Ode to My Little Dog

Happy Sunday, people! 

Every day I am mind-fucked by how cute my dog is. Really, he's so cute, it's mind blowing. 

look at Clancey for too long and this will happen

SERIOUSLY- my dog is so flippin cute. I admire it all the time. I just look at him and I'm overcome with the warm fuzzies. 

For those who don't know, Clancey is a Yorkshire Terrier, aka Yorkie. According to me, however, Clancey is a "Wolf Kitten". 

A couple days ago, I got into a stupid little car accident, thanks to no other than the horrendous winter driving conditions of Southern Alberta. Because of blowing snow, zero visibility, and flat light, I ended up in the ditch. Apparently I jammed my face into the steering wheel because I ended up with a little cut and a bloody nose. My car was stuck in the ditch, so I had to wait for my mom to pick me up on the side of a snowy highway. When I got home, I had some blood on my hands. Wolf Kitten was very concerned and sat on my lap and licked off all the blood. 

The little guy is in bed with me right now. He's such a stress reliever, I swear. This dog can make anything better. 

I would like to dedicate this post to Clancey, my beloved yorkie dog, my loyal wolf kitten, my best friend. 

Like most animals, Clancey is very perceptive. I am chronically ill, and ever since he was a little puppy, he's known when I'm having a pain flare. When I'm feeling particularly ill, Clancey's MO is to sit on my shoulder and guard me while I'm laying down. He won't part from my side, and that to me is absolutely heart warming.

Clancey is just a little over one year old, so he's still super playful. His favorite game is tug-of-war. When we play, he has this fierce little growl that he does.

Currently, Clancey's favorite toys are the "heggies" I got him for Christmas. Heggies are super cute and awesome dog toys because of the sound they make. While most dog toys will squeak, heggies make this hilarious grunting noise. It kinda sounds like a fat congested man coughing, but cuter. For Christmas I bought Clancey a reindeer and snowman heggie. Before I quit at the shop I bought him the Gruntly the Chef heggie. 

I'm so in love with my little dog, I just had to brag about how amazing he is. What better place to do that than my blog? 

*Chewbacca noises*

That's it for tonight, folks. Hope you enjoyed this evening's Sunday Funday: Ode to my Little Dog.

-Captain Lakie

Happy Gobble Gobble Day

Hello, gorgeous people! 

How is everyone today? For those of you who don't know, today is the Canadian Thanksgiving. 

I love Thanksgiving, partly because autumn is my favorite season, and turkey dinner is my favorite meal. There are few things better than over sized slouchy sweaters, cool fall days, family gatherings, warm food, a bit of wine, and cuddles with loved ones. 

This year, my Boyfriend's Mother's side of the family are the only ones doing anything for Thanksgiving this year. Believe you me, I am very happy and excited to attend. I'll show up for turkey dinner all early with my own portable cutlery set and I will of course be wearing my eating pants. 

me.

Now it is of course thanksgiving, so I would like to share with you what it is I'm thankful for. Following, in no particular order, is... 

The Official List of 

Things that Captain Lakie is Thankful For 

1. My Family 

From left to right: Captain Lakie, Lakie JR, Grandpa Lakie, Lil Lakie, Brother Lakie, August 2012

I know everyone says it, but it's true! I am so thankful for my family! I am ever so thankful for my family as well as my boyfriend's family. They are all so very loving and accepting, and they allow me to be myself. They let me fly my dork flag. They accept me even though I belong in the looney bin. All of you are beautiful and wonderful and I love you all.

2. My Boyfriend

Boyfriend and Scooter, October 2014

I love him. When things aren't going well he does what it takes to make it right. He's caring and devoted and supportive and kind. I am very fortunate to be with this wonderful man. We've learned so much from one another and we're always willing to make our love last. When I'm not feeling well he'll offer to make me a hot water bottle and get me comfortable. He took me to my last surgery, and waited for me at the hospital. At the end of the day we're a team and I wouldn't trade that for anything.    

