I'm Not Counting My Chickens, but...

You'll have to excuse my cliche here, but if there is one lesson I can say I have learned in life, it is that you should never count your chickens before they hatch. But that doesn't stop me from being incredibly excited about a possible career opportunity. I came across a website of an individual and small group personal training studio where they incorporate kinesis into each training session. If you are not familiar with this type of training, here is a small exerpt on kinesis:

Kinesis^TM is a European designed resistance system. It is a set of four unique modules with a patented continuous cable loop system that controls a single weight stack, allowing freedom of movement in any direction from any position with resistance, replicating real life movement. This type of training increases athletic performance, the ability to perform activities of everyday life and reduces risk of injury.

While I didn't have the kinesis training system in my own persoanl fitness studio, my traning style is consistent with the focus behind kinesis, and I feel confident in the potential this training facility holds. The owners along with their trainers, are highly accredited individuals, holding Masters Degrees in Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology; this is not the norm for a vast majority of training facilities. I sent in my resume over the weekend, received a phone call from the owner on Monday and we have a meeting set up for next Tuesday. I look forward to bringing my knowledge and experience to the table.

But before any of this can happen, I've got to finish packing so that I can get my toosh up to Idaho. Bye for now!

"Instead of thinking about where you are, think about where you want to be. It takes twenty years of hard work to become an overnight success." -Diana Rankin

Our New Addition

Cinderbelle and I have not left California quite yet. We'll be heading out to Idaho this Friday, but not without our newest addition to the family, Tank. He is 6 weeks old in this picture and will be 8 weeks when we pick him up. I decided I would get a brindle this time, this is the color bullmastiffs were originally bred to be. This color helped them to not be seen by poachers. If you would allow me to indulge myself for a minute, I'll give you a brief history of the bullmastiff.

Although it is said that the history of this breed is probably centuries old, the known history of the bullmastiff begins about the year 1860 in England. They were bred to help gamekeepers in protecting their game on large English estates. Poaching was an expensive problem for landowners, and it was the responsibility of the gamekeepers to catch these thieves. So, the gamekeepers needed a dog who could track quitely, cover short distances quickly, and then pin and hold the poachers without mauling them.

The bullmastiff is said to be "fearless and confident, yet docile, combining the reliability, intelligence and willingness to please. They are a dependable family companion and protector."

The bullmastiff was accepted as a recognized breed by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in October, 1933.

So, needless to say, I am so excited and can't wait to pick him up. He came from a litter of 8 gorgeous pups, but from the minute I walked in, I knew he was the one. It's hard to say why, but sometimes, I guess you just know it's right. And what better name is there for this guy, than Tank? Ok, so maybe I do know why I picked him, he is the biggest boy of his litter, just look at those paws!

"If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience." -Woodrow Wilson

Lunch with Friends & Saying Goodbye

Are you excited? Are you nervous? Are you scared?

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Mostly though, I am excited and curious to find out what life holds ahead. So the last week or so has been full of good-bye's. It's interesting how my best friends are friends that I don't see very often, even though we live but a few miles apart. And even though we can go months without seeing each other, somehow, it doesn't make saying goodbye any easier.

I also had a family "going away" party this weekend which was incredibly nice. And while I'm not sure they fully understand how I came to this decision, and are sad to see me go, my family has always been and remains to be 100% supportive in any decision I have ever made. They are excited for me and some are already making plans to come and visit, and that, my friends, makes me a happy girl! Although, I'm not sure whether it's me they are wanting to see, or the view from my backyard, but I couldn't really blame them, it's incredibly peaceful. And the best part about it is that the Boise River runs through my backyard, so all year long I am blessed with the sound of water just out my back door.

"In order that she may be able to give her hand with dignity, she must be able to stand alone." -Margaret Fuller

My Little Delight

"Life begins on the other side of despair." - Jean-Paul Sarte
And so enters Cinderbelle. After the loss of Bodacious, many people would ask, "so when are you going to get another dog?" I never had an answer for them. I really had no idea. I knew the opportunity would present itself when the time was right, but how long would I have to wait until "the time felt right?"

I was browsing down my favorite aisle of Shabby Chic furniture in a department store one day, when a nice lady began to ask my opinion on a dresser she was looking at. We began talking and the subject of dogs came up, shocking, I know. She reminded me a lot of my grandma with her caring spirit, and we ended up talking for about 30 minutes. It was through this conversation that I decided I would look into volunteering at the local SPCA. The idea was that spending some time with, and helping the shelter dogs, would in turn, help in healing my emotional wounds over Bodacious.

So the day came when I got the courage up to walk into the SPCA to inquire about volunteering. It had only been a month since his passing, and one thing I knew for sure was that I wasn't ready to take on another dog yet. They were quite busy at the front desk that day, and so I decided I would take a walk down the row of kennels to pass some time. Wouldn't you know that right in front of me sat a 4 yr old female bullmastiff. I wasn't sure why she had been surrendered, but I did know that I couldn't leave any bullmastiff in a shelter. If you are familiar at all with dogs, then you know that finding a bullmastiff at a shelter is like finding a needle in a haystack, it just doesn't happen.

Knowing that emotionally, I was not at all ready for a dog, I immediately walked up to the front desk and asked if she were still available for adoption. My heart sank at their response, "no, she has been adopted and will be going home with her new family tomorrow." I can't explain why my heart sank, I mean, I should have been happy since I knew my heart wasn't ready. So I walked back to her kennel before I left and told her that I was happy that she found a good home to go to.

I left that day with my volunteer packet in hand, and a sad heart.

By the end of January I began looking into some breeders, knowing that I would soon, once again be ready to bless my own life. There was not a day that went by where Bodacious did not cross my mind, his memory becoming sweeter, his life's purpose becoming more relevent.

It was now February 5th, my 27th birthday, the first day of the rest of my life, if you will. Not becasue of this day alone, but becaue of the many blessings to follow when one makes the decision to re-open their once closed heart. It began as a good day, although nothing extraordinary to speak of was happening on this marked 27th year of living. About mid-day, I began to feel a bit of sadness that Bodacious was not here with me. I remember laying down on my bed when a thought crossed my mind, "I wonder what dog's the SPCA has available right now, although I didn't have much hope, as I knew that a bullmastiff was the only choice for me." But I needed to sign up for their once-a -month required orientation so that I could begin volunteering.

Still lying on my bed, I picked up my phone, typed in their website, and navigated my way to the "dogs available for adoption" page. I scrolled all the way to the bottom of the page when I had to clear my eyes, refresh the page, and clear my eyes again. Could it really be that the same bullmastiff I had seen there almost a month ago was back?! I dialed the SPCA and asked, "I would like to know if the 4 yr-old female bullmastiff I see on your website is availbale for adoption?" I could hear the lady searching through paperwork as I began gathering myself. I grabbed my purse, my keys and started heading for the door before she came back on the line. "Yes, she is available, she was recently returned by her adopters, but if you're interested you should come in soon becasue we have had some interested families call in today already." Already in my car and driving down the street, I replied, "I am on my way to pick my dog up, and bring her home!"

Within 3 minutes I was back at the SPCA, and so begins the rest of my life.

I appropriately named her Cinderbelle, as she is a delight and a half. She's delicate, affectionate, loyal and more of a joy than I could have ever imagined. And while there is no dog who could ever compare to, or replace Bodacious, that's ok, because he lives in my heart every single day. And it is because of him that Cinderbelle has the life that she deserves now. How someone could EVER surrender her to a shelter, I have absolutely no idea. But then again, I have no idea how anyone could surrender any dog at all.

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will
not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog
and a man.
- Mark Twain