The check is in the mail

Here it goes! My entry for Champs is finally going out. Nothing quite like putting it off as long as possible (well maybe not quite as long as possible, since entries close on August 1 or something like that).

How many entries are in that envelope, you ask?

Three.

Yup, I caved. I'm running all three. Secret's been running happier than ever lately -- never mind that it hasn't been at NADAC trials. I'm hoping that with only two runs per day she'll keep up the happy for four days. Ultimately it's going to come down to, "How fast can I run?" And that's why I'll keep pushing away at improving my fitness through the end of September. If I run, she will, too.  :o)

Holy heart attack for the amount of money in that envelope, though. Three entries and $50 in stall rental fees. It's worth it to have that stall, though. Last time I just let the three of them run loose in there the whole week and I brought a yoga mat so that I could lay down and rest between runs, too. Not only that, but this year it sounds like it's that or crate out of your car, so I didn't really have much choice in the matter. I know a lot of people will share stalls, but then you can't do all that stuff I just mentioned, and I think it's worth $50 for my dogs to not be in crates for four days.

I said I'd share when Kaiser's harness labels came in -- They actually arrived on Saturday, but obviously I've been a little preoccupied since then. I put the labels on his harness on Sunday, I think, but I didn't manage to set him up for a picture until tonight.

Personally, I think it is the most awesome harness in the world. He rocks it.

Little Miss Lucy is doing well! She looks like she's going to die in this picture because we just got done with her longest walk to date -- We did 2.6 miles in the heat tonight (around 90, I think), but she did better than she did last night when we put in 2 miles for her first time on the trail. Lucy isn't fat, but she isn't fit and there's a big difference between her stamina and that of my dogs! She's a trooper, though. I let her set the pace on the way back and the little squirt got her second wind and made me run more than I'd planned in this heat. lol

Lucy is helping with that fitness goal of mine by guilting me into taking the dogs for a walk in the morning before work. I feel bad that she sleeps in a crate all night and then spends all day in the crate as well. We've done about 1.5 miles the last two mornings before work and it's not so bad.

My dad has been stopping over to let Lucy outside at lunch so she's not holed up in a crate for 10+ hours. Somehow I don't think he finds it to be too much of a burden.  ;o)  He had to run down to Chicago tonight, though, so tomorrow I'm going to cruise home from La Crosse to let the little stinker out. I don't mind being late back to my all day meetings that are going on for three days straight...

Things are going better between the girls. I still watch them like a hawk and step in at the first hint of any sassing from either of them. It would be nice to let them play when they act like they want to, but I just don't want to risk it.

Lucy is figuring out the dog door on her own. I was kind of hoping she wouldn't... She already comes inside on her own, which means I now have to use the door lock to keep her outside when separating her and Secret. And OH! Just this very second she went outside on her own for the first time. Uh oh. This could be trouble. lol I kind of liked her not knowing how that worked.

I made Lucy's spay appointment today. We'll be going to the vet Monday afternoon for a wellness visit and all of her pre-op stuff, then she'll go in for surgery on Tuesday. Normally I'd put my foot down and say I'm bringing her home that night, but I'm kind of keen on the idea of them watching her all day Wednesday for me and picking her up after work... So I think that's what I'll do, because it's one less day of worrying about her.

I'm excited about our AKC trial this weekend! It will be Secret's first time in Open! I am a bit nervous about how Lucy will behave, though....