Cairn Terrier Looks Like Nikki Sixx

The Neighbors have had their cairn terrier for about 8 months. Supposedly when they got him, he was two years old...which is a bunch of BS, since he is very much a puppy.

How can I tell? Well, he acts like a puppy, he gets crazy like a puppy, and since they've had him his hair continues to get longer and change color – which normally doesn't randomly happen to dogs no longer in the throes of puppydom. Anyway.

You might remember what he looked like back in March of this year when I talked about his new nickname (Coyote Bait on a Stick). He was shaggy then, but just a month later, his hair has gotten quite wild and crazy.

Like, Nikki Sixx crazy. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Nikki Sixx's hair! I'm just saying I don't know if a cairn terrier should look like a punked-out rockstar.

His hair gets even more tousled and feral when Zada's been chewing on him – I think her saliva acts like a kind of gel – and it's even BETTER when I then take the opportunity to mold it into a sort of up-do.



See the resemblance? Might be time for a trim, Gus.




















*Nikki Sixx screenshot taken from http://temptu.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/temptu-on-nikki-six-of-motley-crue/

Snapshots by Sarah Gets Credit on Pagebizz

PageBizz.com has finally redeemed itself – after many contact attempts about their copyright infringement – and given me credit for my Mötley Crüe photo. While merely using my photo with my logo/watermark is technically still copyright infringement, I DID give PageBizz permission to use it and even gave them the file to upload (since my Flickr account is locked down after I found out about the default Pro privacy setting).

So, crisis averted.

(I'm still throwing a watermark on just about everything I upload to the www, however :)

Flickr Default Privacy Settings

In the fall of 2011 I upgraded from my free Flickr account to the Pro version – for unlimited photo upload space – and that's when all hell broke loose.

Unbeknownst to me, the default privacy setting for a Pro account is:

That's right, if you don't know this is the default setting – as I didn't – then anyone on the web can not only download your images; s/he can download a variety of sizes, including the original image file uploaded. Wow.

You might wonder how I came to find out that was the default setting in Flickr...well, long story short I was contacted by an aerialist from Mötley Crüe.

See, we'd gone to Las Vegas to watch two performances of Mötley during their residency in February and I'd taken a bunch of Crüe photos with my point-and-shoot camera. Anyway, after I posted the images on Flickr, I was contacted by one of the aerialists who'd seen my Flickr set and wanted to know if she could use a couple of the images for her online portfolio. By the time I received said message, she'd already gone ahead and downloaded the photos she wanted and was using them on pagebizz.com.

("How?" You might ask. Listen up: I'm a search marketer; I know how to find stuff.)

Concerned as to how she'd downloaded my images (they were obviously not screenshots), I frantically checked settings in Flickr and lo and behold, found that anyone could have – and obviously did – download any of my photography. Because, after all, that was the default privacy setting:

Obviously I had NO idea that was the privacy setting default upon upgrade to a Pro Flickr account, and I changed that setting right then and there. But of course by then the damage was already done.

Turns out that not only did the innocent aerialist steal my photos; the website on which she posted them went ahead and used one of my images, too. That's right: pagebizz.com stole one of my photos and is using it on their home page. I'm still working on trying to get the offender (pagebizz.com) to take MY photo – used without my permission – off their website...or, hell, even to acknowledge they received ANY of my correspondence to that end.

I didn't think I needed to watermark my Flickr photos because, well, I'd had a free account for so long and access to the original images wasn't an option. I never thought to look at the privacy settings when I upgraded – and how would I have ever guessed, in a MILLION years, that the DEFAULT privacy setting would be

"Who should be able to access your original image files and other sizes without deterrents?"

ANYONE (Recommended).

Shame on you, Flickr. And, thanks a LOT. Is it "your" fault that someone stole my photography and is using it without my permission?

Technically – no. But, if I'd have been aware of your privacy "policy" for a Pro account, I'd have known to lock down the ability of the average Joe to download – and illegally use – my photography. I'd also have started watermarking my work a lot earlier than I did.

The fault still lies with pagebizz.com...but I'm still kinda peeved at Flickr.

Choosing Orange Behr Paint Color

Way back in October of 2010 I was looking for advice on which blue Behr color to paint in our downstairs living room. My color palette down here is chocolate browns (couch, chair, ottoman & rug), turquoise-y blue (rug, pillows & artwork) and orange accents (lamp, pillow & artwork).

In fact, the entire painting idea came from the purchase of a HUGE piece of artwork I got for a super deal...and, once it was hung I realized I didn't like the white-on-white look of it.

