 1986 Toyota Celica over to pack it full of as many of their belongings as we could. <br />
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We got the car all loaded up and it was starting to get dark. The last thing they needed from the house was their little black and white kitten. The crazy little cat escaped and darted into the woods nearby.<br />
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The four of us poked around in the woods trying to find him. We had no such luck.<br />
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We were starting to come to the consensus that we were going to have to leave the poor little guy. Our chances of finding him were fading fast. Suddenly Becky shrieked with joy as she swooped him up from the bushes.<br />
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Becky, Levi, and the kitten stayed with us for a few weeks while they found a new place to live. The cat was non-stop entertaining. He was very affectionate and seemed to have been weened to soon. He would sneak up on people and nurse on their earlobes. Sometimes even while they slept!<br />
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His wacky mannerisms earned him the name "Captain Insano." He was a hoot! He was not skittish in any way. He would attack the vacuum cleaner instead of running and hiding from it. He would surf across the kitchen on our trashcan lid. He was not shy in the least bit.<br />
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When they were ready to move out, Jimmy and I told them "The cat stays." They agreed.<br />
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Insano went on to make many friends. He was always making his way onto your lap whether you wanted him there or not. He was very vocal when he was ready to be fed. He grew up to be a very big cat.<br />
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He was not a huge fan of taking baths, but he did tolerate it quite well. Insano was always the alpha cat when he needed to be. Whether it was little kids, big dogs, or even bigger cats, he would put them in their place really quickly if they tried to mess with him. He had big claws, and knew how to use 'em.<br />
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He didn't usually start fights, but he often finished them. He could never get enough attention. Some cats prefer to be left alone, but Insano wanted pets... and lots of them. He would start purring the moment you touched him. He LOVED people!<br />
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He was a great friend, and he will be dearly missed.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgv-EPpQGe_oMzrhU2-Eut1oqIW3163CBdDn-3ibko_NKaurFIG5Q4-suw736QgCf7ZEyBNLTJ8trEWGjMzFQ-csS7osfwqP9R_VaDqV-MSEW1GjZySCADeMOC5zpzy5ir_ke25ZI-d8j/s1600/insano+lick+chops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgv-EPpQGe_oMzrhU2-Eut1oqIW3163CBdDn-3ibko_NKaurFIG5Q4-suw736QgCf7ZEyBNLTJ8trEWGjMzFQ-csS7osfwqP9R_VaDqV-MSEW1GjZySCADeMOC5zpzy5ir_ke25ZI-d8j/s320/insano+lick+chops.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He always made the funniest faces!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZNVYj6TwNuqIA9DUvh6dVwJwdiKJV3-DrbIdL9ndrpMbYC71JYXBn0rQsL3p3NTinqD45tGDtQ3mcoEp9pLDEIxAIO0v3oDJpgA94JSOVuh68jU4XWg1xHqENc4hNg9m-gMmi2PGt6kt/s1600/IMG_1074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZNVYj6TwNuqIA9DUvh6dVwJwdiKJV3-DrbIdL9ndrpMbYC71JYXBn0rQsL3p3NTinqD45tGDtQ3mcoEp9pLDEIxAIO0v3oDJpgA94JSOVuh68jU4XWg1xHqENc4hNg9m-gMmi2PGt6kt/s320/IMG_1074.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He always found a way to get comfy... whether or not if was convenient for you. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzsxnhayo-RuDJ9P-J0CLAArKRYPcZ9DclQv4BS18mSycsWsBox_C4pq_qypHtRzpo_ywRKW6Ji2mieQaTIJdd7Zhg5Q28LXqnpy_PtfDzBf4wQqOCtR83H9b2GCvpPK1ofZgNrA0PUWj/s1600/IMG_0997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzsxnhayo-RuDJ9P-J0CLAArKRYPcZ9DclQv4BS18mSycsWsBox_C4pq_qypHtRzpo_ywRKW6Ji2mieQaTIJdd7Zhg5Q28LXqnpy_PtfDzBf4wQqOCtR83H9b2GCvpPK1ofZgNrA0PUWj/s320/IMG_0997.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Despite his enormous size, he would find his way into the smallest of spaces. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dn1jbSkQH2JrIKO1LmdRGf7506mfysAeAZg8iPWK35m8YxbtIUmbRd9aAnOBHtO_uivDKjrnOULs6h1X9scgqWQXQSlC3IgLghbIhNLSsJDFcGUyXwUWWC9pM5GkVMiHl5OsjhJ8k2eT/s1600/IMG_0887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dn1jbSkQH2JrIKO1LmdRGf7506mfysAeAZg8iPWK35m8YxbtIUmbRd9aAnOBHtO_uivDKjrnOULs6h1X9scgqWQXQSlC3IgLghbIhNLSsJDFcGUyXwUWWC9pM5GkVMiHl5OsjhJ8k2eT/s320/IMG_0887.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was about as close as he ever got to Skeletor unless they were duking it out. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFTUpsJ1G9apl-4U6p-1VSWak1pi2eAsYKHHXIIiygK5-3Az2zeo3rMN-UbUW1VdPs79qEmMjDXml4EDwc6I2i3K3Kv2FjG21AEgXE3QmfqLVbYWdR9QfBtgpIvBpy8am1aw_Ii2fV1Ed/s1600/IMG_0697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFTUpsJ1G9apl-4U6p-1VSWak1pi2eAsYKHHXIIiygK5-3Az2zeo3rMN-UbUW1VdPs79qEmMjDXml4EDwc6I2i3K3Kv2FjG21AEgXE3QmfqLVbYWdR9QfBtgpIvBpy8am1aw_Ii2fV1Ed/s320/IMG_0697.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He was such a pretty kitty!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZYdgza-sYuVeB_jocpj5Ppxi-X3D3HQyvcwm4MYvFJx6X4t8d5jUJT-7U5PYdrqcyLOSBVjGSKCf72pYCVf2IO8kG40cumXmpGqe5Xv1BzMusdXOLXqpYo1XoQhBGBZKgdC9hVGbG32N/s1600/IMAGE_053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZYdgza-sYuVeB_jocpj5Ppxi-X3D3HQyvcwm4MYvFJx6X4t8d5jUJT-7U5PYdrqcyLOSBVjGSKCf72pYCVf2IO8kG40cumXmpGqe5Xv1BzMusdXOLXqpYo1XoQhBGBZKgdC9hVGbG32N/s320/IMAGE_053.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Somehow he lost one of his canines when he was young. It resulted in some bizarre facial expressions!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzOvPB69iU27-3dCQXJfhMduJm1ievB7heUulAWI1xDg97d1s_ixdpUkmoU4N7TXZdZe1vQiQjUwtDDpdxi0LdhQux6XHcIr-1aF6CeZ6ancIo9sioPKB9cCBjrVfYuCuKotqnawQ_28A/s1600/IMAGE_051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzOvPB69iU27-3dCQXJfhMduJm1ievB7heUulAWI1xDg97d1s_ixdpUkmoU4N7TXZdZe1vQiQjUwtDDpdxi0LdhQux6XHcIr-1aF6CeZ6ancIo9sioPKB9cCBjrVfYuCuKotqnawQ_28A/s320/IMAGE_051.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He loved to streeeeeetch out!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpUUmRT0EYmEastC_bX1t90aYMAqkLZdPDqzXLG_cZSX1bRKYiI9LI-3G6JwFKLGRcJKjdV1GkQjvoLcLokMrCVELgi-0xCJQZe2NQh9xnwM61mmJfX3n-IaIagwGDWaSHCOwVDCmtfV7/s1600/CIMG9946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpUUmRT0EYmEastC_bX1t90aYMAqkLZdPDqzXLG_cZSX1bRKYiI9LI-3G6JwFKLGRcJKjdV1GkQjvoLcLokMrCVELgi-0xCJQZe2NQh9xnwM61mmJfX3n-IaIagwGDWaSHCOwVDCmtfV7/s320/CIMG9946.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He didn't like this hat we made him wear :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6-Ni0RTJKtS8F1gyINDmDGremYJ1tvfwDZy75OP3UG679r0HS0aXR68hYIwetEq2jy29NRswDXP-A1M8q2-QdrvSd8BK6zt8FqnAWmOGaTgJMbmdFa6Xk4rpvb83AAECrKLUPCXeHhw4/s1600/CIMG9757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6-Ni0RTJKtS8F1gyINDmDGremYJ1tvfwDZy75OP3UG679r0HS0aXR68hYIwetEq2jy29NRswDXP-A1M8q2-QdrvSd8BK6zt8FqnAWmOGaTgJMbmdFa6Xk4rpvb83AAECrKLUPCXeHhw4/s320/CIMG9757.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He was very curious. Here he is checking out my makeshift microphone booth.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBrRilbuGvuVbQ80MYmeAtjBb2sjJ4_w2DX2ltzeOBlXChk4P-M5TVR8GnfIiBwHKuU7W75jxs7FyuThdDO-3YmbwJqtydUfjo50xH9Eq4-Os1JF1rWzwOLl9rjH0Z0Tf8haRIMZS_Fxe/s1600/CIMG9430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBrRilbuGvuVbQ80MYmeAtjBb2sjJ4_w2DX2ltzeOBlXChk4P-M5TVR8GnfIiBwHKuU7W75jxs7FyuThdDO-3YmbwJqtydUfjo50xH9Eq4-Os1JF1rWzwOLl9rjH0Z0Tf8haRIMZS_Fxe/s320/CIMG9430.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">:)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyo2wOLBEIfY8YRuwMxxgGKv4DP_hGGZIqy46XROgzEKTLtJRyCEHRiNyugHCFSjtY9igDBwxfUmdcDFaSvdTRs1sMOqCHbu-P59_EQyc6LjK7jisejFJvTUC99M6PgxI5h1uCh7FjWrf0/s1600/CIMG9069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyo2wOLBEIfY8YRuwMxxgGKv4DP_hGGZIqy46XROgzEKTLtJRyCEHRiNyugHCFSjtY9igDBwxfUmdcDFaSvdTRs1sMOqCHbu-P59_EQyc6LjK7jisejFJvTUC99M6PgxI5h1uCh7FjWrf0/s320/CIMG9069.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He loved to keep my chair warm for me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fq_mgSi_77hizssq7hi6zJyOc-buvG4rcMVc5xGlGneWFs4IZhvP0XYwVsNRg_x4dC3mEAkP7du9ptgSyTd3Mca57No_iF710_McVz66xU_P7IYTlQ3SoPekPdmhzAjS28OvlgPFF8SL/s1600/CIMG8529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fq_mgSi_77hizssq7hi6zJyOc-buvG4rcMVc5xGlGneWFs4IZhvP0XYwVsNRg_x4dC3mEAkP7du9ptgSyTd3Mca57No_iF710_McVz66xU_P7IYTlQ3SoPekPdmhzAjS28OvlgPFF8SL/s320/CIMG8529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He always sat up like a human. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXpYo4VSMR-JnuRVybHZQj6jxzkaazzmKvH7aFahyphenhyphenBIk5GPG0ZREKZYP8uDctZxte1713LdV7HJz8SbnCmPbsZjGdq-1ZD3B1Fh3LJDR0QT3bDUzEcsg_AY4f-X9jKFtzT_sVb3tdRyuS/s1600/CIMG8531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXpYo4VSMR-JnuRVybHZQj6jxzkaazzmKvH7aFahyphenhyphenBIk5GPG0ZREKZYP8uDctZxte1713LdV7HJz8SbnCmPbsZjGdq-1ZD3B1Fh3LJDR0QT3bDUzEcsg_AY4f-X9jKFtzT_sVb3tdRyuS/s320/CIMG8531.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"What are you looking at?"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3Yo2O7kFNVr_teIFQooUQSZBfGPtpvb_xnXplytprOVN4KP0Iq8TpSPThGOeY9khaN8jdewLJjDd1CMqjkVyEbWneRhmu79WzNKk6kUjMEGM9IoBoEkRt0grQ-E7DUD55D47dRyLAeWL/s1600/CIMG8171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3Yo2O7kFNVr_teIFQooUQSZBfGPtpvb_xnXplytprOVN4KP0Iq8TpSPThGOeY9khaN8jdewLJjDd1CMqjkVyEbWneRhmu79WzNKk6kUjMEGM9IoBoEkRt0grQ-E7DUD55D47dRyLAeWL/s320/CIMG8171.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He pined for the outside world, but then when he did manage to escape, he got a bit freaked out and wanted back inside asap! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQ7rHov0vDXUl1nmvfdtEFq193T4JLo2AdT4ayB54ut7wNEV0iMcO42JXVyL60SQCHj9mD4oGswiQvlZ0ZKTPRh68CDWxCuiTIbqqA9J_1WHnVrOHG1Sh2ErimXsSvceiItfTxLJGUHGh/s1600/CIMG7334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQ7rHov0vDXUl1nmvfdtEFq193T4JLo2AdT4ayB54ut7wNEV0iMcO42JXVyL60SQCHj9mD4oGswiQvlZ0ZKTPRh68CDWxCuiTIbqqA9J_1WHnVrOHG1Sh2ErimXsSvceiItfTxLJGUHGh/s320/CIMG7334.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He was just one of the guys.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LXEQx2r8OjFLZryd6ontGtV-jIt6fFG3Pf2vH_aDu-Oes3R9IWO5rQJFOQPI-Rhbyv63QhdrxaCBPN_culm1pTA4YGI20JPRdRQZPNf1Lt6jX65zLhzwMqJidKkH2xwc50oUiXm2BVPa/s1600/CIMG7319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LXEQx2r8OjFLZryd6ontGtV-jIt6fFG3Pf2vH_aDu-Oes3R9IWO5rQJFOQPI-Rhbyv63QhdrxaCBPN_culm1pTA4YGI20JPRdRQZPNf1Lt6jX65zLhzwMqJidKkH2xwc50oUiXm2BVPa/s320/CIMG7319.