KUMA IS ONE YEAR OLD

          Happy happy birthday to Kuma. He turned one year old today. I looked back at some photos and couldn’t believe how small he looked the beginning of October when he was three months old. I tried to take a similar photo to show the difference, but I no longer have those pillows and, as you can see, he doesn’t fit on the couch any longer either (both posted on Facebook).

          I cannot begin to express how happy I am to have Kuma in my life. He’s made such a huge difference to my being lonely and depressed. Let me tell you about some of the interactions that always…okay almost always…make me smile.

          Kuma almost always gets me up at 6:30 am. If I get up at an hour or so before that to use the bathroom, he seems to understand me when I say, “Mommy has another hour.”, or thirty minutes or whatever. Sometimes he even allows me to sleep until almost 7:00 am. But, when Kuma decides it’s time for my feet hit the floor, he walks all over the bed and me, tries to find my face or ears so he can lick them clean or my hands so he can try to get me to pet him. Sometimes, the way he walks all over me, is almost like getting a massage.

          First stop is always the bathroom and Kuma wants to stand beside me while I pee so I can scratch his back end. Then, it’s his turn and we both go outside. If the weather is bad, I only go as far as the door. Back inside, I make myself a latte and we settle on the couch to watch “Good Morning America.” Initially, he brings me his bally-ball and I toss it down the hall for him a number of times. When I’m ready to drink my latte, I say, “Okay, mommy has her coffee.” and he stops trying to get me to play and simply lays down alongside my legs. Once my glass goes back on the coffee table, however, it’s play time again.

          Kuma waits patiently while I do my exercise program and becomes a bit more impatient as I prepare my breakfast because he knows he’s going to get a big treat. He doesn’t expect to get any of my breakfast the same way he expects to get a bite or more of whatever else I eat during the day. Maybe he doesn’t like yogurt and granola or maybe I’ve never shared it.

          When it comes to going places in the car, Kuma is always ready to jump in and plop himself in the navigator seat. I didn’t think he’d ever take to putting his head out the window, but just lately he’s finally been doing so. There are times when he sees another dog or even a person and he’ll begin to bark, but “NO BARK!!!” usually brings it down to a quiet growl. He’s not getting to go as often now because of the weather. I won’t take him even if I figure I can park in the shade because the car gets too hot.

          When it’s time to end the day, Kuma lets me know beginning about 7:00 pm. He sits at the entrance to the hall and looks at me. If I don’t respond, he will come over to the couch and try to get my attention. When I say, “Bedtime peepee?” he’ll dance around until I get up and we go outside. Then, until 8:30 pm, Kuma continues to go up and down the hall and look at me as if to say, “C’mon, it’s bedtime.”

          I have to laugh when I stay up later because Kuma becomes very frustrated with me because I don’t get off the couch and perform my nightly routine at the right time.

          Once we’re in the bedroom, Kuma gets on the bed and supervises my final preparations. Once I’ve laid back, he makes himself comfortable fairly close to me. Sometimes, he moves to the little bench at the foot of the bed and stays there until the television goes off and I’ve assumed my sleeping position. Then, Kuma comes back onto the bed and plops himself down (feels like he weighs over a hundred pounds), so he’s right up against the small of my back…I like that and it feels very good.

          It doesn’t matter where I go in the house, Kuma is right there with me. I’m rarely out of his sight and sometimes he’s so close he steps on the back of my flip-flop. My fitness instructor is always telling us older folks we need to be constantly aware of our surroundings. With Kuma so close, I have to be always aware or I’d end up on my ass.

          Of course, everything hasn’t been absolutely wonderful for the last nine months. He did eat my hearing aids, glasses and one of my favorite shoes, but he taught me to make sure I put everything up out of his reach. It’s pretty much become a habit and I’ve only myself to blame if I fail.

I tried to train Kuma to use only one part of the yard for his bathroom, but when the barricade came down, he figured the yard was his domain. I wouldn’t mind so much if he stayed out of the flowerbeds, but he thinks those are his as well. I stopped counting how many flower starts he managed to break or trample and started to utilize all the dahlia cages I’d made as well as all the tomato cages I had saved up. True, my garden doesn’t look perfect due to all the cages, but the flowers show through, don’t get broken and I don’t get annoyed.

          Karma and Kaizer were rat terroirs which were bred to take care of the rat population in the White House. They never once tried to catch any of the wildlife in my garden. Kuma thinks it’s his duty to dig after the moles and/or the rats/mice that use the mole tunnels to get around. I keep telling him, “No digging.”, but he just ignores me because the pursuit of those rodents is more important and fun. Kuma also thinks the birds that come to visit are intruders as well and will chase after them.

