Rolling along

[spacealien_vamp]

My voice eventually came back after several days, leaving me with just a lingering cough. While annoying, it is far less of a barrier to doing my job.

My biggest accomplishment last week was having a pet door installed leading to the back yard. It's a good quality door, and I'm looking forward to Rei learning how to use it. Right now, though, he thinks the flap is some kind of doggy guillotine. If I hold the flap up for him, he's willing to dash through the opening at full speed, but he is terrified of the flap itself. I'm hoping that he will grow less afraid of it over time.

Other than that, I haven't gotten much done. It's been too wet to work much outside. On the bright side, my peas have been loving the rain, and they're getting quite tall.

As an experiment, I ordered myself a set of outdoor roller skates, intending to use them to take Rei for walks so that he can get some good exercise without me having to run. I was pretty good at rink skating when I was little. After taking them for a preliminary spin up and down the block, though, I think I'll wait until I get some knee and elbow pads before attempting to use them for real. I didn't fall, but I was quite wobbly, and the great outdoors doesn't come with a convenient hand rail.

Comments

[mangaroo.livejournal.com]

I share Rei's fear of the door, but I think he'll come to love it when he realizes it means he can let himself in and out. Can the neighbor's dog get into your back yard directly? Just wondering if this is going to be access for her (?) as well.

I would be nervous with the skates, too. Are the sidewalks smooth or uneven?

[spacealien-vamp.livejournal.com]

Can the neighbor's dog get into your back yard directly?

She's not supposed to, but she has figured out how to force herself under the fence (by peeling the chain link upward). When my parents come, my dad is going to pour some concrete along the bottom of the fence to stop her from doing that.

Just wondering if this is going to be access for her (?) as well.

She can definitely use the pet door too. She's a bit intimidated by the flap, but she's not scared of it. She will go through on her own if she feels like it. (I'm actually hoping she will teach Rei how to do it...)

Of course, that means I'll have to keep my house more tidy. I came home today to find him inside (not sure if he came in by himself or if the neighbors let him in), and he had grabbed a bunch of stuff off the dining table to chew on. Fortunately, most of what he demolished were cheap plastic items.

Edit: OMG. I just looked in the kitchen, where I had left a casserole to cool on top of the stove. He somehow got the entire casserole, glass baking dish and all, off the stove and onto the floor, where he proceeded to eat half of it. Gah. That was supposed to be my lunch for the rest of the week...

Are the sidewalks smooth or uneven?

They're not particularly even. However, I'm mainly planning to use the skates along the asphalt paved portion of the trail that runs along the shoreline, which is relatively smooth.

[megory.livejournal.com]

Love your icon!

[spacealien-vamp.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[mangaroo.livejournal.com]

Oh, my goodness! Rei is a bundle of mischief. I wonder if Benny will be a calming influence?

[spacealien-vamp.livejournal.com]

I wonder if Benny will be a calming influence?

Well, when it comes to stealing food...Benny's had years of practice. @_@