Friday, October 24, 2014

Friday Mishmash - Squirrel vs. Dog

It's autumn and our backyard squirrels are getting ready for winter.  Burying acorns, making nests...lots of activity, and it's all making Paco crazy.  Well, crazier than usual.  I think it's the same squirrel who is torturing Paco (and me by proxy, what with having to listen to him bark all the time) - here's the staredown:
What you can't get from this picture is the "rowr rowr rowr" gutteral throat noises Paco is making as he and the squirrel give each other the stinkeye. 

The next day, the squirrel decided to rip up our weed-prevention fabric and use it for his nest:
Oh no no NO.  Paco did not like this AT ALL.  The squirrel would tear off a piece and run up the tree with it, then come back for more.  I finally got tired of the barking and let Paco outside to run the squirrel off - for a little while, at least.  He'll be back...

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Last month I decided to try a Stridebox subscription - it's a monthly box of goodies tailored for runners.  At $15/month, with free shipping, I figured why not?  I placed my order and soon received an email saying the October box had been shipped, along with a tracking number for the U.S. postal servise.  I waited a bit and checked - no updates.  Waited a bit more and checked - no updates.  Finally I emailed Stridebox, who couldn't have been nicer - they shipped out a second box to me, priority mail, and I received it within a few days.  They said if the other box showed up, it was mine to keep as well.  Finally, the shipping status on that box was updated.  I don't know what strange system the USPS has for sending mail, but the package started in Washington state, then went to Pennsylvania, then to Ohio, then to Iowa, then finally to Dallas, and two days later, it arrived here.  Here's a map I skillfully drew on, in Paint, to show you the route:
...and they wonder why our postal service has issues.  This box shipped on October 7 and I received it on October 22, more than two weeks later!

After all that, here's what was inside:
A nice assortment of energy drinks and fuel, plus a Bottle Band, which you can use to make any water bottle a handheld...we'll throw this in with our running bag, just in case we ever forget our water systems.

I'll go ahead and do another month of Stridebox, first out of curiosity to see if the postal service can get it here in a timely manner, and second, because we've had fun trying out all the goodies.

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File this under "true connections" - I've been needing to clean out my main drawer in the bathroom.  I put it off and put it off, but finally on Tuesday, I remembered it was my BFF's day off, so I figured I'd call her while I cleaned it.  I dialed her number and she answered with "I just sent you a picture!" - and this is what it was:
HER bathroom drawer - cleaning in process!!! 

Freaky, right??  There's a reason we are friends.  I didn't take a before shot, but here's my drawer after I cleaned it out:
Got the drawer cleaned, the bathroom cleaned, and had an excellent talk with my best friend.  Life is good.

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I hung out with my friend Loretta yesterday - she had surgery for her hip stress fracture, so I kept her company and brought her ice packs when she needed them.  Mostly we chatted and watched movies.  Plus, there was Moose:
He was a sweetheart.  When he wasn't busy sneaking a lick on my bare feet, he spent most of the day looking out the window and not barking at everyone who went by outside.  Paco could take a lesson from Moose!

Have a great weekend - we are running 10 miles tomorrow (eeeeekkkkkk!!!!!).

11 comments:

  1. Yay for the 10 mile run! My very favorite distance length! Errrr, back when I ran distance that is. I've always wanted to run the Army 10 Miler in Washington D.C. So much so that I haven't 'quite' crossed it off as I'm never doing it.

    OK, looking in your bathroom drawer, you and I also have a connection... I use the same contact solution, eye shadows, lip balm and hand cream. There's probably more there but I can't zoom the photo in any more LOL!

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    1. Oh yeah, I forgot that you liked this distance so much. I'll let you know after tomorrow if I agree. ;)

      Too funny on all the drawer connections! Don't you just love MAC eye shadow?

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  2. Yep, we would call that Squirrel T.V. - they used to drive our dog Ed nuts too - when he was really young, he actually caught a squirrel in his mouth, and was so freaked out by what he did he spit it out and the squirrel ran away. We always said he had a "taste" of squirrel that he could never quite get over - but he never caught another one!

    Good luck on your ten miler! Hope it's not too humid :D

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    1. I would be so upset if Paco actually caught a squirrel...luckily these guys are much faster than he is.

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  3. Eeeekkkkk!!!!!indeed!!! Well, good luck, and when you feel your energy flagging, just remember that cinnamon crisp waiting for you at the finish line. Paco and the squirrels cracks me up. And how clever of that squirrel to find your weed prevention cloth.

    Darn! I ordered drawer organizers for the kitchen but didn't think about the bathroom drawers. Hopefully I can find something like that in the stores. Before all my drawers were miniature,so nothing commercial would fit into them. Thanks for the idea!

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    1. Mmmm, cinnamon twists...that's a great motivator!

      Yes, how very clever of the squirrel to find our cloth. Cue weeds coming up next spring, sigh.

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  4. I am so admiring of your drawer organization skillz. I think you are in general a very much more organized person than I am LOL!

    Have a super run tomorrow!

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    1. I am a pretty organized person, yes. Which is why I go insane if I can't find something, because I KNOW WHERE IT SHOULD BE. ;)

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  5. 10 Miles!!!!! Yoohooo!!! Wow that is getting up there. It is the inspiration I needed to get off the computer and head to the gym, thanks Shelley :-)
    I'm going to try the strengthened knee out on the treadmill and see how it responds.

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  6. OMG...Paco and the squirrel!!! So cute!!! I bow at your organized feet Shelley! And bow at your running feet too. Have a great weekend!!!

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  7. Paco cracks me up. Bella would do exactly the same, just an hour ago she saw a bird outside and was going crazy. I think the 2 of them together would drive us totally nuts.

    10 miles! Wow girl, here I am running 1.6 miles this morning LOL. Yes, I know I said I wouldn't run for 2 weeks but I just couldn't stop. Is that called addiction :) ? Hope you had a great run.

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