Keeping up appearances.......

Honey_Bear

Dolphin1 wrote: »

OH and I are on holiday for a week after today so although I will try and be good, I cannot guarantee that I will be sticking to my targets so I will not be doing daily updates until the week after next. I will try and keep up with the thread when I can but we are heading to a remote cottage without internet access for a few days of our holiday so it might not be often.

Bring on the wine (and the odd slice of cake) :j!

Happy holidays, Dolphin! I don't think targets are valid on holiday, are they?

HappyNow wrote: »

This time next week I will be sat in a beautiful open-air Spanish bar, dressed in my summer finery, nibbling olives and sipping sangria from Mr H's left shoe. Actually I will be fast asleep recovering from the 7 am flight. And not the shoe bit.

Love it! You'd get a fair amount into his workboots too, so I would, if I were you. He, on the other hand, wouldn't be doing particularly well quaffing beer from your sling backs, so you'd have the better deal.

I love how our dogs are such quick learners with the stuff they love, but just cannot master the more mundane stuff like 'sit' outdoors .

I've had this before with other dogs; they 'Sit' just fine in the house but have absolutely no idea what it means outside. Just to make matters even more complicated, this one seems to think 'Sit' in the house actually means lie down, roll over, wave all four legs in the air and generally collect as many strokes and tickles as possible.

I've discovered that when he sits up, looks me in the eye, gradually gets more and more wound up and finally resorts to barking (not allowed, can't stand being barked at) he really, really needs to 'go.' It isn't him being naughty, trying to attract attention just for the sake of it, or just generally seeing if he can get something from me. So, although he mightn't understand Sit, he does know how to communicate and it's my own fault if I don't 'listen' to him. Five weeks it took for me to learn that. I'm not entirely sure who's training who, here but it seems to be working.

We asked the medical students who live diagonally opposite to dog-sit for us last night rather than leave him on his own when we went out. (The regular dog-walking neighbour wasn't available.) All three of them turned up! He was perfectly happy with them, never having me them before - they even saw the 'Happy Kelpie' behaviour so I know he was fine! Sadly they're moving out at the end of the academic year to be closer to the teaching hospital, as opposed to the medical school, but they've all said they'd be happy to come back into the city and dog sit any time we want. They're exceptionally quiet students and delightful people. (Their landlord is very picky about who he takes and knows we'd be on to him straight away if there were even a hint of a problem.)

I'm not sure how long it will have to be before he's capable of coping with only the cat for company but I don't think we're quite there yet, and the crate training has had to be suspended because over the next few weeks while random lodgers are sleeping on the futon in my office. I can't be bothered with setting the crate up and dismantling it every time, so he's off the hook on that one.

Honey_Bear

1. Computer off before 8.00pm. Tick.
2. Stuck to two real coffees but resorted to two instants later. Tick.
3. No baking done. Tick.
4. Lights out at ... 1.30am. Epic Fail.
5. I've made him a 5m long line which I can clip on to the 3m flexi-lead so he now gets a huge amount of freedom once we're safely on The Hoe. His recall isn't perfect but the clicker works now even without the offer of chicken. I'm really pleased with the progress this week.

I didn't post any fun targets for June, mainly because OH has kept the handmade chox stocks replenished, we have pizza every Saturday night (yay! today's Saturday!) and most Fridays, fish and chips. I feel a bit guilty now, realising that other people don't do those things every week.

HappyNow

Alchemilla wrote: »

You will have nails for your holiday!

Eight maybe. I'm really struggling with my thumbs and the skin around them. I have really yummy thumbs.

Honey_Bear wrote: »

I'm not entirely sure who's training who
It doesn't really matter, does it, as long as you're both happy with the outcome?
Sadly they're moving out at the end of the academic year to be closer to the teaching hospital, as opposed to the medical school, but they've all said they'd be happy to come back into the city and dog sit any time we want. They're exceptionally quiet students and delightful people.
They sound great. Three years ago Miss H shared a house with three other students in a lovely residential part of the town. One of their parents bought the house (their daughter was a medical student so would be living there years), and while the purchase was going through the neighbours actually started a petition asking the previous house-owner not to sell it for student use! Part of me understands why they were worried, but it was as if they'd forgotten that students are only young people and generally nothing to fear as a group! They quickly made friends and, like you, both parties were sad when it was time for some of them to move on
.

Honey_Bear wrote: »

1. Lights out at ... 1.30am. Epic Fail. Good job I didn't bother with a sleep target this month - it's 3:30 am :cool:
2. I've made him a 5m long line which I can clip on to the 3m flexi-lead so he now gets a huge amount of freedom once we're safely on The Hoe. His recall isn't perfect but the clicker works now even without the offer of chicken. I'm really pleased with the progress this week. Long lines are great aren't they? That bit of extra confidence for you, and extra freedom for him while he improves his recall. Our dog always had one when she was a puppy in strange places - something for us to step on when she was getting on other dogs' nerves!