I thought I wanted to paint the north wall – the long, unbroken canvas of the room that holds the big painting – a nice blue. The problem is that two other adjacent rooms down here are also blue (the guest bedroom and the bathroom). Those blues are not only different from each other; they're different hues than what I'd want to put in the living room to match the color scheme.

Such decisions.

Well, lo and behold, my sister hadn't been to our house in a while so last month she came over for lunch and I brought her down here to show her what I wanted to do...she had a good point when she said the north wall is the wall that reflects the only source of incoming light to the room: the patio doors.

If I painted THAT wall (especially a "darker" color like blue), she opined, I'd be darkening the entire room. She then pointed out that even with the current white wall, the back of the room (where my desk is) was already painted in shadow, even though it was only noon.



Hmf. That totally shot all my plans to heck...so I asked where would SHE paint? She motioned to the east wall and the fireplace and said, "there." Hmm – interesting.

She then shocked me by saying something I'd never thought she'd ever say: "And, to be honest, you might want to paint this area orange instead of blue. That way you're not competing with the blues in the other rooms AND it'll be a lighter color, so you won't darken the room too much."

Holy crap. My sister – who's oh-so-fond of beige and neutral tones – had told me to paint my walls ORANGE. I about leapt for joy (I've looked up to my sister since I was old enough to hold up my own head). She was then quick to state, "it's not what I would personally paint in MY house, but orange is so "you" so I think it'd work well here." Squeeee!

So now the whole color-search has kicked into another gear entirely. She agreed with me that it might look cool to even two-tone the fireplace wall, since there's an alcove for the TV.

To that end, The Hubby took me to Home Depot yesterday to gather up some paint chips. Now all I have to do is pick the right hue of orange. No pressure. I was told – again, by my sister – to focus on the "brown-ish" colors of orange, and I think those are the chips I got.

They've been up on the mantel less than 24 hours (and Erika from Behr said to let them "sit" for a couple days so you can see them in all the different types of light :) and I've yet to see one or two that pop out at me (yet). If you want to weigh in, here are the cards I've got to choose from:

• 260C & 260D
• 270A, 270C & 270D
• 280A, 280B, 280C & 280D (this card is more brown; figured it wouldn't hurt to see it)
• 290C & 290D

Of course, I want to lean towards the darker hues (like Adventure Orange, Copper River, Amber Glow & Apple Crisp), but I know those will be WAY too dark once they're up on the wall. I've been told again and again (and it's SO hard to follow this advice): "whichever color you like on the paint chip, pick two shades lighter and paint that one on the wall."

What I might do is pick 3 or 4 and head back to Home Depot for the "test" cans...but I've done that before and it hasn't worked out, since those 8-oz cans are flat paint and I like satin on the walls. You wouldn't think that would make a big difference, but it did in our bedroom. 

Hopefully I don't hem and haw on this project for much longer...by the time I get this room done the way I like it, we'll be putting the house on the market!


*Note: after posting this I was told some of the colors look like baby excrement. While I certainly think that about a few of the chips on the far right, I have to admit, very few of those paint chips look like they do in the picture! Sigh.

April Fools Weekend up North

Last weekend I headed up to the Bernier Ranch & Spa for a few days' worth of relaxation. I had also offered to help Mom clear out some of their built-in bookshelves upstairs in the loft...it seems they're re-modeling up there so Mom can have a proper office – albeit a small one – instead of the crammed nook she now uses.

Thing is, a lot of the books in that space are mine (which is why I offered to help her offload them, sort through them, and move them into new "homes" throughout the house), including darn near all of my college text books and notes. Why did I keep that, you might ask...well, 'cause my parents TOLD me to.

Even after I changed my major halfway through my junior year from biology to Spanish, I still had to keep all the biology, chemistry and math books. Just in case :)

See, Dad kept all HIS text books from college and med school...they've graced the book cases in our home from time immemorial. Mom's not crazy about having them on the shelves, but I think they need to keep them – I mean, at this point they're VINTAGE bordering on antique! (Sorry, Dad)

Naturally, when moving a copious amount of books from one location to another, one is forced to make room in the new area so that meant I finally had to go through the closet in my old bedroom and sift through the myriad boxes I had stowed away with all my...memorabilia.

(While all this is going on, we had "help" from the dogs who just HAD to chill on the cozy, sun-streaked carpet RIGHT where we were trying to work...such a ruff life :)

I was quite the collector when I was young (insert derisive snort and eye roll from my husband here) – I collected horse, dog and turtle statues; candles & their holders; knick-knacks & what's-its and of course, lots and lots of what Dad calls "crippy-crap."

