A So Cal Girl in the Desert

Scary thing happened last night. I noticed that our guinea pig's toenails were getting very long. That's not the scary part. See, usually she keeps her feet pretty much tucked under her body, so it's hard to tell how her nails are doing. I checked the guinea pig book, and it said to clip them when they get too long, so I got out the dog nail clippers. I cut eight of her back toenails with no problem, but she moved on the ninth one. I clipped it right through the quick. For those who have never clipped an animal's nails before, the quick is the fleshy center of the nail that tends to bleed and hurt when cut.

Rosie Rose let out a squeal and blood started dripping out. I didn't think much of it at first because I've cut my dogs' nails and many times cut just a bit of the quick. It usually produces a small drop of blood, then stops. I thought that's what would happen. We noticed that the blood wasn't stopping, so we got a paper towel and held her nail. The paper towel was soaked with blood, and I started to get really worried. That little thing can't have that much blood in her. So I asked my husband to call the vet. He called a 24-hour animal clinic (it was about 9 PM), and they suggested a little baking soda. We poured out a pile of baking soda on the kitchen counter and stuck her foot in it. We then had a nice little mountain of red baking soda. It wasn't working!

I started to panic, but my stepson started to worry so I had to cool it and do that parental "everything will be okay" even when you're not sure that it will. My husband said that the vet told him he could get a substance called "Quick Stop" at the pet store. Well, by now it's well past 9 PM. Where are we going to find a pet store? Hubby called the PetSmart down the street, and they said they were closed. He explained the situation and said he could be there in five minutes. They were nice enough to allow him to come.

When he got to the pet store, the manager was there ready with the Quick Stop. He gave it to us at no charge. It looked just like baking soda, but brown. The manager explained that we should hold her out and take some of the Quick Stop on a finger. Then jam as much of it as possible onto the end of the victim nail. He said it would hurt her, but save her. Poor Rosie!!! I felt horrible!

We did what the manager said, and Rosie Rose grunted and squirmed the whole time. It must have really stung. Thankfully, the bleeding stopped immediately and she is fine now. Whew! I held her for the rest of the night--for so long that she eventually had to pee real bad and it went all over me. I deserved it. I hope it made her feel better.

We always make up silly rhymes and songs about the animals. Rosie Rose's new rhyme is "There's Rosie Rose with nineteen toes." I guess I got so cocky as a pet sitter I thought I could do grooming too. Never again. I'll leave it to the professionals.

Finally! Yesterday we attended our pre-drywall inspection. My father-in-law flew out on Saturday evening just to attend it with us. He is an electrical contractor, so it was really great to have his set of eyes on the joint. Not to mention he hadn't been out here to visit, yet, so he got to see it all for the first time. After taking him on a hike on Sunday morning, we all headed down to Maricopa to check out the house. We ended up spending about two hours doing a PRE pre-drywall inspection. We took pages and pages of notes. My father-in-law found things we never would have. Since we weren't really supposed to be inside the house, we spent some time memorizing our notes so that we'd be sure to include everything in the official inspection. Most of the switch boxes were loose, there was some kinked and/or damaged wire, an outlet missing, some switches slightly out of place, and a few broken studs. A lot of little stuff we were hoping they wouldn't give us any trouble about fixing. My father in-law noticed some crucial things such as duct-work and wires resting on can light housings, which could potentially damage the wire, and might eventually push the can-light down so it's not fully recessed into the drywall of the ceiling. He also noticed that the CAT-5 cable in the kitchen was wrapped too tightly around the can lights. Stuff we never would have even known to look for. He said they were mostly quality-of-workmanship issues--not so much pressing safety issues--but we wanted to address them just the same. It was pretty funny, because he found a big piece of lumber in the backyard, which he used to authoritatively point out blemishes and poke at problem areas.