          My final complaint about Kuma is how unglued he becomes when he’s on a leash and sees another dog. It’s more my problem than Kuma’s because I know what needs to be done to train him to not do this, but I’ve been lazy when it comes to this behavior. It’s on my list to accomplish.

          So, Kuma is now one year old. The time has flown by and I’m so grateful to have this smart, funny, furry puppy living with me. At dinnertime, he will receive some well-cooked meat as his birthday treat. I won’t add a candle, but I will be singing the birthday song as he is served…not that I haven’t already sung it to him multiple times today.

BRAIN AND BODY

 

          Based on the latter half of March, I’ve come to the conclusion that no matter how young I think I am my body begs to differ. This coming week, I’m going to cut back on the exercise to see if that makes a difference. I’ll still do the three enhanced fitness classes, but think I’ll limit my river exercise class to just one day.

          When it comes to social commitments, I have my driftwood sculpture class on Tuesday and a ladies’ lunch on Wednesday.

          Of course, the week could blow up because it is Snohomish School District’s spring break. I’ve talked to Thor about having Xander, and maybe Arayli, come spend some time and participate in adventures. I’m waiting to hear back about Xander’s soccer practice and when he/they will be available. Still, it will be fun to spend some time with them. I don’t seem to have spent as much time with these grandchildren as I did with Haley, but the pandemic kind of made a mess of things.

          You’ll be happy to know, dear reader, that I participated in a brain research program sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and administered through Kaiser Permanente. I took my BFF with me instead of one of my boys just in case the results indicated I needed some kind of supervision. Anyway, the researcher asked me about my life, exercise, shopping, finances, driving, health, medications, pretty much all aspects of what it takes to get through each and every day. After each question, she would check with my BFF to see if she agreed with my statements…she did.

          The final portion of the interview was a cognitive test. Out of a potential 30 points, I received 29. The only thing I missed was in the repetition of a sentence back to the researcher…I heard the word cats instead of cat, so I lost a point.  I also think I should have lost a point when it came to drawing the square box…in my opinion, I failed miserably.

          So, I need no further follow up when it comes to my brain. My body is another story. I have really high cholesterol and finally agreed to begin taking a statin…Crestor. In the past when I tried statins, my muscles were not happy at all. I’m trying to determine of the muscle and joint pain I’m experiencing now is due to Crestor or if it’s just that I’m exercising way more.

          To wake up in the morning and feel as though every single joint, big or small, my lower back, neck, pretty much my entire body is without an ache or pain would be absolute heaven. And, yes, once I’ve had coffee and done my home exercises, pretty much everything is pain-free, but it’s hard work to get there. And, at night, once I’m in bed, my feet and hands hurt, probably due to neuropathy. That seems worse if I’ve had a lot of salt and/or sugar. I try to stay away from those two condiments, but you know, sometimes, you just have to have something salty or sweet.

          So, with less than thirteen years to go until I’m ninety, I think I’m still doing extremely well. I’m walking upright and briskly as opposed to shuffling. I can still bend over and pick stuff up. In fact, I am able to do everything necessary to live my good life. So, why whine about a few aches and pains…need to just have that coffee, do the exercises and get on with my day.

KUMA UPDATE

 

          In a previous blog post, I mentioned Kuma was having a spa day. I took photos of him prior to his visit as well as after and am posting them here so you can see the difference. His paws are now well defined and his booty and penis trimmed up. The groomer didn’t do too much else to him aside from an anal gland and ears check and a bath. Kuma’s coat smelled wonderful and he felt like silk when I picked him up. 

    

         Amanda at Hippie Hounds also provided me with a list of brushes appropriate for brushing Kuma. I purchased them and am waiting for delivery on the last one which is a Zoom Groom. Amanda said to not brush with the Zoo Groom in long strokes, but short ones as that will pull the hair free.

          Next Saturday will be graduation day for Kuma’s intermediate training class. I fully expect him to pass; however, we’re going to have to work hard this week on him staying in place when someone comes to the door. He’ll stay just fine other times, but he is serious about wanting to jump and greet whoever comes in the door. That is probably going to be extremely hard and he may not get a gold star for his efforts at graduation.

          The other elements don’t concern me too much. He’ll sit, down, shake, stay, wait, walk, heel, and switch to my other side and heel. I’ve even had him walk, heel and switch in the house without a leash. Probably wouldn’t work outside because there are too many distractions.

          Kuma still barks like a fool at other dogs on leashes, especially little ones. I’m trying to teach him to “focus,” “leave it,” and provide treats, but once he begins, it’s hard to get him to stop. I’m sure the other dog parent thinks Kuma is vicious, but he’s not. Given the opportunity to approach the other dog, Kuma wags his tail and indulges in the, “I’ll sniff your butt and you can s niff my butt exercise.”

