Molly's Musings

Our Dachs

2009-02-10T13:07:00.006-08:00

December 2008

2008-10-11T10:46:00.002-08:00

DONE FINITO! TAAA DAAAA!!!!

Took my final final this week. God willin' & the creek don't rise, the sheepskin will be in the mail in February! BA in Communications!!! only 24 years later.

Succinct (I hope):

Married nigh 24 yrs (June 1985) to a wonderful and talented man, Kevin (U.S. Army Bandsman for 17+ years)
FurKids - two 13 yr old miniature dachshunds Tasselhof Burrfoot and Radar O'Reilly (born in the old Panama Canal Zone); one standard wirehair dachshund, 3 year old, Gimli Padfoot aka 'Kasper' ('clown' in German; born in Bavaria near the Swiss border). … pictures below…
Returned July 2006 to the USA after a fantastic, incredible, wunderbar 3 year jaunt in Bamberg, Germany. Now in Washington state and actually enjoying it (I’m mostly Texan).
Worked as a professional/executive secretary for 20 years.
Intend to use my degree to teach communications (business, personal, etc.) in a high school or online OR become a Grant Writer OR Administrator/Director of a non-profit (i.e., a food bank, a theatre, etc..
Was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis June 22, 2006 -- yeppers, on our wedding anniversary -- it's a mostly annoying, insidious, incurable disease, but oh well, if life bites you in the butt... bite it back.
CRUSADE 1: Educating people about "disabled dogs" -- you don't have to put them down when they go down. One of my dachshunds (Tas, foreground in picture) blew a disk in May 2003 and was happy, healthy, in a cart for 1 1/2 years -- he's now WALKING (albeit drunkenly). Five years after the vet said I should 'humanely' put him down - he is a sweet wonderful pain in my neck -- and not because he can't walk properly... he can still beat his all-legs-working brother to the front door. He’s my DDMA -- Disabled Dog My ‘Behind’!
CRUSADE 2: Educating myself and people about Multiple Sclerosis. I was diagnosed June 2006 - interesting at 40-eve. It’s not a death sentence, just another wrinkle in life to figure out. So far, it’s been fairly mild and interesting ... and rather annoying at times. There are injectible medications, lifestyle changes, and, well, education! Crusade #1 above taught me a lot about living life, figuring out what’s *really* important and ... GET ON WITH IT… so when MS came down the pike, I could do just that (mostly!).

Things I learned from my “Disabled Dog”
· take life as it comes
· if you can’t do it one way… oh, well, another will work
· take time to PowerNap – you never know when you might need the energy to look cute and pitiful
· take on the big guys – you just have more equipment than them
· take all the “awww” and “ummmms” and pity you can find – if someone thinks you are weaker, it only makes you stronger and able to show them What For – and anyway… you know better.
Amy
If life bites you in the butt... bite it back!

Three Watchers...

2007-05-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

I just realized I don't have my favorite pictures of the Phlor Sharks on my blog...

The reds (miniature dachshunds, c. 12 pounds):
Tasselhof Burrfoot (front) & Radar O'Reilly (in back), littermates
born: 1995, Panama Canal Zone (f/k/a)

The wirehair (standard dachshund, c. 20 pounds):
Gimli Padfoot "Kasper"
born: 2005, southern Bavaria Germany - our 'real' German dachshund.

a grin... or two...

2007-02-13T17:20:00.000-08:00

Not necessarily nice... but gave me a grin...

A man walked into a very high-tech bar. As he sat down on a stool he noticed that the bartender was a robot.
The robot clicked to attention and asked, "Sir, what will you have?"
The man thought a moment then replied? "A martini please."
The robot clicked a couple of times and mixed the best martini the man had ever had.
The robot then asked, "Sir, what is your IQ?"
The man answered "Oh, about 164."
The robot then proceeded to discuss the 'theory of relativity', 'inter-stellar space travel', 'the latest medical breakthroughs, etc.......

The man was most impressed. He left the bar but thought he would try a different tact.

He returned and took a seat. Again the robot clicked and asked what he would have?
"A Martini please." Again it was superb?
The robot again asked "what is your IQ sir?"
This time the man answered, "Oh about 100".
So the robot started discussing NASCAR racing, the latest basketball scores, and what to expect the Dodgers to do that week end.