3. My Dog

Clancey, 7 months old, March 2014

My wee little Clancey is the most loving and forgiving member of my family. I can't tell you enough how much I love that little munchkin. When I'm feeling ill, he knows it and he just cuddles up with me and watches over me while I rest. He is playful and curious, and I would like to see the world through his eyes. This dog loves unconditionally. I can't stop spoiling him... because I work at a pet shop it's very easy for me to come home with presents for him very often! (He deserves them all, of course!)

4. My Horse

Scooter and I, the day we moved the horses to our new property

My horse, Scooter, is the love of my life. He is part of my soul and I love him so very much. We are cheeky partners in crime, and I love how he and I get along so well. Together we are a team and when I'm with my horse I feel peaceful and happy. He has a strong, independent personality, and I admire him very much. He has these soft, kind eyes and when you look at my horse you get the feeling that he has seen so very much in his time. Scooter's history is a mystery to us (we don't even know for sure how old he really is). I treasure each moment I have with my horse. His favorite snack is a banana, and he really is a cheeky monkey. 

5. My Hamsters

Sunny exploring the new back yard, September 2014

I am very thankful for my three hamsters, Sunny, Brave (aka Newman), and Pumpkin. I initially adopted Sunny in 2013 because I am chronically ill and I wanted company while I was in bed. I got Brave because he was very badly injured from his time in the pet store and desperately needed to see a vet. and Pumpkin was given to me as a gift. All three of these fluffy little critters bring me so much joy. I love taking care of them, and I find a lot of joy in caring for them. 

6. My Body

I'm laying on a road.

I have always thought of myself and my body as two separate entities. We look after one another and coexist in a beautiful symbiotic relationship. I believe in souls, and I think that our bodies are simply just the beautiful, fragile shells that we occupy. My body happens to be stuck with an incurable disease called Endometriosis. I've been struggling with pain since I was 13 years old, but it was in 2010 that my condition really started going downhill. My body and I have been through 2 surgeries and a number of harsh and ineffective treatments. The disease has been an enormous challenge. I am very thankful for my body. Even though it deals with severe pelvic inflammation, having multiple internal organs and ligaments bonded together with adhesions, and chronic pain and chronic fatigue, my body still keeps running and looks after me. For that, I am very thankful.   

7. My Home

My very own barn!

This summer, I moved to a small acreage outside of town. I love it because I can keep all my animals together in one place. I am so very grateful and thankful that my horse is safe and sound in my own backyard, has a cozy barn for those cold winter nights, and a lovely pasture with lush green grass to eat. 

8. Animals

This bird decided that we should be friends, August 2014

I'm far from perfect. I am very imperfect, actually. There are a lot of things that I'm not good at, things I'm embarrassed and shy about, and things that I would change. I have a hard time connecting with people, but I can always connect with animals. I am so very thankful that there are animals in this world, so I have a way of expressing and receiving love. Animals do not judge and they accept your for who you are. They know a good heart, and they will love and appreciate you for it. A horse will free your soul, a dog will heal your heart, and ducks just make everything better. I think so, anyways. 

9. My job

Selfie at my old job as a kennel tech. I love taking care of animals!

I complain about it a lot because, frankly, it's boring. But at the end of the day it means I get to educate people on how to properly feed their animals. I teach people how to feed their dogs and cats food to give them a long, happy, healthy life. I like helping people solve their pets' health issues, and it feels really good knowing that people love their pets and are willing to take proper care of them. By feeding your pets healthy food, you're giving them the best chance at life. I like being the person that teaches pet owners how to feed their animals a nourishing diet. That's pretty damn cool!

10. Self Expression

I express individuality through snapchat and hamsters, among other things.

 

Before I composed this post, I was reading through my last blog, The Cinema Club and I was thinking about how fortunate I am to be able to express myself. I am thankful that I am able to use writing and humor as a means of emotional release. I am also so very grateful that my family and friends allow me to be myself. That is very important, and we really should not overlook such a beautiful gift.

