I couldn't hack it.
After 3 days alone with Mr. Colby T. Poopsalot, I am ready to admit that I prefer the tag-team method to caretaking.
That being said, he's got some new toys now and I am optimistic his behavior will improve. Rachel even thinks he grew during her weekend away. I have been teaching him "the clicker" - which is a positive reinforcement method that seems like something even I can handle without too much trouble. We'll see.
alan
Monday, November 10, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
home alone!
Rachel is off tomorrow EARLY morning to fly to Tianjin for the weekend with a few students. That means I am all alone! I suppose I have the puppy now to keep me company, but I am not ready to let that nasty puppy breath curl up with my at night. Finally I have something around that makes my wife's breath seem not so bad!
[we'll see how long it actually takes her to notice that little comment! hehe]
But it should be a fun weekend - the highlight being an afternoon of bowling and my first-ever trip to Hooters! (yes, THAT Hooters is open now here in Chengdu)
alan
[we'll see how long it actually takes her to notice that little comment! hehe]
But it should be a fun weekend - the highlight being an afternoon of bowling and my first-ever trip to Hooters! (yes, THAT Hooters is open now here in Chengdu)
alan
Puppy love
There's been requests for the puppy story...
But there is not much to tell!
I'd been giving Rachel puppy eyes when it comes to pets ever since we came to China. (remember the near-bunny experience, anyone?) But, the dogs at the pet markets are all disease-infested (close living quarters, dirty living conditions). So, the opportunity was never really there. But also, we figured the 5th floor made dog life difficult. Too high to go outside, not high enough to have a rooftop garden. So, the dog question was ruled out.
But Rachel's 8th grade student brought in 3 puppies to sell as a fundraiser for a local orphanage. They were the talk of the school for a few hours, as all the kids wanted to hold and pet them. They were legitimately cute, and fairly well behaved for being handled by so many. One got sold, and many kids showed interest - so the pressure was on. Neither Rachel or I wanted to be the first to say yes, but in the end we both caved and bought him before we could talk ourselves out of it (like I talked myself out of the bunny). So we sent him home in the school van, and stuck him in the spare bedroom that night.
The next day (parent-teacher conferences) we took him to school (on Rachel's scooter, believe it or not!) because it was going to be a long day. Other than biting some parents' toes and pooping beneath some coworkers' desks, it went pretty well.
So in the week since then, the puppy has found his home on the enclosed porch - which has morphed quickly from rarely-used clothes drying space that it formerly was. (though we still have clothes out there, which I am guessing won't help their smell too much) He seems happy and healthy - a few fleas when we got him, but those have cleared up - and eager to chew whatever we give him. He's mostly living life out there for now, until we get some training done and can trust him in other quadrants of the house.
Now, there is just the matter of reading the dog training book we got from our friends and figure out how this pet thing really works!!
alan
But there is not much to tell!
I'd been giving Rachel puppy eyes when it comes to pets ever since we came to China. (remember the near-bunny experience, anyone?) But, the dogs at the pet markets are all disease-infested (close living quarters, dirty living conditions). So, the opportunity was never really there. But also, we figured the 5th floor made dog life difficult. Too high to go outside, not high enough to have a rooftop garden. So, the dog question was ruled out.
But Rachel's 8th grade student brought in 3 puppies to sell as a fundraiser for a local orphanage. They were the talk of the school for a few hours, as all the kids wanted to hold and pet them. They were legitimately cute, and fairly well behaved for being handled by so many. One got sold, and many kids showed interest - so the pressure was on. Neither Rachel or I wanted to be the first to say yes, but in the end we both caved and bought him before we could talk ourselves out of it (like I talked myself out of the bunny). So we sent him home in the school van, and stuck him in the spare bedroom that night.
The next day (parent-teacher conferences) we took him to school (on Rachel's scooter, believe it or not!) because it was going to be a long day. Other than biting some parents' toes and pooping beneath some coworkers' desks, it went pretty well.
So in the week since then, the puppy has found his home on the enclosed porch - which has morphed quickly from rarely-used clothes drying space that it formerly was. (though we still have clothes out there, which I am guessing won't help their smell too much) He seems happy and healthy - a few fleas when we got him, but those have cleared up - and eager to chew whatever we give him. He's mostly living life out there for now, until we get some training done and can trust him in other quadrants of the house.
