Benjamin and I have a deal....

A deal that Mom isn't too fond of right now because she and Daddy are the ones dealing with all the hard work.

Benjamin is getting really old. He is 14 years old right now and Basset Hounds typically live to 10 or 11. He is doing well but he is definitely an old guy. We know he has continence issues, think he is going blind and I think he has dementia at some points. He has skin issues and enough pain to warrant pain meds. Everything that can be managed with medication but we are coming to the point where we do have to watch him and see if it is time to make a really tough decision. Last time I went down in January, Benjamin did not react to having Doug (my brother) or me there. He has always reacted excitedly seeing me and he should have been even more excited to see Doug as he hadn't seen Doug in years...yet we got nothing. That was probably our first wake up call that we need to be watching Benjamin more closely. I was really nervous about how he would react when he saw me this visit and I am pleased to announce he was back to his old normal self! My talk with Benjamin has been delayed for a bit.

So why tell you all that? Because Benjamin and I have a deal!

I really really want a picture of Thor lying on Benjamin. Bailey is going to be so sweet with Thor but she is not the lying down, cuddle type Basset. Benjamin is the only dog since William that we have had that would let us lie on them, cuddle next to them and place things on them without moving or caring. And I would love one picture of the two of them.

So the deal is that Benjamin fights it for another 4 months. That way Thor can be born and we have some time to make it to Charleston and set up for what I hope to be a great picture. Mom isn't too pleased only because it is such a chore to have to put up with Benjamin right now. Giving the medicine, having to carry him out to go potty, and having him still have accidents in the house. Benjamin is a lot of work and it is not getting better. I don't think it is necessarily getting worse and Mom isn't going to put Benjamin down just because she is tired of dealing with him but making that decision is going to be hard enough without feeling bad about taking away the one photo her favorite daughter wants.

Because of Benjamin's non-reaction to Doug and me in January, I was starting to see where Mom was coming from. I really want that picture...but if Benjamin is miserable and in that much pain that he cant react to his two favorite people??? Not worth it.

So I had to come up with Plan B....in case Benjamin could not make it 4 months (if he makes it longer...awesome but the deal is 4 months). Well, plan B is using my doll Baby that looks like a 6 month old baby and photoshopping Thor in when it comes time. I will post that photo shoot in the next post.

Benjamin gave me a surprise though. He was lying on my lap right next to my belly and stayed there while I took pictures. So I may not get the real Thor with the real Benjamin in real life but I do have Benjamin and Thor together during the pregnancy.

My favorite, this is how Benjamin kisses. Thor must have kicked

We tried to get bailey in on the action but it didn't work quite as easily...

And yes...while I do now obviously have a belly....it is still tiny enough that Bailey can sit in my lap and not disturb Thor in any possible way.

Basset Hound Waddle 2012

After Trans Siberian Brian and I headed down to Charleston to spend the weekend with my parents. We saw the lights on James Island which was fantastic but the best thing was the Basset Hound Waddle!

Every year during the Christmas parade the Carolina Basset Hound Rescue group invites Bassets from all over to participate in the parade! If you don't know bassets ....walking without sniffing and walking fast when not chasing something like a rabbit is not their fortay!

All of the out of town bassets were staying at a hotel in Folley Beach so Saturday my parents, Brian our friend Will and I went down to see if we could catch any on the beach. I was too excited to pet and play with the Bassets to take pictures but it is hilarious to see Bassets try to walk in sand when their bellies touch the sand and even try to go swimming.

Sunday was the parade and to our surprise the bassets were one of the first groups! The bassets start out walking but for those that are too old or tire out there is two wagons following behind to carry the rest across the finish line. SO much fun and definitely a new Christmas tradition.

They had the right idea!

So good letting Santa ride on her!

Poop Mobile or what I call the winners!

I want a basset!

Awww they like each other!

Benjamin and Bailey lead two very independent lives. They rarely interact with each other. Bailey also is learning how to be more basset and less Beagle.

Look what we found!

They are cuddling in the sun together!!!!

Let sleeping dogs lie....

There is one thing that Benjamin and Bailey do really well....sleep! Benjamin is a tad bit better ;)

Under the bed....

On Dad's foot...

In a puddle outside....

In the corner

"why'd you wake me....I was comfy!"

Under the dining room table...

Finally, a puppy asleep in a bed :)

What have I been up too...

Not much I am afraid

The invisible fence is in so we are ready for Benjamin and Bailey (my parents dogs which I call mine) when they come down with the move.

This weekend we are having the trim put in above the blinds, the new doors we bought for the pantry put in and the back splash as well. I will of course post pictures of the finished product.

