The Cheer Me Up Contest

I'll tell you about the contest in a minute, but first news about Iko, my juvenile delinquent dog.

Iko started school on Sunday. I enrolled him in obedience class at the intermediate level in the hopes the extra socialization will calm him down. He is so hyper when guests come over. It wouldn't be so bad if he were a little dog, but at 89 pounds, all his loving can put you in a body cast.

He's a good dog most of the time, but when anyone visits (including Greg) he acts like they're long lost relatives and he races at people as if he were on fire. The goof!

So we went to school yesterday. By the time it was over, we were both exhausted, but he still gave me a sweet hug when we got back to the car.

To his credit, he behaved better than I expected. I thought all the people and noises would send him into tail-wagging overdrive. He was a little hyper in the beginning, but within 20 minutes he was behaving like a gentleman. 

***
My internet went AWOL over most of the weekend, so I apologize if I missed anything important. I should be caught up soon.

Sadly, when I got back online late last night, I read something that disheartened my normally chipper disposition. Now I need a pat on the back--and cookies. :o)

Want to cheer me up? Tell me what's going on with you. You get extra points if you put it in rhyme. 

The best story, rhyming or not, gets a prize. I'll have to dig through my prize vault to see what it'll be. It could be a t-shirt. It could be Chicken Poop. One never knows.

I'll pick a winner Tuesday night--and announce it on Wednesday.

Comments

Linda Leszczuk said…
My weekend, alas, was just the same.
Hospice visits (you know her name).
Pooch's eye care getting old.
Football games out in the cold.

Lots of things not getting done.
Writing is the major one.
Sorry something made you blue.
Here's a hug from me to you.

(and now we know why I don't write poetry)
Dru said…
Linda, you did good!

My top quilt is done
Kite flying was fun
Two books I've won
Maria Zannini said…
Linda, Dru:

I SERIOUSLY did not think you guys would do rhyme.

You guys are just awesome. I am still grinning.

Thanks!
J.L. Johnson said…
I can't rhyme, sorry, that's probably why I can't write poems, but, Husband is home for a week, and he's promised to a) stucco the addition, b)mow the lawn for the last time this year, and c)split and store the rest of the wood.

This may not make you happy, but I'm happier than a pig in a dung pile! Mind you, I know I'm going to be complaing about him being in my hair this week, so if you see a FB update about it, remind me of this post. :P
Maria Zannini said…
JL: I know exactly how you feel. Not only is the husband home but you're squaring away your place for winter. It's a good satisfying feeling.

Ref: FB
Oh, shoot. I forgot to turn it back on. My browser crashed just before my service went down and I forgot to restart Facebook. Thanks!
Linda Leszczuk said…
Couldn't pass up the chance to win some chicken poop. :-)
Joanne said…
Great idea to bring your pup to obedience school. They seem to really thrive on the training, don't you think? What's going on with me ... Juggling writing and removing wallpaper this week, good times.
Bookewyrme said…
Obedience school sounds like a good idea. We visited some friends over the weekend who have a boxer-mix (possibly mixed with shepherd?) who has the same problem. He gets very excited. In fact, he got so excited when I was going to bed that he jumped on my head. Twice. It was like having a furry, be-clawed wall fall on my head. Twice.

~Lia
Jennifer Shirk said…
Rats. I'm not a poet. and we all know it. LOL
But I am sorry you're feeling down.
Maria Zannini said…
Joanne: Oh, wallpaper! I hate having to take down wallpaper.

After the last bout, I swore I would never put some up again. LOL.

Good luck!
Maria Zannini said…
Bookwyrme: It's too early to tell, but it did seem to take some of the 'eagerness' from him.

But a lot will depend on whether I keep his training up at home.
Maria Zannini said…
Jennifer:

Ref: Rats. I'm not a poet. and we all know it.

Ha! Could have fooled me. That was cute!
Meghan S. said…
Rhyming is defnitely not my thing. But I'm sorry that something you read bummed you out. I hate when that happens to me.

My dog is the same way, he runs and jumps on people when they come over. He loves everyone. Luckily he's a 10 pound chihuahua so no one gets knocked over when he tries to attack them! ;-)
Maria Zannini said…
Meghan: Our trainer brought her chihuahua--all 4 pounds of her. She was adorable!

I keep telling Greg our next dog needs to be smaller. I don't want to fend off a 90 pound licky monster when I'm 70. But he'll never listen to me. :) I'm doomed.
Ellie Garratt said…
Aggh. . .I can't do rhyming. I tried but it wasn't happening. LOL.

Glad Iko's class went better than expected!
Maria Zannini said…
Ellie: I just hope I can make it. LOL.

He's a hardheaded dog. Much like his mama. :)
Stacy said…
So sorry that you're down.
Don't want Maria wearin' a frown.
Thanks for the poop,
but I've got my own coop.
Making some more jewels
with my fancy new tools.
I ain't no poet...
and now we all know it!