I didn't post any fun targets for June, mainly because OH has kept the handmade chox stocks replenished, we have pizza every Saturday night (yay! today's Saturday!) and most Fridays, fish and chips. I feel a bit guilty now, realising that other people don't do those things every week.

Sounds like perfectly normal behaviour to me

HappyNow

6th June

• Two fun things today. A trip into town with Mr H to pick up his new glasses which was full of giggles, and a glass of wine with a bowl of raspberry trifle - the two go together better than you'd think
• Money The glasses were £34.50 (it's never worth buying expensive glasses for Mr H. He will have lost or stood on them in no time). A few essential toiletries for £4. £83 on horse feed so they're stocked up for while we're away. Horses should NOT need that level of feed in June! It should be mainly grass, but one of ours is prone to laminitis so has to be stabled at night to keep him off the grass. His pal is very old and thin so she has to eat huuuge amounts just to keep her bones from sticking out!
• Make-up off/face cream on Done
• Nail biting It's an engrained habit. Can't leave my thumbs alone
• Kindling Not done, but Mr H has been training me on Podcasts so I'm going to look into that too

Alchemilla

Have you tried antibacterial handwash on your thumbs? Tastes disgusting.

Honey_Bear

HappyNow wrote: »

6th June

• Two fun things today. A trip into town with Mr H to pick up his new glasses which was full of giggles, and a glass of wine with a bowl of raspberry trifle - the two go together better than you'd think

Maltezers and wine. Handmade chocolates and wine. Cheese and wine. I could go on and on and on and on and on. I used to really love those indulgent sessions.

• Money The glasses were £34.50 (it's never worth buying expensive glasses for Mr H. He will have lost or stood on them in no time).

OH whinged endlessly for years about how frustrating he found reading anything because 'the print size is so small everywhere now.' Yeah, right. My bins are so powerful (carp eyes but they work so I'm not complaining) that if anyone else puts them on they get seasick so it took a long time for him to realise he actually needed glasses. The most he's ever paid is £12 and considers that the ones I find for him at £3.99 are the best!

• Nail biting It's an engrained habit. Can't leave my thumbs alone

You've got until the end of the month so don't beat yourself up. 8 out of 10 is progress.

• Kindling Not done, but Mr H has been training me on Podcasts so I'm going to look into that too

There was a series promoted on Radio 4 called Serial a few weeks ago, broadcast on Radio 4 Extra that was absolutely amazing. It mightn' be everyone's choice of subject but it turned me to on to This American Life which I keep meaning to investigate if you're interested in podcasts.

Honey_Bear

1. Computer off well before 8.00pm. Tick. Every night when I trot up to bed I'm tempted to turn it back on again so this addicition to the small screen is still there.
2. Couldn't resist a third coffee late morning which I excused by telling myself it is the weekend. This addiction is going to be a bu**er to crack.
3. No baking done. Tick.
4. Lights out at ... 12.30 am. Fail, but it is the weekend (see 2 above) and it was the Barnum pair's last night so a little chatting after 1864 was in order. It's been a lovely fortnight with them.
5. The order Kelpie needs to have things done in the evening is going to have to change. He just won't settle after his long walk and main meal, so something's missing as far as he's concerned and he gets wound up every evening. We're going to start tackling that tonight to see if a small change makes a big difference. Fingers crossed.

Honey_Bear

I can't requote your quotey bits but the whole student housing thing is a real hot potato in Plymouth. Since the Uni expanded massively, the areas where large numbers of them live has expanded across the city and initially I have to admit I was really worried. There's an area called Mutley Plain that has hundreds and hundreds of small cottagey type terraced houses that has been 'student land' for decades and the local community feels very beleaguered if the letters to the local paper are to be believed.

We were very worried about that happening on the Hoe, if I'm honest. Two hotels have been converted into student accommodation and quite a number of bed and breakfasts seem to have gone that way too. Then a post-war landmark building was demolished and a large purpose-built student accommodation was put in it's place, for 400 students which I thought was a retrograde step. However, I've had to eat my words. There's been no increase in drunken shrieking (Plymouth has it's fair share of that behaviour regardless of whether it's term time or not) and walking this dog around the Hoe several times a day, much further and more frequently than my previous dogs have ever needed) what's been lovely since the weather improved is seeing so many young people making use of the Hoe - playing football, tossing frisbees, playing music, rehearsing performances, skateboarding, roller-skating, having picnics etc etc. It has a fantastic vibe and I love it.