The guy had to try it one more time. So he left, returned and took a stool.

Again a martini, and the question, "What is your IQ?"??
This time the man drawled out " Uh.....'bout 50".
The robot clicked then leaned close and very slowly asked ,
"A-r-e . ...y-o-u-r . ... p-e-o-p-l-e . ... r-e-a-l-l-y . . .. g-o-i-n-g . .. . t-o ... .
n-o-m-i-n-a-t-e .. . . H-i-l-l-a-r-y-???"

=================

Dorothy and Edna, two "senior" widows, are talking.

Dorothy: "That nice George Johnson asked me out for a date. I know you
went out with him last week, and I wanted to talk with you about him
before I give him my answer."

Edna: "Well, I'll tell you. He shows up at my apartment punctually at 7
P.M., dressed like such a gentleman in a fine suit, and he brings me
such beautiful flowers! Then he takes me downstairs, and what's there
but a luxury car... a limousine, uniformed chauffeur and all. Then he
takes me out for dinner... a marvelous dinner... lobster, champagne,
dessert, and after-dinner drinks. Then we go see a show. Let me tell
you, Dorothy, I enjoyed it so much I could have just died from pleasure!
So then we are coming back to my apartment and he turns into an ANIMAL.
Completely crazy, he tears off my expensive new dress and has his way
with me two times!"

Dorothy: "Goodness gracious!... so you are telling me I shouldn't go out
with him?"

Edna: "No, no, no... I'm just saying, wear an old dress."

A Test...

2007-01-06T10:01:00.000-08:00

Find the 9 people in the picture...

if you:

Find 6, you have an ordinary power of observation.
Find 7, you have above average power of observation.
Find 8, you are very observant. Congratulate yourself.
Find 9, you are extremely observant. Very intuitive and creative.

The 'new kid'

2006-12-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

We needed a second car ... decided to go with a 're-do' of the ilk we'd been wanting for years. She scoots around quite well for a daily driver, but still has enough (okay, a lot) of stuff to tweak. She's been with us for 11 days!

Rene... the engine pic is there just for you!

and, a reminder to be good...

Longer still...

2006-11-02T15:05:00.000-08:00

only 7 months.

Things have been hoppin’ and jumpin’. The purpose of this post is to show folks what I came around to see when trying to call our 16 month old standard wirehair dachshund back inside from incessant barking at squirrels. This is a 7 foot fence... with a wood pile beside it.

Soooo.... today immediatly after my MS injection, I 'had the opportunity' to stack wood WITH supervision...

AND ... he taught the 'old guy' to do it too

I love him so much, I know he's going to live past his 2nd birthday (and Radar his 11th) ... but aaaarrrggghhhhhh, I might have to beat them with wet noodles at least!

It's been a while...

2006-04-29T23:22:00.000-08:00

Being busy with university, and term papers (5 or 6 this term), and reading lengthy chapters and articles for class, and life (which included making a wedding cake), and dogs, and certainly Kev, I have neglected to update anything here.

In late October we went to see about a new furkid -- as it happens he found us! The black and tan kleine monster (little monster) is Gimli Padfoot Kasper (clown in German) Robertson. (Gimli is said like 'kim-lee' but with a 'g'; Kasper was added by friend when we knew his silliness better.) Today, in fact, he is 11 months old. He came home weighing in at 13 pounds - the size of the two reds; and is currently pushing 22 pounds. He'll end up around 25-30 pounds - yes, a dachshund! Gimli is a wirehair standard (as opposed to being smooth miniature like the old guys). He is smart, smart, smart, a clown, hard-headed (quelle suprise), and sweet, sweet, sweet. He loves playing in snow and napping in any bit of sunlight he can find. Although he is just figuring out he's bigger than the reds, and enjoys using Tas as a chew toy, he really is a fantastic pup. We've only had 'blood' 3 or 4 times (wow, I'm losing count, is this a good thing?) and Radar started them all. Here's a good pic of Gimli just before 10 months.
The first pic is at the breeder and 8 weeks old - the second is nearly 10 months...

and not to ignore the old guys...11 years old November 2006

They are still going strong - Tas is walking (albeit in a jig). He still needs help with his toilet, but he's GREAT and being the consummate hard-head. Radar is, we think becoming senile and even MORE obsessive-compulsive about toys (hence, the ball near him). They took to the new guy pretty well. Gimli loves napping with his 'old farts' - particularly Tas.