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Insano and Kim</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1kzINRDoQyRiil2Sz19LO26J2E6ydpfgvnLX-DvYSP1nbCZ6AKKaZrhlwzQmvtMjKDEME6z1oaZlNqubhysh4Fsm1DtCdvZgBO2JBwstpYotXyZv8KEEP_R3BQXq3tCWTGwloesOyzmc/s1600/CIMG7153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1kzINRDoQyRiil2Sz19LO26J2E6ydpfgvnLX-DvYSP1nbCZ6AKKaZrhlwzQmvtMjKDEME6z1oaZlNqubhysh4Fsm1DtCdvZgBO2JBwstpYotXyZv8KEEP_R3BQXq3tCWTGwloesOyzmc/s320/CIMG7153.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sprawling out on the carpet</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKe3eXnKmvCMn6KfmmTCcF2inXvx88fRISGg33r1zwBeMlh_HAU8IAWKBuG9Q1qXRiOu7yjQZ27cgJ4sJde73FzuiUxcYs5OEtNQAm2_Le2vvArJjhHuE1NnE5tJNoCFnZSFuQMuxcAANo/s1600/CIMG7137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKe3eXnKmvCMn6KfmmTCcF2inXvx88fRISGg33r1zwBeMlh_HAU8IAWKBuG9Q1qXRiOu7yjQZ27cgJ4sJde73FzuiUxcYs5OEtNQAm2_Le2vvArJjhHuE1NnE5tJNoCFnZSFuQMuxcAANo/s320/CIMG7137.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Such a cute lad</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVSpkLbm5zoWN97I0bgy2zNUJ0Z6jUgR5T70aCWfP3RuQ7Mr1PgTWM_3DfHDb8lzZkYIxg536GCh3TH9lpRhNbMgNWRnZS3RFCeMlC-otErQgtraJl2prmWabDepMkMdqdRwOUj9iCISh/s1600/CIMG6951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVSpkLbm5zoWN97I0bgy2zNUJ0Z6jUgR5T70aCWfP3RuQ7Mr1PgTWM_3DfHDb8lzZkYIxg536GCh3TH9lpRhNbMgNWRnZS3RFCeMlC-otErQgtraJl2prmWabDepMkMdqdRwOUj9iCISh/s320/CIMG6951.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He had a fascination with people's hair, and a taste for my particular brand of hair gel. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUgLSpH2qHvLrpVQ8PaPrgkbDYQhUAr1KapsJ3IQdlacHeeQoh0KnYugRHpxuoG6SJ7KtLC02zUgf_WiYHoXhmeSc408Mhj_HGA3ZoQM0V-XGHh3cearhb_s8nhYpEAY4DX99IZyyfgTL/s1600/CIMG5329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUgLSpH2qHvLrpVQ8PaPrgkbDYQhUAr1KapsJ3IQdlacHeeQoh0KnYugRHpxuoG6SJ7KtLC02zUgf_WiYHoXhmeSc408Mhj_HGA3ZoQM0V-XGHh3cearhb_s8nhYpEAY4DX99IZyyfgTL/s320/CIMG5329.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Self pets weren't uncommon</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHz4q9GvFYKeSWljaZ_quX4DhlLEgu0XPR3UgAFnDZNdsIiyfZM3it4aHGKcGXlRIP4IlQy-QfmIahKrKoETA2GMnScu7W21AZ9v18fcTWj2jnr1fO9oyNzhfmffahthl3kB_R7zOvpFgh/s1600/CIMG5273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHz4q9GvFYKeSWljaZ_quX4DhlLEgu0XPR3UgAFnDZNdsIiyfZM3it4aHGKcGXlRIP4IlQy-QfmIahKrKoETA2GMnScu7W21AZ9v18fcTWj2jnr1fO9oyNzhfmffahthl3kB_R7zOvpFgh/s320/CIMG5273.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">How can this be comfortable!?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5F0qKLmcOur5Ncm7WSbW8Y7hsJ-5OKpLI0zgSn9VHrQN-AvyhSYXZiFe_A3CVhMBeoEhY2rQ65SHndU0roC07YMzl8nRLDgedmbcTZCOMz4RIi50an_YkbZOVmDtKT3xjh0p-yjj0fSc/s1600/CIMG4388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5F0qKLmcOur5Ncm7WSbW8Y7hsJ-5OKpLI0zgSn9VHrQN-AvyhSYXZiFe_A3CVhMBeoEhY2rQ65SHndU0roC07YMzl8nRLDgedmbcTZCOMz4RIi50an_YkbZOVmDtKT3xjh0p-yjj0fSc/s320/CIMG4388.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My left-hand man</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72nTSzbuLo_tyKGfmHqWolmuezyB-JQ5Ogn_FCHyHaZlOQDtMwZg6-cgFDWTEwy7xIJTG9Wh60zkcFP_foUwevDnC3dcoDAVNINAjmyHbm_c0FXg-xqsqkyApy4JuWfRrVOho64sWp8bs/s1600/CIMG4203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72nTSzbuLo_tyKGfmHqWolmuezyB-JQ5Ogn_FCHyHaZlOQDtMwZg6-cgFDWTEwy7xIJTG9Wh60zkcFP_foUwevDnC3dcoDAVNINAjmyHbm_c0FXg-xqsqkyApy4JuWfRrVOho64sWp8bs/s320/CIMG4203.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He even helped with the filing</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgDh1LcCwWzCN4W_bq79P8UvuT39osPq5MGAv00Jqkb1goeuvuzpdJZpoCCdEqVNXerV9MVt1hgEqyAs2pKOzhWydC8xZrr9bIuUsE5TWEJ0Zb8aSD2JcFPIj1R6e1iE6WuL_vn_2bwpD/s1600/CIMG4198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgDh1LcCwWzCN4W_bq79P8UvuT39osPq5MGAv00Jqkb1goeuvuzpdJZpoCCdEqVNXerV9MVt1hgEqyAs2pKOzhWydC8xZrr9bIuUsE5TWEJ0Zb8aSD2JcFPIj1R6e1iE6WuL_vn_2bwpD/s320/CIMG4198.jpg" width="184" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"You didn't have anything important up here, did you?"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwYR8jJg8TX5X3qDwimetGtwJaFRry2GlQ-nTPI7cxioC6c3ov1RWU_0UYlEDo_zh59CWnNLvRPpJiZvsF5GePg5-qt45tfJy2un-WnnTA9xTvj0lweYPaBUnNWP-gNz0ZANsC0snIDIX/s1600/CIMG2610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwYR8jJg8TX5X3qDwimetGtwJaFRry2GlQ-nTPI7cxioC6c3ov1RWU_0UYlEDo_zh59CWnNLvRPpJiZvsF5GePg5-qt45tfJy2un-WnnTA9xTvj0lweYPaBUnNWP-gNz0ZANsC0snIDIX/s320/CIMG2610.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is an 8 inch wide cat lounging on a 5 inch window sil. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JYqqoqjsjFb2NXCiGrH_6o2yC3P1EBRO3eBAcER596Sz3cfg0XYAQJDLY5CvYKIn6owCH4g7aaU2kR_2T0QrSH0h5qAV0Iwn6mltmjII4Z4XTC7HOnIVKPVzAE5x0AaD8xw1owFrgoMZ/s1600/CIMG1519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JYqqoqjsjFb2NXCiGrH_6o2yC3P1EBRO3eBAcER596Sz3cfg0XYAQJDLY5CvYKIn6owCH4g7aaU2kR_2T0QrSH0h5qAV0Iwn6mltmjII4Z4XTC7HOnIVKPVzAE5x0AaD8xw1owFrgoMZ/s320/CIMG1519.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chillin in our new house</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVOH34L64F0CqrzWTKNxEjZ3hSzjrNVvSxe0I1PMxmtgFDatr-GFyDTgFcIC8bk_uGIHVFboebbvIMRjHYQH3xrRGxa_JndWvHyQZ26IbolmShyphenhyphenZelgjrIrgxckbwoCTLpv9sCCYSQMU3/s1600/CIMG1197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVOH34L64F0CqrzWTKNxEjZ3hSzjrNVvSxe0I1PMxmtgFDatr-GFyDTgFcIC8bk_uGIHVFboebbvIMRjHYQH3xrRGxa_JndWvHyQZ26IbolmShyphenhyphenZelgjrIrgxckbwoCTLpv9sCCYSQMU3/s320/CIMG1197.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On the fridge</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFHQP2PjGKVRc140DT7FMzENxIqIlPIKRBdkglu3WVn7dmHZqbMkcPY-b1g2cZOXVTFzjzfmy4qlp1XaRBszwGgCt29gPqoLxXVbUHJNEeyfQBs9G02ld9pdoT8FqRVDbNY-5OxLnu4GK/s1600/CIMG1110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFHQP2PjGKVRc140DT7FMzENxIqIlPIKRBdkglu3WVn7dmHZqbMkcPY-b1g2cZOXVTFzjzfmy4qlp1XaRBszwGgCt29gPqoLxXVbUHJNEeyfQBs9G02ld9pdoT8FqRVDbNY-5OxLnu4GK/s320/CIMG1110.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On the laptop</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm19RVPx3SI7D8lPQUC6JdZjDVH2lbFZA3idkZzAYLw1gB6xg3yuzq-7AuYkEkBwXWTEip3RYnrdYikM5gA-noZghHdGOUH4jKfaoQTg8vmYEQ_Zre9HG6FAyXvYakGZ-kppjpiMHSL4F/s1600/CIMG1106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm19RVPx3SI7D8lPQUC6JdZjDVH2lbFZA3idkZzAYLw1gB6xg3yuzq-7AuYkEkBwXWTEip3RYnrdYikM5gA-noZghHdGOUH4jKfaoQTg8vmYEQ_Zre9HG6FAyXvYakGZ-kppjpiMHSL4F/s320/CIMG1106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Well, that was unpleasant!"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxxrZcoOrpX8wI2tig-lAGTW8WnsJeUblacx4kn1wX-6XxsQpRWpRipO3MW2_nCoz4ULwMjPSw_L9E-e8JuUUlR43ulJoRij9DyKbx2ydLHCBQNe0HteNcRxPhOsN_dAudeiXR7M5r4YN/s1600/CIMG1096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxxrZcoOrpX8wI2tig-lAGTW8WnsJeUblacx4kn1wX-6XxsQpRWpRipO3MW2_nCoz4ULwMjPSw_L9E-e8JuUUlR43ulJoRij9DyKbx2ydLHCBQNe0HteNcRxPhOsN_dAudeiXR7M5r4YN/s320/CIMG1096.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Aaah... this should be MY bed!"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpaTW4c-Rkv22u2zPOAqmK2UqM3WBZIv-MCl1KwjHMzBVkLNJZRZ1702tjzk-xAMkGm0MGdPjH7eUujIPAXvKIglWBbbjAayfhpmd9-pCJ1feVKHXx75Gne2De5ABJdh8-SRnBDQxP3uy/s1600/CIMG1095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpaTW4c-Rkv22u2zPOAqmK2UqM3WBZIv-MCl1KwjHMzBVkLNJZRZ1702tjzk-xAMkGm0MGdPjH7eUujIPAXvKIglWBbbjAayfhpmd9-pCJ1feVKHXx75Gne2De5ABJdh8-SRnBDQxP3uy/s320/CIMG1095.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"You don't mind if I shed on this, do you?"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0oQdDh6oPmwhQyEI4IcUcESTztPBwpUtOKEwkGIqfnLCZ5TUw1EvIoModvuLPFcXxfKa88EgDnIbC3Pq-eGMV7zpuZlHRqmtxd0gZzCNqj5CYZUZIqdUhqR5jJgi2aoBT2rf9U2nFUgv/s1600/CIMG1076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0oQdDh6oPmwhQyEI4IcUcESTztPBwpUtOKEwkGIqfnLCZ5TUw1EvIoModvuLPFcXxfKa88EgDnIbC3Pq-eGMV7zpuZlHRqmtxd0gZzCNqj5CYZUZIqdUhqR5jJgi2aoBT2rf9U2nFUgv/s320/CIMG1076.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Aaaaaah.... "</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOi63E8QZgj_-GxZ7s4Xrb47PsDOC1IPZ8dG6XiJppDCkBnJ9cg-2149aXHyUGyRa8WpFg51dZgMUE1ryhytVkDEbE9Fl1fFeetYBMtdSicXA8iV_TH5XQXZ9CtQAuHUDrDOH00WdEapMq/s1600/CIMG0454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOi63E8QZgj_-GxZ7s4Xrb47PsDOC1IPZ8dG6XiJppDCkBnJ9cg-2149aXHyUGyRa8WpFg51dZgMUE1ryhytVkDEbE9Fl1fFeetYBMtdSicXA8iV_TH5XQXZ9CtQAuHUDrDOH00WdEapMq/s320/CIMG0454.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Hey, would you mind opening these blinds?"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BGQw0ljopELkQfr1PabtqU7jJGTGm2Z__zMsZAlgi5lDe98cH07n21NvYUQqYAiDVXu62ZbIp7fyRQ147HlpUR6kRGaTrECNfXEtnPGxsBywlKl2f8ORGRQZuZ3Zmv9nzIzUc-daHF8p/s1600/CIMG0290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BGQw0ljopELkQfr1PabtqU7jJGTGm2Z__zMsZAlgi5lDe98cH07n21NvYUQqYAiDVXu62ZbIp7fyRQ147HlpUR6kRGaTrECNfXEtnPGxsBywlKl2f8ORGRQZuZ3Zmv9nzIzUc-daHF8p/s320/CIMG0290.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"ZZzzzzzzzzzzzz"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dDI690Aus_laWiO10m5DXS4sZobjU-H-T0x_aCiJE2rHBF_p201OZ6SAIBRCPoVF8Kw2BwE2xzOe8OkPZBEhcjZwoc0Q65QWVJFQWIBX_es-a0JrucNGv66J0gcfUDEfLW_KJkQ7kPrH/s1600/CIMG0274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dDI690Aus_laWiO10m5DXS4sZobjU-H-T0x_aCiJE2rHBF_p201OZ6SAIBRCPoVF8Kw2BwE2xzOe8OkPZBEhcjZwoc0Q65QWVJFQWIBX_es-a0JrucNGv66J0gcfUDEfLW_KJkQ7kPrH/s320/CIMG0274.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What a handsome boy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTREoVOBQgsTAQVTXCu76wIWbVEtZLa3-XHOBCB6UHFDBnwtcCYwjTAP8G5n3TQ2-MZ37zwpZpcb9ahb1b26mb_SNzb9LGJ7FHY21x1qPmIKeSCLf7UFtZMpDR44aRQ6XmF7IRjjXXRCNT/s1600/CIMG0035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTREoVOBQgsTAQVTXCu76wIWbVEtZLa3-XHOBCB6UHFDBnwtcCYwjTAP8G5n3TQ2-MZ37zwpZpcb9ahb1b26mb_SNzb9LGJ7FHY21x1qPmIKeSCLf7UFtZMpDR44aRQ6XmF7IRjjXXRCNT/s320/CIMG0035.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"What's this thing you keep pointing at me?"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41diCNEjkNKWYuvoFt6wt_my5m7gwGNoAQ4J8YwgHBpg5GyTToWLVBxSbCEYbFfhprwapSR1SeLTn3CD5waK9ZwQOExuJmslJsfmoBHjikihCzolYIDYuqUhmdVtIisxoqkLVRQCV9CJ1/s1600/CIMG0034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41diCNEjkNKWYuvoFt6wt_my5m7gwGNoAQ4J8YwgHBpg5GyTToWLVBxSbCEYbFfhprwapSR1SeLTn3CD5waK9ZwQOExuJmslJsfmoBHjikihCzolYIDYuqUhmdVtIisxoqkLVRQCV9CJ1/s320/CIMG0034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He had one hell of a piercing stare.