CATCHING UP

 

          It’s been a while since I put fingers to keyboard to write about my ho-hum life and I’m not sure exactly why I’m making an attempt today. And, don’t get me wrong, I am NOT depressed or anything like that. It’s more there’s so much to do and only so much of me that is available to get it done. I tell myself not to fuss over what is and isn’t done, to concentrate on what has been done and believe I’ll get to it all a bit at a time.

          Then there’s the fact my calendar blew up. I don’t know how I managed to keep putting things on it without noting how busy I was going to be. I exercise five days a week, take Kuma to a training class on Saturday, work with Kuma during the week to ensure he’s the class star (and he was the last two Saturdays), keep the house tidy, meet up and/or lunch with friends, and go to a driftwood sculpture class. This is in addition to cleaning the house, laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, etc.

          Anyway, about the driftwood sculpture class. Did you know there is an organization devoted to driftwood sculpture…Olympic Driftwood Sculptors (ODS)? I had no idea and had seen the class advertised in the Shoreline-LFP Senior Center bulletin for years. I finally signed up and have joined an entirely new segment of the population. There are about eight of us in the class including the instructor. A few folks have been doing and attending for years with only about three of us being the newbies. Everyone is interesting, it’s fun to see what each person is producing, and while we work on our wood, there’s lively and interesting conversation.

          The ODS will be having a show in Maltby on May 13^th. This year the show won’t be judged, but there will be many fine examples of how driftwood can be rehabilitated into a beautiful sculptured piece. It’s on my calendar. Maybe I’ll see you there. Plus, the Snoqualmie Ice Cream parlor is located there, and hopefully it will have my favorites on hand that day…Tennessee Whiskey and Kentucky Bourbon.

          I’m working on a piece that resembles a porpoise jumping out of the waves or an anteater in long grass. I’m sure it will take a lot more scraping and sanding before I can get it to the point where I can apply the wax that will make it shiny and beautiful. I also thought I would take the class for the month of March, but I’ve a feeling my time with these people and my driftwood is going to stretch.

          Winter was not kind to my deck and looking at it makes me sick. Now, dear readers, you went through the process with me last year of putting two coats of WHITE (had no idea it would be so WHITE) stain on my deck in the hottest weather we had. You perhaps commiserated when I realized just how blinding white it was when completed. Still, I was proud of all the effort, sweat and time I put into that project.

          Unfortunately, there are portions of the deck where both coats of the stain disappeared. The bare wood is showing. When I hosed off a section of winter’s detritus additional stain came off and it’s bare wood. I also sprinkled sand on top of the tacky stain so it wouldn’t be slippery. Well, that isn’t working well either because wherever I sprinkled sand, it’s turning green with algae or moss. So, my deck will look as though it has a bad case of vitiligo.

I did everything I was supposed to do to prepare the wood for the stain. I’ll have to look at the can, but I believe it is warranted for a couple of years or more. So, I can take photos and go to Home Depot and complain, but there is no way I’m going to go through that whole process again this year. Once was enough. Very disheartening.

          I finally got my income tax filed after having it rejected by the IRS numerous times. I had to call and ask for help and wouldn’t you know, the resolution was right there in front of my face. The problem was the IRS wanted to know my AGI for 2021 and I put in the wrong number. Every time I went to the FIX page, I did what it said and still didn’t come up with the correct page. The fix was so simple. Far down in the lower right corner of the page, in bright red and underlined was the word “Edit.” Apparently, I never scrolled down to the end of the page.  I did the edit and the report was accepted the same day.

          Kuma was neutered the beginning of March. Fortunately, it was between the beginner and intermediate training classes so he didn’t have to miss any. He sailed through the procedure without a single problem. And, let me tell you it was hell for a week or more when we couldn’t go outside and run, run, run. He drove me crazy wanting to play in the house and/or just sit on me. Kuma only wore the cone of shame for a few nights. He wasn’t licking his incision, so I left the cone off. Now, he’s fully healed and the little ball sack is being reabsorbed back into his body.

          Kuma has continued to grow and probably weighs at least forty pounds. He’s a very bad dog on the leash when there are other leashed dogs in the area. He lunges and barks and growls. One day I thought he was going to pull me onto my face. I researched and went and bought one of those collars where there’s a strap across the nose. That has stopped the lunging, but the barking is still uncontrollable. Kuma doesn’t act that way at the off-leash dog parks or at the training classes. As soon as the leash comes off, he’s fine, runs and plays and has fun. Someone who has had Aussies told me Kuma is doing this to protect me and that without the leash, he knows I’m just fine. Makes sense…maybe I need to train him to walk without a leash.

          I suppose having Kuma go leashless might be possible. He will do sit, down, and stay in the driveway with his leash on as I walk away, wander a bit and then return to give the signal…and a treat…that he can get up and move. I’ve also made an appointment for Kuma to have a spa day. That is happening today, and I’m anxious to see what he will look like after all his “feathers” are clipped off. He’ll look a lot more tidy, but I think I like his messy look best. I also want to ask what kind of a brush I should use to brush him because the one I have doesn’t pull out any hair. I know he’s losing hair because I find clumps of it, rather like dust bunnies, here and there around the house. I just don’t know why the brush doesn’t eliminate some of that.

          Well, my calendar is buzzing that it’s time for me to get myself together, put Kuma in the car, drop dinner for AJ, Angie and Haley at Angie’s school, drop Kuma off at Hippie Hounds and go to my river exercise class. Sheesh, I think I’m tired already.