My Week

I noticed  that when I got home from my trip last week that my lawn was taller than the neighbors.  I had hoped to hold off cutting the grass (which was done before I left) to mow leaves when they fall. I'm not expecting too many leaves since I had the tree cut down.

 Tuesday Amber went to the groomers.   I didn't want her groomed before she trialed for her Beginner Novice because I thought she might stop and scratch herself.  By then, appointments were pretty booked in advance.  So I also got an appointment for Sophie in November.  I brought Sophie to pick up Amber. Sophie knew where we were and started shivering, just as Amber did when I dropped her off.  I may have to go visit the groomers for a happy, casual visit.

Tuesday evening I went to have chicken dinner at the VFW especially since a lady was going to drop off entries for Voice of Democracy that night.  She trusts I'll see that they get entered for the scholarship and not in any black hole that she had experienced years ago.

For many years I had been trying to research my Kapasinski great grandparents.  Only a few records exist.  So after years of trying to fix the root of the problem's records, I decided to mark the graves "as-is"  recorded by Holy Cross cemetery.  

Here's what is online for their graves:

  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183795972/vincenty-kapuscinki

When I was driving to Louisville on Tuesday, Oct 18th, I received a call from Dr Taylor, the chiropractor affiliated with Powerworks Fitness, that I had bumped someone in the parking lot on Monday.  I told him I had no clue what he was talking about.  He said it was me and that it was captured on video.  I told him I would be out of  town for a week.  He said he would show me the video when I got back.  Meanwhile my mind is bothered.  The stress over this kinda ruined the trip's enjoyment.  Dr Taylor called the following Monday while I was driving home and said that they were eagerly waiting to close the case for repairs.  I told him I still had no idea what he was talking about and that I was still not in town.  He said Oh it's definitely you on the video.   Tuesday I stopped by to see Dr Taylor to see  the video and he said he didn't have the password but that Libby could show me on Friday.  Well Libby called me Wednesday while I was in Mechanicsburg at agility practice.  She had to leave a message while I was running the course.  She asked me to stop by and see the video and I stopped by upon  return.  Arriving at the parking lot, there was a sheriff's car in the parking lot that blew up my nerves even more. Sure, it's not uncommon for officers to want to get in shape but I was already tense about this accusation.  As soon as I walked in the door she saw my face and said "it's not you" and showed me the lady in the video that that had the accident.  She's like 20 years my senior and they put my name on her face in the video.  A case of mistaken identity.  I nearly fainted because Dr Taylor adamantly said "definitely you".  Dr Taylor saw me and turned me away on Tuesday when I came in person to see the video, he said he didn't have the password to show the video.  He never saw the video or he could have said it wasn't me that had an accident in the parking lot when he saw me at that time.  My face and hair was way different.  Dr Taylor is the same chiropractor that tried to manipulate my spine without an xray when I had un-diagnosed spondylolisthesis and I fear he did more harm than good.  His credibility sunk to a new low with his certainty in both cases.  Meanwhile, the victim's repairs were delayed a week by this error.   Shame!  

Wednesday afternoon I helped decorate for the the DAR 25th anniversary party this coming Saturday which I cannot attend due to agility trials.  It looked real sharp with lots of various types of flags.  In the evening I went to the quarterly meeting of the Veterans Assistance Commission for which I am secretary.

Thursday I went to 8:30 Mass, printed documents at the library, mowed the grass, got an oil change, cleaned the guinea pig cage, and in the evening assisted with a station for our Club's beginner agility class.  I like the class and feel helpful to the new handlers with some skills that I didn't know that early like the "front cross".  I volunteered for this class because it was scheduled as an outdoor class.  That meant I didn't have to wear a mask.  As time progressed, it got cooler and darker earlier and now I'm  the only station out in the fenced yard at the club.  We have a big flood light and I don't think 55 is too cold to practice.  One person that came out after visiting station rotation inside said it seemed crowded.  Besides, I can hear better outside except when the train goes by.

Saturday and Sunday morning I got up early and went to Glen Carbon for Canine Performance Events (CPE) trials. Overall we gained 8 qualifying scores (Q's) and 2 (NQs).  It was a masked event but unlike previous events, we didn't have to run with a mask in the ring. As tired as I was after I came home on Saturday evening, I still found time to go to Chris Bron's Octoberfest themed birthday party.

My German edelweiss sweater since the evening was cool.

Enjoyed the music.  Not all the guests are pictured.  Some stayed near the beverages in the kitchen.

I saw an old breed of dog that was new to me abbreviated as PBGV, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen (peanut butter garden variety to remember just the initials).  I looked that up in my dog book when I got home.  

Alright, some may not care so much how we did at the trial but if nothing else, I must record how it went (and what I was thinking at the time).  All this was accomplished with heel pain from plantar fasciitis all week.  I wasn't always feeling it.  I got some insoles the day before to help. What made me feel a little better was seeing a few that ran their dog with a limp and a cane while off the line.  Also, there was a very pregnant woman running her dog on Saturday. When I asked her when her baby was due, she told me a week and a half.  She had family with her in our kenneling space. 