It took me longer to go through all those boxes – unwrapping each little memento and re-living whatever memory was attached to it – and sorting them into piles of "keep" and "get rid of" than it did to help Mom empty all the bookshelves in the other room!

I ended up keeping SOME of the stuff...I mean, let's forget I hadn't seen it in YEARS. It was all very organized and labeled and of course so fun to sift through it all. Found some cute Christmas ornaments and gifts from relatives who'd traveled abroad so that was neat.

Anyway, between that chore and eating – Mom feeds me VERY well when I'm home – I got to pretend I was a country girl once again. That meant, of course, hiking with the dogs in the woods and horseback riding.

We have a horse show in Lindstrom next weekend, so I needed to get a horse between my legs and make my muscles "remember" what it's all about...doesn't hurt to practice a bit to get used to the horse, either. Of course, Will is pretty compliant but it's always nice to get on him before the show at least once.

So I headed out to Lonesome Dove Training Center two days in a row and worked myself into extreme muscle soreness. Felt good, though, plus we had beautiful weather on Sunday so it was pure joy to be outside in the sunshine working a horse and lathering up a sweat (PS: I'm just now not sore from riding last weekend...hopefully this show doesn't put me out of commission like it did last year :).

And then, of course, we mustn't forget the hiking. Through the woods, across the fields, down to the river, away we went – Zada, Tesa and me. Although I used to be an avid runner when I was younger and shunned merely "walking" anywhere at any cost, it is now my mode of refreshing my mind and getting rid of stress.

It's not merely the physical exercise I get, or even the beautiful nature I see...it's also the pure joy on those dogs' faces and in their bouncy gait – they absolutely LOVE being out and about and traveling with their humans. They're my constant companions on my walks when I'm back home and they're always ready to head out with me for a couple hours' hike.

When we get back to the house, they'll keep their energy level up, but like any over-tired kid, once they're brought into the house they conk out for a nice, long, well-deserved nap :)


Also while I was home I chatted quite a bit with Madge...and I asked if I could take some pictures of Callie, her rambunctious black lab. At first I had quite the time trying to get her to sit still, but then with the aid of a simple, soggy tennis ball I captivated her enough to get some quick snapshots.

She's so beautiful with her silky black coat and her bright eyes...but of course photographing black dogs is a bit tricky – you want to be able to see definition in their bodies and make sure their eyes stand out, but you also don't want them to end up looking blue, as is the wont of many black dogs in photographs.

For an impromptu half-hour photo shoot, I think Callie did very well and showed us what a pretty girl she is :) Get a sneak peek at more from her photo session here.

 I'll probably need to head up again at some point this spring to help Mom with the rest of the books – we didn't get done but we made a big dent in that nook – and by the time I can get there again the dock will most likely be out, and it'll be warmer yet. Regardless, it's always a great time up at the Bernier Ranch & Spa!

PageBizz Guilty of Photo Copyright Infringement

An Open letter to PageBizz.com

After the Mötley Crüe concert in Las Vegas in February, I uploaded a set to my Flickr account of the Crüe photos I took that weekend (taken with my trusty point-and-shoot. Just a little POS camera, Nikki Sixx. No worries).

I've recently begun throwing my Snapshots By Sarah watermark onto my uploaded photos, since, well, I want credit where it's due. However, I hadn't done that (yet) to the photos I uploaded to Flickr. I didn't think I needed to.

Boy, was I wrong.

Turns out that the privacy default setting on a Flickr Pro account is "your original files are available for download." That's another story, but it's directly responsible for the real issue here:

PageBizz Is Using My Photo on Their Website...without Permission

While dealing with a somewhat-related issue of someone using my photos, I visited pagebizz.com's home page, and WHAM! I see one of my images within the rotating banner:

Yup, that's MY photo. Don't believe me? See it here within my Mötley Crüe Flickr set (obviously that's the replacement of the original upload...even after changing my settings I was paranoid enough to re-upload all the Crüe photos with watermarks). And it's being used without my permission. Without my knowledge, even, until this morning.

Theft & Copyright Infringement

Can you say "copyright infringement?" One of my friends even asked, "aren't you kinda flattered they're (pagebizz) using your photo?" Well, sort of...but not enough to outweigh the anger I feel at the utter lack of respect and blatant disregard for my artistic rights! Plus, let's be honest...who's ever heard of pagebizz before now?

If they had stolen – for that's what this is, downright theft – and used an image with my watermarked logo on it instead, I'd at least be getting the credit for the shot (although that would STILL be photography copyright infringement), but no, they went right into my Flickr account and illegally used something of mine without even offering up a photo credit.

