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I’m thankful I have a job; the unemployment rate in Oregon was above 9% and climbing in December. The papers should be releasing the latest dismal news in the state of our economy this coming week once the bleak January stats are tallied.

However, work has been nearly painful lately. Morale is low right now and people are mildly crabby and less cooperative due to the general country-wide financial outlook. This week they announced that a mandatory day off per pay period would continue through February. *sigh* Meanwhile, more work is mounting and management keeps pressing and stress levels keep going up. We all understand how important it is to get as much done daily as we can, but when expectations exceed realistic (read the “We just need to figure out how to get it done.” line), it is hard to be optomistic about the work piling up. Ahhh, well, read the first line, right? Yep, that’s right.

This coming week Jasmine and I’ll be working in packaging…the positive outlook in me is happy to be able to wear jeans and comfy shoes, and the realistic negative is wondering how in the hell we aren’t going to fall massively behind when between two people we’re only putting in 16 hours of graphics department time (normal = 80 hours).

Hurry, President Obama & Washington D.C.! We need your help!

Aha! Caught. My new hobby has been taking over my blog lately. Nay, it’s taking over my world…I had dreams about Bennet (a boxer mix, not another man – and shhh, don’t tell my Handsome!). Not that I would EVER EVER get a replacement for George! NOT EVER EVER EVER. Actually, when I come home I spend extra time with him because I feel a little guilty.

Right, so I already broke my post name promise. None from now on. This week in work has started off much better than the last two have been. No mechanical failure, no immediate deadlines, etc. Today went uber-fast even though I was stuck doing SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) most of the day.

My dad made it back from Mexico safe and sound. And get this: he sends me an email talking about how great the painting looks in the living room. No “I’m back from Mexico.” No “Made it safely.” Just “I love the painting.” That’s my dad for you.

UPDATE: It was so fun to actually walk the dogs instead of just being a tease. The precipitation stopped and it was a little chilly but great to spend time with the dogs.

Of course, the day I get to train for walking the dogs outside is the day we’ve got a rain/snow mix.

Hat? Check.

Gloves? Check.

Parka? Check.

Hot Chocolate? Check.

I had a crazy experience at WHS today – well, yesterday now (Saturday). I was in a kennel socializing with Braxton (golden lab mix), one of my favorite dogs. Bennet, a Boxer mix, trots up to Braxon’s kennel and the two of them start barking and jumping on either side of the kennel door. I backed away from them in case things escalated out of control, and yelled “Loose dog!” expecting someone (ideally, the one who accidentally loosed him) to come running.

No one did.

More dogs started barking. It was like a prison when something’s up – everyone goes nuts. It’s loud. I yell “Hello?” “Hello? Anyone?” and I can barely hear myself over the din of 5+ big dogs barking.

I wait. Nothing. “Hello? Anyone?” Much more barking. No humans. I’m not really sure what to do at this point. My only idea is to climb up and over the 8-9 foot kennel into the empty adjacent one, exit, and return Bennet to his kennel. (The kennel is about 5 feet of cinder block, with a metal fence the next 3-4 feet.)

I make it up to the top of the kennel. Yell again. No response. So I carry out my plan, and it works beautifully. Once I come out, leash in hand, Bennet looks at me with a knowing “I’m not supposed to be here and I know I’m in trouble” look. He was relatively easy to harness and return to his kennel, and by the time I get him back to his kennel, the head of the dog department comes in. We can barely hear each other, but we realize that Bennet’s kennel was padlocked incorrectly and the latch was never fully locked, so all he had to do was push at the door and it popped open.

When we finally kennel him and leave the dog area, I relate the story to her and she’s totally blown away that I managed such a feat. *beams a little*

I totally saved the day.

I haven’t been able to blog about Inauguration Day, or how damn excited I am for President Obama to take office.

I got to work at 6am and immediately logged into the CNN Live/Facebook combo to watch the events unfold. By the time the actual swearing in took place (9am PST), I was giddy with anticipation and elation. After his speech, I was having kittens.

Some of my favorite quotes included:

• “…your people will judge you by what you can build, not what you destroy.”
• “They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions, greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.”
• “…we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.”
• “…we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect.  For the world has changed, and we must change with it.”

