Did you ever dream that you were a dog agility super champ except then it switched and you were at some germy, grungy, derelict seaside park in the dark and the carnies were actually drug addled zombies that were shambling after you with hammers and their big teeth? And then as you're trying to escape your way out from under their oily, horrible claws by clambering up a rat infested palm tree, you're all, this is about dog agility like, how?
14 October 2010
Otterpop's Special Kentucky TSD Edition-Global fashion trends from the 2010 USDAA Cynosport World Games.
Uh oh. Look who spotted me ringside. It's Susan Garrett, fashion police. I got scared and tried to run, but she got me. While I did have the hat right, I forgot my doctor's mask. Everyone who's Anyone is sporting one of these at this year's Nationals. You don't even have to be Canadian.
Luckily, Susan Garrett and me are total agility pals, and instead of fining me, she gave me my own doctor's mask. Also because I'm pretty sure I still owe her money. She was probably just all, whatever. Give Laura the mask. I also had a pressing straight line/serpentine arm question about Team Standard. Whew. Good thing I ran into her. Thanks, Susan Garrett!
Here's our agility pal, Judge Dave. Dave hails from Northern California. He will still call your contacts even if he's your friend because he is a fair and honest judge. Usually we just call him Dave but this week, we're calling him Sir. Dave, I mean Sir, is wearing pants the color of dust. I would say, if you are coming here to watch any of the big finals, where you will not be seeing Otterpop in the Performance Grand Prix cut off since she just missed the cut off after a clean but second too slow time in today's semi-final, you would want to wear things the color of dust. Because you are going to be well coated in dust if you sit and watch a bunch of runs.
Here's our agility pal Leslie. Hopefully I'm not on Leslie's shit list, because I am not working any rings at this dog show. At our dog shows in California, sometimes I work nearly every class. Leslie knows this, because she's in charge of scheduling the workers at those too. At this one, I'm very busy wandering around with my camera, taking notes, or touring Louisville or relaxing in our luxury motel or running around in forests and parks. Leslie's job is to find every single worker to work all the ring jobs all week. This is very hard. Leslie is doing a bang-up job, and hasn't come after me once. Thanks, Leslie, Sorry! She's wearing a shirt the color of dust, for the same reason as Sir Dave. Also she is draped in fluorescent orange robes of silk, because she must have been promised a Queen-ship of a country somewhere to take on the volunteer coordinator job.
This is our friend Barbara and her dog Emma. They're from Portland, Oregon. Emma is a Bossie. Barbara helps keep me calm before my runs. She's gone to these dog shows like a million times. She's wearing the special grey shirt we were supposed to wear for Grand Prix semi-finals. I didn't know till just before I went into the ring that I was a lucky recipient of such a fancy shirt, so I just wore my lucky wolf shirt. Which wasn't lucky enough to give us a fast enough time to make the cutoffs for the finals. Not that I'm obsessing on that or anything. But now I'm all thinking, what if I was wearing the special shirt? Would Otterpop have speeded up that one second? A tighter turn? Faster a-frame? I think I needed the shirt.
There's our friend Kelly, and one of her dogs, Tucker, in her sporty shorts. Kelly comes from Indiana, which, for the geographically lame, is a state that actually touches Kentucky, so she is used to this kind of dust. She was my babysitter of not missing walk-thrus the first day, then she graduated me. Kelly's running 3 dogs, you have to be very organized to run multiple dogs of multiple sizes at this dog show. Kelly is willing to risk the dusty knees to wear the sporty shorts. She would probably counsel you though, be prepared to walk around with dusty butt prints on your ass if you sit down anywhere in the big arena. If Kelly had a crummy run like me and Otterpop's Team Standard, Kelly would still be smiling. We are going to try to be more like Kelly.
Here's our friend Amanda posing for her fashion photo in the clean library area of the dog show. Amanda has a VERY cute border collie named Tika, and drove down from Ohio, another state that touches Kentucky, for the dog show. This photo was taken on the first day of the dog show, so she has a really bright blue shirt. I saw her today though. She looked dusty and her shirt had turned dust color. She also looked very happy though. I think she must be doing a great job with Tika at the Nationals. I kind of have a feeling that Amanda wouldn't be cranky after a Team Standard run that was not one of her favorite runs ever. She would probably just brush it off and move on and try to learn something from the effort. Although I bet she had a great Team Standard with Tika.
Somehow I missed any photos of the Japanese teams. They TOTALLY beat the US in dog agility fashion, hands down. I will try to take some notes. I talked to couple of the handlers from Japan, but we didn't get too far past, Great Run. We will work on this tomorow. We will work on a lot of things tomorrow. I think mostly those getting off the startline nerves, so that Otterpop doesn't come off the startline again, and give me that look, and just be all, Whatever. And that if she does, I can get us back on track, and just be a little more, Whatever. I'm just going to wear something dusty.
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8 comments:
The Japanese team always has a strong presence there in one way or another.
I am so enjoying photos of people! It's almost as good as being there, where, if i were there, I would be busily taking photos of people. TOOOO cool.
Better get your semifinalist shirt before you leave! I was willing at one point in my life to sell my soul for a semifinalist shirt and only ever got one in my whole life.
And Tika and I are personally glad that a Tika seems to be doing well at Nationals. Go everyone!
Wow! A second away from the cut off for the final... I am SUPER impressed with you and Otterpop!
We miss you both!
Awww. I'm sad that Otterpop won't be in the Finals but sounds like you two are having a very good time.
She's going to have SUCH grand and glorious stories to tell Ruby and Gustavo when she gets home. Think she'll tell them they also need to go to a doggie psychic? I mean, maybe they'd like green beans with their dinner?
Virginia (Otterpop's #1 fan in TX)
The surgical masks are an interesting fashion choice. What's the motivation?
a.) Susan's airplane cold is still in full effect.
b.) The skort thing isn't quite working for her and Susan thought the mask would bring out her eyes.
c.) Dust, dust, and more dust.
Woot! I made the Team Small Dog Blog. One more for the bucket list!
Barbara & Emma
Hi Laura! So glad to have met you at the big show, and thanks for putting me on TSD! Your entries are hilarious, and I completely agree with the "zingy flair" description.
As for Team Standard, we did run clean, so yes, I was a happy camper! But the lure coursing made Tika happiest of all--she actually finished a lure coursing title while we were there!
Amanda we went out and tried the lure coursing today-Otterpop kept dragging me over there, so I bought a ticket and let her go. Good god. She was lunging at the squirrel the whole time we waited, I let go of her lead, she flew after that thing like a bat out of hell, and then we couldn't capture her in the finishing box, she escaped out the squirrel hole, kept attacking the squirrel, caught the squirrel somehow until I could capture her.
Otterpop VERY MUCH likes lure coursing as well. I don't think it's a sport that she should be doing very much, but if I could channel THAT at her startlines, boy oh boy, would we be in business. I am going to work on this.
Gee, I sure had a tough time signing in, since I can't remember my password ever so I have to reset it every time (ARGH).
But for the sake of Otterpop, I had to leave this comment. Have you tried one of those Chase It toys that Clean Run carries? You are so creative you could probably make one more economically maybe with a headless squirrel?!
Just don't muddy up your criteria and convert Otterpop into a courser.
Enjoyed meeting you and Otterpop in Kentucky!
Y'all come back any time. Ya hear?
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