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-waq7NdiP9iWIAi6BefffnBY4DEICnOGa0biUZuiYj4erkGVKoTtZJSEqgNB4o_zfQTlJXSRZzFyXu4EoWEJJcj_X5oYqWvNRHjZD9_TVlEjXZ8O4blQQwbJQ-oEiXSbZLjYwT6Pbou-/s1600/%2560CIMG5295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-waq7NdiP9iWIAi6BefffnBY4DEICnOGa0biUZuiYj4erkGVKoTtZJSEqgNB4o_zfQTlJXSRZzFyXu4EoWEJJcj_X5oYqWvNRHjZD9_TVlEjXZ8O4blQQwbJQ-oEiXSbZLjYwT6Pbou-/s320/%2560CIMG5295.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He would always find unique places to hang out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEjy4Xdb2AKhBqu8ZX34lSMZvI4a_VyEVmRgf2lJBm1pyBcuDZvh8c6lgsFFLcJPYZzrFpuuKcJTj4WSsjmIl6w1zwYga-O4WLtIsk1AlSFAO01QXSm9M060mvW69l1nUF32YlTeNrlm3/s1600/DSCN0922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEjy4Xdb2AKhBqu8ZX34lSMZvI4a_VyEVmRgf2lJBm1pyBcuDZvh8c6lgsFFLcJPYZzrFpuuKcJTj4WSsjmIl6w1zwYga-O4WLtIsk1AlSFAO01QXSm9M060mvW69l1nUF32YlTeNrlm3/s320/DSCN0922.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In his golden years, he preferred dark places where he could get some peace and quiet. </div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTMbSZqS12INpqYB4GwymnQm3IX22yfHhHqX9woVs6zmuiOIVRJwNtBBpIVrDBamIKYtxySGFn1spCQmfN0Ovu24zo-TSJi-gMrZaKMmbpGsOoWf6bXkgMM8sI4u9hY1R9OAtYd0FEy1O/s1600/DSCN0921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTMbSZqS12INpqYB4GwymnQm3IX22yfHhHqX9woVs6zmuiOIVRJwNtBBpIVrDBamIKYtxySGFn1spCQmfN0Ovu24zo-TSJi-gMrZaKMmbpGsOoWf6bXkgMM8sI4u9hY1R9OAtYd0FEy1O/s320/DSCN0921.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Insano, knowing you was worth every hairball I ever had to pick up.</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpXeB5c5XhUsYxTI8hp-O8XHOSK6e_PrZPBANSSjbUHeo27OtkhwdeZjvXJ5iXyZUIxyvbIMo2ekW6mrJY6zkLbARpsolxXnJgPl6quyEMTSsg7e7VYLVrxYFUXqMRIZtpWXmgoS2VeJT/s1600/DSCN0907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpXeB5c5XhUsYxTI8hp-O8XHOSK6e_PrZPBANSSjbUHeo27OtkhwdeZjvXJ5iXyZUIxyvbIMo2ekW6mrJY6zkLbARpsolxXnJgPl6quyEMTSsg7e7VYLVrxYFUXqMRIZtpWXmgoS2VeJT/s320/DSCN0907.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was worth every pair of pants I couldn't re-wear because you sat in my lap. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was worth every smelly clump I scooped, every time I had to hide you from the landlord, every time you spilled the garbage, every time you destroyed the blinds, and every time you knocked the items off my desk to make a comfy spot to lie down in. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rest in peace Insano. You are loved!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-60338307586790321462011-12-23T12:30:00.002-08:002011-12-23T12:33:38.325-08:00Only Skeletor could be traumatized by a Christmas card<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qhRprnqTZKySNF4OKhBPjxpwPypxl653MVvlayv8hxB_SqE40D-xg-wIc6z3tPvTX15SgrB5VU2vE1XvIvD0Sl1lohA13rf5kv-9vrrU2XeXnKKj9CYDmniWB0oLyAlscjnZWyrwvsQX/s1600/2011+xmas+card-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qhRprnqTZKySNF4OKhBPjxpwPypxl653MVvlayv8hxB_SqE40D-xg-wIc6z3tPvTX15SgrB5VU2vE1XvIvD0Sl1lohA13rf5kv-9vrrU2XeXnKKj9CYDmniWB0oLyAlscjnZWyrwvsQX/s320/2011+xmas+card-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Proving that he has what it takes to remain the biggest wimp on the planet, Skeletor has become traumatized by the photo shoot for our Christmas card this year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not sure if it was our goofy hats, the camera flashes, beeps, or the furniture rearranging... but whatever it is, he now associates with my camera. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's no exaggeration when I tell you that he now hides and cowers in the bathroom or the nearest accessible dark corner as soon as I turn my camera on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yes, he literally trembles in fear. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wowee... Skeletor you're such a pansy! :) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Strangely enough, his bad doggie tendencies seem to be strong enough to briefly snap him out of the grips of fear. Yesterday, while he was cowering, Mel rang the doorbell and he instantly forgot that he was being scared and ran to the door barking. After a few moments, he went back to being scared again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He's definitely got a case of post-traumatic stress disorder. (read more about PTS in dogs <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dtx9-fBpv7ZU&h=bAQH6oeboAQFy6Zuv6iPJxMRXJSJrPMtm7U8TWLLXvLvZaQ">here</a>) The strangest things will freak him out. It's nowhere near as bad as it used to be though... you may recall when we first rescued the boy, he'd spend literally all day cowering in the dark hallway. Now-a-days, his wimp attacks usually don't last more than an hour or two. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm happy to report that a while after his fit yesterday, he was playing with his new ball (thanks Mel!) like that mean old camera was never around. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He has another present waiting in his stocking. Ho ho ho! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another bit of good news... we managed to snap some really nice shots the other day before the traumatic holiday photo shoot took place. Mel and I took Skelly out to beautiful Fort Caroline! :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enjoy the photos, and have a very very Merry Christmas!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-19896468255319524512011-12-07T10:13:00.000-08:002011-12-07T10:13:43.779-08:00Can your sanity (or complete lack thereof) be measured by the nicknames you have for your pet?I remember when I first took Skeletor to dog training and Michael asked me my dog's name. I told him it was Skeletor, and he asked if he had a nickname (something with fewer syllables.) Melanie and I looked at each other and shrugged. We hardly ever call him Skelly in person, even though we use the name online quite often.<br />
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Thinking back on that conversation, I realized that I have many, many weird names I call him on a nearly constant basis. I don't use these names when I'm actually calling him mind you, but I say them enough that I'm sure he'd answer to just about any one. (I may have to test that theory)<br />
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So, without further ado, the many ridiculous nicknames of Skeletor. If you need me, I'll be getting settled into my straight jacket...<br />
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<ul><li>Mr. Dog - the most popular by far. I can exactly pinpoint the origin of this nickname. It was when I was 10 years old. My stepdad's friend was visiting. He had a son who was a few years older than me. I remember being taken aback with how juvenile it sounded when the boy referred to a tomcat in our yard as "Mr. Cat." I referred to Insano as Mr. Cat for most of his life, and now Skeletor has become Mr. Dog. </li>
<li>Old Man - He's not really that old.. a young adult or a teenager really. However, his droopy pooch face makes him look like a grandpa. </li>
<li>Pup / Pooch - These ones are pretty standard issue...</li>
<li>You Turd - A term of endearment that kinda means the same thing as you brat. I let it slip out on Melanie once and found out that she doesn't appreciate it one bit. </li>
<li>Doggy! - Another popular one. I'm pretty sure this has evolved from the show South Park when Cartman yells "no kitty! that's a bad kitty!"</li>
<li>Doggo - This is actually a nickname I created for Sophie when she lived with us. I got a huge kick out of it when she started responding to "Doggo" - her owner Kim, wasn't quite as amused :) Since Sophie isn't around, Skeletor sometimes gets referred to as Doggo. </li>
<li>Buddy / Bud - When he's being good or acting pathetic, he'll get one of these praise-infused nicknames</li>
<li>Senior - The origin here... it's kind of a cross between Mr. Dog and Old Man.</li>
<li>Mister - Short for Mr. Dog. He gets this a lot when he's misbehaving... ahem... jumping on the couch or bed for example. </li>
<li>Hound - When I was in high school, I thought this word was funny for some unknown reason. Probably for the same reason I think a lot of words of German origin are funny. </li>
<li>Houndo - A cross between Doggo and Hound</li>
</ul><br />
So as you can see, I'm a crazy person. Post your bizarre pet nicknames in the comments so we can go to the nut house together!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-40084248154542822242011-11-30T17:32:00.000-08:002011-12-01T08:05:13.615-08:00An oil painting of Skelly and InsanoNever in a million years could I ever get these two animals to pose like this. So, I had to rely on the magic of Brushstrokes by Susan to bring them together!<br />
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This painting is a very early Christmas gift from Skeletor and Insano to Mel. :)<br />
It's Skeletor and Insano hanging out in the backyard of our old house.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdr0u48yhoN2YOz_R7LSGjz_szTVXYTabBZAHlWwRhlauf_JkUS97F_g77Vt2hd1kySVlaeK8ilnsP9C-AzzG6OOuSpuc3F9y4sqlmNRY1ME0_z4iNDg3O0F0huDBpK2m4Dy_EQPnQjgVM/s1600/mel-and-painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdr0u48yhoN2YOz_R7LSGjz_szTVXYTabBZAHlWwRhlauf_JkUS97F_g77Vt2hd1kySVlaeK8ilnsP9C-AzzG6OOuSpuc3F9y4sqlmNRY1ME0_z4iNDg3O0F0huDBpK2m4Dy_EQPnQjgVM/s320/mel-and-painting.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's Skeletor's Christmas card for Mel (created by yours, truly)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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I'm working with Susan to help her sell pet portraits through her website. There's very little time left to immortalize your furry friend in your choice of medium. Oils, acrylics, watercolors, Susan does it all!<br />
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While I'm working on the website, feel free to email Susan directly at <a href="mailto:art@brushstrokesbysusan.com">art@brushstrokesbysusan.com</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-25541589811714046592011-11-24T12:15:00.000-08:002011-11-24T12:53:22.924-08:00A very Skeletor ThanksgivingI've had more to be thankful for since this wacky pup came into my life. See for yourself!<br />
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10. Puppy dog eyes - They help him get his way, while simultaneously warming my heart.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0WRfJImFvfjfKuXCGo4-8p8BJpHE6UnZ1HpwsqXQXa9fmzJO2oo06cnUGaZQ5OROZXHe8o_rvvSbBvodlr9QXEKsl7wQKk3bqfu8_HRL3IGKdIaxJyWg_klm_Q4LjFHbwvuVFQyv9eba/s1600/IMG_0818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0WRfJImFvfjfKuXCGo4-8p8BJpHE6UnZ1HpwsqXQXa9fmzJO2oo06cnUGaZQ5OROZXHe8o_rvvSbBvodlr9QXEKsl7wQKk3bqfu8_HRL3IGKdIaxJyWg_klm_Q4LjFHbwvuVFQyv9eba/s320/IMG_0818.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
