Random Notes from the Dog-Gone weekend

1. When I got home from my weekend from Shawnee, my neighbor passed by taking her border collie home after a completed walk in Barry Park. I didn't notice it until my neighbor pointed it out, but the collie had a blue booty on its hind left leg. Apparently the dog got a nail snagged in something and pulled the nail clean out creating a little bit of pain. The dog seemed to be in good spirits, though.
2. I spent Friday through Sunday in Shawnee, KS dog sitting for some very good friends. J and P are a yellow lab and a golden retriever, respectively. And as I said in a previous post, both are affectionate and docile dogs. And they are also smart. They somehow managed to get me out of bed at four o'clock Sunday morning so they could go outside. I think both dogs were smiling when they achieved this (as if the joke was on me). Seriously, my experiences this weekend with the dogs still drives the desire for me to own a dog. However, I'm away from my house ten hours a day and I don't think it's proper to leave a dog alone for that extended period of time.....even if I built a doggie door for access to the back yard or had a neighbor check on the dog.
3. For obvious reasons, the NCAA basketball tournament is once again fun.
4. Finally, I am learning to deal with the fact that I will deal with high blood pressure for the rest of my life. I'm now on medication, am exercising more, and have been scrutinizing my diet and restaurant habits. A few weeks ago, my doctor recommended that I start to lose weight. As such, I have started to take routine walks when I get home at night (thanks in large part with the early start of daylight savings time this year). Also, I have been checking out the natural foods groceries close by to see how their products may help me.