In March I was honored to make a wedding cake for Chad & Isabell - a bandsman and a fantastic girl he met here in Bamberg. (Ha! 'girl' she's working on the end of her master's thesis in, well, basically economics - she's too smart for me!) The cake was a compromise between American and German tastes. The 'normal' icing for us was WAYYYYY too sweet for the locals. So, I stabilized Cool Whip with some gel and clear vanilla flavoring. They were fantastic. Each tier alternated chocolate and white - and another family friend torted the single layer cakes and added a thin layer of tasty fillings and liquor (i.e., coffee icing, apricot, strawberry, I forget the rest).

Isa has turned out to be one of those "sister's Mom & Dad forgot to have" (there are 3 now). These Germans know how to throw a bash! It was great - music and speeches and food food food (all vegetarian I might add - the whole family is allergic to meat protein - I didn't know vegetarians had it so GOOD!). In fact, I think it's "Isa's fault" I have lost about 10 pounds - I start to prepare something (you know, meat, meat, and meat, and oh, look a vegetable) and think, "could Isa eat this?" and if not, I try to find ways to make it so she can. It's not that I don't like vegetables, I just like MEAT better... Bambi & Biscuits, best thing for breakfast! has long been one of my mottos!

University is going well. We all know how college goes - read, write, read, write, read, write, read, write, read, write, read, write - being a communications major online takes even more. Online university is perfection, wonderful, absolutely fabulous. Who could NOT like going to 'class' at any time of day, in your PJs with dogs surrounding you. I write better than I speak, so I have time to finagle my words into sane thoughts. I should finish in a couple of years (only 3-6 hours a term); I'm in my junior year. I expect to use my degree to teach communications in some manner - seminars, high school business classes, online.

This summer we are PCSing (permanent change of station) us to Seattle - well, technically Fort Lewis, Washington. I am quite excited about it as I've always wanted to see that part of the country. We gave the army 9 or so preferred assignments, they came back with two possible (El Paso or Seattle); Seattle came open first. Another benefit is we can reconnect with Kevin's brother and his new wife who've been there for a number of years.

Well, that's about it for now. I have successfully ignored a paper for about an hour now... my last one for this term! YAY!!! Gimli is waking up - which means 'puppy alert!' - from his early morning nap on the couch. I try to have PuppyCam up on YahooIM a good part of the week if you are interested. Hopefully I'll update more often than annually!

And recent pics of us - taken in the last two months.

Break Looms Within American Baptist Church - Yahoo! News

2006-04-29T23:06:00.000-08:00

A quote from the story: "homosexuality is incompatible with biblical teaching" - well, so is murder, lying, and gossip, but we keep them around.

This is not to say the Bible is not clear on it's teachings, it is; but where does, "love the sinner, hate the sin" come in? Other 'biggies' are condoned or forgiven, and a 'workin progress'

20 to 39

2005-10-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

So, while creating a title for this installment, I ask Kevin, "I'll be 39. right?" He says, "Yes, you will... oh, [not such a nice word]!" Whereupon, I replied, "I sure hope that wasn't an editorial on my age, but that it's October." Kev: "oh, no, no... it's less than three weeks away." Not such a good save, but true... and sweet.

I have thought for some time now - particularly since he's returned from Iraq - I'm too young to have a 40 year-old boyfriend (in December). I'm also too young to have been married 20+ years. I cannot believe for 7400 days minus about 900 from Korea, Iraq, various Army schools and a couple of recalcitrant months here and there = 6500 (give or take a few) days with this man... I'll take 6500 more. Please and THANK YOU!!!

If you haven't caught it, my 40-Eve is at the end of this month. I could care less how old I am ... come to think about it I never remember ... that's Kev's job! Bloom where you're planted and all that! I believe there is a temporal version of that... Bloom where and when you are planted.

So, in all these perambulations of the mind, I am successfully NOT thinking about school, papers, midterms, finals, and homework! The kitchen is clean, the laundry is clean (although NOT put away - a fair formidible mound of cloth!)

On Friday we go investigate a possible addition to the furkids. We'll see... really want to take home a 'real German dachshund' but don't want to make that the only choice just because we can. We are looking at a standard wirehair dachshund... there should be a picture if I loaded it correctly. Our guys are technically miniatures (a little bigger at 13 pounds). Standards grow to 25-30 pounds - so twice the size.