9. Afternoon naps - I have never been much of a napper. However on the rare occasion that I can take one, I really love it! Note: I've been able to take a nap each day for the past 3 days. I think I'm getting old. Old guys rule!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcNlzfeCNhWgopBDuMALHoHDMs68uBRGzZX4XmVZLUWgjitA3jLoU-IFw_WLK7WA-EGZ_2f6U-FJTcj3ngitndIcO8FarggEM27eNtrC_Ab3qNZzM3orXWObsnyPno2NXMxpY5Liwq_LW/s1600/IMGA0184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcNlzfeCNhWgopBDuMALHoHDMs68uBRGzZX4XmVZLUWgjitA3jLoU-IFw_WLK7WA-EGZ_2f6U-FJTcj3ngitndIcO8FarggEM27eNtrC_Ab3qNZzM3orXWObsnyPno2NXMxpY5Liwq_LW/s320/IMGA0184.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">8. Old hats - I never knew what to do with my old hats, until I realized just how much joy they brought to this silly pooch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdN2VofjePK5_7hZbc1JchQX8LNgNJiPEMYXwWARAHwpQUqMYS_1_0VzhcPcDMTHZ3W3xByinenPQf9n1PhPGzSh9Kdzs0hfFatZ7OCejOCf1VpMbzxbZFgB-DuJdaCglb6-4gW2oXmQv/s1600/CIMG0784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdN2VofjePK5_7hZbc1JchQX8LNgNJiPEMYXwWARAHwpQUqMYS_1_0VzhcPcDMTHZ3W3xByinenPQf9n1PhPGzSh9Kdzs0hfFatZ7OCejOCf1VpMbzxbZFgB-DuJdaCglb6-4gW2oXmQv/s320/CIMG0784.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">7. Back seat drivers - Though it means my windows are constantly covered in slobber, every time I load this dog into the car, adventure is sure to follow. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhed2UMnW2wIQX-Mzcgjl1WRQF2wxujcuAuZ6vQ39o8hDH0aX63rIaABMYk7UuN59UKcbsN2kFVitHm9hk1xhnZYDkoVBbm1U4ZNpZFNa3a6LKQYNkx7JxY50f4z-W_52zbcC3-B9MwAZZu/s1600/IMG_1048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhed2UMnW2wIQX-Mzcgjl1WRQF2wxujcuAuZ6vQ39o8hDH0aX63rIaABMYk7UuN59UKcbsN2kFVitHm9hk1xhnZYDkoVBbm1U4ZNpZFNa3a6LKQYNkx7JxY50f4z-W_52zbcC3-B9MwAZZu/s320/IMG_1048.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6. Fewer vet visits - Some of those visits were certainly doozies! These days, I'm so happy to report that Skelly is down to just one pill, twice a day. It's great to see him so happy and healthy! Keep it up, bud!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxgWhcC1apI_M9ximZzmd4lvZ_b9VevzN0v4U8Gxqs6RXBwIOx35oYm3hlByFL8qsRmOlzouFO90275b3Mm1y7Lrwns1poFuvh9jkajBLsocZ1qBGkhbXp3V6Ukx_iqv_hYbv0oKAyrfU/s1600/IMG_1125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxgWhcC1apI_M9ximZzmd4lvZ_b9VevzN0v4U8Gxqs6RXBwIOx35oYm3hlByFL8qsRmOlzouFO90275b3Mm1y7Lrwns1poFuvh9jkajBLsocZ1qBGkhbXp3V6Ukx_iqv_hYbv0oKAyrfU/s320/IMG_1125.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. Rawhide - I don't like the taste personally, but I certainly get a kick out of watching Skeletor go nuts over it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukS_0enj3RPlnqGJx8vcdZiD8pAhZms2lsnV_Pwtdq7PLzPzP2owA0E_f_SNHz4LcrbX36jc5YJuGeUgxJnwGJijAC225mZSwdzqU2VD7yNnW3XhmaI843rauG8iA9uY9AZHKdyAivQ_D/s1600/giant+bone_0013_Layer+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukS_0enj3RPlnqGJx8vcdZiD8pAhZms2lsnV_Pwtdq7PLzPzP2owA0E_f_SNHz4LcrbX36jc5YJuGeUgxJnwGJijAC225mZSwdzqU2VD7yNnW3XhmaI843rauG8iA9uY9AZHKdyAivQ_D/s320/giant+bone_0013_Layer+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Dog training - I will admit that I haven't been working with Skelly as much as I should, but he has definitely improved his behavior since attending school. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiousZmTdH83QT8f5cUYveEpHa5FtkB3nWPqPFVs0qImccYnK1ePAt7HnPREi2gRwPIU5i03LqXqJ9xeh2CX_TcdxdG8IA6etBWGLro93HYl7zOAZYs6_gimwE89yFdvghDafAq8z9nmWo5/s1600/dog-training-day-one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiousZmTdH83QT8f5cUYveEpHa5FtkB3nWPqPFVs0qImccYnK1ePAt7HnPREi2gRwPIU5i03LqXqJ9xeh2CX_TcdxdG8IA6etBWGLro93HYl7zOAZYs6_gimwE89yFdvghDafAq8z9nmWo5/s320/dog-training-day-one.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. Pink bandanas - I love the looks I get walking my big manly pit bull around the block while he flaunts his flamboyantly pink bandana! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxBratQK06pGCJsoESrPjZAnpxPz0WSFxX4-m8apAxWUUhZgI6X0G3Sbr7PmAzmLWzS5rPz7X5caBpencYS8AoNiYekItNN9KjvXVWfScYKvnkUvshoiH-rgYgxALAB4YvSEGf4sgbIlc/s1600/crop+SCN1803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxBratQK06pGCJsoESrPjZAnpxPz0WSFxX4-m8apAxWUUhZgI6X0G3Sbr7PmAzmLWzS5rPz7X5caBpencYS8AoNiYekItNN9KjvXVWfScYKvnkUvshoiH-rgYgxALAB4YvSEGf4sgbIlc/s320/crop+SCN1803.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. Skylights - They let in the moonlight so you don't kick the coffee table on the way to the kitchen, and they make for some warm afternoon naps for the pooch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZBVzcgNyPrEQ5TJbV0zQgrHzR3uT0x7OYTdgfOvByEY5we5b-Pp7RzEbyq1oGDsR3tnewHGRqVISYHokiR7c8TiRVd75N22etpnlTq_l_RD4sIw7qZRkygf3dgj4hr-7nAscJRa0v5UX/s1600/laying-in-the-sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZBVzcgNyPrEQ5TJbV0zQgrHzR3uT0x7OYTdgfOvByEY5we5b-Pp7RzEbyq1oGDsR3tnewHGRqVISYHokiR7c8TiRVd75N22etpnlTq_l_RD4sIw7qZRkygf3dgj4hr-7nAscJRa0v5UX/s320/laying-in-the-sun.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. And the number one thing I'm thankful for this year is everyone! My family, my girlfriend, my newborn niece, my dog, my former cat, my friends, my blog readers, my friends' parents, my friends' children, my clients, and my vendors. You guys and gals simply rock!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhZe6UKBwDz84rKl2cdXgzr1R4rUj4T25r5WJ6a8HBNWgiwii-CgzKmSL_7vRhITsEcIkY46sg_nP8I4KSidlyWyDvpwMwNR2c0Q62FrL0TzCGY4D8TnKCqLgmBKMHEJ4tDMu20XVxlBB/s1600/xmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhZe6UKBwDz84rKl2cdXgzr1R4rUj4T25r5WJ6a8HBNWgiwii-CgzKmSL_7vRhITsEcIkY46sg_nP8I4KSidlyWyDvpwMwNR2c0Q62FrL0TzCGY4D8TnKCqLgmBKMHEJ4tDMu20XVxlBB/s320/xmas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>HAPPY THANKSGIVING!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-10175995986582516992011-11-24T11:48:00.000-08:002011-11-24T11:49:17.933-08:00Skeletor says goodbye to an old friend (his rope toy, that is!)If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is a video worth?<br />
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Anyways, take a look at this video, and I'll type some words as well.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gjD_I_wlhJE" width="420"></iframe><br />
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The other day, Skeletor was full of youthful vigor and/or angst. He destroyed one of his oldest toys, which was donated by one of his wonderful blog reader friends (Let me know if you recognize it in its current state) and once a very tough green and white rope tied in a knot at both ends. Before that, Mel caught him trying to eat my webcam. I was very lucky because she caught him before he did any damage. *phew!*<br />
<br />
I have seen this dog destroy things before, but he's never really been a bad chewer. He did eat part of my brother's leather jacket (sorry, Ian!) <a href="http://helpskeletor.blogspot.com/2010/04/crate-retraining-phone-eating-sitting.html">He ate a friend's cell phone</a> (sorry, Shawn!) and He has certainly eaten his share of delicious leather belts.<br />
<br />
I have known young male dogs in the past, and they were a hundred times more destructive than Skelly has ever been.<br />
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Knowing Skeletor, it's probably his way of trying to tell us something. I think I know what that something is. "Hey buddy, I don't have anything yummy to chew on!"<br />
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I think I'm going to add rawhide to Skeletor's Christmas list.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-55259529867713882862011-11-08T06:53:00.000-08:002011-11-08T06:57:32.558-08:00Skeletor was not being bad, he was just misunderstood!I should have known that there was something behind Skelly's recent drastic behavior change. His appetite for couch lounging had increased tenfold. He was so determined to get on the couch, that he bypassed our dog repellants.<br />
<br />
I began to wonder if it had something to do with his bed being too old and flattened out. It was indeed starting to look like a giant rectangular pancake!<br />
<br />
Mel and I went to walmart to scope out the dog bed scene. His old bed was of very high quality, but the stuffing just wasn't what it used to be. Underneath the bed was nothing but hardwood flooring.<br />
<br />
They had some good deals on new beds.. a rather nice one for about $30. However, we decided upon a big bag of pillow stuffing.<br />
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I returned home, unzipped the 2 layers of his old dog bed. Tossed the old stuffing, and washed the rest of the bed. An hour or so later, it was all dry. I simply dumped the bag of fluff into the old bed, zipped it up and gave it a good fluffing.<br />
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Just $9 later, he's got a bed that for all intents and purposes is BRAND NEW!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYyO4Ep63HBu__rxQ_ZqY0ZbbBVZhrSlhQzwFR0sC-w15L7o269RKT6dM5Qribqgru7GMAZcjVQZbH_ZMy9rLLG3xgSo86294HaEFVLnlBd1QAuje8Blkv_wOPiS_mld0Klh-1r-7Hjcd/s1600/skelly-fluffy-new-bed-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYyO4Ep63HBu__rxQ_ZqY0ZbbBVZhrSlhQzwFR0sC-w15L7o269RKT6dM5Qribqgru7GMAZcjVQZbH_ZMy9rLLG3xgSo86294HaEFVLnlBd1QAuje8Blkv_wOPiS_mld0Klh-1r-7Hjcd/s320/skelly-fluffy-new-bed-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Lo, and behold.. his attitude has completely changed! He barely bothers getting on the couch anymore. He really seems much happier all around (and lazier I might add :)<br />
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Goes to show... often times dogs may seem like they are acting out, but they're just trying to tell you something.<br />
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Whatagoodboy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-81891396769076623292011-11-02T13:27:00.000-07:002011-11-02T14:22:24.563-07:00Suddenly those tasty acorns have taken on a sinister personaA while back, our pal Skeletor had a very, very upset stomach.<br />
We were quite worried when he puked for um... 12 hours straight.<br />
<br />
Though we never found out exactly what the little guy had gotten into, we had certainly considered that it could have been from ingesting acorns.<br />