Hope your day gets better. :)
Maria Zannini said…
Stacy:

Ref: Thanks for the poop,
but I've got my own coop.

ROTFL!

You got me there! Great one!
Marianne Arkins said…
I spent all day making really bad rhymes like this:

There once was a dog named Dakota,
Who'd play with Iko an iota,
Her fur it is red
She sometimes plays dead
And she makes my temper explode-a.

And then Judy said:

There was a librarian named Judy
Who some people say is a cutie
she will check out your books
And will recommend Nooks
And always she does her duty

No... we aren't REALLY the Borg, but sometimes we can be a bit scary.

Anyway ... cheer up?
**I** told Marianne that the last line should be "though her partner claims she is loopy".. but does she ever listen to me??? Nooooooooo.... :::shaking head at Marianne::::

~~Judy~~
Maria Zannini said…
Marianne: Those were hilarious!

I'm just glad everyone is keeping their rhymes clean so far. :)
Maria Zannini said…
Judy: Methinks Marianne is deaf in one ear and blind in the other. LOL.

But the rhymes did their job and they certainly made me smile.

Thanks!
Linda Leszczuk said…
So...feeling any better?
Maria Zannini said…
Linda: Actually, yes. I know where my good friends are. Right here.
I've never heard of a book so exotic
The idea seems downright quixotic
Jane Austen inspired
But more it aspires
To be both paranormal and erotic.

^_^ From a submission call I heard about from Circlet Press. I just gotta write a Jane Austen paranormal/erotic story.
Anonymous said…
A Haiku for Up

Youth
Adventures many
Love, life, Death,
Dogs Talking
Life lived
Maria Zannini said…
Barbara: That sounds like fun!!

An erotic Jane Austen novel. :)
Maria Zannini said…
Anon: I normally don't allow anonymous comments, but since you emailed me and left such a sweet haiku, I am making an exception.

...hurry home. :o)
Sarah Ahiers said…
hmmm let's see:

The weather is cold
My book ain't sold
I feel pretty old
And wish i had some gold

How are you?
Maria Zannini said…
Sarah:

You crack me up! Good one!
Mike Keyton said…
An Ode to Chicken Poop

In Didcot fair they're using poop
to make some foul, obnoxious soup,
but worry not they have a plan,
to save the planet and with it, man.

you see the poop is cleaned and heated too,
You'd never guess it'd been doo doo.
Now it's methane, pure and good
and you can cook without coal or wood.

So when you poo, think on this rhyme,
and how best to use your precious time
invest in poo churns and think on pee
and how best to use what comes out free.
Maria Zannini said…
Mike:

Why did I ever bring up chicken poop?

You are quite the rhymester and so Geen too. You'd be a hit in LA.

Are they really making fuel from poop in Didcot? I hope you don't live near there.
Angelina Rain said…
Obedience school for the puppy? Oh, how I miss those days. My dog always had fun in class and he would be so worn out afterwards. I took him to school for the same reason, he was getting too excited when people would come over, except he wouldn’t just jump on them, he would pee on them too. His teacher said a lot of puppies do that, so at least he wasn’t the only one. Now we have the problem taken care of, except when my husband’s ex wife comes over, he still pees on her (that could also be because we give him a lot to drink and don’t let him out before she comes over). I may not be able to punch her out for all the bull she causes in my marriage, but at least I could let her go home wet and stinky.
Maria Zannini said…
Oh, Lia! That is hilarious! I would love to teach my dog to pee on command.

Maybe that'll give her reasons NOT to come over.
Mike Keyton said…
Are they really making fuel from poop in Didcot? I hope you don't live near there. Would I lie to you :)

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/headlines/4992589.Didcot_leads_way_with_Poo_Power/

They reckon when rolled out nation wide it will provide 15% of our energy needs. Can't wait
Maria Zannini said…
Mike: I'll save the guest room for you guys should you decide to get away from the poo farm. :)
Robert Guthrie said…
My childhood dog failed out of obedience school twice.
She was asked not return, which we didn't think was nice.
Guffy had a good life; she didn't eat dog food but chicken and rice (for real that was her meal).
I no poet, and I know it.
My apologies to everyone who likes the English language.
Both Mike and Linda's poems are fantastic, but I think Linda should win since the goal was to cheer you up, wasn't it? And she worked a hug into her poem.

...but no poop for her. Leave that for Mike since he's got inspiration for how to recycle it ;-)
Maria Zannini said…
Robert: Guffy sounds like a dog I know all too well. Hmm...
Maria Zannini said…
Wendy: The Chicken Poop is actually a lip balm. I was so tickled with the packaging I bought several tubes to give away. It really is rather pleasant. No after-poop taste. :)