Showing posts with label friday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friday. Show all posts

February 12, 2010

Friday Apollo: a Blue Period


Apollo is on a diet, and that makes him very blue. Har har, see how I worked that in there? Yeah, seriously, he's on a diet. I took him to the vet last week, and we discovered that he was a shocking 93 pounds. He gained four lbs since his surgery in December. And that's on top of the seven he gained since summer. I did expect some weight gain because it's winter and we're less active especially in foul weather, but that's too much. He should ideally be under 80, but most of the time, he hovers around 82 because he's not super active due to his hips.

I evaluated his eating habits. He doesn't get a lot of treats. We walked fairly regularly, but evidently not often enough. And the real reason? I *ahem* am the main culprit - he is supposed to get half a "tub" (small tupperware tub) twice a day, but I had been giving him a little more each day because I felt bad for him after his surgery.  Or because he seemed hungry. Or... And we got to the point where he was getting a full tub twice a day. Oops.

So now he's on a diet, and we are walking more often. And each walk ends in a play session at the nearby field. As an aside, Canadian geese have taken over the field - goose poop yuck! And Apollo shows absolutely no interest in the geese. What kind of hunting dog is he? Anyway, he knows that all our walks, each one about a mile, ends up over there and he will faithfully carry the "flinger" the whole time. Every frickin' time. Apollo carrying a large, bright hunting-orange square frisbee toy that's bigger than his own head. We get odd looks from drivers as they pass us trying to figure out what the hell that dog is carrying.

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January 29, 2010

Friday Gangsta Apollo

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January 8, 2010

Friday Apollo Sneers


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January 1, 2010

Friday Apollo Heralds 2010

Finally! 2010 is here! Hurrah!

Pthhh, take that, 2009!

Side note: I've been trying to get a "shake" shot of Apollo for a long time. But 9 out of 10 times, I'm not ready for him when he shakes himself off or a toy. Finally! It's a good omen for 2010, right?
OK, I'm ready for 2010! Bring it on!

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December 18, 2009

Friday Franken-Dog Apollo

Appearances are deceiving.

This innocent, confused looking pup is in reality a Franken-dog!

See the staples?? (Click the pic for a better view)
The incision is about eight inches long. My hand is about eight inches long too, so I put it in shot for comparison.

P.S. I am adding a new picture of the day - it'll be dubbed Assignment Monday. Unless I think of something more creative. More on that on Monday.

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November 13, 2009

Friday Apollo

No Friday the 13th Apollo. I didn't realize it was Friday the 13th until today.

Yes, Apollo is sporting his beloved "flinger" (flexible frisbee) on his head. Why? Just 'cause.

Apollo isn't too crazy about puppies/young dogs because they like to nip at him. I don't know why...they just all seem to like grabbing at his coat and if they can reach, at his scruff or jowls. One of my old roommate's young dog did this ALL the time, and that made Apollo pretty cranky. Based on that exp, I kinda figured we wouldn't be able to have a puppy, when the time comes for us to start looking for a new member - which is totally fine.

A couple days ago, Apollo and I went to a nearby field so he could stretch out his legs, and some guy was there with a cute little golden puppy playing fetch. I was impressed, the pup was 10, maybe 12 weeks old, and the guy is already working on teaching him manners - making him sit and wait for a release before he goes chasing after toys.

We go up to say hi, and of course, this little puppy goes nuts bouncing all over and trying to grab at Apollo's coat. Apollo tenses up and waits for the torture to be over. The guy calls the puppy back, and Apollo relaxes and actually initiates play with the pup after a few minutes.

After a bit, Apollo gets tired - poor old guy - and he lays down. The puppy fetches for a bit, then comes bounding over, and I could see Apollo tense up again. Then the puppy flops over in between Apollo's front legs and just lays there. Awwwwwww. *dies of cuteness* Apollo just looked at me like, "WTF, foodlady?" But after a few minutes, he relaxed too and gave the puppy a few licks. Awwwww!