My schooling - okay, I'll think about it for a bit- I am VERY much enjoying sociolinguistics and grammatical rhetoric. GEEK that I am... loving it! The why's wherefore's and growth of language and linguistics ... IT'S SO COOL! (not that the preceding phrase was of ANY worth much at all!)

Dogs: for the most part, the Doggus Rottonus are great. The most exciting them for them (not including IF we bring home a pup this weekend) is that a hedgehog has been regularly visiting our backyard. Radar is SUCH a good boy... he finds HH... "woof" and at my/kev command leaves him alone. TAS on the other hand... BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK. Which translates as, "HEY HEY HEY HEY didyasee didyasee therewasathing HEY HEY HEY". Found this site with a picture of our nightly visitor. He's about the size of a softball. Kevin saw him bookin' it along the sidewalk on the other side of the building to what we think is his home.

Well, I've been meandering this as we watch RAYwith Jamie Foxx and I'm about out of ideas.

End of story: doin' good; innundated with school - not in a bad way at all; Kev & I are ... well, he's giving me my space for school and I think feeling neglected. I certainly don't remember me being as patient and wonderful as he is being when HE was going through school in the 80s... Kev & I are good... we will have another 7400+++ days together.

Thanks for listening!

A

FurKids

2005-09-28T00:49:00.000-08:00

or you can go to my husbands photoblog and see only a few of the hundreds of photos we have. This is his blog.

Tas (b/w photo) is 'technically' paralyzed in his hind end. He blew a disk May 21, 2003; was in a cart for about a year and a half; is walking 95% of the time now. He's never been in pain (except for in MY neck) - is hardheaded, wonderful, and spoiled rotten... just special needs.

10 Min on Tues.

2005-09-26T23:49:00.000-08:00

A quickie: that seems to be all I have time for these days. With a 10+ page research essay looming over my head due next week (well, the first draft), a rewrite of a large project, as well as other classwork... I'd rather be here!!

Our long weekend was great (Kevin had Monday off). Dogs enjoyed being canine couch potatoes with us. Continued to do homework (we need to find a catch phrase for that... how about SCHOOL. So now, I won't bore you with detailed monologues about schoolwork... I'll just put SCHOOL) Watched a couple of movies: Series of Unfortunate Events and... well, phooey, I completely forgot the name. I'll insert it here later.

I've forgotten how to post pics to the blog, but will soon. Kevin's blog is here (warning: wit alert - acidic and witty and not conservative!) and he has TONS of pictures here: (yes, he figured it out). There are pics from at least 10 years of us... including PUPPY PICS of real and actual puppies - as well as the 'old farts' they have become (not really, but one must keep them guessing). There are Welcome HOME!!! pics that early morning in February; a distinguished cat; Daisy Dogs (it'll make sense) and Kings; a boot garden; the blastkapelle (brassband); and a church about 700 years old. He managed to pic a couple with me in them too! :D Most, I have to say, are of the Doggus Rottonus. I'll see if he can put descriptions on them.

Must go research and write.
A

P.S. DUUUHHHH -- think I just figured out posting pics.... there should be one on this post. WILL NOT BECOME distracted by it... much.

The second 'begin'

2005-09-21T12:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, folks, going to attempt to keep y'all informed of my life through here rather than try to remember who/what I've written - I have that problem in my classes!

Currently, I'm taking 9 hours of online classes. This is the equivalent of 18-20 hours of 'normal' face-to-face university classes. The overlap is only about 5 weeks (I have four to go), but 3-7 chapters a week, reading the lecture, responding to it (class discussion), homework, and responding to "at least two other classmates" (of 30-40 classmates in each class) -- it's rather time consuming. I'm loving the classes: the 'old' one is Business Writing for Managers, the two new ones: Sociolinguistics, and Rhetorical Grammar.

Have yet to discuss: Kev, dogs, more dog(s), Germany, PCS (where we are moving), housecleaning, plants, herbs (not dad).

Okay, back to work! or bed... not sure which

Love to all...

Skyscrapers dim lights to save birds - Yahoo! News

2005-09-21T12:26:00.000-08:00

I understand the point... but it sounds awfully odd to turn OFF the lights to keep the birds from colliding with the buildings.

