99.75 & 100.80...Gee, I feel better *:-)

99.75:
That's my score (out of 100) on a recent 2-hour written examination I took to qualify for a job I am trying to get. That score placed me in position #1 for the upcoming round of face-2-face interviews, so that's good news...at least I will get an interview, and at most I will get the job! *:-)

100.80:
That's my score (out of 100) on a recent panel style oral examination I took last Thursday to qualify for a different job I am trying to get. That score placed me in position #1 for the upcoming round of face-2-face interviews, so that's good news...at least I will get an interview, and at most I will get the job! *:-)

By the way, looking for a new job is a learning experience, containing all the elements of a good novel...fear, suspense, failure, success, romance (not very much of that - I'm married), hard work, learning new ways of doing old things, and meeting people. I'm doing the very best that I can, with lots of help *:-)

Movie Recommendations:
"Saved!" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Parting Shots" (1999) - No, don't see it. OC-
"'Cracker'-All Series" (1994) - No, don't see it. OC-
"The Ice Rink" (2001) - Yes, see it. OC+
"To Die For" (1995) - No, don't see it. OC-
"Aparajito" (1957) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Spitfire Grill" (1996) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Bigger Than The Sky" (2005) - Yes, see it. OC+
"All About My Mother" (1999) - Yes, see it. OC+
"The Gospel Of John" (2003) - Yes, see it. OC+
"The Last Of The Blonde Bombshells" (2000) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Angel Of Death" (2002) - No, don't see it. OC-
"Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi" (2003) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Garden State" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Bright Young Things" (2003) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Bride & Prejudice" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Around The Bend" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Boys & Girls From County Clare) (2003) - Yes, see it. OC+
"A Very Long Engagement" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Ocean's Twelve" (2004) - No, don't see it. OC-

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Gee, I Thought I Was Pretty Decent At It...

Gee, I Thought I Was Pretty Decent At It...
Speaking Latin American Spanish that is. I failed the proficiency test even for level one *:-(
That will add a minimum of 90 days to the time it will take me to get qualified, because I can't retest for that period of time. The fact that I get around on my own ok in Monterrey, Mexico, and Mexico City, Mexico, and Madrid, Spain doesn't count? No complaints. I will try again as soon as I can *:-)

Movie Recommendations:
"Agatha Christie's: Marple: A Murder Is Announced" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"My House In Umbria" (2003) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Interstate 60" (2002) - Yes, see it. OC+
"The Crime Of Padre Amaro" (2002) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Great Expectations" (1998) - Yes, see it. OC+

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Fruit Is Comin' On

Fruit Is Comin' On:
The orchard pruning we had done in the winter had an amazing affect on the size, quality and health of the fruit that is ripening on the trees. All the fruit is of far better quality this year than in many of the past several years. Some of that may be due to the higher level of rainfall but because the fruit also looks and feels healthier I believe it is mostly due to the pruning. We will have the arborist back in about a month to do the summer pruning.

Movie Recommendations:
"Apocalypse Now Redux" (1979/2000) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Agatha Christie's:Marple:The Murder At The Vicarage" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Agatha Christie's:Marple:The Body In The Library" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Hallmark's The Secret Garden" (2002) - No, don't see it. OC-

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Oral Exam & Cancelled Oral Exam

Oral Exam:
I don't feel very well. Early today, on the third floor of our local county building, after waiting 20 minutes past my appointment time, I was lead, alone and with only the examiner, into a medium sized conference room with a table and some heavy, old style furniture. My examiner closed the STEEL DOOR behind me with the expected clang. The lighting was '50's style dim and the metal table hard and cold. Then the worst moment came...the examiner pulled out a TAPE RECORDER, damn it! My entire oral exam was to be tape recorded, so that every fuck-up I made would be forever available to anybody who wanted to hear it, damn it! My examiner was female, Hispanic and quite professional, although I later learned she is not college educated. Please note that my examiner was Hispanic...guess what the oral examination was for...Hispanic Language Proficiency! A-h-h-g-g-g-g! I don't want to dwell on this, so I'll just say I did the best I could and will light some votive candles to the saints in charge of passing language proficiency exams. *:-(

Cancelled Oral Exam:
The dental hygienist called and cancelled my appointment for cleaning my teeth. Who knows when the next appointment will be available? I don't. Stay tuned.

