Anne’s Neighborhood

As far anyone who respects animals is concerned, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin could not be more different...

Really, this isn't a political blog despite my recent silliness. In fact, I'm just waiting for enough daylight so I can go for a long bike ride. You know what's the toughest aspect about cycling long distance? Da' BUTT. My legs are fine, my lungs are fine, my head is as good as it's gonna get, but holy cow does my butt ever get sore on a bike! I'm trying out another seat on this ride that I swapped from my old bike to see if that helps.

Seriously though, did you really want to hear about my butt or about the VP candidates? Just like Bush claiming that global warming - something I was cognizant of in 1989 when I was 13 - is a myth, Palin believes that polar bears are not endangered. Why? Because she wants hunters to be able to shoot them from airplanes. Any middle school kid could tell you that when an animal depends on the icepack for survival and the north pole was actually liquid this summer, that species is in trouble. So let's put the polar bears out of their misery, eh? And let's kill some wolves, too, while we're at it.

Biden, on the other hand, has tried to keep misery away from the polar regions, specifically the annual harp seal massacre. Until I read this detailed VP comparision from the HSUS (a blog worth subscribing well worth subscribing to) I hadn't realized the extent of how different two polititians could be regarding animal welfare. Except for Mike Huckabee thinking it was OK for his son to torture a dog to death...

Time to go trade one pain in the butt for another! ;)

This political season is driving me nuts. Obama is popular and voters apparently think this is a problem, McCain is using a negative campaign to accuse Obama of being too negative, Clinton behaves as if she can still get nominated, and the best political ad so far was created by Paris Hilton.

McCain is somehow still afloat on his platform, firing his shots from a rusting hulk sailing under the name "Fear Terrorism!" scrawled in peeling paint on the stern. It's a sitting duck, you'd think, except that Obama seems to feel that it wouldn't be sporting to return fire and sink the old boat.

So while I wait for Obama's campaign to find their balls (cannon balls, of course...) I thought I'd make a Hilton-esque attempt at whimsical political commentary by bringing "A Princess Bride" into the modern political era.

The Cast
Barack Obama as Westley
John McCain as Vizzini
Hillary Clinton as Buttercup
George W. Bush as Prince Humperdinck
Dick Cheney as Count Rugen (aka The Six-Fingered Man)
Al Gore as Inigo Montoya
and...
Bill Clinton as Fezzik

[note: the quotes were pasted from IMDB and modified as shown via strikeouts]

Scene 1 - earlier this spring at DNC headquarters
Buttercup: Farm Harvard boy, polish my horse's saddle image. I want to see my face shining in it on TV by morning.
Westley: As you wish Not a chance.
Buttercup: Farm Harvard boy, fill these with water money - please.
Westley:  As you wish Not a chance.
Buttercup: Farm Harvard boy... fetch me that pitcher nomination.
Westley:  As you wish Not a chance.

Scene 2 - Flashback: early 2001 in Florida
Count Rugen: You've got an overdeveloped sense of vengeance environmental responsibility. It's going to get you into trouble someday. [Rugen draws his sword and lunges at Inigo]
Inigo Montoya: Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father rigged my election. Prepare to die.
Count Rugen: Stop saying that!
Inigo Montoya: [Louder] Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya! You killed my father rigged my election! Prepare to die!
Count Rugen: [Rugen gets his sword knocked away and Inigo slices his cheek] No!
Inigo Montoya: Offer me money a Nobel Prize.
Count Rugen: Yes.
Inigo Montoya: Power Academy Awards, too, promise that! [he slices Rugen's other cheek]
Count Rugen: All that I have and more. Please.
Inigo Montoya: Offer me everything I ask for.
Count Rugen: Anything you want.
Inigo Montoya: I want my father political career back you son of a bitch.

Scene 3 - Flashback: early 2002 in Texas
Prince Humperdinck: Once Guilder Iraq is blamed, the nation will truly be outraged - they'll demand we go to war.
Count Rugen: [snickers, then examines a huge tree oil company] Now where is that secret knot government contract? It's impossible to find...
[he finds it and the tree oil company opens to reveal a hidden passage treasure vault]
Count Rugen: Ah. Are you coming down into the pit to Gitmo? Wesley's A human held without due process got his strength back. I'm starting him on the machine waterboard tonight.
Prince Humperdinck: [sincerely] Tyrone Dick, you know how much I love watching you work, but I've got my country's 500th anniversary 5000th military funeral to plan, my wedding judicial system to arrange, my wife economy to murder and Guilder Iraq to frame for it; I'm swamped.
Count Rugen: Get some rest. If you haven't got your health, then you haven't got anything shouldn't go hunting with me. 

