Happy Birthday!!

Today Pomona turns 1! I can’t believe it. It seems like just yesterday I got her off the truck.

I still have no idea where she is, but wherever you are, however you’re doing, happy 1st birthday P-mo!!! And also a big Happy B-day to Powell, Pretzel, Porter, Palisades, and Patsy!

 

In other news….Yesterday (Thursday) I had to give a speech about myself in class. Fun, right? Well we were told we had to bring something to class that represented a part of our lives, and the speech would focus on that. *bing* immediate idea. I’d bring a guide dog. And since Mr. Vortex is spending 2 weeks with me anyway (starting Monday), why not bring him and see how he does at school? So I did. and it was great! The speech went really well, and of course Vortex had to get up, stretch, and yawn in the middle of the speech. But the class and my professor thought it was hilarious.

Meet Vortex (or Tex as I loved to call him):

He’ll be back, and then I’ll get some good pictures, I promise. But these were the “I have less than 24 hours with him” pictures. 🙂

Thank you!!

Big thanks to Madison for the great header!!! I know a couple of you are taking me up on the challenge and designing headers, too, so I’m excited to be able to change headers around!! Thanks so much guys!!

Just FYI, the size is 700×200 or it won’t look right.

Festival was a sweetie. He is on “high-value food reward” because he apparently will just stop when he’s out in public. I didn’t have that problem, and we didn’t even use food in one of the places we went. So hopefully he’s getting better. But he just cuddled and played with toys. He’s so sweet. No pictures, since I only spent about 4 hours with him, but I promise I’ll have some of the next pup who comes (on Monday!)

~Thanks so much~

Thanks so much to MeKalea, Glacier, and Indiana for nominating my blog!!

  Here are the rules: 1) The winner can put the logo on his/her blog. 2) Link to the person you received your award from. 3) Nominate seven other blogs and put links of those blogs on yours. 4) Leave a message on those blogs you’ve nominated.

I had a really hard time picking only 7, but here are my choices, randomly. Like everyone else, I’m trying to pick people who haven’t been picked yet…

Erin and Midnight

Coreena and Loden

Carlo and Gerrit

Irish

Amy and Binny

Jenny and Truman

Colby and Derby

Ok so now those of you that I nominated feel free to pass the award along.

Phase Reports

Yes, phases come out today. Guess what????? Lawrence is still in 10. *shrugs* What can ya do.

Oh, and if one of you Photoshop whizzes gets an incredible urge to make me a new header, I can send you the pictures I used for mine. I don’t REALLY like it, but hey, with only Paint, ya do what ya can. 🙂

I’m back!!

As promised, I didn’t abandon you guys.

Congrats to Emily and Kelsey and miss Tahoe! I was sooooo excited to hear her name..I was actually like 10 minutes from San Rafael the day they picked her up. 🙂

The short story is: I had a GREAT time in SoCal!!! It was sunny, hot, and my mission was accomplished. I now know what college I would like to attend if I can figure out the money. So fall of ’09, if God still wants me there, gets me accepted to the school, and provides scholarships, I’ll be going to California Baptist University (aka CBU). It’s street name is Cal Baptist. I’m really really excited. I totally fit the school, and I think it will be a good fit for me. 😀

On Sunday, my family visited Grace Community Church in LA. Walking up the isle after service, I noticed a blind lady with a guide dog. So of course when I saw her waiting a few minutes later, I HAD to go introduce myself. That was how I met GDA’s “Diamond”:

Lovely Diamond was this nice lady’s 4th guide dog, and her first from GDA. Her other 3 were from GDB! I didn’t catch all of the names, but she did mention Delilah was her 2nd guide. It was fantastic talking to her!

The next day, I visited college #1, Biola University in La Mirada. There, during the tour, I heard something jingling. As a puppy raiser who had a very dog distracted dog, I can pick out dog tags a million miles away. That’s how I met a very nice college senior and her guide, “Valencia” from GDB (who was camera shy).

Valencia did a wonderful job guiding through the college campus and at the cafeteria where I really got to see her in action. So there you go. Anyone know who raised Valencia? She graduated in July and is amazing. 😀

Sadly I didn’t see any puppy raisers while I was down there. Where are all of you? In hiding? 😀

Festival comes to visit me next weekend. Now, I work like heck to try to save money for my lovely school.

 

EDIT: Oh! And I found some special street signs in LA. Made me think of all you guys. 🙂

This one’s a little blurry, but it does indeed say “Sherman Way”

And my little girl… 🙂

I’ll Be Back…

I’m chillin in SoCal for a few days, but I’ll be back. No worries. Not that anyone is worried. 🙂 And when I come back, I’ll have Festival for a day or two and Vortex for a week and a half!!

Ugga Bugga

I am seriously this close (see how tiny of a gap there is between my fingers??) to calling GDB and asking what’s up with Lawrence. I know…I’m being impatient. He’s been in phase 10 for 3 graduations. I’m not so much concerned about whether or not he’ll graduate, I’m more worried about if I’ll hear about it. Since I was only his starter raiser, and I didn’t get the little certificate and pin, etc. like I did with my other two puppies, and I had him just a month, I’m not sure how much of “my” dog he is. How much am I considered a raiser? Will my leaders give me the call when he’s been put IN CLASS? Or will I just see it on the puppy report? If he gets cc’d will I get second chance to take him back or hear if he gets adopted by his 2nd family? This is driving me crazy. I can’t wait for his status to be decided just so I know. It’ll be easier with Pomona. IF she makes it to advanced training (and from what I know of her, that’s a BIG if) then I know I’ll get the call about her if she gets cc’d or put in class. She was definitely considered one of “my” puppies. A transfer, not a starter. Ug. Sorry for the vent, but it’s really frustrating me. Silly Lawrie……..PLEAAAAASE make it In Class with Fillmore for September!!! I’ll wait till October graduation. If he doesn’t make it there, I’m calling GDB.

Rant off. 😀

Hope you all enjoyed your Labor Day!! I went hiking with my grandma. Well, my family hiked, and my grandma and I slept in the car and then walked around for a little while. I hate hiking. I swear I was born in the wrong state. It was really too bad I didn’t have a puppy….it would have made me a lot more adventurous. 🙂 My next pup comes at the end of this month, but I’ll have my trip to Cali inbetween now and then….woot woot.

Happy first day of school (tomorrow and the day after) to a lot of you!!!! …………I don’t start till September 22nd 😛