I was recently in a debate with someone about this very thing – in regards to Pinterest and whether or not Pinning photos (watermarked or not) is copyright infringement – and my stance was, "if you put it online, you have to come to terms with the fact that someone, SOMEWHERE, will illegally use your photography*. But, you're putting it there in the first place."

First of all, define "irony." Because, really, how could I have ever expected that would happen to me (especially so soon after getting into said debate)? Second of all, anyone want a helping of my huge plate of crow?

And, let me also say to this "social network site," as PageBizz.com proclaims to be, you MIGHT want to be more active on social media. 'Cause I tweeted about this at 10am CST on April 5 and still have yet to hear anything but crickets from @pagebizzcom. I also emailed them shortly after my Tweet and – again – nothing. Tick tock, tick tock**.

*Let it be known that I do not think pinning photos on Pinterest is illegal. In fact, Pinterest – in my opinion – is just a prettier version of Google Images (and of course boards/collections are determined by users instead of a search engine). But that's another discussion.

**See new developments on this issue here.

Snapshot of My Week

I don't have time to write much right now, since my tea is rapidly cooling and I have yet to lie down on the couch and watch TGWTDT. Yes, I know...I'm behind the times -- not only did I NOT see it in the theater, I didn't watch it the first day it came out on disc, either. Tsk.

Anyway, here's a quick snapshot of what I did this week:

1. Shot some new stuff (photography-wise).
2. Cleaned the house.
3. Took more pictures of Z.
4. Enjoyed the abnormal March Minnesota weather.
5. Optimized some websites.
6. Went out to eat with The Hubby.
7. Created a new PPC account.
8. Hung out with Mom.
9. Paid bills.
10. Chatted a LOT with Mom.
11. Ran some errands.
12. Got Olive an oil change.
13. Went out to eat with The Neighbors (owners of Coyote Bait on a Stick).
14. Decided I'll do nothing more this evening than watch The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (my to-do list will still be there tomorrow).

So that's about it. 

Oh, except for numerous walks and stick-throwing sessions with my ever-present companion, Z :) 

Coyote Bait on a Stick

(AKA "Gus")

But first, a little background...

Last summer the neighbors – the ones who give me drinks (like the oh-so-yummy smoretini) – got a dog. Correction, they SAVED a dog. You know, one of those rescue-type deals where everyone feels warm and fuzzy inside for not having purchased their canine companion from a nasty breeder (like I did).


So this snotty little Mister Warm & Fuzzy came into the neighborhood. No, for real, he was snotty – he had rabies or something. Just kidding, it was kennel cough. Either way, he was quarantined for a while. Anyway, so he's a black cairn terrier mix. You know, like Toto! Oh, and guess what? That was his name.




Well, of course most NORMAL people (read: more creative than neanderthals) don't appreciate dog names that are cliché. So the neighbors – let's call them "Dick and Jane" – decided to rename him "Gus." Because, honestly, who doesn't love a little shaggy dog with an old man's name?

(I forget what "Gus" is short for...I think originally it was August but they changed that. For some reason I find myself listening to Loreena McKennitt while I write so it has to do with something Scottish...)

I think Zada assumed he – Gus – would be just like our other small-dog neighbor (Hoy) who's scared of bigger dogs. Not so...this newcomer small dog has SASS. And proverbial balls the size of Kansas. He sees Z running towards him – a 70-pound bundle of lean muscle, sinew and wolf-like stance – and what does he do? Why, stands his ground and jumps up on her to say "hello!" when she gets close, of course!


Needless to say, she was a bit stymied. But, since that first meeting they've become fast friends...our "yappy hours" are now somewhat daily occurrences and I know both dogs love running around together. Z (ever the Fetching Queen) gets a little frustrated when Gus (a normal terror...I mean, terrier) doesn't play by the rules and steals her ball or stick and won't bring it back.

He's so concerned with the having of and the CHEWING of the stick that when I've tried to get it away from him he'll hang onto it even if I lift it into the air...dangling, suspended from only his teeth by a death grip that could put a bulldog to shame. (Pssssst: that's the "on-a-stick reference :) Also, when Z's running around with HER stick, Gus will invariably launch himself at it and in spite of her spinning efforts will acquire the tip of it and wind up chewing vigorously on his end while she resigns herself to holding it at perfect terror – I mean terrier – height for him.

Okay. So on to the meat and potatoes of this random story: Gus has become coyote bait. Literally.


What? We live in St. Paul, Minnesota. "How on EARTH could a cairn terrier mix come into contact with a coyote?" you ask. Simple. It's Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom behind Dick and Jane's town home (they have The Corner Lot next to The Woods). They've got it all: squirrels, song birds of all varieties, rabbits, ducks, deer, turkeys and recently...a coyote.