It makes me happy to know that, with a bit of an adjustment period, Apollo would be okay with a puppy/young dog. I prefer to adopt an older dog, but never know who'll fall into my--err--our laps!

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October 23, 2009

Friday Apollo

Apollo still refuses to look at the scary black box, even if I try to lure him with a treat. He also turns his head, refusing to acknowledge the existence of annoying dogs or anything else he doesn't like.

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October 16, 2009

Friday Apollo



He looks like a bobble-head doll, doesn't he? He's got a fat head! Har har.

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October 2, 2009

Friday Apollo

I discourage Apollo from barking, but he can't help himself when my parents are around. Or when there's big horses coming and he wants to alert the food lady.

I imagine that it doesn't help that sometimes I will cheerfully ask him, "Why are you barking!?" That eggs him on even more.

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September 25, 2009

Friday Apollo

I've been somewhat busy recently - I had family in town for awhile, and that ate into my time. I played catch-up this week and am back on track. And bonus - I'm nearly done with my second Website (nevermind that the first isn't done). Keep an eye out for the link.

I like this picture of Apollo. The depth of field focus is a shade too tight, but because of how the light is and the general composition of the photo, it works nicely. Softens up the photo even more.

Apollo as Hoover vacuum.

Seeing as this is a Friday Apollo post, ya'all can probably guess what it is - Apollo's hair. Or more specifically, his tail.

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September 18, 2009

Friday Apollo



I moved here with just what fit in my car - no furniture, no bed, nothing. I sleep on an airbed now, and it's actually pretty comfortable. I sat on the floor for six months to watch tv or read, refusing to shell out hundreds of dollars for a sofa because the odds were good that I might move again with just what fit in my car. I didn't want to spend that money only to put it out on the curb. After I got the jeep, the worry about fitting stuff in the car lifted a bit - it has a towing hookup, and I can rent a little trailer from uHaul for about $15-$20.

Last weekend - six months after moving here, I found a chair that I liked. And I got it for $20. It's straight out of the 70s with green vinyl that squelches everytime you get on or off it. And it sticks to your bare skin. I like it a lot because it's smaller than most furniture currently on the market - it doesn't dominate the room. And bonus - it's on wheels (tacky gold wheels), so I can easily move it out of the way if I want the extra space or to vacuum up Apollo's hair. It's been deemed comfy by my parents who insisted on testing it, and they are picky.

Apollo likes it too. In a week we've had it, we've already formed a new ritual where he'll plop down against the chair's side and stare at me and sighing loudly until I drape my arm over the side to give him a good petting. The chair is lower to ground than most other couches or chairs; it's easy to oblige. And that's how we spend our evenings: reading in the chair with him right by my side getting what he loves the most - attention.

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September 11, 2009

Friday Apollo


I love Apollo's toe fuzz. I let it run rampant most of the year, except in winters when the snow get caught up on the fuzz and forms little ice balls in between the toes.

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September 5, 2009

Late Friday Apollo

Guess what?

Apollo got a new ride.
About time, he says!
It's an old-ish jeep, but overall, it's in pretty good shape - other than the weird scratches and a couple peeling spots on the hood. But that's just cosmetic and a decent spot-paint job will fix that (an expense for another day). The engine is good, the tires are new. It's been maintained very well. It'll last me a few years, at least.

Yesterday I went to look at cars, and the Jeep dealer, which was second on list of dealers to go to, made me feel so comfortable that I wanted to buy from them. I felt that I was getting a good car, despite the cosmetic blemishes and they also offered me an extended warranty, which other dealers wouldn't do.

Extended warranties, especially on new cars, are largely a rip-off. But for a car that's eight years old, it's an excellent investment if you can get it. Especially on a car that's known to have pricey repairs. While I was waiting for the paperwork to be done, I chatted with the salesmen who were loitering around, and found out that there are a couple parts that are prone to breaking at about this age, and they cost between two and four thousand dollars to fix - depends on what type of jeep. Ouch! Definitely a good investment.

