Blog Award

Thank you Denali's Mom for the award. :) The rules are to post seven things about myself and pass it on to fifteen blogs. I've received this award before, but it was on my first blog so I don't think I've done it on this one. Regardless I tried to think of new things that I haven't really mentioned before (I hope!). Here goes . . .


1. I would love to own/foster/work with one of every breed of dog (okay maybe not every breed) just to learn to train different breeds and learn about all their differences to see what I click with best, but my dream dog since I was a little kid has always been a male solid black German Shepherd dog that I could train in Schutzhund, Disc, Flyball, Freestyle, Agility and just about any other sport I can think of (except maybe herding, that never interested me). He would also have to be great with horses so he could go on trail rides with me.


I had a black German Shepherd named Wolfgang (I know how original, I was a little kid) that I had for around five years before we had to put him to sleep because we couldn't afford extensive surgery to get rid of bladder stones ($1000+ and vet said they would most likely come back - he also had an old injury from being hit by a car so he wasn't a great candidate for surgery). He went with me everywhere and went on all of my trail rides. He would go hiking with me and I'd have to help him over the fences because of his rear leg, but he never left me. I loved that dog.


There are a ton of other breeds I would love to have someday. I especially would like to have a small breed someday (since I've mostly had big dogs) and my heart is set on a Papillon because I've read that they're like having a Border Collie in a tiny package. Pembroke Corgi is my second choice (second only because they're a little bigger and shed a lot which I need a break from after living with a Siberian Husky for ten years)! :D


2. I actually have very poor balance. I can't roller blade (which I would love to learn to do), ice skate, skate board, ski, etc. but I love riding horses and usually have a good seat. Weird huh? Probably muscle memory since I've been riding since I was five. :) I also have no problem with bikes. Maybe it's not a balance issue, but more a lack of coordination since I do have a tendency to trip over my own feet hehe.


3. A lot of people consider me a snob, because I don't smoke, drink, do drugs, gamble, steal, party, etc. I think my worst bad habits are cussing (only around people I know), being addicted to sugar, talking on my cell phone while driving and I occasionally drive too fast (but not dangerously). I think those are fairly benign bad habits, but I definitely do not look down on others for their bad habits. I know that no one is perfect, myself included and that we all indulge in unhealthy habits. The only ones that really bother me are the unethical ones or habits that are dangerous to others.



4. I get bored very easily. I have trouble turning my brain off, so I like to stay busy to keep myself from worrying about something I have no control over (mild control freak and worry wart). When I was a kid I used to follow my mom around the house while she cooked or cleaned, talking the whole time. :) I can be bored within thirty seconds of completing a task. I think that's one reason I love to read. It's a great way to escape from my own overactive brain. :)


5. I have a LOT of hobbies. Things like horses (which I really consider more of a necessary part of my life because without them I'm miserable), writing, reading, drawing, scrapbooking, piano, blogging, dog training, fishing, photography, etc. I could go on I'm sure. I never really knew why I had/have so many hobbies (although I always thought it was because I wasn't particularly good at any one thing), but after reading Annette's post about her learner signature theme it makes a little more sense. Check it out here http://aspenmeadows.blogspot.com/2011/09/signature-themes-learner.html

6. I think my biggest pet peeve is cigarettes. I'm very allergic to cigarette smoke. It gives me an instant headache (which with prolonged exposure can be pretty severe), makes me cough and hack and clogs up my nose so I can't breathe. I wish I could give those symptoms to every smoker for just one day so they can feel how bad it is. Then maybe they wouldn't smoke in drive through windows, ticket lines or close to doors. The door to the store where I work doesn't seal and actually blows open in the wind so when someone stands right outside the door the smoke it blows inside. Very rude! And it takes forever for me to be able to breathe easily again. I just wish people would be more considerate of their bad habits that affect others.

7. When I was a kid my dream jobs were horse breeder/boarding stable owner, dog trainer (specifically police dogs), zoo keeper, vet, wildlife photographer, the person who takes the video for shows like Wild Cat Diaries, etc. Now that I'm in my mid twenties I have no idea what I want to do. I still think some of those sounds great, but I now understand my limitations. :) If I could find someone I could apprentice with I would become a police dog trainer in a heartbeat!! I don't think I'm cut out for running a dog obedience school though because I'm not a great people trainer lol. I guess one day I'll figure out what it is I'm meant to be doing. :)

It's late (I'm setting this to post first thing in the morning since I've posted today already) and a lot of people have already received this award so I tag the first fifteen people to leave a comment who have not already received the award. I look forward to learning more about you. :)

Note: None of the images in this post belong to me. Images are linked to original site.