Work is going well. I am in production which surprised me and my manager. We both thought there would be more notice but things have changed as they typically do. It is okay though because I did very well in my first month of being in production. My manager is not worried at all. I did a little better then I was hoping for but not as well as I would have hoped. We have to meet 100% to keep our jobs (not immediately, there are steps in place to help you make production but if you ignore the suggestions and don't do what you are supposed to the quickest way to lose the job is by not making production) but if we make 120% production for the year we get a bonus. I have been hoping to get the 120% average so I can get the bonus. This month I got 125% without trying terribly hard. I have from the beginning tried to organize my time like I would if I were on production so the transition would be easier to working on production and maybe it wouldn't be too hard for me to meet production. Well it worked! I would have liked it to be a little higher then 125% because there is little wiggle room for the following months in case things slow down and I have trouble finding things to keep me occupied. But I think it is a great start for my first month and I will continue doing what I am doing and will look for more work to help boost my numbers.

Also with work, overtime is back! I am rejuvenated from my break with overtime and have been staying late doing correspondence. I am getting much faster (which will help my production) and enjoy doing it. There is overtime this Saturday which I am doing as well. Weekends have been tough because we haven't had much to do. This is the first weekend where we really have any real plans so we have been watching a lot of tv. Since I do have Monday off and I am not really necessary for the projects at home we thought it would be good if I did the overtime.

Brian and I are re-thinking what to do with the money I have saved for the extra mortgage payment. Brian is now thinking about wanting to use it to pay down one of his student loans. All the overtime I currently earn is being divided. Half of it will go towards house projects and the other half is going to his student loans. While making an extra mortgage payment each year would lower the interest on the house greatly Brian is thinking it might be better off paying off a student loan and then playing catch up on the house later. The student loan is at a higher interest rate then the house and having that paid off would free up money each month. I like our current system. Taxes/half of my overtime/bonus's/etc going towards student loans and having an extra mortgage payment for the house but I dont know if I am being type A, stubborn and not liking change or if my idea is more sound. Brian is wanting to put all the money we dont spend on house projects/bills to go towards paying off the loan. Nothing we need to make an immediate decision on, just something we are discussing.

Brian is still obsessed with the bunny in our yard. He is so cute about it!

I am back at the gym and while I am sore, I am enjoying being back. I had a nice "break" but it is nice to be back in more rigid, structured classes again.

Really the biggest thing is waiting for Mommy and Daddy to move down!

Show Us Your Life: Pets

I am linking up with Kelly's Korner again, a little late but I am! I haven't done it in awhile because until now, I didnt have/do anything related to actually participate in the link up.

Today's link up is "Show Us Your Life: Pets!"

This is William. Our first baby. He is a Basset Hound

Pardon the pictures, I don't have any puppy pictures of him on my computer. He is pretty sick in the last two. We finally had to put him down at around age 9? He had a mass in his lung and he wasn't eating :( Very sad day, I miss my William

You may have noticed another puppy in the pictures of William. Meet Benjamin

He is also a Basset Hound. In the last picture he is sitting straight on his bum in a position we call Gopher. He stops traffic :) He is also known as Mange as he is Mangey. William was the pretty, show quality, healthy dog. Benjamin is just a mess. My Mom affectionately calls him the puppy that only a mother could love :). He has issues with his hips, shoulders, allergic to the outside and yeast and an over active glands. Given all that, he has now surpassed William in age. He cries when he sees me :) He is moving with my parents when they move closer in July :) I am so excited to have my puppy close again!

Then there was Daisy

The one in the blue collar

the one looking at the camera

I never got to meet Daisy. She is also a Basset Hound and our first girl! She was a rescue and ended up, to my understanding, suffering from the same thing William had so after about a week of having her we had to put her down. I say we but it was really my parents as I was in SC at the time. I wish I got to meet her....she was a real sweet heart. We are just pleased that we were able to make her last week enjoyable in a home rather then a shelter.

After that we had to get another one. Welcome Bailey!

"I want hugs not my picture taken!"

Bailey or Bailey Mae (Yes some of the South is starting to sink in) is a mix! Our first mix! Can you guess the mix? Yup half Basset and half beagle! We love us some Bassets! Bailey is adorable! I love her because I can carry her around like a baby. William and Benjamin would let me but they were too long for me to do it. Bailey loves to take walks and likes annoy Benjamin. She is moving down with my parents too and I am so excited to have her back!

So those are my puppies! People get confused since they are with my parents up in CT yet I claim them for my own but oh well :) Mommy makes my day when she tries to threaten them that they will live with their sister if they don't behave :) Heck if they buy the house my Mom loves I will be "forced" to take them ..be still my heart! :)