No lie. This coyote has been sighted by several people in our town home complex...but never before (since I've lived here, anyway) has the Canis latrans been spotted so frequently or so CLOSE to Dick and Jane's house as in the past couple of months.

Last week I was getting ready to go to work and Zada barked – yes, barked! – out the window. I assumed Gus was out and she wanted to join him, but nevertheless I looked out the window and to my utter surprise saw a coyote standing plain as day on the edge of the woods across the road. Right THERE. In broad daylight.


It seems our very own Wile E. has formed some sort of hunting ground/territory that encompasses our small patch of St. Paul and he likes to make his daily rounds. Of course, now that Dick and Jane have Gus this poses somewhat of a problem. Kind of like a fast-food problem.

See, they like to tie Gus outside on his tie-out so he can partake of the outdoors and get some fresh air. Nowadays this is sort of worrisome to them since, you know, there's a coyote around and according to Wikipedia (the source of all knowledge): "Urban populations of coyotes have been known to actively hunt cats, and to leap shorter fences to take small dogs. In particularly bold urban packs, coyotes have also been reported to shadow human joggers or larger dogs, and even to take small dogs while the dog is still on a leash."

Yikes.

So they've been keeping a close eye on Gussy while he's staked out but this evening at yappy hour Jane told me a scary story. This morning while Gus was tied out, Jane heard him barking. Not his normal, happy-go-lucky yapping, either. She said this was a "warning bark." She rushed to the patio door and saw her little Toto – sorry, GUS – standing at the edge of their patio, barking madly at a coyote that was less than 20 feet away. Not only was said coyote that close; he was slouching in for a little snack...Gus.

My brave Roadrunner whipped open the patio door and clapped her hands frantically, which sent Wile E. shooting off into the cover of the woods...Gus was safe.

Scarily, this is a real threat to little Gussy (aka Coyote Bait on a Stick). I'm not a small-dog person but damn, he is CUTE and he's so chock-full of attitude and energy you have to love him. When I told the story to Clint, he said maybe Dick and Jane should call someone about "re-locating" the coyote. I think he's right. At this point, it's not cool to see a wild canine that close...namely when it's stalking your pooch. Plus, we don't really want to put our names on the waiting list at the Great Minnesota Get-Together for a new creation.

Seriously, and all jesting aside, I think it's time for Mr. Coyote to find a new home. I mean, how can I stand thinking my favorite furry neighbor could come to harm???

Antiquing in St. Paul

Had another fun day antiquing with The Girls this afternoon. We started off with lunch at The Liffey (fried fish and pickles, beef sliders, sammich, maybe some drinks) and then made our way down 7th Street to a few shops.

We started at Wescott's and then moseyed across the street to Grandma's. We couldn't go into John's because they closed at 2:45. Not 2:30 and not 3:00, but 2:45. On a Saturday. Weird.

Since I was the only one who didn't really NEED anything, it stands to reason I was the only one who purchased anything. Naturally.

I did have a list of things I'd keep an eye out for...nothing too big, but just some stuff I've been thinking I could use. Mason jars, old horse bits, organizational items, antique cameras were all on the list.

While I came across a couple of old accordion cameras – for cheaper than I've ever seen them, no less – I wasn't truly enamored with either of them so in spite of the low price tags I didn't end up with either. Couldn't find any horse bits but ran across a LOT of rusty horseshoes for sale. Funny, since Mom and Dad have a ton at home they could evidently be selling.

Got some cool, old boxes for organization – including a little Coca-Cola box – and even a set of three mason jars for good prices (it's amazing how location has such an impact on pricing, even for antiques).



I also found a couple of old crocks. I'll use one as a water dish for Zada – I think crocks make great dog dishes – and while it's a different color than her food bowl, it's the same style and the perfect size. The other holds pens, pencils, scissors and the like on my desk.




I've been toying with the idea of making some sort of "craft" necklace – a long chain with some keepsake-y type things on it. To that end I bought an old skeleton key and some random museum token with a hole in it. We'll see how that pans out.



They weren't on The List, but I did pick up a couple of old books, too: Wuthering Heights and Gone With The Wind. I love books in general and antique books are even better.


Then comes the pièce de résistance: the one thing I didn't need nor intend to buy but just had, HAD to have.


Another trunk.

Yes, I realize I've already purchased an antique steamer trunk...and my plan of using this uber-cool, authentic trunk as a coffee table in a place of honor in the living room backfired when I realized how AWFULLY the thing reeked of mothballs. I think Clint still hates it (although almost 2 years later it's finally not smelly anymore...at least, not 'til you open the lid).

