3 FUNNY DOGS

I'm A Better Person, When I Have A Dog!

So, my friends and I arrived in the wine country and it was a beautiful spring day.  I had set up a time to go out to the breeders house the following day and see my first Tibetan Terrier.  And yes, by now, my friends knew my intentions and they were happy for me. :)
 The next morning I had mixed emotions.  It had been almost two years since Buff had passed away.  I am a very loyal person and it was hard for me to think that the moment might being getting near that I would get another dog. Even knew I knew no dog could ever replace Buff, I didn’t want my getting a new dog to feel anything like a replacement. Only another dog person would even understand that.

I went for a walk that morning by myself and I had an “ahha”.  I was pretty sure that the breeder had told me that she had puppies that had all been spoken for already.  So, my mission for the day would be just to see a Tibetan Terrier, see what they were like and to get the feeling if this was the breed of dog for me  3-4 months down the road.

My “ahha” that morning, was that I looked back at the last couple months of my life and I really didn't like who I had been. I realized I'm a better person when I have a dog.  I'm happier, I'm funner, I'm more at peace, I'm more loving, I enjoy life more. I focus more on the things in life that really matter to me. They bring out a lighter side of me.

Even as I write this, I looked over just now to see Buie sleeping in his favorite place and he has his arm around  his little red rooster, it makes me smile and feel such joy and I'm so grateful for my dogs!   
Dogs bring one of the BEST Blessings in my life.  They just make life better! Easier! More enjoyable. They just make me better. Lighter and giggly.
And let me tell you, with just the anticipation of going to see the Tibetans that day I became lighter and giggly. When I walked in and saw the mother I just felt overwelhmed with joy!  I saw her and thought she was soooo cute and I kept saying to my friends isn't she cute!?  They would just nod and stood back by the door. Then I realized one of them was covering her nose looking like she was going to run out of there.  Apparently, I was so taken by the mother dog and her puppies that I was unaware of just how bad the dog smell was, my friends however, informed me the as soon as we left that it was horrible!

 From the moment I laid eyes on one of the little girls I was attached to her, even though I knew she wasn't available, I asked if I could hold her.  I loved her!  I was shocked when I asked if any of the puppies were available and she said all of them were. What?  I really believed that none of them were available and I would be waiting at least 3 more months. But, luckily I had done my homework. I knew Tibetan Terriers could fit my personality, my lifestyle, and I knew the commitment it would take to have a puppy.  All of sudden I knew I was ready!

 I had already named this puppy  in advanced, just like I had Buff. Her name would be Beazer, she would be named after my mom who had passed away two years before Buff.  As I looked at this cute little girl and she looked up at me, she gave me this look and I knew that was my Beazer! 

It's A Go !

So what happened next?  Of course, I had to make the call to my friends and share what to me, was the devastating news that the Trip of a Lifetime would not be going to see Oprah.  Lucky for me, my friends, all of them it seems, don't get as disappointed about things not working out the way I had imagined and planned. They seem to get over it so easy, so quickly!  I like that about them. Except for when I want them to be passionate about my ideas. Then, it would be nice, when I'm disappointed about something if at least one of them could throw themselves on the floor and scream like a 3 year old, because, they too, are disappointed! But no, it's never happened, not even once, have any of my friends given me the gift of a tantrum over something that I am SOOOO disappointed about.

Instead, they act all mature and say things like. "Oh well, we'll find something else to do. We'll make it just as fun."  That's it? How, How, HOW, can we possibly find something else to do that would even compare to a trip to hang out with Oprah?

A trip to the Wine Country came up as an option.

                       
Although, I was not going to get over it that easy, it did sound kinda fun.  At least it would be beautiful!  So I agreed and starting making plans.

Oh, have I mentioned, that at this point I had been spending hours online for almost a year   looking at  Tibetan Terrier puppies?  It had become my favorite hobby and some days it's all I wanted to do!  Everything I read about them, everyone I saw, made me love them more and more. And, I mean LOVE them!  But, I had never seen one in person! 

Tibetan Terriers are special and it takes a big commitment to become a parent to one because they are. . .  just like children. They like to spend every waking moment with their person, they are active, they are really smart, and they like to be treated just like a person, because they actually think they are people. That is why they are often referred to "kids in Dog suits" :)  So, I knew if I ever got one it would be a big commitment!  If you are thinking they are just too cute and want one, really think it out, and make sure they will fit into your life style. They are not the kind of dog you feed and leave for the day.  That would just be too sad for them!  Companionship is at the top of their priorities.

