Roscoe and Spur and Bim!!: I feel like a complainer

I complain and complain about my technology. I complain about not having enough time in the day. I complain about menopause. I complain about my sister posting endless photos of FOOD from her trip to Portugal. Really?
Why do people like to do that? Post their plates/tables/meals on facebook? I don't think food really looks that good in photos unless you are a professional photographer and can really make it look NICE. It usually looks like globs of guck to me from the layman photos. I just don't get it. I complained. I complained and my mother called me pissy and posted she wanted to see all the food. Me? I am sick of the food, she is in Portugal! I want to see scenery and horses and people. Sure, she posted photos of marble and buildings. OK, I think those are all cool and everything, but mostly they just come out as grey stone. The weather must be a little grey and cloudy, so the marble and buildings end up washed out and little definition. FINALLY, she posted some horse photos. I mean, really, that was the reason they went! A gift to her youngest who is a horse fanatic. Thank goodness no more food photos!!! I even asked the question....."are you doing anything other than eating???". Yes, I was pissy. You are in PORTUGAL!!!! I can look in a magazine about food to see food photos!! I want to see PORTUGAL!

So, I felt pissy again this weekend. I decided to do a local (one hour away) CPE trial. Rich calls it the "loser" agility. I didn't put that word in his mind, he came up with it when he watched my runs one year, many years ago, in a CPE trial. He said, "huh, the courses are really simple"?? Yes, they are, that is CPE, very simple courses. I find it sometimes annoying they are so simple. Like up one side, down the other. Yep, like 14 obstacles and you're done. But, sometimes a good venue for a dog like Spur because it is so simple. And this one was on dirt, so we decided to do it since I signed up for the big AKC trial in Springfield coming up. On dirt, four rings, biggest AKC trial in the country. It is a fun trial except it is in Springfield. And, well, on dirt. The dirt is GREAT for the dogs, but it does produce some dust and make everything dirty. I haven't really liked it in the past, but hey, Spur seems to like running on something other than rubber, so this year I decided to go and give it a try. We haven't been trialing as much as last year, so what the heck, give it a go. Well, this past weekend's CPE trial was kind of a warm up for that. He seemed to enjoy it. We haven't run on dirt in years. It is HARD for us humans!!! But, Spur seemed to like it. Took some adjusting, he has been badly stutter stepping on rubber lately after knocking a few bars, probably from slipping. He is such a worrier. No slipping on the dirt, but he did have to adjust some.

OK, so what is my beef about that trial??? Well, CPE people bitch and moan about how HARD AKC and USDAA trials are, courses are way too complicated, too many rules and bitchy people. Hmmmm, well, I can not remember a trial where they were more uptight about rules, the judge's briefing was full of what not to do's, she sounded like she was reprimanding a class of fifth graders. And her courses had many sections where the distances between obstacles and the approaches to contacts were HORRIBLE. Talk about complicated. No, not tight twisty lines, but damn bad approaches to obstacles. And so many straight lines that people could not possibly do with a some what fast dog. I saw more dogs pull off obstacles because the handler wasn't running. I mean seriously some of them barely broke a jog. WHAT? This is an agility "run". You RUN people!!!! I had a woman complain to me about her dog being distracted and not paying attention. Huh, well, when you barely jog around a course and are SO late with your cues, why would the dog pay attention!!!! LOL!!! Fucking RUN the course and the dog might start paying attention!!! These people did not look injured or old or sick. RUN people!!! It is called agility and it your "run" with your dog! RUN!!!!

OK, enough of that. Now for some videos. Been training Tess for Sharon while she recovers from some minor surgeries. We are doing Silvia's foundation class and it is very fun. She is a curious and fun little dog. She has some worries, doesn't totally understand it is all about being fast and tight, but she is learning and she sure has the ability! We just need to figure out how to make her understand exactly what it is all about. She is coming along nicely!!!