How to do your dog's laundry

What? Dogs have laundry? I thought that was just kids and babies... Nope. Dogs definitely have laundry; especially dogs who have blankies that they carry around, chew on, and sleep with. So here is how laundry goes.

Step 1: Make laundry pile on the floor. Include rug from under food bowls, both dog bed covers, blankie, and a couple other rugs to fill the wash load.

Step 2: Watch dog attempt to pull blankie out of the pile.

Step 3: Tell dog "no" then pointlessly explain that she can have it back once it's clean.

Step 4: Gather other laundry loads to take down to the laundry room (I mean, there are 3 washers; I'm certainly going to be using them for my laundry, too...).

Step 5: Bring laundry to laundry room - wash as you would any laundry.

Step 6: Come back to your apartment only to see your dog curled up on her blankie.

Ugh! Sneaky little bitch (I can call her that. She's a female dog). And people wonder why it's always gross!

Ava

I went on a hike last week and encountered a fallen tree that Ava could not get over or under by herself. So I had to help. Thanks to my friend Zach for photographing because it looks pretty cute.

Meta

I know it's lame to write a post about a post, but I watched these videos again this weekend and was reminded about how great they are. Basically, making fun of how my dog walks in shoes will never get old...

Note: She does not always walk that way in shoes. And it hasn't been that dramatic since that video was taken (on her first day of shoe-wearing).

Ava's Shoes

Remember when I bought Ava shoes to wear hiking? Well, after two hikes in LA where her paws were either cut or rubbed completely raw, I decided she needed to start wearing them again. Yesterday we hiked Solstice Canyon in Malibu. It's a relatively easy hike, so there were large groups of people and kids on the trail. Ava was the hit of the trail in her shoes. She made kids giggle uncontrollably. She had people taking pictures of her. Not a single person walked by us without commenting either to us or amongst themselves. One woman suggested I design a line of designer dog shoes since Ava's looked a bit boy-ish. I sort of doubt there is a big market for hiking dogs who want fancy shoes...

Running

My dog can tell the difference between a sports bra and a regular bra. When I put on the latter, she shows no reaction. When I put on the former, she gets super excited and runs in circles, then to the front door. Oh, the strength of Pavlov's conditioning... A regular bra is not associated with anything, but a sports bra means we're going running.

I'm such a sucker...

I got a brochure in the mail today for the Bark in the Park 5K run benefiting the local Humane Society. I am not a runner. But my dog is. And I'm not NOT a runner. I play ultimate frisbee. I'm in shape. I dance. I occasionally do gym-related things. I hike. I walk a lot. I ride my bike. And 5K is really not that far.

And so after thinking it over for maybe 2 whole minutes. I logged online and signed us up. Ava and I will be running the 5K on May 17th. If you want to make a pledge to support us, you can: http://greenhill.dojiggy.com/cbohon

Here is one thing I noticed while registering, though. Why do these sorts of things never have shirts that fit women? There is the adult sizing - and you can get S, M, L, or XL. You could also get child sizes: S, M, or L. "Adults sizes" however always mean "Men's sizes" not really adult. So a size small in mens ends up awkwardly large for me. I end up sleeping in them or just giving them to Goodwill. So this time, I tried a child's size large. I would feel a bit safer if they had offered an XL, but of course, if they offered child XL, why wouldn't they just offer an adult XS? Either one would be superior to the current offerings. But no. According to all big organized events, people are just sized as adults (read: men). So much for equal opportunity between the sexes. I can't get a shirt that fits me properly...

Random Thoughts

I just went for a walk with my dog around my mom's suburban neighborhood and saw a potato at the curb of one of her neighbor's houses. Just one potato. All by itself. No trash around. No other food. It did not appear to have been cooked - just one raw potato hanging out by the curb. And that's all the excitement that happened on our walk.

In other news, I have been organizing and packing for a month long trip around the country where I will be (a) interviewing for internships, (b) visiting friends I have not seen in far too long, and (c) going to experience the inauguration festivities in D.C. I have no idea how to pack for this trip - especially when trying to fit everything into a suitcase that can easily travel on subways and trains. I have to have casual clothes, interview clothes, party clothes (for New Year's Eve parties in Chicago), shoes to go with all of those clothes, and the usual traveling necessities like books and an iPod. And my computer since I am both addicted to the internet and attempting to get some dissertation work done while traveling. Grr. Maybe I need some Space Bags.

And I just realized the other day how much I'm going to miss my dog. I know this is pathetic, but the longest I have left her is 6 days, so 4 weeks of not seeing her is rough. I know, I know. She's a dog. But still...

Story #5: Backpacking

Ida and I went backpacking this weekend to Three Fingered Jack in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. We took my dog, as previously mentioned. A few stories actually came out of this trip.

1. We started on the Pacific Crest Trail, but took a different path back based on some directions in William Sullivan's book, "100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades." Things started out well, as he directed us down a hill with no trail, but a pretty big landmark (Martin Lake) to head toward. The next step was a trail at the far end of the lake, which we found. And then lost. Or as I believe happened, the trail disappeared. There were patches of ground that were dusty dirt covered, and when the trail hit these areas, it was impossible to know where the trail continued. Add to that the fallen trees and debris, and the fact that this is not a trail that is even on the Mount Jefferson Wilderness map, and I gave up. I think that trail has disappeared. Fortunately, thanks to my innate sense of direction (seriously, it runs in the family) and my dog's ridiculous sense of smell, we made it. We met up with the trail we were supposed to eventually reach via this nonexistent trail. Something similar happened the next day, when the trail met a meadow and disappeared into the knee-high grass. This time it was all Ava. She had her nose to the ground (literally - she looked like a bloodhound), and we walked through the meadow.  The exact spot where we hit the woods again?  Right on the trail.
   
2. The 2nd night out, I took Ava for a short walk (after the day full of hiking) to encourage a poo, and of course, went armed with the orange plastic shovel to aid in poo burial since we were in the wilderness.  Moments after leaving our camp area, I found myself with the orange shovel above my head, feeling thankful that the shovel was, in fact, orange because I swear I heard gunshots.  Wait, why are those shovels orange?  Perhaps people find themselves in my situation often - off for a poo and with no other protection from hunters?  In the end, I have no idea if there were hunters or not. Supposedly they are not supposed to hunt there, but I was not the only one who heard the gunshots either.
3. On the drive home, Ava slept the whole way.  At one point, she fell off the backseat of the car onto the floor of the car.  One would think that she would just get back up to be comfortable, then continue sleeping.  One would be wrong.  She just stayed put, too tired to move.  She proceeded to sleep for the next 6-7 hours of the day, with only occasional moments of interest in the outside world.  For being the most energetic dog I have ever met, I think I may have finally found something that wears her out.  And we're going again in 2 weeks...

Story #4: Ava's New Shoes

I am going backpacking this weekend and decided to take Ava for the first time. After talking to the vet, I decided to buy her some shoes so that if we end up on some rocky terrain, she won't cut her paws. She has no idea how to walk in them, though, and they are hilarious.