I am awake late due to a pretty bad stomach virus so I thought I would throw out some quick hits:
Mike Huckabee has added a new news radio show to his media makeover. His show will be a brief take on the news starting Jan. 5th. I think it will be more long the lines of Paul Harvey than Rush Limbaugh.
The Romney people are still bitter about Huckabee and taking cheap shots at him..check out political blog comments to see what I mean. I have one thing to say to them….”Wahhhh!” Romney is a wash but Huck is here for a while.
Is it just me, or does it seem obvious that other Republican leaders are visibly jealous of Sarah Palin’s popularity?
The RNC filed a lawsuit today to have McCain-Feingold declared unconstitutional. How poetically ironic.
Hillary Clinton is rumored to be on the short list for President-elect Obama’s Secretary of State. Bring back the royal food tasters, she’d be third in line for the presidency.
A Catholic Priest in South Carolina informed parishioners that if they supported Barrack Obama they needed to do penance before they could take communion because of his gross anti-life stance.
The Steelers are having a pretty good season considering the amount of injuries they have sustained. Most teams would have losing records right now, not be at the top of their divisions given they way they have been beat up.
What’s the deal with fining Steeler players for legal hits and only explaining they are hitting too hard? It is football, right?
I found the three freebies from the new SG album (T4G Live) completely underwhelming. It might be nice for people who did not grow up in a mainstream church, but it did not feature new arrangements, new lyrics, or even exceptional talent. It’s just a bunch of guys singing hymns that are available on other albums with better arrangements, so what’s the point? The only plus is that Bob always sounds good, but he is hard to hear most of the time.
I still have the best dog in the world, who has been very patient with a sick owner for the last three days.
I had my share of visitors this weekend. First Chuck, Bethany, William and Elisabeth joined me Saturday and then my cousin Shelly and her daughter Casey joined us. It was a fun busy weekend.
Buddy has been in withdrawal from all of the attention he received. It should be noted, however, that no attention from his out of town friends exceeded what he received from our own canine aficionado, Iva Mae.
You may have seen the commercial for the “Peticure” or it’s knock-off “Pedipaws“.
After going through several clippers on my dog, usually the blade(s) ruined after only one or two uses, I decided to check around the web for reviews of the product I had seen on the commercial, “Pedipaws”. Both Pedipaws and the Peticure promote filing down animal nails as opposed to trimming them. Trimming is difficult with dark nailed dogs because you cannot see the quick. I have yet to meet an owner of a dog with dark nails that has not hit the quick and thus turned nail trimming into torture for the pet and the owner. Trimming also leads to cracked and even broken nails. The only alternative is to take the dog to a groomer or vet, which adds up in cost quickly. I first researched Pedipaws, because it was nearly half the price. Pedipaws seemed to get consistently bad reviews from owners with comments about the item being cheap and breaking easily. After reading those reviews, I narrowed my choices down to a traditional Dremel tool or the Peticure. I chose the Peticure and placed my order.
Ordering and Shipping
Because the company who makes Peticure is small and the product is in demand, I had to wait several weeks for the product. I was advised that it would take 4-6 weeks for delivery. Truthfully, I didn’t count, but it was somewhere in that ballpark. I was not charged for the product until it shipped.
Introducing the Peticure
The Peticure website recommended a slow introduction period for the Peticure before a full grooming session. I found that Buddy was not intimidated by it remotely. This may be a result of giving him pieces of smoked pulled pork as a reward during the introduction period. The company website included an excellent instructional video for introducing the product, as well as other very good instructional videos concerning using the product.
Grooming with the Peticure
I am amazed at how easy it is to use the Peticure and what a difference it has already made. Based on the videos, I thought it might take a few weeks to notice a difference, but after this morning’s session, I already noticed a difference (3rd time with the Peticure). There was noticeably less of the “clicking” sound that Buddy’s nails make against the hardwood flooring. He even fell asleep while I was doing grooming his nails this morning. He used to run and cower when I pulled out the clippers. It will take some time, but the quick will continue to recede and soon he will have beautiful, healthy nails that will no longer crack or break and my floors will be safe.
Warning - this post is a bit of a ramble and most will not likely be interested in it.
It has been a rough couple of weeks for the best dog in the world. He came down with a nasty case of ear mites. They really bothered his big, soft, floppy ears. They went away quickly after treating him with Frontline, but the mites tend to cause yeast infections in dogs with long, floppy ears, marked by ear sensitivity (not fingernail sensitivity) and a rank smell emanating from the ears. Not wanting to spend $100 on a trip to the vet, I did a little googling and my suspicions were correct, a vinegar rinse would do the trick. It only took one vingegar treatment and a second bath in 2 weeks for Buddy to return to his normal sweet-smelling (actually chamomile and lavender thanks to J & J)self.