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We have a plethora of acorns outside our house. Skelly has been know to snack on them when nobody's looking. I read that acorns are no good for doggies.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxBratQK06pGCJsoESrPjZAnpxPz0WSFxX4-m8apAxWUUhZgI6X0G3Sbr7PmAzmLWzS5rPz7X5caBpencYS8AoNiYekItNN9KjvXVWfScYKvnkUvshoiH-rgYgxALAB4YvSEGf4sgbIlc/s1600/crop+SCN1803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxBratQK06pGCJsoESrPjZAnpxPz0WSFxX4-m8apAxWUUhZgI6X0G3Sbr7PmAzmLWzS5rPz7X5caBpencYS8AoNiYekItNN9KjvXVWfScYKvnkUvshoiH-rgYgxALAB4YvSEGf4sgbIlc/s320/crop+SCN1803.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">About a month ago, we started noticing some noise coming from the back porch area. Melanie pointed out that it was getting worse. At first, I thought it was squirrels running around on the roof. But then I thought to myself... how do squirrels get worse? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then it dawned on me... those acorns! The giant trees were dropping them like they were bad habits. The colder it gets, the more frequently they hurl them suckers downward. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sadly we have not done much handing out on the back porch, and it's the perfect weather to do so! Melanie's been really busy going to school online to get her master's degree. I've been working my face off trying to rule the world. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today, I decided to take a break and get some fresh air. I let my pal, Skeletor tag along. We were only out there for a few seconds when an acorn smashed into the roof. This really scared the crap out of poor Skeletor. It scared him so bad, he lost his footing on the tile floor. After that he was not too interested in the fresh air, so I let him back inside. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hours later, I decided to snap a few photos of him in his nifty pink bandana. (I bought the pink bandana for "Race for the Cure" which Mel and I participated in last week.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wouldn't you know it, this vicious pit bull is still shaken up from the acorn incident! Oh, the poor little guy! Here's a video</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WD0kpfGRHio" width="420"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-89882991398525359572011-10-23T19:41:00.000-07:002011-10-23T19:41:55.156-07:00Skeletor's oh, so clever methods of always getting his wayAlways the innovator, our pal Skeletor never ceases to amaze. On the surface, he's a drooling, clumsy, mouth-breathing goof. Upon closer inspection, you'll notice that he may be smarter than he lets on.<br />
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Skeletor is totally convinced that he's human, so it's only natural that he love, love, LOVES the couch! This is one of the few "no dogs allowed" zones in our house. Skeletor objects to this rule. Any time we're not paying attention, he's there. Sometimes he'll hop up there while I'm staring right at him. Usually he's more tactful though.<br />
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Usually when he's lounging about on the couch, he automatically slinks off the second one of us enters the room. Clearly he knows he's not allowed on the couch, but remains fundamentally opposed to the idea. As a deterrent, we have to put the lid of a giant plastic bin on the couch when we're not using it.<br />
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First, you should know that he's managed attain the freedom to roam the house at night instead of being confined to his kennel. Of course, you give him an inch, and he's going for the mile. Just being allowed free reign of the house, wasn't enough. Skelly then charmed his way into our bedroom where he would sleep next to the bed.<br />
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It's amazing what he can get away with thanks to those good looks!<br />
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Well, being very light sleepers, Mel and I quickly grew weary of Skelly's incessant night noises.<br />
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<ul><li>12:15am: Skeletor decides to shake it off. His lips flap and clap about like the loud and sudden shuffling of cards. </li>
<li>12:47am: Skeletor locates a very tasty part of his body, and begins a 10 minute licking session.</li>
<li>1:12am: Skeletor imagines he has peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth, and tries to lick it off. </li>
<li>2:24am: Skeletor in deep slumber, begins to snore like a couple of lumberjacks sawing down a tree. </li>
<li>4:01am: Skeletor decides to go for a drink in the kitchen. His nails tap tap tap the whole way there and back. </li>
<li>4:04am: Before curling back up, Skeletor feels the urge to shake it off once more. Que the veritable orchestra of lips slapping against each other. :)</li>
<li>4:49am: More licking</li>
<li>5:39am: Even more licking</li>
<li>7:00am: Alarm goes off... people must get up and go to work, while Skeletor gets to continue his slumber. </li>
</ul><br />
Needless to say, we decided he should stay out of the room, at least on work nights!<br />
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So, the other night, the new rule went into effect. Skeletor was exiled from the bedroom and was limited to the entire house for his nocturnal adventures.<br />
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I heard what sounded like skeletor pulling the bin lid off the couch and curling right up. I thought to myself, "no way he just did that." and I drifted off to sleep.<br />
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The next morning, I felt well-rested. When I entered the living room, my suspicions were confirmed. There he was curled up in the cushiony fruits of his diabolical labor.<br />
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Well, as my ability to out-smart this pup wanes, I can take solace in the fact that soon, he'll be smart enough to hold down a job and start to contribute around here!<br />
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Have a great week!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-83299948879367535482011-09-24T18:12:00.001-07:002011-10-23T18:29:13.957-07:00Sketch of skelly<img height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32uEFdOOAso2rbNEPyIH2tBws_I22V-LcjPvZfB9zf5A0P7o19m2XYvs8YIVxW-hEVC2pdEYLaI5piQVG_EExC8k_AWQ4sjLLsCte5c2O6H53MFu2DMX7H9VJcKS3mjfILvj33xLqvzs/" width="240" /><br />
"ok I am layin' down.. Gimme the biscuit already!"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-29867881770443657532011-09-23T06:28:00.001-07:002011-09-23T15:24:01.577-07:00Dropping of skeletor for an echocardiogramHoping for great news!<br /><br />Update: well, not exactly great news, but not bad news. There is a very slight improvement in his heart. However there is also some scar tissue on one of his valves that they find odd. The poor little guy will always have a bad heart (as we know and today's visit reaffirms.)<br /><br />He is to stay on vetmedin probably for the rest of his life. <br /><br />Go figure. Oh well, at least he is happy and relatively healthy :) go skelly!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-64792835246654557392011-09-21T04:37:00.001-07:002011-09-21T04:37:13.079-07:00Skeletor looks funny with no collarLast night, he had some kind of itchy ear and kept making all sorts of jingling and jangling. I decided to take his collar off and now he is quiet as a ninja. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-86407985081074945182011-09-08T08:24:00.000-07:002011-09-08T08:24:52.957-07:00Long awaited update: dieting, playfulness, cooler weatherWell well well... where to begin.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxekbJhOC57wfDoAXIDr7I8jMm1loFVTNCGPeOAhTXvBVF9YUioNPR7gSQLI_bL2iTyGaYYOtXciErf70HGcvwJOYx0ocDEtGgrdfo41OXEGPMhmYHWA3N_NQBjjguRxGkbTbKSCEjP5b/s1600/skelly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxekbJhOC57wfDoAXIDr7I8jMm1loFVTNCGPeOAhTXvBVF9YUioNPR7gSQLI_bL2iTyGaYYOtXciErf70HGcvwJOYx0ocDEtGgrdfo41OXEGPMhmYHWA3N_NQBjjguRxGkbTbKSCEjP5b/s320/skelly.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br />
I guess I'll pick up after my last post. I'm sorry it was so long ago. I've been extremely busy with work lately!<br />
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Last I posted, Skeletor was having quite a problem with coughing. His x-ray had not improved since he was all heartworm infested. This was certainly not great news for us.<br />
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After about a week on a whole host of various medications, the boy started to feel better. I was able to take him off the cough suppressants well before they ran out.<br />
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He had some minor issues with fleas and tapeworms. (which go hand-in-hand since animals contract tapeworms by eating fleas)<br />
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The fleas issue was one that we shared. I woke up one morning with tiny bites all over my arm. Wow... it had been quite a while since I was bitten by fleas... they make mosquito bites seem like gentle kisses in terms of discomfort and itchiness!!! No wonder poor Skelly has been so miserable with these critters chompin' on his flesh!<br />
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We tried some over the counter drops on his back. These did little to nothing. Fortunately, the doc sold us a drug called Comfortis, which fleas seem to really hate.<br />
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So, a few weeks ago, Mel and I started to notice that our pal Skelly was really starting to pack on the pounds. After some consideration, we realized that we were feeding him 3 times a day instead of twice as recommended by the dog food bag.<br />
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Something else we noticed was that we seemed to have synchronized eating schedules with him. His food and water are near the table. Whenever we sat down to eat, Skeletor would want to join us. We would just give him a cup of food without thinking twice about it.<br />
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It had gotten to the point where he wouldn't even eat his food unless we were sitting at the table.<br />
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At first, he was not pleased with his new feeding regiment. He would flip out when we were having lunch without him. He would demand seconds after gobbling up his breakfast and dinner. He would push buttons like crazy (his nose is his tool for pushing buttons. He has been known to nudge people for pets, turn on and off xbox consoles, knock over food containers, push empty bowls across the floor, etc) to indicate that he wanted more food!<br />
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After he settled into the diet a little, he became a much more frisky fellow. We did not realize how subtly lethargic and lazy he had become until he reverted to his playful former self.<br />