This "new" trunk is an immigrant trunk (from the late 1800s) that's entirely hand-made: from the wood down to the hand-forged "nails" and hinges. It's super-cool. Even Clint likes it (plus it doesn't smell :). Oh, and the only reason I was looking at trunks in the first place was because one of The Girls is looking for a trunk to use as a coffee table. Turns out she didn't quite like this one so I snapped it up :)

Where did I find this treasure? On the corner of Selby and Fairview in St. Paul. Bought it from Terry (good guy  – funny). He says he bought two of them at the same time and the "twin" of mine was painted and dated 1865. While this one doesn't have any dating or writing that we can find, he says it's exactly the same as the other...hence we assume 1800s. Either way, it's really old, totally hand-made and oh-so-cool.


While Clint's not hyper about me bringing home a bunch of stuff from antiquing, we both sat and ogled the thing for about half an hour. Plus, you can only open it by using the ginormous skeleton key so that's cool.

All in all, a great day of shopping for antiques in St. Paul, Minnesota!

My New Vacuum Really Sucks

Recently I kind of busted our vacuum cleaner. It was one of those bulky, heavy vacuums and it didn't have anywhere to carry it except for the actual push handle itself. So, it broke. Truth be told I was secretly glad since the thing was a pain to haul around and it hurt my back to use it.

Luckily, we had a back-up. It was much lighter and easier to use – although still bulky – but it had about half the sucking power of the old vacuum...which means it didn't really do much at all.

'Twas time to get a new one. After asking for recommendations from friends and randoms in the Twitterscape and on Facebook, everyone seemed dead set on me buying a Dyson. After reading reviews and various information, it seemed that yes, Dysons were powerful vacuums and everyone who had one would never, ever own another kind.

Problem is, the best reviews for these vacuums were for the version that costs $600.00. While I'm sure it's the Cadillac of vacuums, let's be honest – there's no way I was ready to fork over that kind of money for a vacuum.

On my way into Target to peruse the selection, I happened to be on the phone with my sister, who just happened to have purchased a new vacuum two months ago...she'd had her husband do the research, and the guy's thorough. He looked for the Dyson "comparables" and came up with The Shark. She was adamant: this vacuum sucked. Like, literally, it sucked up EVERYTHING in its path.

Plus, it was only $170.00. Sold.

So I brought home my new, little Shark, put it together and started vacuuming. And entered a whole new world of housecleaning.

First of all, it's lightweight (only 18 pounds). While at first I was taken aback by the small vacuuming surface (about 12 inches), I quickly realized how handy it is – I can get around, underneath and closer to the base of couches and chairs than I could with either of my two big, lunky vacuums. Also, there's no need to switch the "level" of the vacuum for different types of carpeting/flooring! No bending over and making sure the vacuum is in its locked and upright position while struggling to get the perfect height to vacuum.

There's a setting on the On/Off switch for bare floors, and one for carpeting. That's it. Having trouble pushing the vacuum over your shag area rug? No problem! On the handle there's a "suction release" valve that lessens the suction for easier movement across thicker pile (which, by the way, I don't even need to use over my shag area rug).

Also, in the "carpeting" mode (with the brushes engaged) the vacuum sort of pulls itself forward, so all you have to do is pull it back.

Easy.

Okay. So it's put together and I'm excited about how easy it is. Then I vacuumed the entire house. And emptied the canister THREE TIMES. Now, it's not a HUGE canister but it holds a LOT of hair and dirt.

Here's the kicker, though...the next day I actually cleaned the entire house (dusted, vacuumed, the whole works) and after dusting I vacuumed again – this time with chairs up and really getting into corners, etc. – and I had a full canister after just the upstairs. AGAIN. After having vacuumed the DAY BEFORE.

Now, my German shepherd – correction, German SHEDDER – sheds constantly. This I know. But to have THAT MUCH hair in my carpet that I didn't even know about...YEESH. No wonder my allergies have been so bad in this house (the Minneapolis house has hardwood floors).

After vacuuming the downstairs, I had ¾ of a canister...yikes. I was at once disgusted and ecstatic. What a vacuum! Then I detached the canister and used it to vacuum the stairs – super-easy! – and finally got the deep clean I needed (my little Dirt Devil is easy to use but it doesn't have the suction of The Shark!).

I've vacuumed twice more since then, and each time my carpets look like they were just professionally cleaned. I'm in love.

Thank you, Shark, for sucking so much :)

If You're a Dog Owner, You're a Dog Trainer

I'm a dog trainer.

