Skunked

Every dog owner dreads it. Every dog owner looks at the bottle of de-skunker in the pet store and hopes that they never have to use it. I have looked at those bottles before and thought, “hmmmm…maybe I should buy a litre and have it on hand just in case……”. Of course, I never acted on that thought. Of course, my dog Otis gets skunked. Of course, I’m at home by myself in the middle of feeding Ellie. Not only does Otis get skunked but he comes into the house (the side door is open) and he sprays the slime all over the house – upstairs and downstairs! Poor guy was totally dazed. After I was able to get Ellie safe in her crib and away from all things skunkified, I found Otis downstairs lying in pool of drool. He was traumatized. This was not a day of “a dog’s life” especially after we had already been chased down by a big mean x breed looking for an afternoon snack while we were out running. Both Otis and I had had our adrenalin rushes for the day.

Regardless, I was now faced with the challenge of de-stinkifying my house and my dog. Oh bring it on……..I’ve just managed to calm my teething child after hours of whining and crying……I can handle it! No pet stores that I knew of were open at 8pm and I wasn’t sure how I was going to clean up Otis. Thankfully, my answer was just a few keystrokes away and after a ten second google search, I discovered a de-skunking concoction that was guaranteed to work: 1 litre of hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup baking soda and 1tsp of liquid soap.

Problem. I couldn’t leave Otis at home to potentially skunkify the couches and other furniture that had so far remained untouched. I was also not about to pack up Ellie in the car with a stinky dog covered in drool and skunk juice. Arghhh. What to do!? I called my dog owner neighbour down the street hoping she would have some de-skunker on hand. Not home! Asking for help is really not my specialty but I had to admit to myself that I needed it! With some trepidation, I called a friend to lend a hand – thankfully Bob was willing to pedal his way to the drugstore to fulfil my request for one litre of hydrogen peroxide. Not doing much on a Friday night? Well, trust me to add a little excitement in to the mix! Okay, maybe not but it was My excitement for the evening! Anyway, thank you Bob!

Good news. The peroxide mixture worked and my pup smells squeaky clean. After about four hours of cleaning, laundry, dog washing and candle burning, I was able to get the house clean again. I even got in a little extra exercise by getting down on my hands and knees and scrubbing the floor. Little did I know that my afternoon run was my just my warm up for the evening! The air still has a faint reek in the basement but I think it will just be a matter of time before it clears out.

The next day, I find Otis in the yard chewing up the trellis under the patio where the skunks were. I had to give him heck for it but I could tell he was chewing with such a vengeance as if to say “okay, take that you stinker skunk………if I ever see you again…………you better watch your tail……..woof..woof”. Otis once got hit by a bicycle and now he clears the path instantly for oncoming bikes. I just hope he takes the same approach with any future oncoming skunks!

Pimp My Stroller

The other day I walked into Starbucks and two guys started oggling my stroller. They were impressed with the Bob wheels, with their size and their obvious off road capabilities. They were obviously Dads but they were also gear geeks...they were no longer satisfied with their small wheeled urban type (trendy I'm sure) strollers. It was hilarious to me.... at one time in my life I swapped gear stories with fellow cyclists on bike gear....now I'm in Starbucks talking about what kind of terrain my stroller can handle. Oh how my life has changed!

The Taste of a Two Parent Family

Wow! The parenting thing is almost a breeze (note that I am saying "almost" as I don't want to put my foot in my mouth!) with an extra set of hands around! Dad was home for a visit last weekend and I actually felt like the chaos meter of my life dropped a few notches. Everything seemed that much easier...

• I could have a shower without having to place Ellie in her bouncy chair right beside the bathtub so that I could keep her entertained.
  
• I could have a shower EVERY morning without having to frantically get Ellie fed and Otis out the door for his walk. I never would have thought that becoming a mother meant sacrificing your own personal hygiene on occasion but admittedly there have been days that by the time I have a minute to myself (after the wee one is in bed) I am just too knackered to bother.
  
• My day was not a constant cycle of feeding Ellie, diaper changes, laundry and dog walking. I actually got to do a few things in between!
  
• I could eat my dinner sitting down - as opposed to my usual scarfing at the kitchen counter.
• I could go for a run without having to take Otis and Ellie together!! For once, running was once again a stress release and not stressful!
• I could go grocery shopping without baby attached to chest and get everything done in less than 30 minutes!