That's all for today. Time to go eat some Turkey!

Cheers,

Captain Lakie, the Silly Mallard

I express myself a whole lot more over on the twitter. Follow me? @CaptainLakie

   

 

 

 

  

  

 

Winter is Here

Hello, Everybody. How are you guys? 

Let me tell you something. Winter has arrived in my province. Seriously. We skipped fall, and full on just launched into winter. And I'm not fibbing or exaggerating. I can prove it! 

This is a photo of my yard. In September. Early September.

See? Snow. The leaves haven't even turned yellow yet.  

We literally skipped the most beautiful time of year and just started this bullshit we call "winter". 

Seriously, what is this witchcraft? I'm a bad Canadian and I forgot to keep a snow brush in my car, so I had to use my fucking sleeve to wipe four inches of snow off my car after work yesterday. As the week went on the snow got worse and everyone in the city including the news papers were referring to this month as "Snowtember". In all honesty it looks like some tree-hating giant went through the city and just trashed all of our trees. There are branches and broken tree limbs littering the streets. ALL BECAUSE OF SNOW. FEET UPON FEET UPON FEET OF SNOW. This is why I take happy pills. 

So work at a Pet Store (thus my name, The Cranky Pet Store Girl). Because winter had reared its ugly head, it's time to start stocking up on doggie booties and coats and shit like that. Which means that I had to re-merch an entire section of the shop. It took six hours, but I'm rather pleased with the result. Allow me to share pictures because I'm proud.

I stripped this display wall of chuck-its and dog booties...

I like making messes!

Isn't it gorgeous? Doggie booties and apparel all arranged by size!

A close-up of my beautiful work. *sniff* so amazing.

It took a while for me to get the chuck-its organized to my liking.

SO MANY PRODUCTS!

Leashes and collars all arranged neatly. I win!

Among the new stock were these adorable little doggie rain coats by RC. They're seriously so cute that I had to buy one for Clancey. Of course I got him the rubber ducky one. 

I love my dog.

These rain coats are so fantastic for a number of reasons, so I can't help but share why I love them. I mean first and foremost they're adorable. They come in a number of patterns and sizes to suit any dog and owner. Here are some of the patterns that we ordered for the shop: 

 

photo from www.rcpets.com

    

photo from www.rcpets.com

photo from www.rcpets.com

Another cool feature is that they fold up into these little waterproof packets that clip right onto your leash. 
I'm pretty thrilled right now because I've been working my ass off, cleaning the shop and making it look good. I've been re-merchandising piece by piece, and recently re-did the back room and even organized our raw freezer. Now if only I could keep my own home that clean...

-Captain Lakie 

Castle Lakie and Chicken Dinner

Good evening Liebens!

How is everybody? I'm in a good mood today! I had a really nice relaxing day off. To wrap up the evening I decided to play outside! 

I absolutely love when we get an Indian Summer here in Alberta. Today was one of those most beautiful autumn days... Picture big blue skies, green grass, golden leaves, and all the wonderful smells of autumn. I was sitting on the back deck with my little Clancey, who might I add, made a full recovery. 

I decided that I would love to go ride my horse into the sunset. It was a weird feeling, riding my horse around my own back yard! It was surreal and blissful. I rode my horse up to the living room window 

and giggled as I spied on my mother and brother in the kitchen. My little dog Clancey is very very protective over my family and I, and he wasn't particularly happy that I was perched bareback atop a big horse; far too high off the ground for a little yorkie dog to do any protecting. 

The curious Clancey watches Scooter and I through the window

Off into the sunset we go!

What a beautiful evening. And I can honestly say that this whole Farmerhood adventure is going over quite well! Dinner tonight is roasted chicken with mushroom rice, asparagus, and garden salad. Puppy supper is Merrik's Wingaling with fresh chicken mixed in. Right now I'm relaxing with a glass of wine while dinner cooks. Oh, bliss. 

The night my dog almost died

Good evening Liebens!