Look at her run in that pregnant condition!

These toy poodles would pop their heads up and reminded me of "Whack-a-Mole" game.

During one of the recently upgraded runs in level 3, I was really surprised to see 12 weave poles.  Up until now I've only worked with 6 and sometimes not so good.  So a few other exhibitors reassured me to go to the end as if there were 6 but if she pops out, to either correct her direction first otherwise take her to the beginning.  Never ever let her back weave to the beginning. So when it was team Amber/Rose on the line, Amber took off zooming around.  I looked at the judge and just said "I don't know what to do" for which the judge can't help me.  Well as it turned out, that cost me a fault for off course but I did get her back once Amber got her head back on track and best of all we did the 12 weaves flawlessly.  However, I didn't go back to look at the results expecting a failure for all the mess we had in the begging.  Turns out the lady that gave me advice on the 12 weaves did go and check and returned to tell me we still passed with 2 faults resulting in 2d place.  I was sulking over a loss that turned out positive and began to cry happy tears because we have worked so hard together.

I got my email for my results but don't let that "first place" fool you. It doesn't count if there's an "NQ".

Amber. 30319-01. 09-01-17. Border Terrier. Owner: Rosemary Connolly, 808 Timberhill Rd, Chatham, IL 62629. Handler: Rosemary Connolly.

    Saturday 10/23/2021:
               Wildcard L2 -  8 Inch - Judge: Carol Thom
               Distance: 89 yards  SCT: 50 seconds
               Score: 5 (Q)  Time: 30.25 seconds  1st Place

               Jackpot L3 -  8 Inch - Judge: Carol Thom
               Score: 46 (Q)  Time: 37.34 seconds  1st Place

               Snooker L2 -  8 Inch - Judge: Carol Thom
               Score: 15 (NQ)  Time: 24.12 seconds  1st Place  (dropped a bar so it didn't count)

               Standard L3 -  8 Inch - Judge: Carol Thom
               Distance: 145 yards  SCT: 70 seconds
               Score: 10 (Q)  Time: 63.84 seconds  2nd Place  (I thought this was an NQ because of off course zooming run that she did and another fault with a bar down so I didn't even go check our score.  Once I got her back on course she did real well to finish.  I didn't know what to do but call her back to the sequence. Apparently getting her to focus to finish paid off and someone else had to tell me we passed.  I was emotionally surprised that we Q'd. What's even bigger news is that this is the first time, in trial or practice, that we had to do 12 weave poles instead of 6)

               Colors L3 -  8 Inch - Judge: Carol Thom
               Distance: 98 yards  SCT: 50 seconds
               Score: 0 (Q)  Time: 21.80 seconds  2nd Place

    Sunday 10/24/2021:
               FullHouse L2 -  8 Inch - Judge: Carol Thom
               Score: 22 (Q)  Time: 18.94 seconds  2nd Place  (This was a choice course.  I was conservative going for points and had plenty of time to rack up some more time-wise.  I needed 21 points to qualify)

               Standard L3 -  8 Inch - Judge: Carol Thom
               Distance: 142 yards  SCT: 69 seconds
               Score: 0 (Q)  Time: 48.17 seconds  1st Place  (Completed requirements for level 3 on Saturday and I should have moved up Saturday to level 4 but I didn't mark that down for the trial secretary)

               Snooker L2 -  8 Inch - Judge: Carol Thom
               No Time  (After the initial sequence of "red then obstacale" three times for strategy, I was to begin the final sequence and should have wrapped the jump.  Instead I had her back jump so she went off course)

               Jackpot L3 -  8 Inch - Judge: Carol Thom
               Score: 57 (Q)  Time: 47.11 seconds  1st Place

               Jumpers L2 -  8 Inch - Judge: Carol Thom
               Distance: 92 yards  SCT: 42 seconds
               Score: 0 (Q)  Time: 21.20 seconds  2nd Place

My plan was to wrap that number 2 jump and go 3 through 7 but we back jumped to 3 which was off course then because I only had to jump number 2 once as it was bi-directional.  Kickin' myself over that.  I will be in "snooker" kindergarten level for a long time.  Other courses are now creeping into upper levels.

Our final photo with the ribbons taken with a timer over and over till I got an acceptable capture of us and the ribbons next to the timer squawk box.

There were not many photo stations at this place but there was advertising on the ring's wall with the Native American Piasa Bird famous for the local history along the Mississippi River.

 Volunteers were given tickets to enter into a raffle.  There were various things I could have bid for. I got this raffle.

Did you know Illinois is the number one pumpkin producing state? There are more than 500 pumpkin farms in our state. And, get this, 80% of the pumpkins produced commercially are grown within a 90 mile radius from Peoria.