Friday, December 25, 2009

Changes

My mother has gone on a crusade these last couple of weeks. She's insisting on changing most things about the way we live. I've never talked much about my mother, simply because she's my mother. She's always here. Always around, I've just never had the urge to really talk about her unless the subjects of parents come up.

I'm not exactly sure how to describe my mother, she's kind of like a bi-polar product of the 60's and 70's. Bi-polar in the sense that she'll go and protest war and dolphin killings (The dolphins were my idea) but she'll also sit back at home plotting horrible revenge on others.
She's an extraordinary human being. She spend most of her 20's and 30's taking care of touring bands, many of which were very famous (some still are). She made sure nobody was too drunk (or high) to get on stage and do their job.

You'd think raising children would be a breeze for her.

She's never really treated me like a child, which has it's up's and downs. On one hand, she pretty much sees me (and) treats me like an equal. Which is great because I can talk to her about pretty much everything. On the other hand, because she sees me as her equal she sometimes expects me to be more independent then I actually am.

It's an odd relationship.

Anyway, she's pulling the old "out with the old! In the with new!" Mentality for the new year, which would be fine. Except this year she actually means it.

She's re-arranging the house and talking about colleges and traveling and other things I should be doing.

It's seriously freaking me out.
I don't usually do well with change.

Anyway, my question is - What do you guys want to change/do this year?

Here's my list:
Get License.
Get Annoying-Homeschool-Highschool-Diploma-Signed.
Start in one of the many dog-training schools.
Be out of New England Next Winter.
Host at least one showing of "The Cove" somewhere in Rhode Island. (www.thecovemovie.com)
Make it so I can visit Hopi at least twice a week.
Get several allergy tests so I can stop getting constant lung-infections. T_T

I have several others, but these are the big ones.
What are yours?

<3
Dommers

Monday, December 21, 2009

My luck is changing? Maybe?

Just thought I’d throw a quick update at you explaining something exciting that happened to me recently.

It’s been a long time since I finally made a plan for what I want to do with my life.
I decided I wanted to train dogs.

Not just any dogs though. I want to train Personal Protection Dogs and Security dogs.
I’ve met several of these types of trainers in the past, and I’ve seen their dogs. I can see myself working with them and never ever getting bored.

Anyway, I looked into Dog-training Colleges and such. None of it really caught my attention. Most of them are just over-the-net services that you can send money too in exchange for a diploma, and with the ones I’ve found so far they mostly teach basic obedience and problem solving.

Don’t get me wrong. Obedience is obviously the ground work for everything else you want to do with your dog. But I can’t really see paying thousands of dollars to learn how to do things I (and my dogs) already *know* how to do.

This put me in an odd position. Even while being home schooled everything seems based on tests/diploma’s. So not having a piece of paper to back me up with whatever career choice I make is actually a bit frightening.

Anyway, I sent out a resume for a couple of animal-based companies around the state to start myself off. Most of them were doggy daycares/training centers, which - while not exactly what I want to do would help me gain more knowledge and a better idea of what to do.

I also contacted the adoption agencies I’ve been working with over the last couple of years, offering to train their foster dogs in the basic commands. This was more for me to have something to do with my time, and also to help the poor dogs. I know for a fact how hard it is to adopt an adult dog that doesn’t understand sit or stay.

So, I’m sitting here, wondering exactly what my next step is, when my mother comes in and tells me I’ll be DJ-ing for a bunch of young home schoolers for a party. (Something that was totally random to me)

So, I invite several friends, Bunny backed out because we were/are fighting, but Trina agreed to come along with me.

After setting up and starting some music for the young -tiny- children. We sit back and relax. The kids were wonderful, and made all of us feel old. Eventually three other girls in our age range show up, and I invite them over to sit with us so they wouldn’t feel so awkward.

Trina left early, and I had time to get to know two of the girls my age, One of them named Lucy.

Anyway, hours later, as we were packing up and preparing to leave we talked about other times we could get together, what parties we were going to, what groups we were involved in and the conversation eventually turned towards dogs (mine being in the car as my mother ran in to talk to someone).

The following conversation ensued:
Me: *something about wanting to be a dog trainer*
Lucy: Oh! My Step-dad trains dogs.
Me: Oh, does he have a company or...?
Lucy: Yeah. It’s called Solid K9 Training.

*shocked silence*

Me: YOUR STEP FATHER IS JEFF GELLMAN?!?!?!
Lucy: You....know...him?

(At this point I would like to mention that yes. I know MANY dog trainers by name, having never ever met them. But Jeff has a largish company in RI and is very very well known in the dog training communities because of his...odd training methods. I’ve heard lots about him. Many great things. His dogs are always well trained. Some bad things. He’s arrogant, ignorant...blah, blah,blah. This being the dog world, which seems to be one of the most back-stabbing worlds there is, you can only take bad things said about someone very lightly.)

*Back to the conversation*

Me: Of course I know who he is! I was going to contact him about helping finish up Uma’s training!
Lucy:....would you like to go to one of his demos?
Me: *silence*
Lucy: I can probably get you in for free. It’ll be really fancy at one of the Hotels down town, cocktails and stuff.

So yeah...thats pretty much what happened. It was probably one of the most exciting things to happen to me in months. Thats a sad thought. Lets not dwell on it.

Anyway! I’m going to one of Jeff’s Demo’s in January!

And, I’m introducing Lucy to another Homeschool group I’m involved in called Voyagers, which should be fun.

So theres my short update.

<3
Dommers.

Happy Holidays/SeeyaStalkers

Hey guys,
I haven't been blogging much, things have been really busy over here in New England, and I really haven't had much to say. But I'm going to be typing up a few little updates a bit later.

I'm currently busy deleting everyone I don't actually *know* off of my contact lists, I've ended up will a bunch of friends-of-friends or random other people I've met once or twice, anyway, I'm sick of random IM's or texts or comments and all that other junk you get while having accounts on the interwebs.

If you ARE one of these people and I'm no longer on your AIM/facebook buddy list (yes, I AM blocking you people), you can stalk/contact me on my twitter page here: <3

It's a terrible stalking tool seeing as I NEVER update it. But It's a good way to get in touch with me.

Anyway, I'll be updating a bit later, lots of exciting news.

In the mean time:

Heres a little video from the other day, it was Uma's first snowstorm. (The German Shepherd in the Orange)


Happy Holidays.
Dommers