In addition to things being easier, having Dad around allowed us to experience life together as one family unit in the same place at the same time albeit for a short time.

I don't know how many times over the last few years that I've said goodbyes at the airport but I can tell you it's that much harder to do when you've got a dog and baby at home. I feel bad for Dad not being able to experience the daily joys that Ellie brings into my life and I feel bad for Otis not having all of us around. I think Otis is probably the most sensitive one of us all and he mopes around the house the week after Dad leaves. It's as if he knows that it's back to running and walking with the stroller in tow and no crazy trail runs until Dad comes back. It must be weird for the little guy not knowing when he will return! At least I know that part and I look forward to when we can be a family again soon.......

Dog Hair

I love my dog. All this dog hair though....it's driving me crazy! I sweep umpteen times a day and it still looks as though I haven't swept for a week. All of my clothes are covered in short black hair and I look as though my full time job is dog walking. This I have almost come to accept as some days, I feel like all I do is feed Ellie and walk Otis. But when I find dog hairs in my child's diaper, on her clothes or a small black hair clinging to her drooly chin............man, I can understand (sort of) why some pet lovers choose poodles.

The Five Tibetans

An Ashtanga yoga practise typically takes about 90 minutes to get through the primary series. Since Ellie arrived into this world, a 90 minute chunk of time to myself is an impossibility. As such, it may be a long while yet before I can return to a full yoga practise. The absence of this practise that once grounded me has left my mind scurrying, my breath shallow and my joints stiff. While it's unrealistic for me to do 90 minutes of yoga every day, it's still possible for me to get on my yoga mat every day. That is my goal. This week, I have started doing the Five Tibetan Rites as part of my yoga practise. They don't take that long and so I figure at minimum, I can fit these in. If I do more, great. If not, I'm not going to fret. I'm curious to discover the benefits that I might experience from a daily practise of these five exercises.

Stampedes along Spanish Banks

A great advantage to being on leave is that I get to enjoy the public parks and pathways during the day when most people are at work. Generally, there is ample space for a runner, dog and stroller. Not so on Sunday morning. It appeared that every runner in Vancouver chose the path along Jericho Beach to Spanish banks as their route to log some miles. It may have been the gorgeous sun that brought everyone out to the beach or it may have been the unfortunate closure of the Pacific Spirit park trails. Stampedes of runners - mostly in groups - made it that much more challenging to maneuver Otis and Ellie. Regardless, I was happy to be running, moving and feeling the wind at my face. Every day, some tragic news article reinforces the fragility of life - I think I have to stop reading the news. Every stride...every breath is truly a gift.

Eagle Inspiration

Running with the stroller is not easy. It's an extra twenty pounds of equipment and 17 pounds of baby to push. Running with the jogger and the dog is also not all that relaxing (Ellie gets to chill but Otis has to watch out for the stroller and I have to watch out for both baby and dog). I need to be on the alert for big bumps that could jostle the stroller or for squirrels that Otis might decide to chase. In past, my solo runs were an opportunity to let my mind run free but now my runs require total concentration.

So despite my sleep deprivation and my compromised mommy memory, I have actually grown more observant and aware on our little excursions. I notice the potholes in the path, the dog poop left behind by a negligent pet owner and the cyclists coming up from behind. I've noticed that people rarely look you in the eye and say hello unless of course you are the first to greet them with a friendly smile and say "hi" first. I've discovered that many people don't even bother to say hello despite me greeting them. Maybe they are just too engrossed in their own thoughts or perhaps they don't like dogs or jogging strollers. It seems that these days I am meeting a lot more friendly dogs than people. It makes me wonder what kind of world I am raising a child in...

Just when I'm starting to dwell on the apparent aloofness of Vancouverites, I look up to the sky and discover a bald eagle flying above. We've had the fortune of spotting a Bald Eagle on almost every one of our runs this week and every time I see one, I get goose bumps. Strangely, the eagle sparks a zest for life inside my weary bones. Witnessing this majestic bird motivates me to run a little faster and keep on pushing the jogger. And as I am joined by other people gazing upward, we the walkers and the runners witness the moment and this great part of nature together and the eagle restores my faith in people and community. In First Nations cultures, the eagle is a symbol of power and intelligence and because the eagle mates for life, it is also a symbol of friendship, loyalty and peace. How cool! How could a run not be great when you have an eagle flying over you...........