Tonight I'm worried sick because my beloved yorkie dog is very sick.
My family and I have just moved into our new home, Castle Lakie. In the moving process we were too distracted and irresponsible to notice that our new home wasn't yet puppy-proofed. Some time Sunday, Clancey managed to eat three harmful things.

Harmful thing #1: Dump mud. Yeah, you heard me right. Dump mud. After a visit to the dump, my brother and father tracked their muddy boots into the house. The same dirty boots that recently trod through the city Landfill. Glorious. Clancey got it in his puppy mind that he wanted to lick up those muddy footprints, because you know- he's helpful around the house, that was his way of washing the floors.

Harmful thing #2: Unidentified object. My brother walked into the living room just in time to see Clancey crunching away on a mystery object. Lil bro ran over to the dog to try to pry this item from his mouth, but Clancey saw it coming and quickly swallowed.

Harmful thing #3: A vinyl basket handle: Clancey meandered into the guest room where he stumbled upon a glorious new chew thing: a vinyl basket handle! Clancey consumed a chunk or two of chewed off material before my mother discovered his new victim and interrupted his snack time. Might I add that all of this occurred while I was at work.

Mom noticed him acting funny, unable to get comfortable and obsessively licking himself. He later collapsed and proceeded to quiver and shake. When I got home from work I was very worried about him. I knew right away that I was taking him to the vet. In the car we went, and half an hour later we in the 24 hr pet hospital. The lobby was absolutely crammed, full of people and their pets. Clancey was seen by a wonderful woman named Dr.F. The vet gave Clancey a physical exam before I decided that I wanted an X-Ray done. He was hooked up to fluids and pain killers, and did the X-ray like a good boy. Results showed that his body is filled with gas. His colon and tummy were distended with gas, and a slightly concerning bubble in his small intestine. I brought Clancey back home, and watched in horror as his condition began to deteriorate. Clancey was given too high a dosage of pain killers, and he was unresponsive and unable to hold himself up. My poor puppy was drooling profusely and didn't have the strength to hold his ears erect. After midnight, while writing this post actually, I looked over at my sleeping buddy and felt my heart stop and my blood run cold. He looked dead. He was so still and he wasn't warm. I freaked out and began to shake him, saying his name and trying to stimulate him. Nothing. Seriously, he was nearly catatonic. I panicked and got my bro to wrap him up in a blanket and we rushed him back to the vet. The vet kept Clancey over night and gave him drugs to counteract the opiates that had him so out of it. I really feared for my little buddy's life. I got four hours of sleep then returned to the vet a few hours later to pick him back up.
After bringing him home he started to have diarrhea with blood in it. My father and I proceeded to take Clancey to a different vet hospital (we're not so happy with how Clancey was taken care of at the first location).

We've been at the vet's all goddamn day and I'm absolutely beats they're keeping Clancey over night and administering fluids and antibiotics via IV.

He's behaving like such a good boy

Clancey hasn't been showing many signs of improving, we went to visit the little guy at the vet's today. He perked right up when he saw us, and even began to eat (which he hadn't done his entire stay at the hospital). We were so thrilled that he consumed a bit of chicken baby food (Clancey is a chicken fiend) that dad went to Safeway and bought a whole rotisserie chicken and brought it back to the vet's. Clancey's glee over his gourmet dinner was beyond adorable. He sat that cute little yorkie bum on my leg and allowed my mom to hand feed him fresh, warm rotisserie chicken. He then got a good drink of water out of a cup, and was ready for a nap. 

Pictures of roasted chicken dance in his mind

When it was time for us to go home, Clancey started to have a bit of a meltdown. He absolutely didn't want to be separated from us, and began to shake when he was handed back over to the tech. That was so hard for us, and I grew a lump in my throat as the tech took him away. 

Tonight Clancey will have a test done to check his cortisone levels, and he's staying another night at the hospital. We're sincerely hoping that we will be able to take him home tomorrow.

Please keep my beloved Wolf Kitten in your thoughts!