Anyway, after talking about Jeeps, about that particular jeep, getting questions answered, I felt they were not trying to rip me off, that they would take care of me and the car. The original sticker price, I think was either 10,995 or 11,995, and I had actually found a week-old sale ad for that specific car knocking it down to 9,999. I asked if they would honor it (yes). Then I negotiated it down another 2k to 7,999, citing the paint damage as the reason.

For some reason, I didn't check KBB on this car - I usually do before I go check cars. I probably thought I had already done it. I had a little notebook full of scribbled info about various cars at various lots. Anyway, it turned out I didn't, so I didn't know what its value was rated at. After I got home with the jeep, I found out it was rated at 7200 for "Excellent," so I could've negotiated least another 1k off.

Although it's a lot of money, it doesn't distress me too much because, again, I feel very comfortable with this car, and feel I got a good bang for the buck. And I'm just relieved to be done with this car hunting. It's a lot harder than I expected to find a decent car on a tight budget. I was very determined to do it without having to finance it - with unreliable income, it's a bad idea for someone in my boat to take out a loan.

One thing that surprised me about this whole ordeal is that I turned out to be a pretty good negotiator. I sometimes have a hard time saying no to people - it's the Irish guilt - and when I decided to start looking at cars, I worried a little that I would not be smart enough or strong enough to negotiate. Happily, I was wrong about myself and that feels good.

The End!

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August 28, 2009

Friday Apollo

Apollo says, "Raiders suck!"

Apollo and I went to the field this evening and he found presents! He thinks someone left a Raiders football just for him! That's right, he did not steal it. It was abandoned-err--a present!

*Sigh* Apollo is such a thief. He really was a cat in his previous life. No one was around, and even though we hung around for about a half hour, no one showed up to retrieve the toy. Still, I feel a little guilty. He does not, however, and is determined to destroy this piece of filthy Raider crap!

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August 14, 2009

Friday Apollo and a rant and rave

Monday through Friday, every day around 3:30, give or take, Apollo nudges my elbow and stares at me intently. If I give him any hint of attention, he dashes off to get the "flinger," which got its name when I was trying to teach Apollo the names of his toys and needed an alternative to frisbee, and brings it to the front door.

Off we go to a nearby field to play for about 15 minutes. Any longer, it's too hot for him. We usually return around 8 or so when it's darker and usually cooler. Most days, it's just him and me. It always surprises me. There's a perfectly nice field not a block away from this apt complex (it's just a few feet away for some apt buildings in this complex) that a local company that owns the property is nice enough to keep mowed for the locals to use. Why don't more people use it? It baffles me.

Anyway.

Rant: I am so annoyed that Eagles signed Michael Vicks. Granted, I wasn't a huge fan of the team to begin with, but I definitely won't be rooting for them anymore. Why couldn't the NFL have had an unofficial boycott? Why couldn't some other team sign him? Let him go to the Cowboys or better yet, the Lions, the worst team in NFL.

Rave: My brother sent me a couple books for my birthday. I absolutely loved one of them: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Not only is this one of the best books I've read in years, it's extremely well written and complex without being overwhelming. It's smart. Crisp writing. And the way Steig Larrson put the story together is just wonderful. This book was translated from Swedish, so some sentences are a bit awkward and stilted, but after a couple chapters, you get used to it.

I just did some poking around online, and it appears that Steig Larrson died a few years ago, and his three books are being published posthumously.

Read this book and while you're at it, snag: The Girl Who Played with Fire, just released last month. The third should be out later this year.

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August 7, 2009

Friday Apollo

Checking out the view at Mt Evans

Puff the Magic Dra-err--Dog!

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August 1, 2009

Late Friday Apollo

I totally forgot yesterday was Friday. Oops.

Taken with my old point-and-shoot camera. Apollo was about 2 in this picture

My punishment for being a bad blogger: I will go now flail myself with a soft furry tail.

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July 24, 2009

Friday Apollo


(it's still friday my time!)

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July 17, 2009

Friday Apollo

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July 10, 2009

Friday Apollo

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