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Lately he has been going crazy entertaining himself. He has dragged every single toy from his toy box. I'm talking everything from favorite new toys to the old toys that he's had since we rescued him that he has never paid attention to for more than 2 seconds. He is suddenly so much more energetic and interested in just about everything!<br />
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I have always known that overfeeding your animals was not a good thing to do, but I had no idea what a positive effect a little fitness could have on a pooch. I guess they are no different than people in that respect. (and so many others!)<br />
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So, as you can see, Skeletor is doing VERY WELL!!<br />
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He has not been doing much coughing at all. He's been really spry and energetic. His appetite is off the charts!! When we feed him now, he woofs it down and is demanding more before the food even lands in the bowl.<br />
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Today, I realized that he's quite a fan of carrots! Now there's a nice dog treat that won't tip the scales. :)<br />
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After the bad news x-ray we had in July, I decided to post-pone his echocardiogram for about a month to give his condition a chance to improve. His echo is scheduled for this month (the 22nd I think).<br />
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We're hoping that his energy levels are an indication that his heart and lungs have shown signs of improvement! The summer is FINALLY breaking here in north Florida, and holy crap are we all sick of the heat! Skeletor is surely going to enjoy the fall activities we have in store for him :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-78085759355559461432011-09-06T19:02:00.001-07:002011-09-06T19:02:56.455-07:00Skeletor is going on a doggy dietAfter many months of scamming extra meals, this puffy pooch needs to shed a few pounds. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-25751248042621964762011-07-25T12:35:00.001-07:002011-07-25T15:15:55.989-07:00Skelly is not out of the woods yet :(X-ray reveals no lung improvement. Coughing worse than ever. Details to follow...<br />
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<b>Update: Well everything was going great for a while.</b><br />
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Skeletor went into the Vet for his vaccinations on Thursday. I mentioned when I dropped him off that we were out of Vetmedin (which was the only drug he was taking, aside from the occasional Viagra that I was able to administer.)<br />
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I wasn't sure if he was supposed to keep taking it or not at this point. I was hoping since he had been doing so well that he may be ready to start weening off. (It's over $80/bottle!)<br />
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Melanie picked him up that afternoon and I forgot to tell her anything about the Vetmedin.<br />
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Long story short, we were all out and the weekend was upon us. We would have to wait until Monday to get another bottle.<br />
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Now, it's unclear if the lack of medication was a factor or not, but Saturday night he just started coughing. Coughing, coughing and coughing. He has always had a little bit of a cough... but this was the worst Mel and I had ever seen it.<br />
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The fits were measured in minutes, not seconds. He would cough and cough until he hacked, and sometimes vomited... then cough some more. I had some leftover Tussigon that was prescribed before when his coughing was really bad. I gave him a pill. He wretched it up a few minutes later along with his food :(<br />
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The next day, his condition had not improved. He was not lethargic. His appetite seemed normal. It's just that he could hardly stand up without inciting a coughing fit. We tried not to excite him. We did online research. We wondered what we could possibly do for him!<br />
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This morning, Melanie took him back to see Dr. Chick. They performed an x-ray and compared it to one from a year ago. His lungs and heart didn't look any better on the x-ray. :( Both organs are still functioning on an impaired level. <br />
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The vet has always been very clear about the fact that the damage to his cardiovascular system was most likely permanent. However, it was a sad truth that I had optimistically pushed to the back of my mind. It was easy to do when he was going months at a time without any bad symptoms or complications.<br />
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Now he's back on a whole host of medications! He's on antibiotics to clear up any possible infection in his lungs. We've got more Tussigon for his coughing. He's got another bottle of Vetmedin. He's on another pill called Furosemide which is prescribed to reduce water retention.<br />
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The poor guy has to take over 10 pills a day. I sure hope they work. He certainly doesn't mind as long as we don't run out of pill pockets!<br />
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It's not all doom and gloom of course! His appetite remains strong. He's not showing signs of lethargy (when he's not zonked out on cough suppressants that is!) And he's not showing any indication of the dreaded anemia that he's battled with so often in the past.<br />
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He's so strong and happy that it's easy to forget how close to death this dog has been. Every so often, he'll give us a scare and we're reminded just how fragile Skeletor's life really is.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZBVzcgNyPrEQ5TJbV0zQgrHzR3uT0x7OYTdgfOvByEY5we5b-Pp7RzEbyq1oGDsR3tnewHGRqVISYHokiR7c8TiRVd75N22etpnlTq_l_RD4sIw7qZRkygf3dgj4hr-7nAscJRa0v5UX/s1600/laying-in-the-sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZBVzcgNyPrEQ5TJbV0zQgrHzR3uT0x7OYTdgfOvByEY5we5b-Pp7RzEbyq1oGDsR3tnewHGRqVISYHokiR7c8TiRVd75N22etpnlTq_l_RD4sIw7qZRkygf3dgj4hr-7nAscJRa0v5UX/s320/laying-in-the-sun.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
As I write this, Skelly is snoring peacefully behind my chair on his comfy bed.<br />
Hang in there, bud!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-34296887245555384962011-07-10T13:51:00.000-07:002011-07-10T13:51:23.961-07:00Local dog has owners worried sick over unexplained vomitingThe other day Skeletor was chomping gingerly on a giant butcher's bone that I picked up at the grocery store. He was one happy pup! He wasn't allowed to chew on the bone in the house, because of the mess it'd make, but that didn't bother him one bit. He was more than happy out on the back porch, just chewing to his heart's content.<br />
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Later on that day, Mel and I were minding our own business around the house, and heard a loud splash coming from the other room. Much to our horror, there was a HUGE pool of yellow liquid about 2-3 feet in diameter right in the middle of the wood floored living room. I had to use a towel to clean it up.<br />
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Apparently, Skeletor had just finished drinking a lot of water, and something in his stomach wasn't agreeing with him.<br />
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Thus began a horrible evening to say the least...<br />
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Something was definitely wrong with Skelly's tummy. He was puking constantly for the rest of the night. He was soooo very pathetic, and not feeling good at all. Mel and I were both ready to join him in puking after having cleaned up so much of it!<br />
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We were worried that he may have been poisoned or something. We spent the evening doing research online, investigating the house, cleaning up vomit, hypothesizing, worrying, cleaning up vomit, trying to get him to eat, cleaning up vomit, worrying... well you get the idea.<br />
<br />
Finally around 1am, we decided to try and sleep. We left the bedroom door open so Skeletor could sleep on the floor beside the bed. The ice maker would make a noise, and we'd think it was poor Skeletor puking again. He would lick his lips and I'd say to myself... "better get the towel!"<br />
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Needless to say, it was a miserable night for all 3 of us. Very little sleep was had. The good news is that Skeletor made it through the night without puking. We sincerely hoped that he'd be back to normal the next day. If not, I was going to have to take him to an emergency vet that was open on saturday. Uh... gee I'm sure that would cost a pretty penny!<br />
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Skeletor was still very lethargic. He was not interested in food at all. Mel managed to get him to eat some bread soaked in water. His stomach rejected it just a few minutes later.<br />
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What could he have gotten into!? I think we have oak trees outside. I've seen him eat acorns in the past. I read that they are toxic to dogs... but how could he have eaten enough to make him so sick!?<br />
<br />
His early payloads contained many small fragments of the bone he was chomping on. Was the bone to blame for making him sick? Was the marrow too rich?<br />
<br />
Did he munch on a neighbor's grass that had been treated with chemicals?<br />
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Fortunately, I had recently had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Sophie O'Neill, owner of Molasses Junction Mobile Vet. I decided that I had better call her. Dr. Sophie asked me a few general questions about Skeletor. She said that if he had a bone or obstruction lodged in his throat, his vomiting would be constant as opposed to only when he eats or drinks.<br />
<br />
She said that we should not worry about getting him to eat, but try and introduce a little bit of water over time. She said that it's likely that he ate something that he wasn't supposed to. His body's natural reaction is to empty his stomach. She said that when a dog is sick, he'll know better than to eat because he doesn't want to keep throwing up.<br />
