Ho hum

Well, things are back on track with everything at the moment - I got back to the gym to do some practical stuff - 15 hours left... I am taking off a week in a couple of weeks so my goal is to complete my 15 hours in that week, as well as get the front garden finished.

My new goals for this quarter so far are:
By end Feb: have completed my practical component of my course
By mid March: have completed my Senior First Aid & my video assessment
by end March: be fully qualified
by end March: have dropped 4-5 kilos of blubbery stuff that has weasled its way back on to my body via all sorts of ways, not the least of which is not being in a position to exercise as intensely as I could pre staffy & puppy - and due to my stubbornness in reducing my food intake - what can i say, I do enjoy my food (and red wine).\
by end March: have helped my sister and her partner trim themselves down by about 10-15kilos
I will then assess, and set new goals for the second quarter, which will no doubt involve getting my website up and running, and business off the ground on a small one on one basis!


Puppy update for Sue (and yes, when I get these darn photos off my phone properly I'll upload some more!)
Jemima is....
a/ the naughtiest puppy that I have EVER had in my possession
b/ the most beautiful puppy that I have EVER had in my possession
c/ the most expensive puppy that I have EVER had in my possession

...is there a link there?

actually, I can't say she's the most beautiful, although she is a stunner - but all my dogs have been beautiful in their own ways.

This puppy seems to think that she belongs on the lounge...I am sure she's being spoken to 'from above' by the ghost of hounds past...go on, enjoy the lounge, ... be at one with the lounge...you belong there.... it is your birthright.... you are ridgeback, therefore you are lounge hound... you get my drift.

Some background: When dear husband and I first moved in together, we had this lounge that he had bought with his old flatmate when they first when flatting. So, we sort of inherited it, it was a big, comfy, sort of a vortex type lounge that sucked you in and reluctantly allowed you to prise yourself from it's comfort in the end... it looked good, was still pretty new. Then we got Darby..he who was scared witless of thunderstorms, oh...and Suki...she who was just naughty (well, to start anyhow).
I remember leaving them alone, able to access the inside of the house, confined to the back room (or so I thought), but able to go in / out at their pleasure. I left them overnight after dinner and came back in the morning... to discover they'd both gotten in to the lounge, Suki had attempted to eat one of the lounge back rest cushions, and had obviously had great enjoyment in doing some indoor gardening - she felt that the house plants were in the wrong spot and would be best enjoyed more around the lounge room itself. But I digress.
Many thunderstorms later, and the poor lounge (despite much patching up) had been dug at and had all manner of ridgeback terror thrown at it. Darby's fear of storms was such that, he couldn't be left outside, or even indoor with a door open, or he would somehow escape the property and head to the bush. The only way he coped was to be left in the house. No matter how hard we tried to confine him to certain spots, he'd find /break his way into the lounge and start digging his way to China via the lounge. Anyhow, we thought, well, when the old dibster passes we'll splash out and get a new lounge. The old bugger was seriously the oldest ridgeback in history. He lived to 17 years of age. Anyhow, 2 years ago, we bought a new lounge.

Enter Jemima. Now, we are determined that there is a 'no dog on the lounge' policy. She, however, has other ideas. The other night, dear husband decided, in the rain, that he would go and wash his car (saving water) - as Jemima was safely snoozing on her mat in the lounge. I was doing the dishes in the kitchen. After a little while I heard these cute little puppy dreaming noises and popped my head out to 'coo' and 'gaaa' at her... only to find the little (well, now 14kg) puppy nicely snuggled on the lounge.
Now, I must admit, I'm not the hardest touch in the world, but... I just don't want to lose another lounge so soon.. so I had to swallow my giggle and put her sternly on to her mat. I then went out to the verandah to tell the other half about where she was. I came back in to find her BACK on the lounge (eyes firmly squeezed shut). So I removed her yet again.

Well, last night, she was being just a little naughty - usually 5-8pm is 'bewitching' time and all hell breaks loose - she is a total terror, just looking for anything she can pounce on or play with. I'd told her off for trying to get the teatowel yet again and she looked at me and woofed cheekily and raced into the lounge and leapt all over it and then just hunkered herself down as if to say "you won't get me off without a fight", anyhow, I did.... then she leapt back on there again! Just fully of cheekiness. And again, I have to hold back the laughter and be stern because aside from being just a bit naughty it is bloody hilarious - talk about attitude!

Anyhow, after dinner she was just the most divine being - curled up inside my legs with her head on my thigh just staring up at me with those beautiful eyes as I stroked her and told her how nice it was to have her being so lovely just for once...!

Then she was like it again this morning (after a small bout of biteyness)... I could really get used to her being all gorgeous and cuddly.