Back to the Wine Country trip.  I was kinda excited to go there because I had found someone in all my hours of searching,  who had Tibetan Terriers, and was located in the Wine Country. Hmmmn, a new plan! :)

I set it all up with the Tibetan Terrier breeder to see if we could come by while we were on our trip to the Wine Country.  JUST get a look, and a feel for what these most wonderful dogs, I had read so much about were really like.

Then I told my friends the Wine Country was a GO!

Perhaps, I hadn't mentioned that there were also Tibetan Terriers in the Wine Country. :)

Oprah's Coming !!

Image via Wikipedia

In May of 2001, I had heard that Oprah was going to be traveling around to different parts of the country to speak on Live Your Best Life.  I got so excited because I thought that would be SO MUCH FUN to go see and hear Oprah.  I found out when the tickets would go on sale, and I called my 3 close friends and told them "We are going to go see Oprah!! I'm going to get the tickets and it's a go, mark your calendars! We are going on our trip of a lifetime!" Everyone was excited! I had convinced my friends that we were going to see and hear Oprah!  I'm the one with all the great ideas and they usually do turn out quite well. My friends knew they were in good hands and this was going to be fun!

 Because I have problems sleeping at night, I am not a morning person.  I  usually wake up  at  4 AM and have trouble going back to sleep. Therefore 6 AM is not the time I desire to be awake.  
But, it was ticket purchasing day and I was willing to do whatever it took to get tickets to see Oprah. I knew the tickets went on sale at 6 AM my time and I got myself up and ready to dial that phone at 6AM!

 I think I really did believe that I would be one of the first people to connect and buy our tickets to the San Francisco Event, after all, my dialing finger hit the keys exactly at 6AM.  Okay, first try, the line was busy. It's okay, it's okay.  Second try, busy again!  Still okay.  I'm going for my third try, it's now 6:07 someone answers. Here we go!  Wait, it sounds like a recording.  It was a recording!  It said, "I'm sorry but the tickets for this event have sold out."

" WHAT? WHAT? It's 6:07 HOW CAN THE TICKETS BE SOLD OUT?"  This just couldn't be true! Please God, please don't let this be true!  How can the tickets sell out in 7 min?  I was appalled! I was devastated! I was sad, then angry, then disappointed. Then I just couldn't believe it.  I HAD WANTED TO SEE OPRAH! I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO SEE OPRAH!  I had convinced my friends we would all see and learn from Oprah. It was going to be our trip of a lifetime and now I had to call and tell them I had failed. No Oprah!  No trip of a lifetime!  Nothing!

But then. . .  :)  Oh I'll tell you in the next post.

That's my Dog!

Saying goodbye to Buff was one of the hardest things I've had to do in life.  I loved that little dog with my whole heart. I had lost my mom just two years before, and that too, was my greatest loss. 

I was very torn about getting another dog. No dog could take Buff's place or even fill that hole.  I had never picked my own dog. Every dog in my life had just come to me.
After two years of missing Buff, I went on a spring vacation to Calistoga CA. As I was browsing through the very fun stores of that town I ran across a book. It was just all pictures of puppies and dogs, as I thumbed through it I was giggly about how cute  and adorable these dogs were, I throughly enjoying myself!

  But then, I turned the page and there he was!  This was a bit of a weird experience for me.  As I looked down at this dog on the page tears filled my eyes, my heart started to beat fast and I wanted to just scream out with joy, I just knew that was my dog! The dog I had drawn over and over throughout my childhood, the dog that had lived in my heart for all these years. The dog I had dreamed about.
I was having one of those moments, where you have no idea why you are having a certain reaction but you know you need a moment alone to take it all in.  I was in a store though, with other people, and here I was just looking at puppy book and doing all I could to hold back sobs of joy and not be noticed by anyone.
 
I was hoping my close friend that was with me wouldn't notice cause I knew I couldn't explain all that was going on inside me. I knew I needed that book though, I needed that picture!  I had no idea what kind of dog this was, the book didn't list a single breed. I pulled myself together enough to make my  way up to pay for it. I took that book home and looked at that picture of that dog over and over and kept having the same teary, heart racing reaction each time I would look at him.
Finally, I cut the picture out of the book and put it in a frame and put it in my living room area.  People would come over and say whose dog is this?  I'd tell them "that's my dog!"  "I didn't know you had a dog!"  I'd hear that over and over from friends.  "He's not here yet."  "Oh did you order him or something? What kind is he?"  I would begin to explain to them that  I didn't know what breed of dog he was but I did  know he was my dog!  And,that I'd find him someday or he would come to me.

I know people probably think I'm goofy. But my friends have come to expect it from me. And, I always encourage others to dream and believe in big crazy dreams.  I still keep it in a frame by my entry way cause I love it, it represents so much to me. Cause wait till you hear what happened! :)
Okay, so I'll post that picture I found that day. Here he is! :)