On Monday morning, the three of us arrived promptly at 9 AM in front of the house with the checklist in our heads, and a digital camera as an intimidation tactic. When we arrived, the workers were laying out the roof tile. They lay it all out in neat rows, then the actual work gets done very last, right before escrow closes. I'm not sure why they do things in that order. Anyway, we got to watch them lay tile for quite some time. The construction superintendent arrived 40 minutes late, but was very apologetic. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we started pointing out issues in the house, and he told us that he was still going to call the framer and the electrician in to fix most of the problems we were noticing. We came all armed to fight and were deflated in a matter of minutes. We pointed out a few things here and there, and he agreed to fix all of our concerns. He was a really nice guy, and seemed to understand where we were coming from. It was great to have come in with some knowledge from my father-in-law, because now the builder knows they can't mess with us. We know what we're talking about, dammit! Don't even try to sell me a broken outlet box, mister!

I really learned a lot from both my father-in-law and the superintendent. Building a house is definitely a process in which you are forced to learn a lot.

So the good news is that we feel confident that our house is being built correctly, and will stand the test of time. We were also granted permission to enter the house to inspect any time we please. The bad news is, it looks like we won't be moving in until January or February! We are so anxious to get in there, it seems like forever!

This past weekend my husband and I flew out to L.A. to pick up our son (actually, my stepson) from a visit with his mom. The visit made me so happy to be a Zonie and to call Phoenix home. I can't believe how quickly I've become a traitor to the town I spent my whole life (up until 3 months ago) in. Spending time with my sister was great, but spending time in L.A. was not. The traffic is now unbearable to me. I hated it before, but being stuck in it now makes me want to drive my car off a cliff. But I can't, 'cause I'm boxed in going 5 MPH, if I'm lucky. It took us forever to get from the airport to a furniture store only about ten miles away. Everyone was honking at each other, as if anyone could go anywhere. There was so much smog, and it was overcast. Bleh. I love the clear blue skies here in the desert. Then you get a fun, quick, storm and it's clear and sunny again. Thankfully, my sister lives in Moorpark, so once we got past Sunset on the 405, things settled down a bit. I miss my sister, but I'm so happy to be back in the Zone. I'm going to have to continue my quest to get all my loved ones to join me.

I think the last time I went hiking was in Girl Scouts. And my husband remembers some bad, dirty, trail he and a couple of friends hiked a few years back. After our first hike yesterday at South Mountain, we sure do know what we've been missing.

South Mountain is a huge mountain here in the Phoenix area, and is home to a network of hiking trails that range from easy and family-friendly to extremely difficult. We've been wanting to check it out since we moved here, but it's just been too hot, even in the early morning hours. Now that the weather has started to cool off a bit, conditions are much more hiker-friendly. Instead of our usual workout, yesterday, my husband suggested that we go for a hike and check out the trails, as my step-son is out in California visiting his mom and it would give us a good chance to explore without any whining in the background.

We parked at the southernmost red dot you see on this map, and started up Telegraph Pass Trail. It was pretty easy at first, and the first half-mile was paved. It turned into a dirt trail, which gradually turned into a rocky slope. It became more and more challenging, but more and more fun, and the views of the valley, below, were well worth the effort. When we got to the top of the trail, we decided to continue because we were having so much fun. From there we took the National trail up to a lookout point that had a rock gazebo. There were benches built in, and a rock table in the center. On one side, you could see the West Valley, and on the other side, you could see downtown Phoenix. The view was breathtaking. Our hike was about five miles, round trip. We felt invigorated as we headed back down the mountain, and vowed to come back to explore more of the trails twice a week for the rest of our lives. It was way more fun than going to the gym, and a better workout, too.

This past Saturday was Maricopa's Founder's Day celebration, the 2nd anniversary of the incorporation of the city. The event was highly anticipated by everyone in town for months, and it did not disappoint. My husband and I were both working the event, he at a booth for Rayne Water, the company he works for, and me at the Maricopa Women in Business booth. My group also volunteered to run one of the game booths, and we entered the chili cook-off. There were games and activities for the kids, a band, and a beer garden. The day was just beautiful.

