I guess I need to walk the dogs separately.

As long as I've had multiple dogs, I've taken them for their morning walk together.  This saves me time on work mornings and the dogs don't generally like being separated. 

However, it appears that practice is going to have to stop. 

This morning, I was getting really angry with Angel for lagging behind.  I don’t get it.  She used to be the lead and Peanut used to lag behind.  Now Angel walks slowly behind me with her head down, while Bogie and I try to maintain a reasonable pace.  I end up feeling like I’m dragging her to the vet. 

 As a former leader, does Angel resent being displaced by Bogie? Except she won't take the lead even when the opportunity presents itself.  

Frustrated, I took Angel home and dropped her off.  Then Bogie and I went for a faster, longer walk.  At first, he seemed confused by Angel's absence, but adjusted quickly.  We were both a little winded when we returned to the house. 

I dropped Bogie off and I took Angel again, alone.  This was for three reasons.  I felt guilty for scolding her. I wanted to see how Bogie would behave in the house alone for a few minutes.  And I wanted to see if Angel would behave differently by herself.  

She did. I don’t know if it was my attitude or hers, but we had a pleasant walk around the block.  

I think that the two dogs are not compatible walkers. Angel is a scent hound and likes to linger over interesting scents.  This is, by its nature, a slow meander.  Bogie is a sight hound and likes to hurry to see new sights.  So his is a faster pace. 

I guess from now on I will have to take them separately.  Bogie and I will benefit from the faster pace.  Angel will get her meandering time. 

And I will have to get up earlier in the morning to keep on schedule.  

Sigh. 

My personality matches my dog's breed

I recently read an interesting article on how the owner's personality matches the breed of dog they choose as a companion.  

Bogie is the first dog I've owned where I've chosen both the breed and the individual.  The other dogs in my life, though completely loved, were mine by chance or by a consensus with significant others.  

I was pleased to see that Great Dane owners are considered high in agreeableness and openness. 

 Agreeableness is a trait that makes people easy to get along with. Agreeable people sympathize with others, care about their feelings and try to make other people feel at ease. People with open personalities are intelligent, open to new experiences and appreciative of art.  (from the Live Science link).

People do seem to share their feelings with me.  I am an artist, so thus appreciative of art.  And I consider myself pretty easy to get along with.

But that would not have been true in the past.  Easy going has been a goal and a journey.  In my youth I more easily irritated by the nuisances of life and quicker to anger. 

I've learned over the years that it is a waste of energy and effort to react strongly to every minor annoyance.  And if you react dramatically to small issues, it dulls the impact when there truly is a crisis.

The old "boy who cried wolf" syndrome. 

So I am happy that my breed choice reflects the work I've done to become a more agreeable person.


Read more: http://www.prevention.com/health/healthy-living/dog-breeds-match-owners-personalities#ixzz2IEzyZjUo

Or http://www.livescience.com/19787-dog-owner-breeds-personality.html

Typing cannot be illegible

I was irritated yesterday by a radio contest commercial. 

According to the instructions, entrants were to go to a web site and enter their information.  "Incomplete and illegible" entries would be discarded. 

Definition for Illegible - Not clear enough to be read: "his handwriting is totally illegible".  Also, "impossible or almost impossible to read because of being very untidy or not clear"

Back in the "olden" days, when contest entries had to be filled out by hand and mailed, the illegibility disclaimer made sense.  People's handwriting could be undecipherable, pens could blob or smear, and the tiny spaces provided could result in truncated information. 

But the directions explicitly told the entrants to go to the web site.  It's pretty hard to make typewriting illegible.  

And if it was, that would be the web site designer's fault.  It's not like I can enter my information in WingDings.  Even this page won't accept WingDings.

Most likely, the disclaimer was recycled from a long ago vetted legal document.  And I'm sure it's still legally valid.  Legal doesn't make it correct.  

Last time I checked this was the 21st century.  Disclaimers about illegibility should join admonishments to be respectful of those who share your party line.  (A telephone line shared by multiple households, for those who are too young to know.)

Let's make our "fine print" disclaimers accurate, as well as legally valid.

Scoontemplations in WingDings.
Now that's illegible.

It is okay to do nothing. Right?

I took it as a sign when I saw this Peanuts in the paper. 

I need to let go of the notion that I *must* be doing something useful or “important” all the time.

New affirmations:

It is okay to watch TV and play with the dogs even if the dishes aren't done. . 

It is okay to play Angry Birds even if the floor needs to be mopped.  

It is okay to sit on the patio and watch the birds even if I haven't done a new blog post.

I don't have to write a novel.  

I don't have to create stained glass art. 

It is okay to just be. 

Too many decisions.

I seem to have reached the tipping point in my own expectations.  I have become unfocused, unable to make decisions.

I recently read a study that said we are only capable of making a small numbers of decisions in one day.  When that number is exceeded, we become less and less able to make decisions, especially wise decisions.

The fault, I think - voice overs.

After many years considering it, I spent the better part of last year learning how to do voice overs, building a studio, creating demos. I enjoyed learning how to do the voice overs.  I was pleased when I finally got my studio working.  Now I am at the point where I can audition for projects and try to get gigs.

And there's the rub.

I signed up for a membership to a talent site.  The site uses an algorithm to determine which projects to send you.  Submit too many auditions and you won't get offers.  Submit too few auditions and you won't get offers.

So every offer that comes in has to be evaluated on whether I want to submit an audition.  Decisions.

Do I do auditions at all today, tomorrow, this week?  Decisions.

Should I search other sites for gigs, and which ones?  Decisions.

Any time I spend on preparing auditions is time I could be spending with the dogs, with a good book, working on stained glass, writing.  What do I give up to audition?  Decisions.

I think I liked the idea of voice overs more than I did the reality.

I think that I have taken on one project too many.

Decisions.