Sounds cocky, doesn't it? Well, I am a dog trainer because I'm a dog owner. That's right: if you own a dog, you're a trainer. WHAT you're training might not be the "right" thing, but you ARE training. Always.

When you get home after a day of work, if the first thing you do is excitedly greet your dog using a high-pitched voice, frenziedly petting him, you're training that dog "when my owner gets home, I'm to get immediately riled up!"

If you give your dog a treat every time you go into the kitchen, that dog will start LIVING in that room (or following you around hoping for your feet to carry you into that magical place).

Pretty simple stuff.

I've heard dog owners tell me, "well, I HAVE to play with her or she won't leave me alone." What? Really? Who's training whom here?

I might not be a professional trainer, but I do know obedience is obedience and the key to having a well-behaved dog is consistency and clear communication.

Since we humans don't speak the same language as dogs, it's important to have a good way to communicate to them when they've done something right. I've found the most effective method of training is the clicker – and before you roll your eyes and say, "that doesn't work," remember back to whether or not you've ever met my dog.

OH, right. The well-behaved German shepherd (yeah, she's not perfect in every aspect, but she IS a good dog). I trained her – correction, I TRAIN her – with clicker training. That's really just a "junk term" for operant conditioning, but for the sake of argument let's just call it clicker training.

If you know how to modify behavior by communicating with your dog via clicker, you can train anything the dog is physically capable of doing. Literally. Anything from teaching a dog to sit to teaching her to stand on a ball are within your grasp with this simple training – and communication – method.

And why use a clicker, you ask? Why can't you just mark the dog's behavior with some word of your choosing? Well, you certainly can – but dogs trained with clickers as markers learn much more quickly than dogs trained with voice markers. Why? Because our voices vary in pitch, tone, volume, etc. while the clicker is a consistent sound.

How do you begin? Well, first, you have to have a dog, a clicker and some form of "treat" the dog really loves (this can be anything from actual treats to a favorite toy to scratching a good spot; it depends on the dog). Then, once you've charged the clicker (i.e., taught the dog what it means), you can have at it.

Happy training :)

House for Sale in North Minneapolis

My cute little house is for sale on Russell Avenue in Minneapolis again. The price has dropped but you'd better hurry – there's a showing this afternoon and I'm feeling lucky. This charming, well-built little number has cute curb appeal and is move-in ready.

Quaint 1920s Minneapolis House for Sale:

• 3 bedrooms
• 2 bathrooms
• 1½ story
• ~1,050 finished square feet
• Original hardwood floors
• New roof
• Eat-in kitchen
• Stainless steel appliances
• Unfinished basement with laundry & plenty of storage
• Spacious, light front porch
• Back mud porch
• Fenced-in yard
• Detached, one-car garage
• 10 minutes from Uptown / Downtown
• Central/forced air

Great for a single person, a couple or even a small family, this single family home is conveniently located near bus stops, a gas station and only five blocks from Victory Memorial Parkway – a perfect place to stroll.



Relax on the sunny front porch in the mornings with a cup of coffee or hang out on the backyard patio in the shade of the old oak tree on a summer evening.



The main floor has a nice, bright living room with two bedrooms separated by a full bath.

The eat-in kitchen has plenty of cabinets and a big pantry for storage.




Upstairs, there's room for a home office or craft area that leads into a big, carpeted bedroom with its own full bath.

 The basement, while unfinished, is spacious and light (several small windows line the perimeter), with plenty of storage space and a big laundry area that boasts a washer, dryer, laundry tub and cabinet.

This space is ready to be finished, with drain tiles and sump pump already installed – no fear of flooding or dampness!

If you're interested in seeing this little jewel in person, please contact my real estate agent for a showing.

Once inside I know you'll find it as homey and warm as I do :)

My Kozies Shepherd Has Hip Dysplasia

I know I said I wouldn't waste any more time thinking and opining about Mark Kozitza down in Mankato, MN, but since Zada's health has taken a turn for the worse I feel inclined to dissuade other German shepherd lovers from falling prey to this backyard breeder like I did.

While I live in St. Paul – in a town home, no less – and Zada is a "city dog," I have her out for 1½ to 2 hours of exercise per day. I have her off-leash quite a bit so she can run; I'm constantly playing fetch with her (she never tires of chasing sticks or balls); we go for daily long walks around the neighborhood and I walk fast (she trots the entire time); and I also work her physically/mentally by down-staying her and hiding her stick or throwing it into the woods and releasing her to "find it" (she absolutely LOVES this game).

Long story short: she's in great shape. You can see her muscle definition through her fur, which for a longer-haired dog is pretty impressive. I keep her lean and she's never been over-weight.