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She also said that if his condition got any worse, to call her up and she'd come by our house and take a look at him.<br />
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We were so very grateful for Dr. Sophie's advice! She really put our minds at ease. We cancelled our plans to go kayaking that day, and we kicked back and watched a movie while keeping an eye on our sick friend.<br />
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That afternoon, Skeletor started feeling better. HIS APPETITE HAD RETURNED! He was wagging his tail and getting back to his chipper self!<br />
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*Whew!*<br />
<br />
Since his recovery, Skeletor has been doing very well. We never figured out exactly what he had eaten, but we sure hope he learned his lesson. We're so glad that he's better!<br />
<br />
Thanks again to Dr. Sophie! She's an excellent Veterinarian! If you live in Jacksonville, I would highly recommend you count on her to care for your pet. Call Molasses Junction Mobile Veterinary Services at 904-315-5070.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-80638857100282712462011-06-24T09:13:00.000-07:002011-06-24T09:18:40.192-07:00Skelly and his old pal, Insano<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Old "Friends"</span></div><br />
Last week, my brother Ian dropped off Insano for a few days while he went out of town. Insano, at eleven years of age, is quite the strange old curmudgeon. While he is still the affectionate little (and somewhat fatter) furry menace we've grown to know and love, Insano appears to have become more nocturnal than ever before. At first, I thought he was just being reclusive. He would find a hiding spot (usually in a closet) and hang out all day long.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFjEHkz1sOtEVLPUIGh3fO9Ml5RinqZdej8m6DbwkSr0owpVCWR6_AlAgx9Zdkb8_lNRn334maVGevrZEJnyBWUfjvdh7VWoZ9v6gb-UzuxCr92c7CneMCog_J-U6c_h2-t_EGX_w-A31/s1600/252868_10150202726819632_317436999631_7213843_7487085_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFjEHkz1sOtEVLPUIGh3fO9Ml5RinqZdej8m6DbwkSr0owpVCWR6_AlAgx9Zdkb8_lNRn334maVGevrZEJnyBWUfjvdh7VWoZ9v6gb-UzuxCr92c7CneMCog_J-U6c_h2-t_EGX_w-A31/s320/252868_10150202726819632_317436999631_7213843_7487085_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Who invited HIM!?!?</i></div><br />
In his younger years, he would become extremely lazy and reclusive when he was sick. However, once the evening rolled around, Insano would come into the living room and socialize. He would insist upon pets and chatter up a storm like the spry young fellow he once was.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihD2LemaCzUJWYkaW9SHvwPBqDG7QGV6V4e0RaoF_Rryq4c0_91eHEKovBoexX2mL-tXOPBwBVc_4TXDlq_NBiBG22GYqQcbb-5jiEMF50ay_Gl0rP8pKMJSJ98hfO5k_bBRfMXiO-5O5q/s1600/scrabblecat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihD2LemaCzUJWYkaW9SHvwPBqDG7QGV6V4e0RaoF_Rryq4c0_91eHEKovBoexX2mL-tXOPBwBVc_4TXDlq_NBiBG22GYqQcbb-5jiEMF50ay_Gl0rP8pKMJSJ98hfO5k_bBRfMXiO-5O5q/s320/scrabblecat.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A I organized the closet, Insano found a new spot to hang all day.</i></div><br />
Another trait he has retained is his sheer bad-assedness. He was terrorizing Skeletor on a semi-regular basis. For no apparent reason, Insano would just walk up to Skelly and attack. Skeletor was very, very nervous about this.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHpEW5mLB_erRKA32hUxG03etKi0mhPYLPJtsiIri9CcO8HwanEvtbQAdBSAdVzAenGaBTDX59em6NY8hNWHl_WKgJs_NQP9gt13WuB_KowM4zVbkBKmx_YpOfyNMIhHsCfWRCrUd0LCw/s1600/74609_467858814631_317436999631_5835046_7233406_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHpEW5mLB_erRKA32hUxG03etKi0mhPYLPJtsiIri9CcO8HwanEvtbQAdBSAdVzAenGaBTDX59em6NY8hNWHl_WKgJs_NQP9gt13WuB_KowM4zVbkBKmx_YpOfyNMIhHsCfWRCrUd0LCw/s320/74609_467858814631_317436999631_5835046_7233406_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Oh great... he's behind me, isn't he!?</i></div><br />
Usually Skeletor avoided Insano's wrath at all costs. If Insano was near a doorway, Skeletor did not dare pass through. If Insano walked into a room, Skeletor walked out. Sometimes, Skeletor would climb into corners and behind furniture in an attempt to "turn invisible." He reminded me of a scared little kid.. he'd put his nose in the corner as though the danger couldn't see him as long as he couldn't see the danger.<br />
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I have to admit, the tactic did seem to work. Insano didn't attack while Skeletor was "invisible."<br />
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I've since seen Skeletor use the same tactic during a thunderstorm. Did I mention that Skelly does NOT like thunderstorms? Oh yeah.. he's petrified of them!<br />
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He trembles and cowers throughout the entire duration. It's so pathetic! We give him plenty of reassurance and sometimes let him hang out in his crate where he feels extra safe.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9D9iu40bV1B1Yf5TCSOP-r4iHbf_ZjCuRkQkZtJj6ChXluMBhKO7d6ia98hzBKhWsKw-UT7kv6Njc07FgZzt411jgBzayQAKJDf1BtHzXW4aMfPcpRFElrrCfyTD_o8iV1fnk2xIW9vDi/s1600/252865_10150197164159632_317436999631_7156046_1280516_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9D9iu40bV1B1Yf5TCSOP-r4iHbf_ZjCuRkQkZtJj6ChXluMBhKO7d6ia98hzBKhWsKw-UT7kv6Njc07FgZzt411jgBzayQAKJDf1BtHzXW4aMfPcpRFElrrCfyTD_o8iV1fnk2xIW9vDi/s320/252865_10150197164159632_317436999631_7156046_1280516_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I'm such a mean old, vicious pit bull!</i></div><br />
It was nice hanging out with my dear old friend, Insano. I gotta tell ya... cats are WAY messier than dogs! At least way messier than this distinguished gentleman. We've swept the room where the kitty litter box was at least 4 times and still get leavins stuck to our bare feet. The clumps of cat hair are still gliding across the floor from time to time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5n3CYWwhJrEZQ8Q8HNjvSyOdSACVUkfdI28fiErZ46I2cmVcCH8t1qWlsBSxvLVeCQ0u4h-yElTAHFyQ_HvITALVQNiOCLzIb_VAP0g68oajNdFQ6qxADA-GKIRYNXjl2eiak78fLSZQ/s1600/242937_1981749257290_1049949058_2277039_5098856_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5n3CYWwhJrEZQ8Q8HNjvSyOdSACVUkfdI28fiErZ46I2cmVcCH8t1qWlsBSxvLVeCQ0u4h-yElTAHFyQ_HvITALVQNiOCLzIb_VAP0g68oajNdFQ6qxADA-GKIRYNXjl2eiak78fLSZQ/s320/242937_1981749257290_1049949058_2277039_5098856_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Bobble head!</i></div><br />
I used to believe that common misconception that cats were "lower maintenance" and required "less attention" than dogs. If you'd prefer to channel the energy spent on leisurely walks around the neighborhood and giving belly rubs to extremely grateful recipients into sweeping up cat litter and picking up warm hairballs, I suppose it's true. However, in my experience, a well-trained dog practically takes care of himself! :)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Skelly's Bloggin' Mommy</span><br />
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Now that school's out, Skeletor's lovely mother, Melanie has had plenty of time to relax and take up a new hobby. She has started a blog that she'll use as a creative outlet and a teaching tool. She just wrote a nifty post about <a href="http://habituallearner.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/dog-training-vs-classroom-management/#comment-8">Skeletor's doggy training</a> and points out some parallels that she noticed between the classroom and the training ground.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXrnzvdy63YABVjbPe3ilId_88IDwMbAx8DqRINs2K6a-0UrEHEVtY_rohObP6HG9RvNNHEREymeoDFIrOl0KYfBM5qo8nb21gj8IfVhwwLDxu5AQzQoKsRmYepyIkSKqbDYyfbIdryLL/s1600/134584_1682450895018_1049949058_1848192_5707997_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXrnzvdy63YABVjbPe3ilId_88IDwMbAx8DqRINs2K6a-0UrEHEVtY_rohObP6HG9RvNNHEREymeoDFIrOl0KYfBM5qo8nb21gj8IfVhwwLDxu5AQzQoKsRmYepyIkSKqbDYyfbIdryLL/s320/134584_1682450895018_1049949058_1848192_5707997_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Check out <a href="http://habituallearner.wordpress.com/">Habitual Learner</a> and tell her Skeletor sent ya!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-77193407113423503392011-06-10T04:35:00.000-07:002011-06-10T04:37:19.932-07:00Skelly is adjusting nicely to his new home!Well, we no longer have a fenced back yard, but we're making it work! We live in a smaller neighborhood that's more centrally located in Jacksonville. Skelly is slowly getting better about calming down so I can put his collar on to go outside.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RsO5ShD8qqXqx4fgzJZJfDhz_7A-F7V85GR96cQWOzF3OI7aekRBWxRazROlxcB8cjyau1vy13X8lD2gU3GmNwvsiTzOwl99XosmtscoSVRPxLuhUCML11Bwk3gTn3aZLIYMK-Fl3FFF/s1600/model+doggie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RsO5ShD8qqXqx4fgzJZJfDhz_7A-F7V85GR96cQWOzF3OI7aekRBWxRazROlxcB8cjyau1vy13X8lD2gU3GmNwvsiTzOwl99XosmtscoSVRPxLuhUCML11Bwk3gTn3aZLIYMK-Fl3FFF/s320/model+doggie.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
He really loves his "number two" walks around the neighborhood. He has been doing a great job at obedience training every Thursday.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbQAKEwZ9j37gbtVBAwhAbybqJ226jksxFLVBlEc-KYgctJLz1fLMn06wPF1hdfDAWmGHRYLHVFWnDLakRa0jHgGag0wvlbbmqR0vcjJOEfm8BFy9wf6BwfhY4MqAC1i8fi4La7ESKj1b/s1600/DSCN0882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbQAKEwZ9j37gbtVBAwhAbybqJ226jksxFLVBlEc-KYgctJLz1fLMn06wPF1hdfDAWmGHRYLHVFWnDLakRa0jHgGag0wvlbbmqR0vcjJOEfm8BFy9wf6BwfhY4MqAC1i8fi4La7ESKj1b/s320/DSCN0882.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Skeletor isn't a huge fan of the hardwood floors, but he doesn't mind so much as long as he's got his ole comfy bed and a sun-filled skylight...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisauDchSgnllEddZwsb2PeejGy7OoO-06WBBX07TJ07H5RcIH-TCq9ExPApWhyphenhyphenk-66MNE6Jrwfv2agDMfRgVe5GY5LvMS6TaTxznYmeM0zqgE22YcxNgp3w5Lg4OMxmfvmDpt0PM69ZaPO/s1600/DSCN0885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisauDchSgnllEddZwsb2PeejGy7OoO-06WBBX07TJ07H5RcIH-TCq9ExPApWhyphenhyphenk-66MNE6Jrwfv2agDMfRgVe5GY5LvMS6TaTxznYmeM0zqgE22YcxNgp3w5Lg4OMxmfvmDpt0PM69ZaPO/s320/DSCN0885.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CUhaQ5baDJg" width="425"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-15679994567460636072011-05-20T20:52:00.000-07:002011-05-20T20:52:09.686-07:00Blast from the pastI was just bored looking around on youtube, and watched this relic...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6a23lzFNEeA" width="425"></iframe><br />
