Thursday, April 23, 2009

let loose the dogs...

Today we (or really "I" since it was my grand idea, and therefore my hide if it doesn't work out) are taking a huge chance...we are letting our dogs have free reign of the house while we're at work, as an experiment. Generally, due to the somewhat destructive nature of one of our beloved pets, we keep them in a kennel together during the day, letting them out during lunch. As I was watching TV in bed last night, it popped into my head that perhaps they could handle being alone in the house. This thought stemmed from when I work in the yard for long stretches and my wife isn't home, and I let the dogs inside while I continue working. I may not go back inside for two or three hours, allowing them to do whatever they want. And I realized that they hadn't destroyed anything (to our knowledge, which I guess is as good as not) during those periods, so it should stand to reason that they would react the same way during the work day. Or at least I hope. The increased amount of time does worry me.

We did take some precautions though. We made sure to remove everything from their reach that may look even remotely appetizing to the bored canine palate, closed the doors to the bathrooms (where their most-prized delicacy, tissue paper, is readily available) as well as the study and upstairs, and filled their Kongs with an abundance of not-easily-attainable treats to keep them busy.

Now we simply wait to go home for lunch and hope that it doesn't resemble a disaster zone.

I really hope it works out since neither of us likes the thought of them being cooped up all day. And it should help them release their energy a bit more so that they're not quite so crazy in the evenings. We'll see soon enough.

If anyone besides my wife reads this (thanks hon!), keep your fingers crossed for us!

Monday, April 13, 2009

mundane quests of the homeowner

I’ve been joking with my wife about putting together a list of things we need to work on now that it’s somewhat/kinda Spring. Well, I’m putting it down in writing baby!

My first and probably most perilous quest of the Spring: whipping our small but out-of-control backyard into shape! It’s absolutely ridiculous how bad it’s gotten, especially in the last couple of weeks with all of the rain. The weeds are taking over the entire yard and it makes me cringe each day when I feed our dogs. But I will not let it get the best of me! I am master of my domain and will not be pushed around by vegetation! Here’s a list of our other Spring Quests:

1. Vege-ruination!* – defeat the weeds and overall ugliness of the backyard so as to not shame the entire neighborhood.

2. Attic of the Disorganization! – we shall enter and quell the rampant disorganization in the attic, making sure to use labeled plastic containers so we can actually find what we’re looking for in a reasonable amount of time.

3. In the Closet… - we have a fairly decent-sized closet that is full of old clothes (primarily mine) that need to find their way to Goodwill, then what’s left needs to be properly sorted so that I am not overwhelmed with despair each morning when I’m unable to find anything worthwhile to wear.

I’m sure there will be more amazing and dangerous quests to come, but this is a good starting point. I know we'll feel so much more at ease once these things are done!

* UPDATE: the weeds have been conquered! Hopefully the grass will now grow strong again due to copious fertilization. Also added weed-blocking fabric and pine straw to the planting areas.