He has not been thrilled with the ear treatments, Frontline, or baths so I am not his favorite person right now. I have given up trimming his nails for a week or so just to give him a chance to recover from the trauma. Nail trimming brings its own set of trauma for the poor pooch. I have however, after reading almost all positive review, ordered the “Peticure” in hopes of reducing the nail care drama that comes with owning a dog with black nails (hard to see the quick). The tool is basically a Dremel with an attachment for the dog’s nail. Professional groomers have used Dremels on dog’s nails for year. I will let you know how it all works out. It seems a little silly, but if you have ever trimmed a dog’s nails and hit the quick, you know how difficult it is to care for a dog’s nails.
I split the holiday weekend between the ‘Burgh and the “mistake on the lake”, enjoying the kids. I think it is fair to say that we had a blast. The kids both really like Buddy, so it was fun to watch them interact with him. William had the special treat of riding back to Cleveland (along with mommy and Elisabeth) in Auntie Jenn’s car, which allows him to see out the window better than his own car.
Elisabeth is getting pretty fast at crawling and her fussy temperament seems to have given way to a brighter, cheerier disposition.
William discovered his kazoo this weekend and it was fun to listen to him play it. I think he thought it was fun that he could do the same thing I could (playing the kazoo). He did a fair share of “talking”, making lots of sounds and frequently spoke the regular words in his vocabulary.
William loves Buddy’s tail - I think it is a texture thing. He also seemed to like to give Buddy hugs.
I think I might almost be over round 2 of bronchitis - I think the Vicks on the feet might actually help (who knows why?) Buddy actually seems a bit afraid of the coughing fits and tends to flee once they commence.
The Dems meet tomorrow to decide the fate of the Michigan and Florida delegates - get ready for a circus of spin.
Wii Fit is awesome - I haven’t been able to use it much due to illness.
Cranes keep collapsing in Manhattan, whi9ch is where my brother works - makes me nervous every time.
Google previewed Android and to be honest - it looked pretty lame. Verizon Wireless has snubbed Android in favor of LiMo.
The iPhone 2 is about to be released for 3G just as most other carriers are beginning the move to 4g (LTE).
One can’t help wonder if Scotty McClellan is broke.
The blog has been silent, but I have not. Actually, I have been busy hacking up a lung with a hard case of bronchitis. I think I am finally on the mend.
A few things I would have blogged about over the last week:
The Pens are about the sweep the Philthadelphia Flyers - YEAH!
The French should invade Myanmar to administrate relief aid - this junta is ridiculous and people are desperate need of help. Since Burma was formerly French occupied it makes since for the French to do it.
Does the major earthquake in China raise new questions about the Beijing Olympics?
Blackberry has announced what will be a sweet looking touch screen for all of you Crackberries out there.
I dropped my Treo for what could be estimated as the one thousandth time this week and although the phone quality still stinks, the device still works.
I still have the best dog in the world, who’s highlight was when Jill walked in the door this week to take him for a walk. He has been very accommodating to my extra sleeping and even a little concered at my coughing fits.
I have caught up on the Masterpiece Theater Series Cranford (Elizabeth Gaskell) and I love it.
My favorite Drudge headline of the week identified Hillary as a “Mountain Mamma”.
Two of God’s many kindnesses include modern medicine and Grandma’s old trick of putting ice of inflamed bronchi.
Lastly, this photo has new meaning for Chuck, Bethenny, William, & Elisabeth (at least for 6 months)
I did manage to read one entire article on the election this week and it was by Peggy Nonnan, who is perhaps, my favorite commentator. It is such a shame that her treasure trove of whit is tucked away in the Wall street Journal where she enjoys such a limited, but appreciative audience. Here is an excerpt:
He’s got this thing. And the Democratic Party, after this long and brutal slog, should be dancing in the streets. Party elders should be coming out on the balcony in full array, in full regalia, and telling the crowd, “Habemus nominatum”: “We have a nominee.” And the crowd below should be cheering, “Viva Obamus! Viva nominatum!”
To most people, the picture above looks like an ordinary Diet Cherry Coke spill, but to those who know Buddy, you realize this is merely symptomatic of a dangerous condition: Restless Tail Syndrome.
Buddy has an unusual strong tail with a high wags per minute rate and this can result in property damage and injury. Please use caution when near Buddy’s tail.