Scene 4 - present day in Denver
Buttercup: We'll never succeed. We may as well die here.
Westley: No, no. We have already succeeded. I mean, what are the three terrors of the Fire Swamp Election Campaign? One, the flame spurt recession - no problem. There's a popping sound preceding each; we can avoid that. Two, the lightning sand sex scandal, which you were Edwards was clever enough to discover what that looks like, so in the future we can avoid that too.
Buttercup: Westley, what about the R.O.U.S.'s?
Westley: Rodents Republicans Of Unusual Size Sincerity? I don't think they exist.

Intermission
Fezzik: Anybody want a peanut?

Inigo Montoya: You know Fezzik, you finally did something right.
Fezzik: Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head.

Scene 5 - summer 2008 town hall meeting
Vizzini: I can't compete with you physically, and you're no match for my brains.
Westley: You're that smart?
Vizzini: Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato Public Schools, Aristotle Artists, Socrates Scientists?
Westley: Yes.
Vizzini: Morons.

Westley: I challenge you to a battle of wits.
Vizzini: For the Princess Presidency?
Westley: [nods]
Vizzini: To the death?
Westley: [nods]
Vizzini: I accept!

Scene 6 - fall 2008 presidential debates
Westley: All right. Where is the poison fear for America? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink make a stand, and find out who is right elected... and who is dead.
Vizzini: But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison fear into his own goblet country or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison fear into his own goblet country, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given optimism. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine plan in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine plan in front of me.
Westley: You've made your decision then?
Vizzini: Not remotely. Because iocane uranium comes from Australia Iran, as everyone knows, and Australia Iran is entirely peopled with criminals terrorists, and criminals terrorists are used to having people not trust them, as you our allies are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the wine plan in front of you. 
Westley: Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
Vizzini: Wait 'til I get going! Now, where was I?
Westley: Australia Iran.
Vizzini: Yes, Australia Iran. And you must have suspected I would have known the powder's terrorists' origin, so I can clearly not choose the wine plan in front of me.
Westley: You're just stalling now the economy.
Vizzini: You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? You've beaten my giant big corporate backers, which means you're exceptionally strong, so you could've put the poison fear in your own goblet country, trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the wine plan in front of you. But, you've also bested my Spaniard conservative moderates, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would have put the poison fear as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine plan in front of me.
Westley: You're trying to trick me us into giving away something our freedom. It won't work.
Vizzini: IT HAS WORKED! YOU'VE GIVEN EVERYTHING AWAY! I KNOW WHERE THE POISON FEAR IS!
Westley: Then make your choice.
Vizzini: I will, and I choose - What in the world can that be?
Vizzini: [Vizzini gestures up and away from the table truth. Westley looks. Vizzini swaps the goblet science with rhetoric]
Westley: What? Where? I don't see anything.
Vizzini: Well, I- I could have sworn I saw something. No matter. First, let's drink make our stand. Me from my glass position, and you from yours.
Westley, Vizzini: [they drink]
Westley: You guessed wrong.
Vizzini: You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched glasses promises when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia the Middle East, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian Republican when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha...
Vizzini: [Vizzini stops suddenly, and falls dead to the right]
Buttercup: And to think, all that time it was your cup my campaign that was poisoned.
Westley: They were both poisoned. I spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocane powder politics of fear.

Epilogue - November 2008 in Arizona
Vizzini: INCONCEIVABLE.

Some of this is accurate but I don't agree with some parts. 

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

NBPC - The Daydreamer

                       

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Michael Phelps is the new "Mike" and one of my favorite moments was his interview aired this morning on NBC when they asked Phelps about his plans. He said "I miss my dog! I want to go home and see my dog."

While Phelps has a good excuse for not seeing his dog, I don't have a good one for not writing. I've been in a prolonged writer's block in a way - not for a lack of ideas and topics as I have several half-written articles laying around, but in the evening when I have the most time to write, I have the least energy to do so. I can't figure out why, but one possibility is a lack of running has messed with my energy/metabolism/something in my system?