She's Lame...Again

In spite of all that, she came up lame a few days ago – this time on a hind leg (she's had chronic problems on her left front for years). Since the only weakness she's ever shown on a hind leg has been attributed to her luxating patella, I assumed this was the same thing. I took her to the vet clinic and the veterinarian said she didn't think this limp was due to any problems with Zada's knees and suggested I get x-rays. Of course I said to go ahead, even though it was late evening and I didn't want her to be groggy for the rest of the night (turns out they didn't even have to sedate her...my good girl :)

I wasn't prepared for the news that came back: my European-line German shepherd has hip dysplasia. Not only that, she also has arthritic changes on two of her vertebrae: lumber 7 (L7) and her sacrum. The vet said the spinal arthritis was more concerning than the hip dysplasia, since it will not only get worse over time (same as the hip dysplasia), but could end up impinging on nerves and could cause permanent damage.

If You Don't Want a GSD with Hip Dysplasia or Arthritis, Don't Buy From Kozies Shepherds

I was devastated. Zada's only five years old and already I was thinking of the years to come of playing fetch, horseback riding through the woods with her at my side, hiking for hours and how that would affect my poor girl's hips and spine.

For someone who purports to breed German shepherds of European working lines that have good genetics and are "structurally sound," Mark Kozitza sure struck out with this breeding. I've heard from a few other people who own Kozies shepherds and between the four of us our dogs have quite the list of afflictions.

Known Health Problems of Kozies Shepherds

• hip dysplasia
• spinal arthritis (transitional vertebra)
• EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency)
• aggression towards children
• luxating patellas
• dog-dog aggression
• limping on a front leg after exercise
• bad teeth

I've noticed that Zada's dam (also the dam of two of the other dogs I'm mentioning above) has been completely taken off the breeder's website. One of the other dog owners (who has a female half-sister to Zada) told me that Zada's sire was supposed to be the father of his female but at the last minute Kozitza changed the breeding. When I asked if he knew why, this dog owner told me "because the dog went sterile."

This is obviously hearsay but it seems like too much of a coincidence for me – plus I have the vet bills to prove the bad breeding practices of Kozies. If anyone wants to see Zada's x-rays, I'd be happy to share.

All of Zada's temperament issues aside – which can result from genetics AND environment, I know that – these problems (especially hip dysplasia) are solely a product of poor breeding. There's nothing I could've done to prevent this other than NOT get my German shepherd from Kozies shepherds. Period.

Dog-sitting Miss Tesa

While Mom and Dad spend the month in sunny Puerto Vallarta, their golden retriever gets to stay with us here in the cities. Being a country girl, Tesa is used to being outside all day, running hither and thither and doing, well, pretty much whatever she wants.

Here in St. Paul, we don't have a yard so the only time she gets to go out is under supervision. I do have Zada out every day for a couple of hours, and she's used to a mostly-indoor life...but when Tesa's here I feel bad that she can't be outside more often like she is back home.

However, I've put my guilt aside and realized she's just fine...as evidenced by the amount of sleeping (and snoring) she's done while staying here.

Me thinks this is the face of a content pooch. Well, except she was waiting for me to stop snapping so she could get on with her nap :)

Homemade Wooden Dollhouse

Now that Dad's partially retired he's finally got some time to work in his shop. Since the beginning of the year – when his schedule changed – he has worked at his sawmill, chopped and stacked plenty of firewood, built a shelter out in the woods for the grand kids to go hang out in during the summer, and made numerous smaller items.



He hand-made several beautiful boxes out of various types of wood (I stole one of those) and he even put together a surprise for The Girls when we were all there in January: a wooden dollhouse.



While it's only made out of wood scraps, he put a lot of work into making it...even taking the time to carve out a window in the front door and several pieces of tiny dollhouse furniture.



This dollhouse rocks: it's got a hinged roof for easy access, two windows, a kitchen, dining area, and even a loft ("that's for the kids," says Dad).




And of course, we can't forget the furniture...he even added small details that I'm surprised his man fingers could handle. He made a cute little table and chairs, put burners on the stove (my favorite!), carved out drawers on the dresser, drew cabinet doors on the tiny hutch, and even gave the beds little wooden pillows!


Dad really enjoyed making this dollhouse, and The Girls absolutely L-O-V-E-D it. They played with it constantly the entire weekend. I think Dad even plans to add to it, saying the front window ledge needs some flower pots :)



So see? You don't have to head to a department store and buy an expensive dollhouse; you can make one yourself they'll love just as much – if not more – because of all the love put into the details.

I'd like to give a shout-out to Dad, our very own handy-man, for making this homemade wooden dollhouse. Wonder what he'll make next???