Still no titles.

I've e-mailed the Blogger folks--let's see if they can fix it.

One totally lost and useless day. Woke in a foul mood and did nothing but lie on the couch in the air conditioning.

Thank goodness for Ts. We went out this morning and I ran the sprinkler in the puppy pen while they played. They're so much fun to watch. Taenzer loves the water, drives her ball right into the spray, bites the water coming out of the sprinkler, gets gloriously, soaking wet. Timber isn't such a water-puppy, and he's got it mastered. When he did get wet, it was on purpose, to cool down. Otherwise, he brought me his tennis ball to throw, which I would do, and he would dash out and get it, then watch the sprinkler like a kid getting ready to run into a jump rope being spun by two other kids, and run back by zigging between the sprinkler and the moving line of water. He had his timing down perfect.

And he's SUCH a good boy. As usual, there's no food in the house--Minute Rice and mustard and peanut butter--so I went out to McDonald's to get some dinner, and took them with. We got back, and I parked. The driveway is between the house and the puppy pen, so when I pull in, the passenger sliding door faces the puppy pen. The rule is that they have to wait in the van until I get their leashes off, then they can jump out and run in to play.

Well, Timber, who's usually VERY good about it, forgot, and jumped out without the okay. I turned around and hollered "Timber! You come back here!" And darn if that sweetie boy didn't stop dead, right there in the gate, and turn around and come back and jump back into the van. Gave me this look--"Sorry, Mom, I forgot." He is SO sweet; I just adore that dog. Of course I whipped off his leash and gave him the okay and off he went. Then I let Taenzer out. But actually I was more impressed that he stopped and came back when I called even though he was right there at the very edge of the playpen than if he'd waited like he was supposed to.

It was unusual, too, because he catches on to that kind of thing much faster than Taenzer does. We always have to wait for Taenzer to sit to get her leash on, or to remember that she's not supposed to pull once she's on leash, and it's usually Taenzer who has to be reminded that she's supposed to wait for the okay to get out of the van. Timber caught on to all that stuff really quickly. "Doggie Zen," as they call it on the clicker-training list: "You must give up the treat to get the treat."

On the other hand, it's Taenzer who's been my devoted companion all day, staying right by my side all through my funk and giving me kisses whenever she sees an opening. "It's okay, Mom. Really, it'll be okay."

They are both treasures. She's so sensitive and at the same time so full of intelligence and zest; and he's so serious and intense and sweet. I'm always trying to define what I mean by that, and I can't to save my life, but he just has to look at me to melt my heart.

Weirdness on the CD front: After listening to the Carter Family yesterday, I decided to listen to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's classic, groundbreaking LP Will the Circle Be Unbroken. I've got the 25th anniversary double CD, so I got out the case and opened it up and--CD #1 wasn't there. I was just like--"What the--???" because I don't play CDs in my desktop computer, and I had a Band DVD in the laptop, and the only CD I play in the van is the Traveling Wilburies, and I don't have one of those Walkman-style CD players. I couldn't imagine what the heck had happened to it. Imagine me with one of those black clouds over my head that Calvin gets in Calvin and Hobbes.

So I got out my Riders in the Sky CD--Best of the West--and put it in and started looking at my e-mail. About 4 songs in, I realized I was NOT hearing Riders in the Sky. Stomped over to the stereo, pushed the Open button, got out the CD. Yup, says "Riders in the Sky: Best of the West" and has 21 songs listed on it. Put it back in the CD player, push start, and the CD player only reads 14 songs. So now I'm paying attention, and the first song is not the song on the back cover. So I jump to #2. That's not right, either. Neither is #3. I get the CD back out. Baffled. Finally put in J.D. Souther--thank goodness, that CD is in its case and it's the right CD.

Meanwhile, I fired up my laptop and stuck the CD in. I'm using Windows Media Player on it, and if you're hooked up to the Internet (I've got dial-up), it will connect and match the CD with info from--I dunno, whatever Windows Media Player is hooked up to. Well, up pop 14 songs, and a cover that is NOT the Riders in the Sky cover. It is, however, titled "Best of the West"--but it has like Gene Autry and Bob Wills and the Sons of the Pioneers on it. I'm still baffled. I think I ordered this as a used CD from a dealer off Amazon, but it's been such a long time ago that I can't return it and demand my money back. I can't believe I never listened to it before, but obviously I didn't. It does have Drifting Along with the Tumbling Tumbleweeds on it, so I guess I'll just put a label on the case that says this is NOT Riders in the Sky and keep it. I wish it had Ghost Riders in the Sky (one of my spooky favorites).

And I did finally find the NGDB CD. I've got this boombox I got to replace my old one because the old one doesn't have--you guessed it--a CD player. It's just lucky I didn't throw the CD out, along with the player, which either eats batteries in 30 minutes flat or else the terminals don't connect properly; it sounds great when I can get it to play, but every time I go to turn it on, it needs new batteries and it takes like 6 Ds. I keep thinking I can figure out how to fix it which is why I haven't thrown it into the street to shatter into a zillion pieces yet. Anyway, I was glad the CD hadn't just vanished into the thin air, although I was beginning to question my mental state (which is questionable at the best of times to start with)...