Here's a shot of the MWIB booth with the ladies who volunteered at the event:


Some of the MWIB members donated goods and services for raffle to raise money for the group. I donated a gift certificate for pet sitting services. After the event, I called the winner. He was really excited about winning, and when I asked if he had any pets, he said, "You know, this is perfect timing because we are going to go to the Humane Society this week and adopt a dog." Perfect! New client! Woo-hoo! My husband also got a lot of leads, so we had a really productive day.

The event attendance--1890--was up from last year's 320. Amazing!

If there was ever a time I wish I had my camera this would be it. Actually happened a couple of weeks ago when we were driving down the 347 on our way to Maricopa for an early morning soccer game. The road cuts through the Ak-Chin Indian Reservation, so all that's around you is desert--beautiful desert with mountains in the background. In the distance, we thought we saw a line of fog. Very odd. We haven't seen fog in AZ at all! Didn't even know AZ could make fog! Once we got closer, we discovered that the Gila River, a dry river bed that winds through the desert was filled with fog. I don't know what conditions it takes for this to happen. I guess there must have been some moisture in the river bed, or something. As we got even closer, we saw a group of wild horses running alongside the fog. It was definitely among the top five most beautiful things I've ever seen. It was so beautiful, it looked fake. I wish so badly I had a photo for you.

Our darling Nasha girl decided to really kill us this morning. We had to get up at 5:45 AM to prepare for Maricopa's Founders Day event (both hubby and I were workin' it). We were, of course, rushing around with last minute issues when we hear Nasha crying. It sounds like it's coming from our bedroom, but she's nowhere to be found. I look all over the apartment, and I'm convinced it's coming from the bedroom. I look EVERYWHERE! Even under the bed. Nothing. So I look under the bed for the seventh time, and there! I saw some movement in the fabric of the box spring. That little *bleep*er got INSIDE the box spring! Can you believe it! She was in a panic trying to get out. There's a little hole in the fabric, and somehow she got inside. I swear, kids are easier than puppies. So when I call her, she runs to the edge of the box spring, nowhere near where the way out is. Dang! It's in the middle of the bed, and I can't fit under there! Hubby rips the side of the fabric out and delivers our little bundle of joy. (Notice my clenched-teeth-smile?) Love her. Mean it. As if that wasn't enough, she left a nice juicy turd behind. IN the box spring. My husband had to reach in the new hole he made and get it. Ewwwww! I was gagging. No help at all. I'm so glad we're staying in a furnished apartment and this isn't our stuff.

I just received the fall issue of Modern Dog. There was one reader letter, in particular, that was a bit disturbing, entertaining, and bewildering all at the same time. It went like this:

"Modern Dog is THE most asinine magazine I've ever seen. A whole lot of fuss about nothing but stupid dogs. Of all the species on Earth, you've singled out one of the ugliest, stinkiest, and most disgusting to worship.

"It disgusts me to see articles gushing about domesticated scavenger animals whose brains are smaller than lemons. It's enough to make one hurl (and the dogs would love to eat the vomit). You freaks are living in La-La-Land. You think dogs are family members; boy, are YOU wrong. Dogs are PROPERTY. They are short-lived, lower-species beasts that don't even know they are alive.

"Dogs are subservient, drooling, butt-sniffing, crotch-licking, instinct-driven pack animals. Only an idiot would dote on them.

"Kyle Owens"

Well, Kyle, I'm sorry you're so hateful. I find it interesting out of all the things in this world to be passionately hateful about you chose dogs and a sweet, interesting magazine devoted to them. You better get back to your Neanderthal Weekly and your BB Gun. Woof YOU!

I wish I had better news, but Skinny, who stayed at her new home long enough to be renamed "Slim," has once again flown the coop. She clearly doesn't feel comfortable in a home where she's fed regularly. Poor dear. I guess it's sort-of the opposite of being institutionalized.

