Monday, October 29, 2012

Hobby No More?

I am kind of feeling over agility. It’s weird to feel that way about something I have enjoyed for so many years. Just…tired of it. It has lost its luster, for sure. This weekend didn’t help. I don’t usually do the whole drive up day-of thing. I don’t enjoy getting up at 4. Being up before coffee shops are open is just stupid. Bella has never enjoyed it either, even when she wasn’t almost double digits old. Always been a fan of sleeping in that one. Kate doesn’t care because Kate doesn’t sleep. To her, 4 may as well be noon. But, since Kate also doesn’t do agility so her opinion doesn’t really matter here.
 
This is what a non-sleeping weirdo looks like
 
 
 
I did the day-of thing on Saturday because I was only doing one day of this trial. The only remotely cool thing that happened – and this won’t matter to you unless you live here – is that on the way up I made it all the way up 19th without getting stuck at a single traffic light! No lie – 280 to the Golden Gate – not one stop. Miracles do happen!
 
DSC_4695
 
It was downhill from there, though. The day of waiting. Hour and a half for my first run. 5 hours after that for my second. Did I mistakenly enter an AKC trial? This is not how CPE shit should go. Oh sure, it may be the non-competitive venue, the everyone-gets-a-ribbon silliness, a class for all even if you should have retired your lame dog 3 years ago, but we are not a patient people. We want Run, Run, Run, Lunch, Run, Run, dinner at 4. Five hours between runs? WTF?! Hell to the no. I left at 2:30 after my second run. No way I was waiting around to see how long it would take to get the remaining 3 in. Shit.
 
Our first run was also horrible. Like I was running someone else’s dog. Not my good brown dog. Some non-listening, disconnected thing that just felt awful. Not a good way to start an already sort of irritating day. We redeemed after our 5 hour break, though. Smashing JP run. Just perfect all around. Buzzer went off just when I asked it to, good brown dog returned (with weaves, to boot), smooth gamble, lots of points and a blue ribbon if I were so inclined to take those things.
 
And then Bella died because it was 85°.
 
DSC_4709
 
85° in almost November time. Weird. This is supposed to be the rainy and cold trial. Wet feet and runny noses. Not, why-didn’t-I-wear-shorts?
 
She does love a good roll in wet grass DSC_4730
 
Maybe a bit much?
 
DSC_4725
 
The dogs did dig all the waiting, though, because it meant more ball time.
 
DSC_4643
 
I mean, we could do this at home
 
DSC_4656
 
I guess the novelty of Different Field carries some weight with them
 
DSC_4689
 
And Kate used her down time wisely and figured out how to origami her tongue into a travel mug. Totes her own water now.
 
DSC_4669
 
We are not doing anymore agility for the rest of the year. Heck, maybe not ever. I guess we will see how we feel in January.
 
DSC_4638