The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[Overtaxed]

I think he's driving up now and doesn't have a job as yet.

[RosieCotton]

How much time do you have left, OT?

[RosieCotton]

Why someone would want to move from AZ to MN at the beginning of January...I mean, I like having a winter, but...

[Overtaxed]

Wellll.....it's like this. As far as we know we're moving in July (no official word yet), but they asked if I would be interested in moving out to KC. So it looks like I would at least have a job offer in Kasas.

[Overtaxed]

Why someone would want to move from AZ to MN at the beginning of January...I mean, I like having a winter, but...

We'll have to ask him when he gets back online. :)

[Overtaxed]

Make that "Kansas"

Dammit, Jim! I'm a lab geek, not a typist.

[Sam Cree]

Hi Ruthy, thanks for breakfast.

[2Jedismom]

Ruthy, were the dogs yours? I suspect this dog was just in agony at the office and attacked because of it. Poor people, though.

The kid was probably 15 years old. A boy helping his mom.

I'm doing by bank balance...ugh.

[2Jedismom]

All done! I'm off shopping!

[RMDupree]

I am amazed I have never witnessed a wreck in a vet's office.

Based on personal experience, whenever a problem ensues at the vet's office, it is almost always the owner's fault.

Aside from that, it always amazed me to see how many owners show absolutely no embarrassment when their dogs "go" on the floor. Some of them won't even say a word to the staff for clean up! It's disgusting! I know that dogs will go when they are scared and sometimes you just can't get them out the door quick enough once they've started, but for crying out loud! What kind of owner doesn't at least attempt to take control of the situation?

We had one collie ( a frequent guest) that earned the nickname "The Mad Pisser" simply because he would lift his leg on every chair, table, desk, wall, shelf, cabinet, etc he spotted - and his owner would stare off in the opposite direction as if he knew nothing of what his pet was doing (all 50 times).

Finally, I had a not-so-nice moment and when the MP did it again on a follow up visit, I handed the owner a roll of paper towels and a bottle of disinfectant after I took the leash to take the dog back for its re-check. I never said a word, just handed it to him and walked away. He cleaned it up though. *grin*

[RMDupree]

No, neither one was mine. The were patients at the vet's office where I worked.

Jake, the Great Dane, was sweet as pie and I was careless in patting his backside as he was being led out by his owner after a dental. He was still dopey, so he whirled around and snapped at my face in surprise. I didn't realize how close he'd gotten until I noticed my gold necklace lying broken on the ground. He'd actually grabbed it off my neck! *shudder* I learned after that not to be so careless, even if the dogs are familiar with me and normally very friendly.

The other was Cain, a Rottweiler who was a product of years of cross breeding and had a serious mental disorder. He hated all men and was OK around women. Kids were a definite no-no! Yet, his owners (who had 2 young children) wanted to "cure" him, despite our warnings that it was not a temporary or treatable condition.

Long story short, in a stupid act of bravado, I volunteered to get Cain out of the kennel to bring him up to the front where his owners were waiting in a exam room. They handed me his halter (not a leash and collar, folks - a HALTER! It goes around the body and secures underneath the animal.) I got Cain out and secured the halter, his tail wagged the whole time. As soon as I went to get up from the crouch position, he went stiff and started trembling. I knew I was in deep trouble. I slowly lifted up, leaning away from him and avoided eye contact, but it was too late.

He sprung at me, snarling and foaming and lemme tell ya - I was fit to die right then and there. He wasn't a year old yet, but he weighed 89 pounds and was an unaltered male. YIKES! I ended up with my back against the wall, yelling for help and just started punching him in the face everytime he made a leap for my face. I actually broke a knuckle and didn't realize it. Cain finally grabbed a hold of my right forearm and shook it a bit, but he was slowing down already. I took my opportunity right there and kicked him in the ribs, sending him sliding across the cement floor and gaining me enough time to scramble out the door.

The vet had arrived by then and got the dummy stick (as we call it - it's actually a noose on a pole) and caught Cain. I wrapped my arm and sat down, shaking and crying. I saw the vet lead Cain to the exam room where the owners were waiting and guess what? Cain attacked them! As soon as the door opened, he went for the husband. AMAZING! The vet apologized and said that they could no longer bring Cain to our office because he had proven to be a threat to the staff.

And the most unbelievable part of the story is - last I heard, they kept the dog!

Some owners are truly stupid, but in the case you mentioned, it was probably the dog reacting from pain and fear.

[HairOfTheDog]

I sat through consecutive obedience classes for three years when I was showing Logan, from basic to advanced, just to keep Logan sharp and busy.

I just think of all the folks I see on the first day of obedience classes, who are standing there on the end of a leash completely stumped as to how to communicate with their dog.

I used to wonder.... "Haven't you been living with this animal for the last year? - or did someone just hand him to you before class?" Have you ever seen this dog before? HA!

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

I am back, sort of, since I am using a public internet site. I was semi-disabled with a sore on my foot (bad for diabetics, you know) and had to go to a podiatrist for months, for him to cut the wound so it would heal properly. So I couldn't walk except for emergencies, and with my home PC out, I have been offline since September.

I have missed everybody a great deal, and am glad to be back, if only for a little time daily at this point.

Somebody please freepmail me, to update me on what has been going on here at FR, any new purgees, etc. (I am glad to see that John Farson is back, it is only right since he started all of this. I am naturally planning on attending the HH Entmoot in Central Florida, just down the road.

[2Jedismom]

Well, Matthew has to go to the bathroom...took a book in there with him and everything...so I sit here with my wallet waiting for him.

Ruthy, what a story! Good heavens I would have died on the spot.

Hair, they're doing something to York...hope they don't mess up our lives!

[2Jedismom]

YEAH!!!! Whooppeee! The Hole is complete!

[Corin Stormhands]

Welcome back LCS! Glad to hear you're on the mend. We've missed you.

Lessee....the elves are still snooty and we've, for the most part sworn off Spam in the new Hole. But you can go to the Yahoo site to vote in our poll on whether Hair would prefer Spamming or Elfbashing. Currently elfbashing leads...

Have you seen The Two Towers??? We've been all abuzz about that lately...and counting the days to ROTK.

Stop by when you can.

[HairOfTheDog]

WELL HI!

Sorry to hear you were down! - Man! I suspected you just got bored with us!

I can't think of any important news at the moment! LCS checked in with us after his long absence! That is the news of the day!

Prayers for both your foot and your computer. May both of them be fixed so they don't get between you and us ever again!

[HairOfTheDog]

York looks normal to me. Tell me what you see.

[Overtaxed]

Welcome Back! I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't shown up by awards time. :)

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't shown up by awards time!

Well, I am still ready to divebomb the Oscars if they mess up again, or in Sir Ian is fooling around with a 'friend' in the audience. At least they aren't having Whoopi as MC again! Will be seeing TTT in about a week, when it reaches the theatre I saw FOTR in. $2, would you believe it (yes, I am cheap).

So, was the concensus here at FR that the election was the great victory that history says that it was?