We live in a group of eight houses on the edge of it, and when the windows are open the noise made in one house echoes back and forth - I can hear saucepan lids clanging and chatting going on, so you can imagine what would happen if someone played music. That was the thing that worried us and I think is what worries most people.

It really is down to the landlords and we're really lucky that the owner of that house appreciates how hard we work on the communal areas which in turn is what makes his letting accommodation an even more attractive proposititon - this is a little piece of paradise smack in the city centre, and a really well-kept secret. Most mornings we wake up to the sound of the odd car going past and a cocophony of birdsong - largely because we've been attracting blackbirds and goldfinches by feeding them.

I've heard a rumour that he's sold it recently to a family which is great for the house but those groups of students have taught me to be a bit more tolerant. No bad thing!

HappyNow

Honey_Bear wrote: »

1. Computer off well before 8.00pm. Tick. Every night when I trot up to bed I'm tempted to turn it back on again so this addicition to the small screen is still there. I developed a physical twitch last week when our internet was down.
2. Couldn't resist a third coffee late morning which I excused by telling myself it is the weekend. This addiction is going to be a bu**er to crack.
3. No baking done. Tick.
4. Lights out at ... 12.30 am. Fail, but it is the weekend (see 2 above) and it was the Barnum pair's last night so a little chatting after 1864 was in order. It's been a lovely fortnight with them.
5. The order Kelpie needs to have things done in the evening is going to have to change. He just won't settle after his long walk and main meal, so something's missing as far as he's concerned and he gets wound up every evening. We're going to start tackling that tonight to see if a small change makes a big difference. Fingers crossed. He's done a poo? Assuming that's not the problem, maybe you could consider the HappyDog's favourite, which is 'Bone O'clock'? Around 9 pm, after final walks, we tell her it's Bone O'clock and she runs to the treat cupboard, where she's given a chew/bone/rawhide which she takes back to her bed in the living room (she's very posh and has multiple beds!) for a good hour's chewing session before settling down to sleep. It's a nightmare if we ever run out - emergency T*sco run required!

1. Honey_Bear wrote: »

   I can't requote your quotey bits but the whole student housing thing is a real hot potato in Plymouth. Since the Uni expanded massively, the areas where large numbers of them live has expanded across the city and initially I have to admit I was really worried. There's an area called Mutley Plain that has hundreds and hundreds of small cottagey type terraced houses that has been 'student land' for decades and the local community feels very beleaguered if the letters to the local paper are to be believed.
   
   We were very worried about that happening on the Hoe, if I'm honest. Two hotels have been converted into student accommodation and quite a number of bed and breakfasts seem to have gone that way too. Then a post-war landmark building was demolished and a large purpose-built student accommodation was put in it's place, for 400 students which I thought was a retrograde step. However, I've had to eat my words. There's been no increase in drunken shrieking (Plymouth has it's fair share of that behaviour regardless of whether it's term time or not) and walking this dog around the Hoe several times a day, much further and more frequently than my previous dogs have ever needed) what's been lovely since the weather improved is seeing so many young people making use of the Hoe - playing football, tossing frisbees, playing music, rehearsing performances, skateboarding, roller-skating, having picnics etc etc. It has a fantastic vibe and I love it.
   
   We live in a group of eight houses on the edge of it, and when the windows are open the noise made in one house echoes back and forth - I can hear saucepan lids clanging and chatting going on, so you can imagine what would happen if someone played music. That was the thing that worried us and I think is what worries most people.
   
   It really is down to the landlords and we're really lucky that the owner of that house appreciates how hard we work on the communal areas which in turn is what makes his letting accommodation an even more attractive proposititon - this is a little piece of paradise smack in the city centre, and a really well-kept secret. Most mornings we wake up to the sound of the odd car going past and a cocophony of birdsong - largely because we've been attracting blackbirds and goldfinches by feeding them.
   
   I've heard a rumour that he's sold it recently to a family which is great for the house but those groups of students have taught me to be a bit more tolerant. No bad thing!

   Agreed. In both my kids uni towns, the students tended to spend the first year in Halls, then move into private accommodation in their second years when they'd developed friendship groups. The Halls had resident staff who kept an eye on them during the early (drunken!) months because at this point the kids were often only 18 years old. By the time they were living independently they'd usually outgrown the novelty of 'freedom' and were generally getting on with their studies with only the odd party/wild night out. I'm a landlord both professionally and in my private life, and in my experience students aren't generally the biggest problem tenant group. Messy but nice, generally!
   

HappyNow

Alchemilla wrote: »

Have you tried antibacterial handwash on your thumbs? Tastes disgusting.

Worth a try, thanks for the idea. It's that or gloves