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It's amazing how far he's come. Funny how his bark used to be so high pitched... <br />
He's got an echocardiogram coming up in July. We'll see exactly how his heart and lungs are recovering from those nasty parasites!<br />
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I expect that the news will be good! The other day, I took the boy for a walk and he insisted that we run instead! He's doing fantastically!<br />
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Another bit of good news.. he's officially (and hopefully permanently) off of the enalapril. I believe that was his blood pressure medication. The cardiologist suggested that he discontinue taking it 2 months after his treatment.<br />
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He's nearly completely weened off the prednisone as well. So far, he's still taking the vetmedin, and would be taking viagra if we had any.<br />
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Hopefully one day soon, all he will require is food, water, and love!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-121379829765193492011-05-14T15:39:00.001-07:002011-05-14T15:39:38.085-07:00Skelly loves his new toy!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AV_NnIyNQqE" width="425"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-9126413392200358122011-05-09T10:39:00.000-07:002011-05-09T10:39:31.954-07:00We're going to sign our lease today!I'm pleased to announce that we've found a home to rent!<br />
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A nice lady is going to rent us her 3/2 house. The location is good. The price is reasonable!<br />
She is ok with the fact that we have a Staffordshire Terrier ;)<br />
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We're going to sign the lease today at 6! Thanks to everybody for your helpful suggestions and unwavering support.<br />
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Skeletor is one lucky pup to have so many great peeps looking out for him!<br />
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In related news, I took the boy out on the leash today. He did very well with his training exercises. It was a bit hot out, so we stayed under the shade in the front yard.<br />
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Right now, we're focusing on "heel" and some other basic commands that he already knows. We're having to teach him slightly different words for them, and we're doing away with the hand gestures.<br />
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He did a really great job on the leash. Such a sharp lad, and a fast learner!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9c3i0b2ejjksm9oVcVSk9bZrXQQJUYUKY6OXzyrFDB_IMJLFKKdMRyoOPO5Y0hNxjLt4hFNt7hlDejHerJoeL7qv36UUb2bnTbMhJisqK-_LHmRHkO8n1glZzQeLqZ1Oc146if3VRozPO/s1600/good-boy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9c3i0b2ejjksm9oVcVSk9bZrXQQJUYUKY6OXzyrFDB_IMJLFKKdMRyoOPO5Y0hNxjLt4hFNt7hlDejHerJoeL7qv36UUb2bnTbMhJisqK-_LHmRHkO8n1glZzQeLqZ1Oc146if3VRozPO/s320/good-boy.JPG" width="199" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Keep up the good work, Skelly!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-7551631413686833832011-05-08T12:38:00.001-07:002011-05-08T13:39:40.622-07:00Bath time!<img height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFW8wSGLCYNikqU52O7guEbZmCjr5Nl2J5yN-zGSbeiElmO61DRrhHXtbr1e7BDCRHE0VjOHxzl7ziFW6Moxl0qvlD2zml96b6VorBO4ZA9au-VWImiXWbPrZ7Pnod7s6Z9K6fmBVW8zQ/" width="240" /><br />
Dog training is messy business. Especially when skeletor decides to roll around in the dirt!<br />
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We're pleased to announce that the boy is all fresh and clean again! He's rockin some super soft fur to boot!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-69556904687498225922011-05-02T10:41:00.000-07:002011-05-02T13:03:01.307-07:00Skeletor officially begins obedience trainingWell, this is it folks!<br />
This is the month where it all goes down. We're going to find our new home, move into it, settle in and enjoy a huge sigh of relief when all is said and done!<br />
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In an effort to hone Skeletor's social skills, I invited my friend, Jared and his female pit bull, Shay over for a BBQ on Friday. Shay likes to play, but she isn't into too much drama. She's 8 years old, and enjoys a more chilled atmosphere.<br />
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I imagined that Skeletor would be thrilled (which he was) to meet Shay. I hoped that they would hit it off, and run around in the backyard while we enjoyed a relaxing BBQ (which is not exactly how it went down!)<br />
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As we all know, Skelly loves to yell at people, dogs, cats, and just about anything else he encounters in public. He does so in a playful fashion, with his tail-a-waggin! Despite his good intentions, his craziness is not always welcome.<br />
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So Shay comes in and Skeletor is thrilled! They give each other some initial smell tests, and everything seems ok. Skeletor is just so darn excited, he starts giving shay the flea-nibbles. Shay, understandably confused, tries to get away from him. Skeletor, ridiculously excited, persists to try and nibble on her face.<br />
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Shay eventually got fed up and gave a menacing growl. I had to take Skeletor out to the back yard in hopes that he would settle down.<br />
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Throughout the course of the night, we let the dogs interact. Eventually Shay would just try and get out of Skeletor's reach and Skelly would yell and pitch a fit because he wanted to play.<br />
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<b>Now Skeletor... you are just acting too creepy! Women are NOT into that. You need to play it cool my boy! </b><br />
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Despite my disappointment in his behavior, neither pup was injured, and I think Skeletor did show a little bit of improvement by the end of the night.<br />
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We have got work to do, that's for sure! Skeletor needs to be cool and collected in a social environment if he is to overcome the pit bull stigma!! We're going to need Skelly's help in appealing to potential new land lords and ladies... it's time he really learns some manners!<br />
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I wake up bright and early the next morning (Saturday) and load Skelly into the car. We're off to a local dog training club for a free evaluation / training session.<br />
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I pull up to the closed gate. Skeletor sees a dog. He starts barking at the top of his lungs. I can literally feel the barks vibrating my ear drums due to the confines of my car... Keep it down doggie!!<br />
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I meet Michael, the co-owner of the club. I tell him about Skeletor's history and why it's important for him to gain social skills. I explain to Michael that pulling on the leash is one of Skeletor's biggest problems.<br />
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A few other dog owners show up. Most of them have German Shephards. There's also what appeared to be a Belgian Malinois, and a Boxer.<br />
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The exercises began as the more experienced dogs performed two at a time. One dog's owner would take him into the shade and tell him to lie down. That well trained pup would lie there unrestrained the entire time while the second dog would perform his training exercises. Then they would switch.<br />
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These talented pups would walk on a lead without any pulling whatsoever. They would look to their owner upon command. They would sit automatically when the owner stopped walking. They would pivot when their owner turned. It was exciting to imagine Skeletor learning to behave so well!<br />
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I sat in a plastic chair with Skeletor on a leash. He would yell and pull when a person or dog came close to us. After a while, he finally started to get the hint. He started barking and pulling a little less.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiousZmTdH83QT8f5cUYveEpHa5FtkB3nWPqPFVs0qImccYnK1ePAt7HnPREi2gRwPIU5i03LqXqJ9xeh2CX_TcdxdG8IA6etBWGLro93HYl7zOAZYs6_gimwE89yFdvghDafAq8z9nmWo5/s1600/dog-training-day-one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiousZmTdH83QT8f5cUYveEpHa5FtkB3nWPqPFVs0qImccYnK1ePAt7HnPREi2gRwPIU5i03LqXqJ9xeh2CX_TcdxdG8IA6etBWGLro93HYl7zOAZYs6_gimwE89yFdvghDafAq8z9nmWo5/s320/dog-training-day-one.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Michael took some time to work directly with Skeletor. He said that he believed that Skeletor could be trained, and that the question was whether or not I could be trained! He said that what they do is teach owners how to train dogs. I told him that I was up to the challenge!<br />
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Michael also explained that his training philosophy uses positive reinforcement. He said that corrections are only made when needed. I have made a lot of progress with Skeletor, and I can assure you that based on my experience, positive reinforcement is the way to go!<br />
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I'm planning on returning next Saturday morning for another session. After that, Skeletor will go to 6 group training sessions every Thursday.<br />
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I think we're going to see a total transformation here, folks! Skeletor is going to be one well-behaved, and socially adjusted pup!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366782312098434789.post-15380882239824518362011-04-26T16:56:00.001-07:002011-05-02T10:11:17.007-07:00Happy as a ham!<img height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6eIE_CtsXzlsNh5yPp4Elt-PkbJOw-yQfCe6kq3Ww1e0_eUjEbPEQGefAqCNf87WXlGBWvBDCXJQJkEcMeBFzWQzboRAK5oRHCbP5_E1llQCPeFGn3Tw4nnuYefgD52TjgTN67Mvm9g/" width="300" /><br />
Just as happy as a ham, Skelly's spirits are high in the days following his castration. <br />
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Next week, I think he'll be ready to meet his new lady friend! My buddy Jared is the proud owner of Shay. She is a fellow pit bull, and an absolutely sweet pup. She loves to play and meet new friends. Hopefully she and Jared can come visit next week! Stay tuned for doggie antics :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3