Performance Evaluation

Okay, my personal assistant has recognized the error of her ways, has done her penance (in the form of feeding me some beefy strips last night), and has corrected her sub-standard behavior. So, I'll keep her on a probationary basis; if she continues to improve, I may take her off probation, but we'll see. As my granny says, "You can always lighten up, but you can't tighten up." In her day, Granny was Quite the Fearsome School Teacher. She could freeze kids in their tracks with her evil eye steely glance.

So um. I think I'll exit that topic gracefully.

On to the important stuff: SWIMMING!!!!

We went back to the park today (being dogs full of vim and vigor, Abby and I are much in need of daily physical activity, and it certainly doesn't hurt Mom and Dad to get off their lazy butts get outside and enjoy the good weather, so we go to the park pretty much every day).

I instructed my assistant that there was no need to take pictures of the walk, as pictures of our walk to the park can be found here and here if you have short-term memory loss. Instead, I felt that she should focus on the whole swimming thing.

We got to the park and headed to the pond. Here we are, waiting for Dad to throw the ball!

Alrighty! Let's get this show on the road!

Note how I have dashed right in, while Abby is wait for me to get the ball. Did I mention that she's still just a wader?


Got it!

Throw it again, Dad!


See how Abby stays in the shallows while I SWIM out to the ball?


Got it again! This swimming stuff is fun. Why didn't Mom and Dad let me do this sooner?!?


Heh. See how my little mutant puppy sister has to wait for me to bring the ball back because she hasn't figured out this swimming thing yet?


She wants the ball, she just hasn't quite made the 'leap of faith' yet.

But she's getting close. I think that a few more days of peer pressure and she'll be right there with me!


But for the moment, I rule the water!

Heehee. This is SO MUCH FUN!!!!


While we were at the park, we met another goldendoodle.

His name is Astro and he hasn't quite figured out the swimming thing, but he was interested.


And yes, he is a goldendoodle, despite his black color - Mom and Dad have met Astro's biological mother - he comes from very handsome parentage!

So it was a most excellent day, and I haven't fired Mom. Yet.

I can't wait to go back tomorrow!!!!

*kissey face*
-Fiona the Olympic Swimmer and Abby the Mutant Wading Puppy

Wordless Wednesday - Today's Hike

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Mutant Puppy

So... Where were we?

Mom has been "between computers" as she is moving stuff from her "old, wonky" computer to a "new, non-wonky" computer, so she's been WA-AY behind in helping me follow bloggies and things. She promises that we'll get back on track soon. Which means when she actually has some time...

*ahem*

Anyhoo. Last weekend we were back out at the historic Wendover Airfield for a two-day autocross. It may be an historic airfield, known for being one of the prime test-flight sites for the Enola Gay before she went off for her historic flight, but it is still also an active military base (here is a current helicopter landing next to the Enola Gay's hangar; Mom was warned by the airport people not to get too close to the helicopters as [and Mom quotes] "they can shoot you").

We took the House With Wheels out to Wendover, and were totally captivated by the Utah desert.

Or not...


Dad was running the event, and Mom was helping him, so they didn't get a ton of pictures (where 'ton' means 'any'). Mom got a couple pictures of Dad setting the course (he's in the truck, I promise!)

Since it was pretty hot out, Abby and I just hung out in the air conditioning while Mom and Dad did their thing. (Mom has a picture of the two of us hanging out together, but for some reason it keeps posting it sideways, so you just get me!)

The helicopters hung around all weekend, and Mom was captivated by them (especially when they did fly-bys).

A bunch of the Army guys got rides in the autocross course, but apparently, they weren't allowed to return the favor and give us rides in the helicopters!

Mom and Dad seemed to think it was pretty cool to have the helicopters flying around, and since they didn't buzz the House With Wheels, it was all fine with us.

Mom and Dad raced the Miata both days. Mom was driving really well on Sunday, but the car developed "technical difficulties" (because we've had so many car races in a row, there were a number of cars that were experiencing technical difficulties by the end of the weekend), so she and Dad (and Uncle Charlie, who came out just for Sunday) only raced half day. Frankly, Mom and Dad were worn out from running the event that I don't think they minded too much. (Dad drove well both days, but he always drives well, so it pretty much goes without saying!)

So, despite the 'technical difficulties', and all the fun, I think they had fun!

Anyhoo, we came back Sunday afternoon, and Abby and I spent several days frolicking in the yard.

Uh-oh. She's still looking like my Evil Twin....
After a week of beating up on each other frolicking together and walks and stuff, Mom and Dad had another autocross, this time at the E Center, in Salt Lake City. Because it was supposed to be another hot day, and it was just a one day event, Abby and I stayed home with Jessi (the lady who is teaching Mom to feed us turkey hotdogs) while Mom and Dad went off to do their thing.

Dad was chairing this event, too (it's a long story, but there aren't a lot of people in the region who can actually run events, and so the bulk of the events fall on a couple of people), so Mom and Dad got up at the crack of dawn and Abby and I went back to sleep left us.

Before the truck and trailer showed up (that has all the stuff for setting the course), Dad and one of the other 'regulars' drove the guy's car around the parking lot to get an idea of the kind of course he would set.

Dad then did the course setting thing.

While Dad was doing that, Uncle Charlie was getting the Car of The Day ready. The two main cars are being worked on, so Uncle Charlie decided to dust off (literally - it has been in our garage for a couple of years now, doubling as a shelf) his old 1989 Corvette.

Pretty, huh?

For a car that has been shelved for 8 years, and tires that were unused, but 6 years old, it did really well. Apparently the car has a ridiculous amount of horsepower, and everyone had a great time in it. Uncle Charlie was 3rd in raw time, Dad was 10th, Aunt Linda was 11th, and Mom was 20th, but was less than 1.5 seconds behind Linda, which, on a 60 second course, is good for Mom. And they all had fun.

Abby and I had a great time frolicking in the mountains (and not cooking down in Salt Lake!).

Holy double-vision, Batman! Heehee!

So. It was a good weekend all around! And I think we're all caught up now!

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Mutant Puppy