we don’t do that anymore is a lame excuse

we don’t do that anymore is a lame excuse

Dharma is feeling a bajillion percent better. She’s able to sleep and her eyes aren’t red and watery. No more scratching, chewing her feet, and panting. Yippee! I still have 10 days of ear medicine to administer, but the improvement already is huge.

Same vet, but what about the service?

I’ve been going to the same vet for YEARS. One of the services I appreciated — and was charged for — is no longer offered. They will no longer trim nails. Why? Because they’re simply too busy now.

My vet instead offered a tranquilizer so I could easily take her to a groomer. I think that sucks. It was between $11 and $15 bucks for a nail trim (can’t remember exactly) that took a couple minutes. How long does it take to prepare a tranq? 🙄

I also noticed the vet didn’t come back in the room after he took Dharma to the back for her shot. Some chick blundered in with her instead, tripped over her leash, and pushed the ear medicine into my hands. Busy is great for business… it’s more money, right? But the experience I received when trusting my vet with my family member was lacking.

Maybe I’ve been working with my brother too long.

His latest book, “The Ultimate Customer Experience” lists the 3 levels of customer interaction:

  1. processing — what customers have a right to expect
  2. service — willing to add an ingredient of engagement to enhance the interaction
  3. experience — connect on a higher level so the interaction is perceived to be personal (the way the experience made the customer feel)

I spent over $200 bucks and the processing was great — Dharma is better. A nail trim (even a $15 one) would’ve been service. Since we didn’t make it to step #2, there’s no way we can get to step #3.

I’m disappointed.

Now you know: (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay was recorded by Otis Redding just 72 hours before he died in a plane crash.


you’re going to the cage, Scott!

you’re going to the cage, Scott!

I had an online meeting and afterward, I accidentally knocked off the camera that sits on top of the biggest computer monitor on the planet. About 30-minutes later, I heard crunching. You already know what’s coming next, right?

Merida was eating it.

I don’t know how you get a dog not to run when you want to beat it within an inch of life. The second my voice was raised in anger, she took off like a bullet and went under the bed — camera and all. Guys, she’s going to boot camp the second it’s opened up. I might go back and get her if she graduates. Don’t let the sleepy face fool ya’ — this hound is the devil!

sleepy Merida

In the meantime, I’ll go on wanting to choke the life from her body and hug her while snickering at her antics all at the same time. And… when she’s REALLY bad, I call her “SCOTT” after my favorite brother. He totally deserves it. And I just love saying, “You’re going to the cage, Scott!

So until the day I drop her off for training, I’ll continue watching the President’s press conferences and reading about this crazy virus. Do you guys watch the daily COVID-19 live updates (https://whitehouse.gov/live)? I do and I can distinctly hear Trump’s voice in my head as I read this…

Not political, mind you. I voted for Trump and I’ll vote for him again if the Democrats can’t do better with candidates. But call a spade a spade (how old is THAT saying?) — this sounds exactly like something that would come out of Trump’s mouth. Over and over. Multiple times.

COVID-19 update:
70 cases in Jackson County (up 0 since yesterday)
8,527 cases in Indiana 
(up 291 since yesterday)
387 total deaths in Indiana 
(up 37 since yesterday)
584,073 cases in US 
(up 23,182 since yesterday)

My view when I’m not asleep or chasing hounds isn’t awful, but it sure is getting old…

my view
birthday puppy is healthy!

birthday puppy is healthy!

Dharma turned 4 years-old yesterday. We celebrated with a hot dog. Today, she had an appointment at the vet where she got weighed, received 4 shots, had a nail trim and blood drawn.

My brown hound weighed exactly 100 pounds. Her favorite doctor said that although she could stand to lose 5 pounds, she had a little definition. I thought he was talking to me. 🙂

Not happy about the all the sticking, prodding and clipping, she turned her back on us to pout.

And in other news, raise your hand if you have $100 a month coffee/espresso habit. Oh my…

during the first couple days…

during the first couple days…

During the first couple days I kept saying, “She so SWEET!” Now, after having a total of about 3 hours of sleep last night, I could be heard saying, “She is such a turd.” And, “Is it too late to take her back?

For the record, I’m not talking about my granddaughter.

can we take her back?

my creativity is still in the ville

my creativity is still in the ville

It’s a fact that I don’t share my thoughts here nearly as often anymore. It’s because what I enjoy sharing along with my thoughts are images that most often times inspire those thoughts. But you see… there’s nothing here to photograph except for the backs or fronts of other houses. Instead, I end up with plenty of iPhone photos similar to this one:

you lazy hound, you

This is a FABULOUS house. Truly. If I could put it near the water… or in the mountains… or in the country somewhere without close neighbors I would be happy as a clam. It’s true, you guys. You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.