:Following his dreams

For years Rick, Nate and I could be found at a swimming pool about every other weekend. Some of you know this… Nate swam competitively, starting at 9 years old until he was cut from the University of Arizona swim team following his Junior year. He was a scholarship athlete, swimming with Olympic Champions and NCAA Champions. For several reasons, reasons that don’t matter in this story – or the big picture – Nate’s times didn’t improve much. Nate came back to Colorado to finish his degree (2009?? maybe!!). Nate has a passion for swimming as intense as my passion for Lhasa Apsos. He immediately transitioned to coaching, something for which he seems to have a talent.

Olympic trials are this week. Thanks to efforts in the past few years by USA Swimming – and don’t forget the current megastar Micheal Phelps! – more and more swimming is being televised, including this week’s trials. Our family has been glued to the TV each evening, watching many swimmers we know personally, many swimmers we’ve watched develop over the years, along with today’s crop of superstars.

Denton’s story is about following your own dreams no matter the superstars, no matter the endorsements some swimmers receive from Speedo and TYR, no matter the odds. Our Man Denton and Nate entered U of A together as freshmen. Denton and Nate remain friends. Denton was a walk-on at UA. He’d never done two-a-days. His speed increased, but he was never one of the superstars on the U of A swim team.

Several days ago, Rick and I received a package in the mail containing two t-shirts, along with this letter…

Here I am sitting on the stands of the portable pool in Omaha, Nebraska. The same pool that the Olympic Trials will be held. It is pretty crazy because the pool is inside a convention center made for ice hockey games.

As some of you may know, I recently qualified for Olympic Trials. What you many not know is that I created shirts for you (My Support Team). On June 30th you should wear the shirt with pride because I will be attempting to pull off the impossible and have the best swim of my life. If that happens in the morning and I move up enough in the rankings I will make semi-finals. After semis the goal is to make finals and swim with the big dogs of the sport. And if I place in the top 2 at trials and pull the upset that no one could ever truly imagine except me, I will be on my way to Beijing.

So on June 30th, wear your t-shirt with pride and tell your friends that you know someone competing in the Olympic trials. If I can toot my own horn it is quite an accomplishment especially for somebody who basically thought he was done a little over a year ago. Now I have the chance to be televised on NBC and to follow my dream.

Like Our Man Denton, follow your dreams!

:Tote bag on a Wednesday morning

Okay. Okay. So, I’m trying something slightly different this morning. I want to sit here and write. But I can’t. I’ve got to get to work. I’ve got lots of dogs on my books. I’ve got a private yoga class with Athena at 5:30. I don’t want to be late. Yet, the words are waiting, ready to spill out. If I write about last Saturday’s Rescue (and FFT) reunion, I’ll be late. I just know it! There’s a beautiful sequence of Christi greeting blind Magoo. I didn’t consciously realize I’d taken those photos, but there they were. I’ve photos of Moonie and Pete’s litterbrother, Scout.

Words! Stay back! Stay right there. I will let you out another day! I must get to work. I must get to work. I must feed the dogs. I must take the trash up to the top of the drive. Stay back words! I must get to work.

Instead of letting the words out, I’ve chosen to share two things. These things utilize the senders’ words rather than opening the door to my words…which often lead me down the path of Too Late For My Own Good.

Kathy recently purchased a tote bag and sent this photo along with her thanks…

 Vickie & Debby,
The bag is great!  I will take it to knitting group tomorrow.  People 
always stop to visit and I can share about the program/website.

Thanks!
Kathy

Last weekend, Susan’s Raji made an emergency trip to the vet. The short story (stay back words!) is Raji is no longer allowed her favorite treats, which leaves Susan with the following dilemma:

The dogs have learned to look forward very eagerly to their “chewies”
after they’ve had breakfast and gone out to pee and poop.  Now the
doctor says Raji can’t have them, and I have no idea how to give them to
three dogs but not to her.  I can think of two possible scenarios: 
close her into my bedroom and give the other three their chewies? 
and/or find something else that will keep them all somewhat satisfied
but that doesn’t risk her throat.   Any ideas?  Poor Rinchen is sitting
in front of the bureau where the chewies are kept chuffing at me very
disapprovingly…..I just don’t know how to explain unfairnesses to
them…..Katy Widger says she gives her kids raw chicken necks in the
mornings….which sounds like a good idea, except I don’t altogether
love the idea of chicken drippings all over the rugs and floor…..I’ve
been giving them an extra hand-fed batch of kibble to make up for the
calories, but those get gobbled down and just don’t satisfy their urge
to chew and chew and chew….

Let’s put our collective head together and come up with some suggestions for Susan. The immediate thing that comes to my mind is marrow bones for all. 3″ long marrow bones. All my dogs get marrow bones, although the poor show dogs’ bones are pre-chomped-on in order to save beard hair. Beauty must suffer, as my grandmother told me during those perm sessions! Both Eli and Yangsom chew on raw marrow bones in the house. No drippings! I don’t think you’ll get chicken drippings from raw chicken necks either. Cooked bones – No! No! – possibly so, but not raw bones. At least, that’s my experience.