Anyway, for those who are curious, a chronological rundown of some highlights lately:

• 23 July - My last run; since then have only skated twice and cycled twice.
• 26-27 July - Along with Amanda, my parents, my uncle, and my cousins and aunt, we helped said aunt build her new deck. Two long days in clear-sky sun were pretty tiring and somehow my hamstring got sore doing this work, which prompted the break from running.
• 02 August - Amanda and I watched some of the Ada Criterium inbetween reorganizing the Critter Cottage. We moved literally 1-2 tons of food plus shelving, etc. That evening we drove to Kalamazoo to attend a party with one of Amanda's friends.
• 03 August - Amanda's parents drove out to help us finish up at the Critter Cottage, which looks amazing now that we've taken lots of products off of the floor and put them up onto the walls.
• 04 August - We took Haven and Beacon to the beach on Lake Michigan and had a blast. The dogs tried out our new Ruff Wear float coat and the liked how it keeps their head a bit higher above the water, especially with all the big waves. Haven joined me on the ankle-deep sandbar about 70 yards out and I learned that I'm no Michael Phelps - I raced Haven back to shore and she kept up with my freestyle!
• 12-13 August - Two all-day off-site meetings for my new project at work, which looks like it will be a lot of fun.
• 13 August - Attended a city council public work session with 50 other residents for a highly contentious issue about money, of course. When it was clear that nobody was moving towards a resolution I spontaneously stepped to the podium... Apparently I rambled a bit in my speech but it seemed to help everyone refocus and someone even suggested I run for city coucil!
• 15 August - Went inline skating with Haven! Using a new Ruff Wear roamer leash helped and Haven loved the fast running, but boy did she ever get tired! We managed 4 miles at about 8 mph average so she's been resting this weekend.

We finally got in the right size Bark n Boots for the dogs.  Last night we tried them on.  They did a little better this time.  They weren't as freaked out but still didn't walk normally, especially at first.  But I still took a video.  It's grainy but you get the idea. 

 

Hopefully later this week or over the weekend we'll get them outside in the boots.  Maybe in the backyard fetching first to see how they do.  Then we'll go for a hike in the woods and hope we come back with two dogs and eight boots. 

Yesterday Andrew and I went with his parents to the John Ball Zoo.  It's a small, local zoo in Grand Rapids.  Andrew and I have been there once since we moved back to Michigan, but it was in the fall when many of the outdoor exhibits were closed and it was a few years ago. 

We met Andrew's cousin, Kayla, there.  She's in high school and she loves animals.  She has spent much of her summer volunteering at the Humane Society and the zoo.  She gave us a tour of the zoo pointing out her favorite animals. 

Andrew as well as my ILs have been to the zoo as kids since they all spent some time living in the area as kids.  Andrew told me that when he was a kid he had a plastic snake that he put in the boat that John Ball is holding while he was taking a picture. 

Along the way there was a volunteer holding a snake.  Andrew said that he'd pose on this saddle if I touched the snake.  I think I got the better end of the deal.  The snake wasn't that bad and I got a photo of Andrew. 

This wallaby has a pretty big joey in her pouch.  A back leg is sticking out over the head!   I wonder how comfortable it is in there when you're cramped. 

All of the Budgies liked Kayla's shoes.  There always seemed to be a bunch of them checking out the shoes.  She was the only one they were going to like that.  Although Andrew did have one on the camera case for a while. 

My favorite part was watching a cougar play with a Kong.  It was chewed, batted around, and chased.  It was nice that there was something to play with and entertain the two cats.  Andrew plans on writing something about this soon on our business blog.  You can see more photos from the zoo here if you're interested. 

  After we got back from the zoo we cut down a dead tree in our front yard.  It was a pretty busy weekend filled with lots of things.

Our weekends lately have been filled.  Things don't look like they're going to change either.  Last weekend we spent Saturday (Vicky worked at the store) and Sunday helping Andrew's aunt build a deck.  The weather was nice.  It was actually fun helping out, although I was beat by Sunday evening. 

It's not even August yet and the month is filled up with things we're doing or have to do.  Some remodeling at the store will happen this weekend.  I'm looking forward to moving things around and having a new look.  As of now it doesn't look like we'll be able to do what we had hoped but it will still look better than it is now.  I'm eager to get out some of our new products. 