          We also attended a birthday party for another Aussie whose parents are Ken and Supa...his photo is on the wall in this picture. Oreo is black and white and he and Kuma got along well. There were two other dogs there and one of them never ceased barking. It didn’t seem to bother that dog’s parents, but I had one hell of a headache when we were done. The doggie birthday cake was a plate with whipped cream. I have a photo of Kuma trying to suck it right out of the can…bad dog!!!

          Kuma will be nine months old on April 7^th. Hard to believe so much time has already passed. Also hard (sort of) to believe what a wonderful and loving addition Kuma has been to my life…so very thankful and happy I chose him to be my companion.

KUMA, UNCOMMON CREATURE

         

         Last November I happened upon Uncommon Creatures at a craft fair. The woman who owns the company takes your photo of your animal and makes it even better. I took one of Michelle’s cards and told her I’d be in touch after the first of the year.

          I emailed Michelle the end of January or beginning of February and sent off photos of Kuma. Using those photos, she turned them into works of art and sent me so many proofs I had a very difficult time choosing. There were some I didn’t like at all, but there were so many I would have loved to order, but when you’re on a budget, you have to look at your expenditures and cash availability. They will be available for a year, however, so should I come into some money (not likely), I can order more in order to do what was suggested in the next paragraph.

          My friend Claudia looked at all the proofs and suggested I do a Warhol display in the way he did ten photos of Marilyn Monroe. I would have loved that, but the expense kept me from choosing my favorite ten photos. I did end up choosing two and have included them in this blog as well as on Facebook.

          Michelle asked me, “What is it about my artwork that brings you enjoyment, or makes you feel a connection to it?” I didn’t have to think about my answer for very long. These two pieces of artwork are how I see Kuma in my head. They seem to reflect the love we have for each other. True, a photograph is more realistic and shows Kuma’s true appearance; however, when I think of him or look at him, he becomes the “Uncommon Creature” I know and love.         

          If you like Kuma’s artwork and are interested in providing Michelle with a photo of your favorite pet, or perhaps human, you can find her website at: https://www.pinterest.com/uncommoncreatures. I absolutely love her work.

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.

INCOME TAXES REJECTED

 

          Taxes are the bane of my existence, at least today. After filing my taxes yesterday, I had an email this morning telling me they were rejected. Last year I filed using Turbo Tax, but didn’t want to use them this year because they are expensive and the IRS e-file tax program was supposed to be free…it wasn’t.

          Anyway, I didn’t notice when I printed out my 2021 return that the right side of the forms was cut off, so when the IRS asked for my adjusted gross income from 2021, I had to guess because only two of the five numbers were visible. Well, the IRS doesn’t like it when you guess because that’s why they didn’t accept my tax return.

          I went to Turbo Tax to try to get my last return printed out again, but what a bunch of hoops TT wanted me to jump through, so I logged out because I didn’t have time to spend on the retrieval at that point. Once I returned home, I looked at the email from the IRS and went online and read the information provided.

          There was a link I could click on which would give me a transcript of my 2021 income tax filing. Again with the hoops. I was directed to another site which verified my identity in multiple ways, including allowing them to scan my face after I submitted photos of my driver’s license, front and back. Once they were absolutely positive it was me, they directed me back to the IRS e-file site and I was able to print out my 2021 tax transcription which looks absolutely nothing like the return I completed and filed. It’s simply six pages of line after line of information, most of which have a zero on the right side; and I’m referred to as “computer.”

          So, with my AGI in hand, I went to correct my return and file. Somehow, the directions on how to do this were incomplete and/or confusing because I ended up refiling what I filed yesterday. So, I’ll be getting another rejection email. Sure wish I could reject the IRS.

          And, just to make it all the more painful, I received a refund last year as opposed to this year where I have to pay. 

INCOME TAX...BAH

 

          According to the King County Assessor’s Office, if you make less than $58,423 per year, you are considered low-income and can file for an adjustment to your property tax bill. According to Seattle Humane, if you make less than $66,750 per year, you are considered low-income and can receive assistance with pet neutering and spaying.

          Apparently, the US Government doesn’t see income below those figures as being low-income. I just finished my 2022 income taxes and had to pay. Not only that, but the “free” IRS e-file program wasn’t free…it was $55.50.

          My adjusted gross income wasn’t even $45,000 for the year and once they gave me the standard deduction, the figure was less than $30,000; and it was that amount on which I had to pay taxes. I guess I should take a look at my social security and begin paying taxes on the monthly benefit I receive.

          I actually thought I would reach a point in my life where I wouldn’t have to pay income tax, especially once I retired and wasn’t making those big bucks.  I guess I thought wrong.