Well, with a lot of help from my fellow pet sitter friend, who has more experience in successful animal rescues than I do, I've achieved my first dog rescue! We call her "Skinny," because she seemed pretty malnourished when I found her. All her ribs were showing, and her belly was concave. She also looked like she had given birth to a litter in the not so distant past, but she was empty of milk, so we're not worried about the puppies in so far as nursing goes.

So it happened on Tuesday. I went to the little post office in Maricopa, and as I was exiting, I saw this skinny yellow lab tearing down the street. It seemed as if she was running after a car, so I was hoping her owner would notice and take her back home. No luck. I pulled out of the post office parking lot and saw her hanging outside of the medical clinic. I parked and left the Jeep running so Kermit could enjoy the AC, and tried to coax her to me. I asked the guy standing outside the clinic if it was his. No luck. I poked my head in the clinic and asked the people in the waiting room. No luck. Skinny finally came to me and I pet her for a bit. She was really timid, but friendly. She seemed pretty young...maybe a year old. She had a collar and a flea collar, but no tags. I asked the lady behind the counter at the clinic if she could get me a little cup of water for the stray, and she looked at me as if I had two heads and said "the water is all the way back in the break room." I guess that means no, and I guess that means you're a lazy heartless *BLEEP.* Some nice pregnant lady waiting to see a doctor gave me her whole water bottle. I didn't want to take it at first, her being pregnant and all, but she told me she had lots more in her car, so I took it. Skinny was grateful.

After she got hydrated, I pulled her by the collar over to my Jeep, but she either didn't like the fact that it was running or she didn't like Kermit, because she wouldn't get near it. I got her close enough to where I could reach Kermit's leash and my cell phone, and I hooked her up. There was only one thing to do. Call Mrs. D, my pet sitting friend. She probably rescues an animal a week, and she's got "Johnny" from animal control on her speed dial. There are a lot of strays in our town, and us pet sitters probably rescue most of them. There are some other nice citizens who are also part of the effort. When Mrs. D got there, she agreed with my assessment of Skinny (that's when we named her), and we got her into her SUV. She said she would take Skinny back to her place and post something on the 85239.com forum. Meanwhile, I drove around the homes behind the clinic and post office to try to look for her owner. This is the old area of Maricopa, made up of mostly rundown old trailers, and I found out after trying to talk to several people outside their homes that they spoke only Spanish, and the men were more interested in my "ta tas" than helping me with my "lost perro amarillo." Mission aborted. We wouldn't want her to go back to a home like that anyway.

I drove back to Mrs. D's, and she said that she didn't even want to bother scanning Skinny for a microchip because she was so malnourished, she'd be better off with a new owner, anyway. We didn't get a response from our post on the forum, except for a couple of "good luck"s from some friendly neighbors. Mrs. D said she would keep her until we got a response or we found her a new home. I felt bad because I was the one who found her, and now Mrs. D had to deal with her, but I couldn't very well take her back to my apartment in Chandler, so we didn't have a choice. We also called the town groomer, whose shop is right next to the post office. She said she'd seen the dog running around for months, and hadn't been able to catch her.

Mrs. D kept Skinny until Wednesday, and then couldn't stand it anymore. She said "I can't stand the thought of sending her back to her previous owner, so I'm going to call a couple of my clients and see if they're interested in adopting her. I think I know one, in particular, who has one yellow lab already and might be interested." I thought it was a great idea. I thought she would definitely be better placed in a loving home that fed her and didn't allow her to run all over town. Mrs. D called me a couple of hours later with the good news. Yellow Lab Lady decided to take Skinny! Or at least try her for 24 hours before committing. She had actually been thinking about getting another yellow lab, so it was good timing. Yeah, Skinny! After taking Skinny to the Yellow Lab Lady, Mrs. D called me to say that all was well and everyone was very happy.