It is so refreshing to have an intelligent President, one who shares and embodies many of the same beliefs, morals, and ethics I do. If he accomplishes half of what he intends to, this country and this world will be a better place.

*phew*

The last week has just blown by.

Sunday football.

I worked ten-hour shifts this week (6-4:30, M-Th).

Monday after work I went directly to my shift at WIllamette Humane Society (WHS).

Tuesday was Inauguration Day and we had a big celebration after work.

Wednesday a slight reprieve, but Georgie needed a bath and I squeaked in a load of laundry.

Thursday I had dinner in Portland with my girls.

Today no work, but I took down the Christmas lights outside, organized the tool area in the garage, am still working on laundry, and other various tasks, including looking into refinancing our mortgage to consolidate home improvement debt and student loans. Also perhaps recycling cans & bottles, and dropping off old goods at Goodwill.

Tomorrow 3:30-6 WHS shift, weeding outside (if it’s nice), the above-mentioned items if I get lazy, and webwork.

Sunday 1pm training at WHS for acutal dog walking.

In Between: RELAX some!

I completed phase 1 and 2 of the OpenPaw training at WHS today. You wouldn’t think dog walking would need that much instruction, but really we are dog trainers, working with them physically and mentally to foster adoptable qualities. We strive for consistency in instruction as the dogs have only a few seconds to win the hearts of potential families, and we want them to put their best paw forward.

So, we use reward training to teach the dogs proper behavior. When they’re acting out, we ignore them or back away from their kennel, and when they act appropriately we reward them with a small treat. (The dogs are completely hand-fed or fed with a foodie chew toy; no bowls except for water.) The shyer dogs are encouraged to interact with humans through positive reinforcement and treats as well. When entering/exiting the kennels and interacting while inside, we also teach the dogs that jumping, barking, and mouthing are inappropriate behavior. If need be, we remove ourselves from the dog and then try again (and again and again!) until they learn that our attention is a reward for good behavior. Some breeds are more or less predisposed to over-excitement, but with constant and consistent behavior modification, we generally see a big change in the overall behavior within a week or so.

Some neat tips I learned from my first day:

• “No” is too general. Use terms that specify what you want – i.e. “Off!” or “Leave it.”
• Do not repeat yourself 500 times in different tones of voice. The dog heard you the first time and either chose to ignore your command or does not understand your command.
• Baked hot dogs make excellent soft jerky treats. Buy cheap hot dogs, slice them into thin slices, and bake them on a cookie pan at 250 degrees for 1 hour. They are soft and chewy and have a smell that will get the dogs’ attention.
• Turning your side to the dog shows a timid dog that you’re not aggressive, and shows unruly dogs that you’re not paying attention to them. And, in the event that the dog jumps up at you, your side and back can take a lot more punishment than your front.

Next Sunday I complete phase 3 and graduate to a green name tag…colors specify which responsibilities each volunteer is qualified to handle. This will mean I’m qualified to take the dogs out for a short walk to use the bathroom and get a little bit of exercise and fresh air.

Congratulations to my cousin, Nicole, who gave birth to Sofia Grace early in the morning on January 12, 2009! (Both mom and daughter are doing fine.)

What a weekend! Go Arizona!!!! Go Philly!!!! Go Baltimore!!!! I love all these outcomes. And right this minute, go Pittsburgh!!!

Really, are the Cardinals hosting an NFL Championship game? Did hell freeze over?

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” – A wise person

One of my goals for 2009 is community participation for the greater good. I’d really like to be a “big sister” and mentor a child, or tutor, or help immigrant families adjust to and understand American culture. But my life is very random and I am afraid to agree to a commitment I can’t keep. I also don’t want to over-commit myself and then get cold feet. So I found an opportunity that allows me to start with 2 hours per week and work into more if I’m interested, and I won’t be disappointing people if it just doesn’t work out.

I’m a Willamette Humane Society volunteer – a dog handler! After successive training sessions, I’ll be exercising and socializing with adoptable dogs by taking them on walks. My first training is Saturday, January 19. After that I’ll be volunteering Saturdays from 4-6 working with the dogs and training them to be well-behaved and friendly.