Ups and downs

'My' Akita rescue group always has a big raffle as a fund raiser during the Akita Nationals show held each year. I always purchase tickets, to support the group. While I've thought 'it would be nice to win,' I've never expected it.

This year I thought the group members might rig the raffle so I'd receive a beautiful urn for The Big Guy's ashes. So when director NL contacted me & asked 'guess what?' after I finally remembered it was raffle time, I thought 'it's the urn.'

Nooooo! It's an iPad! Complete with a gzillion gigs and wireless access. This to someone who is a technological laggard to beat most technological laggards. While I do indeed use the computer (and actually have a flat screen monitor), I don't have a cell phone.

Actually, let me correct that. I have a cell phone a patient has given me, but have used it maybe 6 times in the past year. I leave it a home, it gets uncharged, it sits in the car for weeks at at time, I have not a clue about texting and tweeting or whatever people do with mobiles.

And when I have computer problems, I immediately contact my techno-guru friend PJ, who can usually tell me what minute thing I'm doing incorrectly from his Atlanta location.

The iPad is still in its box, waiting. Maybe I'll open it today!

Two weekends ago, tri-training buddy S & I drove to Amherst for the Score-This multi-sport banquet, in which we both won our fossilized age groups. At the end of the event, Rich Clark, race director, timer & VP of the company (as well as a very funny, unbelievably patient guy) ran a raffle.

AND! At the very last minute, and for the very last prize, I! won! A! VO2 Max Lactate Threshold Test! I think I'm more excited about this than the iPad. I'll have to go to Buffalo to do it, but hey, I'm thrilled. Only a sports-geek would be this excited.

To add to the UP!, yesterday I was searching cragislist here in Ithaca for a dog kennel. I need kenneling for the White Dog, so she can be safely contained once the new dog door goes into the new porch.

I found a month and a half old listing for 10 10'x6' panels, being sold by someone on the other side of the lake. I emailed, thinking they'd be sold. But no, they're mine now! G & I picked them up this a.m. The guy knocked $150 off the price, too, so they were a bargain.

And now, I think it's time to retrieve Kuro's ashes from the friend who has been keeping them for me. I've asked my dear friend R, who will be visiting with her husband next weekend, whether they'd go with me. I"m getting teary eyed just thinking about him.

I finally pulled the photos I took of him off my camera, over 4 months after he died. My heart breaks just thinking of him. My prince.

I miss, miss, miss him.