I've got it, and I've got it bad

Writer's block sucks. It sucks hairy monkey butt. It sucks sweaty bull testicles. It sucks four day old dirty toddler diaper.

Okay, it's not that bad. And? I just threw up in my mouth a little.

This happens once in a while (the writer's block, not the throwing up) and I've found that's it helps to just write... Anything.

The post I almost published?

"Ican'tthinkIcan'tthinkIcan'tthinkIsuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. The End."

It resonates with you, doesn't it? Hits you right here. (pointing to chest) And here. (never mind where I'm pointing right now.)

Instead of going with that post I decided to take my inspiration from you guys. Every now and then I get a comment that cries out to be addressed, but more times than not I don't have the commenter's email. As much as that vexes me it has given me some decent material.

Here are the answers to some of the questions left in my comments over the past couple of weeks.


Bon said on this interview post: "A fine grilling, but i think the thing what left me most fascinated of all was...you have friends in Bouctouche?!?"

Sort of!!!

The town I grew up in is predominantly made up of Canadian immigrants and their offspring (and the Polish too but, ssshhhhh, they don't know that*). It took me years to learn that "Trow me down da stairs my keys" was not a proper sentence.

Even though my own great grandparents came to this country by way of Canada it was my friends' families who really gave me a taste of the true North Country. Usually in the form of bastardized English, but they threw in some geography lessons, too. Every summer my friends and their parents would make their yearly pilgrimage to their favorite vacation spot - Bouctouche. I've never been there myself (I've always been bad with geography) but I hear it's horribly dull.

But that's from the point of view of a 13 year old. I could be wrong.

(If you're from the Bouchtouche Board of Tourism don't blame me. I'm just going on what some chick with the last name Leblanc told me.)


Dodo said on this post in response to my quest to start a business: "Can i reciprocate with some puppy related questions?"

i may be misinterpreting this comment but it's my blog and i'm going to use it to serve my own purpose. like not capitalizing if i don't feel like it.

Many of you know that I am a dog trainer. Occasionally I get an email from a reader with a frantic question on how to get their dog to stop (or start) doing something. I'll let you all know right now that I welcome your questions. I really do enjoy helping dog owners. And I really love being a know-it-all.

When waiting for my response please give me a few days to get back to you with an answer (especially for the really tough questions - Hi Southern Mom!) and realize that you're getting free advice. So if I send you a reply with just a link to a particular book to read or a website to check out - or a simple "Get thee to a professional dog trainer. STAT." it's not because I'm blowing you off. It's probably because your problem requires a lot more than what I can write in an email. And again, the advice is free. Take what you can get from it. I can assure you my recommendations are sound. And, if I failed to mention, free.


Mr. Big Dubya responded about what he and Mrs. Big Dubya gave up on this post about giving up coffee for Lent: "Ice cream for me and the missus - and fries. No Ben and Jerry's; no Edy's; no Friendly's; no Cold Stone. And what's worse? DQ opened one week after Ash Wednesday! Who's freakin' idea was that?"

The Devil's. He wants your soul. Why else would he make Ben and Jerry's Creme Brule ice cream so damn tasty.

You didn't think God created something so sinfully delicious, did you?

ECR said on the same post: "Impressive! Isn't it amazing what we can do when we put our minds to it?"

I'm sorry, what did you say? I wasn't paying attention. I was thinking about ice cream.


Jen said on this Real Moms post: "someday you will need to let me show you just how much red sox knowledge i have stored in my head."

You're on, baby. At Blogher, fer sure.

Anyone else want to swap stories at Blogher? Who's going?


Kevin said on this post I wrote after my dogs ate my Girl Scout cookies: "Hey, you know that chocolate is extremely toxic to dogs, right?"

Kevin, what do you take me for? I know that chocolate is toxic to dogs. So I only feed them chocolate for breakfast and dinner. If they're snacking between meals that's their fault.

As for the amount they ate on that particular day, there wasn't enough chocolate in those cookies to make the average 80 pound dog sick. Not to mention that one of my dogs can eat raw sewage and never get sick, her stomach is that strong. And I doubt that she shared enough of those cookies with my other dog. When it comes to ill gotten booty she doesn't usually share. She's like her mama that way.


MotherBumper said on this post about our short stint with sickness: " Do you think it (Bobby, Chicky's favorite stuffed bear) could survive the gentle cycle if it was in a delicates net bag or a large sock?"

I'm happy to say that Bobby survived the sickness being washed off of him and will live to snuggle another day.

I tossed him in a pillow case and washed him on the gentle cycle (oh, how I love my front loading washer). Thank you all for your great advice. And who knew the guys would come out with such great recommendations, too? That's what I like to see, a guy who is not afraid to say "Yeah, I wash clothes. I dig chick flicks too." I could marry a guy like that.

Oh, wait. I did.

Hi, Honey! I've got "You've Got Mail" ready to go on the Tivo. I know how much you love that one.

Ali said on this post about the ROFL Awards: "i sent mine to metro already. do i still get to spank your ass?!?"

[baring my left cheek]

Right there, baby. *I deserve it for that poor attempt at a Polish joke. Don't blame me, I was raised in a Canadian/Polish family.