You can't MAKE me

What a horrible week it's been. Well maybe not so horrible, but definitely not up there on the list as a good one. It pretty much rained for 7 days straight. We had little glimpses of sun and then torrential downpours. The river rose to 15.93ft. 16ft would have put it over the tow path on the CnO Canal. Through all this RAIN..... I still worked Census Canvassing. YUCK!! I've never felt so wet in all my life, well there I go again saying never... I can probably recall a few sweaty sticky summers in a tobacco field that might have been worse, but at least in the tobacco field we didn't mind being wet. Trying to at least appear official, and conduct some sort of professional interaction with suspicious Bush supporting idiots, who as soon as they realize I'm with US Census MUST vomit their "worthless" opinions, is difficult to do when you're standing in the rain.

It's even worse when your running from mangy mutts through muddy trash filled yards. I have to admit though..... I'm positive I'd rather meet the dogs than the owners.... :) So, before we got the rain, we had the Blast of summer to be. It got hot and I got a headache. After three days of head splitting pain, I shaved my head. No more mop. I'm glad it's gone and happy to be rid of the headache as well. Even more so I'm happy to be rid of the Jazz lovin Cool Cat stereotype. If one more person had made that reference I'd probably have ended up in jail. That "wanna be" personality reminds me of too many people I'd rather live, not only THIS lifetime, but the next, not being anything like. So I'll stick to a shaved head and scaring women. If only most of the women that look at me like some escaped convict new JUST how badly I wish I didn't have to talk to them at all..... they'd be a hell of a lot more at ease. Census information should be received from the Man of the house anyhow. LOL!! (I can't wait for that feminine scream to rattle!!!)

Now it's been raining for a week. I have 5 adult dogs and four puppies in my house. Five adult dogs means 5 WET DOGS. Yes, the house smells like a giant wet dog has lived here for months. Trust me when I say there's no amount of Febreeze that can remove wet dog stink. Fortunately, the 4 pups that don't smell wet make up for the aggravation caused from making me walk even more in the rain. We're coming up on week 5 this sunday. They're starting to develop personalities and playing together. As much as I try though, I just can't get into these pups. They're not Maggies.

This little fella forgot he's suppose to use the paper.

This little fella decided he didn't under ANY circumstances, like my singing and started howling.

Babs, who I have renamed "Red" (I don't care what the paperwork says) has been the most difficult dog I've had here. Not only does she suffer some serious abuse issues, but she's also a puppy. This translates into a dog who WILL misbehave and I can't scold. Which forces me to exercise NOTHING but positive training. This is so not my style. I believe in positive training, but it always comes out that they positively better listen. I'm the pack leader and I shouldn't have to ASK for anything. When I say STAY, I expect it. When I say OFF, I mean NOW. Red thinks that anytime I say something dominant that she can crawl into the whelping box with her pups. Oh.... then there's Beau who I'm babysitting.... Oh how the gods are laughing at me this week. I not only have Red all afraid and cowering, but Beau can actually look right at me and pretend he can't hear me. Even hooking a leash to his fat ass can't get him to move.

Deep breathing.... Inhale..... Exhale..... Smile in the morning and your WHOLE day will be sunshine!!!! Steve is back home..... YAY!!!! 10 Days is just WAY TOO LONG for him to be gone. Malaysia was just too far away. Turk and Beau go home this sat evening. That'll be two down. Reds pups will go sometime next week and I may talk to Beth about Red too. I can't explain my attitude, but I think I'm just tired. Maggie and her pups really took it out of me. I don't think I have the necessary desire to see Red recover, which isn't good for her and definitely not good for me. Well, it's going on 8am now and I need to get to work. Out there, scattered around the county, like a bulging republican garbage bag that was torn into by wild animals, are those soulless voids waiting for some local Census employee to come knocking on their door. Caught by an invisible thread that I call a static link to a satellite, I will be forced to stand by and smile as the bile spews forth. Fortunately, once that "thread" has completed it's task, I can leave. They might be able to demand that I get off their gun and dog protected property, but they can NEVER make me stay.