Now, there is just the matter of reading the dog training book we got from our friends and figure out how this pet thing really works!!
alan
post-election in China
Strange - it seemed like election day would never actually arrive! My Mom always loved election day - not because she is a political junkie, but because she cherishes the day that non-stop political commercials and commentary will be off the TV and normal life can resume. And yes, it seems as though Obama-McCain (and the primaries before that) has had its place as a staple of the media for as long back as I can remember. (though, I must say, I'm not sure at this point how far pre-China my memory actually stretches back to)
For me, it was really fun to watch the parties going on in Chicago. I kind of wonder if I would have gone downtown, or would I have been too lazy and just watched on TV. Maybe Rachel would have dragged me out there. Well, it seems like I missed out on a fun celebration and one of those precious "I was there when...." stories for the grandkids.
Here, the celebration was much more subdued. And by subdued I mean non-existent. I do know of one person outside my household here who voted Obama - there could be more, but they stay in the silent minority. My American students reacted with loud displeasure all election day (I was in school all day as election returns came in through the night in the US) as their hopes of a McCain comeback were squashed. While their political views were not surprising, the things that came out of their mouths were...
"I think he's the anti-Christ."
"Obama loves abortions!"
"Obama was sent by Satan."
"Shhhhhh. I'm gonna tell you a secret.... Obama is a HOMO-SEXUAL."
Oh well. Maybe by the next election cycle I will know better how to raise the bar of political discussion in my classes!
alan
For me, it was really fun to watch the parties going on in Chicago. I kind of wonder if I would have gone downtown, or would I have been too lazy and just watched on TV. Maybe Rachel would have dragged me out there. Well, it seems like I missed out on a fun celebration and one of those precious "I was there when...." stories for the grandkids.
Here, the celebration was much more subdued. And by subdued I mean non-existent. I do know of one person outside my household here who voted Obama - there could be more, but they stay in the silent minority. My American students reacted with loud displeasure all election day (I was in school all day as election returns came in through the night in the US) as their hopes of a McCain comeback were squashed. While their political views were not surprising, the things that came out of their mouths were...
"I think he's the anti-Christ."
"Obama loves abortions!"
"Obama was sent by Satan."
"Shhhhhh. I'm gonna tell you a secret.... Obama is a HOMO-SEXUAL."
Oh well. Maybe by the next election cycle I will know better how to raise the bar of political discussion in my classes!
alan
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
....and Colby was his name-O
Here are some pics of our cute little puppy, Colby! He came home with us on Thursday. No, we were not planning on getting him when we went to school in the morning, but we couldn't resist his little whiny look.
Good news. I think he learned where to go potty (at least for tonight)in his luxurious porch world
As I write he is trying to bite my feet (we are still working on that). I think he is pretty awesome. He isn't loud at all but still has a lot of personality.
-rachel
Sunday, November 2, 2008
it's a boy!!!!
so we broke down and added a new member to our household...can you guess which one he is????
More info to come...
More info to come...
Monday, October 27, 2008
Poetry lovers out there?
I received a text over this past weekend, but I'm not sure how to take it. Kate, please help me interpret!
"I write a poem give you and wish you and you lover would happinss forever.
i remember
i remenber the perfect smile in shine morning.
i remenber the perfect wint in romantic night
i remenber the perfect ring in love
i remenber the perfect flower in my eyes through windom
i remenber the perfect wind in my face thougt the sea
i remenber the perfect friend in my tear though sation
i remenber the perfect lover in my soul though kissing"
It was not a case of mistaken identity - this text was definitely supposed to go to me. So what the heck does it mean?
In other goings on, I want to report a good time at English corner last Friday. I had the most stimulating academic conversation I've had since coming to China - and it was with Chinese students speaking another language! We talked global economics, free trade, American politics, environmental policy, and architecture, among other things. I was impressed. We'll miss it this coming Friday, but for a good cause - we'll be taking a trip downtown to eat at the Shangri-la hotel. Niiiiiiice.
-alan
"I write a poem give you and wish you and you lover would happinss forever.
i remember
i remenber the perfect smile in shine morning.
i remenber the perfect wint in romantic night
i remenber the perfect ring in love
i remenber the perfect flower in my eyes through windom
i remenber the perfect wind in my face thougt the sea
i remenber the perfect friend in my tear though sation
i remenber the perfect lover in my soul though kissing"
It was not a case of mistaken identity - this text was definitely supposed to go to me. So what the heck does it mean?
In other goings on, I want to report a good time at English corner last Friday. I had the most stimulating academic conversation I've had since coming to China - and it was with Chinese students speaking another language! We talked global economics, free trade, American politics, environmental policy, and architecture, among other things. I was impressed. We'll miss it this coming Friday, but for a good cause - we'll be taking a trip downtown to eat at the Shangri-la hotel. Niiiiiiice.
-alan
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