Thursday morning, I got an email from Mrs. D. Skinny had dug under Yellow Lab Lady's fence and was gone! Death wish doggie!!! Mrs. D drove around, then my husband drove around both by the clinic where I found her, and her Yellow Lab Lady's neighborhood, then in the afternoon, I looked for her. No luck. About 4pm, I got a call from Mrs. D. Town Groomer Lady caught her! Yeah! Mrs. D gave Skinny a bath (this picture was taken just after her bath) and then called Yellow Lab Lady. She was willing to give it another try! I haven't yet received a call or email from Mrs. D, so I'm assuming Skinny made it through the night in her new home.

More progress on the house!!! Yesterday when my husband dropped our son off at school, he saw workers putting exterior sheeting on the bottom story of the house. We think the sheeting is the last step before the Pre-drywall Orientation, or PDO, when we walk through the house and make sure that all the structural and electrical options we selected are correct. After that, they put in the insulation, stucco, then the drywall. After that they paint and install flooring, cabinets, etc. Then we're almost there!!! Here are some pictures of how it looks now...

Here is the front of the house yesterday. Our first look at it with sheeting on!


Here's the back of the house as it looked yesterday.


Here is the entrance as of yesterday.


And then today we saw scaffolding up. Ready for the second story! Here's the front of the house with scaffolding.


And the back. A pretty impressive sight. I wouldn't want to climb up on that stuff!


And here's the entrance...totally blocked by scaffolding.


We're hoping that tomorrow we'll see some sheeting on the upper story!

I've really been slacking on the blog entries. For the first time since we moved here, I'm slammed busy!

Business is starting to pick up a bit since I hit the streets in Casa Grande. I went to all the groomers, vets, and feed stores I could find to introduce myself and drop off brochures and business cards. A couple of the groomers just about hugged me to death, saying they were in desperate need of a pet sitter in the community because they get referral requests all the time. Let's hope that's true and it starts to pay off. I also committed a cardinal sin. I took a client out of my service area. I've been scolded by my pet sitter friend, and I know it will be a detriment to me in the long run, but right now I just need to make some money! The other night, a bunch of neighborly dog owners were out on the grass in the courtyard of our apartment complex letting our dogs play together off-leash. The owners were chatting, and I mentioned that I own a pet sitting business. Everyone shrieked with excitement and begged me to give them my information. I've already booked a mid-day dog walk job that starts today and lasts for two weeks. If all goes well, the job will go on indefinitely. When we finally move to Maricopa I'll probably regret having taken Chandler clients, but for now, my clients are just a couple of steps away. I can always refer my clients to someone in my Arizona Professional Pet Sitters network, or maybe I'll be so busy I can hire someone to take care of my Chandler jobs. Think big, Kristen! Go International!

I've also been spending a lot of time getting our Maricopa Women in Business group ready for Founder's Day on October 15th. It will be the 2nd anniversary of the incorporation of the city, and should be a really great event. Our group will have a booth there with our individual businesses, and we are also volunteering to run a "Sports Throw" game booth. Man, is it a lot of work. I'm in charge of maintaining our group contact list and maintaining the volunteer sign-up sheet. Just getting the members' t-shirt sizes was a bitch! Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to help, but when you're dealing with a bunch of women, sometimes things can get a bit, well, nutty. I guess that's all I'll say about that.

In addition, I'm working on the initial proposal for the 1st Annual Maricopa Mutt March. Myself and two other dog lovers are planning a spring event to raise money for a dog park in our city, and we will be meeting with the Director of Parks and Rec. on the 25th of this month. I have a lot of work to do in order to get our ideas on paper in an organized and enticing fashion. I'm so excited about this, though. We're planning a huge dog walk designed around the platform of a competitive run, where you pay a fee and sign up in advance. There will be different walk routes so the pudgy dogs don't pass out, all the way up to a four mile loop. We're hoping to get pet-related business to come and set up booths at the finish line, as well as the Pinal County K-9 Unit for demonstrations and rescue groups to hold open adoptions. If we can pull this off, it's gonna be awesome!