We'll be heading  a couple hours south on Saturday to see some friends I worked with at the bank.  I left there eight years ago (and worked there for three).  I worked in commercial loans at a bank.  It was my first job out of college.  I started out as a loan processor and ended up as a manager.  I learned a lot there and am looking forward to seeing some old friends. 

On our way to the above mentioned gathering we're planning on stopping at a couple of pet supply stores that we think rival what we're doing.  We want to see what others have done.   There isn't anything like us too local, which is good I guess as far as competition goes. 

Andrew's cousin is getting married in August.  We have other things going on as well.  And we have to fit things in not knowing if one of us has to work at the store on Saturday.  Lately Vicky has been working Saturdays for us since she's here doing puppy adoptions.  This has been nice.  We've actually had some real weekends rather than just Sunday with both of us off.  And a VPC volunteer has been working Mondays from time to time so that I can have time off.  This too has been nice.  I've been able to get things done at home and not feel like I'm spending all of my time at the store or doing business things. 

The down side is that Vicky and Annette aren't paid employees.  So we don't ever know when they'll work for us.  We generally get a couple of days notice but it's rare (unless we schedule something) that there's a lot of notice.  So it's more of a challeng to plan things since we don't know when we'll be off or working. 

I'm sure I'll be complaining about cold weather and snow before I know it!

 

The dogs provided some laughs and entertainment last night.  We got some of our Ruff Wear stuff in yesterday.  I'm looking forward to getting it out on the floor.  There were some things that were back ordered so I'll have to place another order in a couple of weeks. 

One of the things we tried on our dogs were Bark n Boots.  They've never had boots on their feet.  It turns out that we need a different size for both of them but it was still entertaining. 

We started off with one foot for each dog.  They wondered what was going on, especially Haven who hates having things on her (and she already had endured a flotation vest a few minutes before the boots).   Neither of them wanted to put weight on the foot with the boot.  Then the other front foot took on a shoe.  They had to put weight on one of their shoed feet. 

We had them walk around with shoes on their front feet (Mini Naturals were handed out as incentive to move around).  They kept lifting their feet with the shoes on high off the ground.  At first they didn't want to move but eventually they gave in.  Finally the two back feet were fitted with shoes. 

When they walked around with all four feet booted up they looked like fawns trying to take their first steps.  Beacon adjusted sooner than Haven.  Neither were walking normally in the end but they were getting close.  Once we have the right size for both of them we'll try it again and take them out in a field (where if one falls off it'll be easier to find) to run around.  I'll have to take pictures and maybe a video.  Andrew and I were cracking up last night as the dogs were trying out the boots.  They were good sports about it. 

I suppose some folks can do that all at once, but for me that happens to be the average between the total "on foot" and total "on wheels" miles this year. Normally I'd never bother to look for such an average but right now, it happened to be obvious.

You see, my total running miles are 227.4 on the year. The total "wheeling" (biking and skating combined) miles are at 227.6 total. Yes it's a bit nerdy to be fascinated by this, but still, what are the odds?

Sadly, at this point last year I had run 715 miles... Injuries suck. On the bright side, though, I cycled only 229 miles for all of 2007 and from 1976-2007 I had inline skated zero miles. :)

Speaking of numbers and geekiness, about a month ago I was driving home from work and noticed that my car's odometer was at 73073 miles, and the temperature (displayed right below the odo) was 73 degrees! Earlier this week it was 74 degrees and guess what, the car's odometer read 74444.

Yep, I'm one of those people that can't help but to notice idiosyncrasies like that.

Andrew and I watched this show last night for the first time.  It seems as though reality TV has taken over the airwaves.   Since we don't have cable we don't have many options if we want to watch something in the evening, even if it's just background noise. 

I'd watch this show again if I don't have anything going on and I remember when it's on.  But it's not something I'd set the Tivo (ha - if we had one) up to record.  Poor Beacon and Andrew didn't have good representatives as their namesakes.  Beacon's a girl and Andrew is a frou frou dog with stuff in his hair. 

There were some dogs that we did like.   One reminded of us of foster dog Betty.  Another reminded us of our own Beacon.  There were also some annoying owners, which resulted in annoying dogs.  But I guess that's to be expected in a reality show. 

We commented on how well we thought our dogs would do at the various tasks.  In some cases our dogs would have buried the competition.  In other instances we could see Haven getting distracted or Beacon getting pissed off. 

If nothing else it's good to see a dog related show on network television.  Although it sucked that there were adds for crappy dog products.