We’re not Afraid!

2005-07-17T02:39:00.000-08:00

Amazing how the world comes together on this internet thing!

DON'T take my picture!

2005-06-26T01:55:00.000-08:00

Can we be a LITTLE MORE Sensationalistic?

2005-06-24T07:54:00.000-08:00

Flu pandemic could kill half million in U.S.-report... I know it could be a problem... but REALLY now...
Flu pandemic could kill half million in U.S.-report - Yahoo! News

Right or Wrong...

2005-06-24T07:42:00.000-08:00

personally... it's a tough one... barren warehouses in a bad area and beautiful neighborhood are two different things... it's the latter that the city is wanting for a mall.

The Boys...

2005-06-13T14:11:00.000-08:00

Sex huts: how romantic - Yahoo! News

2005-06-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

this is just ... odd

Statue of Egyptian pharaoh found after nearly 3,600 years

2005-06-05T03:20:00.000-08:00

As a Stargate Fan extroidinaire -- TOO COOL...

ah, our legal system at work...

2005-05-09T05:34:00.000-08:00

mental_floss magazine - feel smart again

2005-04-15T06:13:00.000-08:00

of interest to many... how's your brain?

Yahoo! News - Size Matters in Ban on Sandwich Ad

2005-03-31T13:45:00.000-08:00

at what point do People not understand MINI?!?!?!?!

Yahoo! News - Sex-Deprived Wife Wins Divorce Case

2005-03-30T06:45:00.000-08:00

PICK your battles...

Yahoo! News - FREEZE! I JUST HAD MY NAILS DONE!

2005-03-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

some good points...

isn't there a pina colada song about this?

2005-02-07T10:54:00.000-08:00

Now THIS is tolerance...

2005-01-21T05:46:00.000-08:00

and diverse, I'd guess too ?!?

hmmm... encouraging tolerance

2005-01-21T05:44:00.000-08:00

is it such a bad thing. Until you accept someone, how can you begin a dialogue?

Sooo, taccurate

2005-01-20T06:47:00.000-08:00

COWS, CONSTITUTION AND TEN COMMANDMENTS

COWS
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing
that our government can track a cow born in Canada
almost three years ago, right to the stall where she
sleeps in the state of Washington. And they tracked
her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to
locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our
country. Maybe we should give them all a cow.

CONSTITUTION
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for
Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written
by a lot of really smart guys, it's worked for over
200 years and we're not using it anymore.

TEN COMMANDMENTS
The real reason that we can't have the Ten
Commandments in a Courthouse! You cannot post "Thou
Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery" and
"Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers,
judges and politicians! It creates a hostile work
environment!

um, but it IS a theory...

2005-01-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

and yet... there had to be a Memo?!?!

2004-12-31T09:18:00.000-08:00

School Bus Driver Fired Over Stem Cell Talk

2004-12-04T02:14:00.000-08:00

There is something wrong in this story... and it's not the stemcell conversation...maybe not even the termination... but it seems to me Big Brother is creeping more and more into our lives.

People just DON'T have enough to worry about...

2004-12-04T02:07:00.000-08:00

'Master/slave' Most Politically Incorrect Phrase...

Girl Bounced from School for Cartwheels

2004-11-13T01:48:00.000-08:00

I can understand encouraging her not to do it (since she has a lot of experienc), but to suspend her?!?!

Swarming Locusts: if You Can't Beat Them, Eat Them

2004-11-09T05:31:00.000-08:00

I know it's protein, but EEWWWWWW

Unbelievable... F16 Jet

2004-11-06T00:13:00.000-08:00

Why do I see in this scenario a sling and the pilot in it?

Postal Experts Hunt for Missing Ballots in Florida

2004-10-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

Um, I know this is not a contradiction in terms. I have known MANY normal, good, hard-working postal employees... BUT.... isn't "Postal Experts" kind of like "military intelligence" these days? If the Post Office lost them, shouldn't someone else be looking?

Christians shaken by new attacks

2004-10-18T13:40:00.000-08:00

Wow...

My love, my life, my soul, my breath,...... my 42

2004-10-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

The Begin...

2004-10-01T01:56:00.000-08:00

As stated in The Sound of Music -- begin at the very beginning...