Movie Recommendations:
"Before Night Falls" (2000) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Valentin" (2003) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Rosemary & Thyme: All series" (2003) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Miss Congeniality 2" (2005) - No, don't see it. OC-
"Are We There Yet?" (2005) - No, don't see it. OC-
"Lady Audley's Secret" (2000) - No, don't see it. OC-
"Secret Window" (2004) - No, don't see it. OC-

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Happy Fourth Of July & Watch Where You Walk

Happy Fourth Of July:
To all, everywhere, even if they aren't US citizens or living in the US. I believe freedom is our natural state, and hopefully we have the courage to live that way. I recommend clicking on the link above for some fun facts relating to the celebration.

Watch Where You Walk:
Where we live, personally owned and detonated fireworks are illegal...yeah, right. A friend of mine owns a nice sailboat that has a permanent slip in the harbor off the ocean. For this weekend he tells me that starting Friday at noon, orange construction fencing, armed patrols and private security officers are swarming all over the harbar and that controls are in place for how many people are allowed into the area because literally thousands and thousands of inlanders come over to the beach for this holiday. He tells me that he parks his car in a safe place away from the harbor on Friday around noon, and doesn't even try to use it until Tuesday morning after the holiday. He stays on his sailboat to keep it from being messed with and then for the actual city-sponsored fireworks display he goes to the big restaurant facing the harbor and watches from there. Other of my friends tell me that walking on the beach during the 4th of July evening is like walking in a war zone because of all the private-and-illegal fireworks being set off. So, how do the fireworks get past the bag-searching, jacket-pat-downing and ever watchful police? Well, my friend who owns the sailboat tells me that for about a week before 4th of July weekend folks can be seen carrying in suspiciously heavy bags, heading for remote areas of the beach and surrounding hillsides, and burying the bags then leaving without them. My friend tells me everybody knows what is going on, including the police, and so guess how many illegal fireworks they find on people going into the area when they start searching at noon on Friday? None of course *:-) Have a great holiday *:->

Movie Recommendations:
"Fortunes of War" (1987) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Y Tu Mama Tambien" (2001) - No, don't see it. OC-
"Hop" (2002) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Dead Letter Office" (1998) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Body Heat" (1981) - No, don't see it. OC-
"One Hour Photo" (2002) - No, don't see it. OC-
"The Student Prince" (1998) - No, don't see it. OC-
"Midsomer Murders: Market For Murder" (2002) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Big Business" (1988) - Yes, see it. OC+

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Rose Hips, European White Birch, Fathers' Day

Rose Hips:
Unbelieveable as it was, I did see a large squirrel, grasping the horizontals on a wooden fence with only its hind feet, stretching up full length and violently ripping rose hips from the neighbors rose bush and stuffing them into its mouth. I had no idea that squirrels were smart enough to eat rose hips for health and I was amazed at the strength and balance exhibited during the process. I was pleased also when the squirrel's entire focus changed as it got hit with the three high speed .62 caliber paint balls that I fired *:->...last seen running headlong down the phone lines *:-)

European White Birch:
I'm still not sure how it happened, but it did. We set out yesterday to get a Fathers Day Tree for my son and his wife to plant at their house so they could have something to remember their two fathers (one each) by. After a series of lengthy discussions and quite a good tutorial from the garden center tree expert, a small concrete bird bath ended up going to my son's place and my wife and I are now determining where to plant the gorgeous European White Birch that we purchased for ourselves. How do things like that happen? *:-)

Fathers' Day:
Happy Fathers' Day to all of us who are Fathers and understand what that means, and to all those who will be Fathers and will come to understand.

Movie Recommendations:
"Wilbur Wants To Kill Himself" (2002) - No, don't see it. OC-
"Hope And Glory" (1987-2001) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Kitchen Stories" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Danny Deckchair" (2003) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Love And Death On Long Island" (1996) - No, don't see it. OC-

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Tree Tent, Poison Oak & Very Cool

Tree Tent:
Today my wife arrived home and was working in her studio. A knock was heard, somewhat muffled and far away but still probably for us. A face appeared in the port-hole of our gate, and a pleasant looking, smallish woman began apologizing for the intrusion. She explained that she was from "The County" and that because we have fruit trees we are officially "requested" to allow the county to hang insect traps in the fruit trees to control pests and provide early warning info prior to ordering overhead spraying for the entire county, which nobody wants. If they catch the infestation soon enough, they don't have to spray everywhere. My wife said yes, and we now have tent traps in some of our trees.

Poison Oak:
I am exceptionally allergic to poison oak and when we first moved to this home in 1987 we hired laborers to remove the oak from the property (no small job) by hand pulling and de-rooting the stuff. About 3 years ago a small patch appeared on the county road side of our property, and I spotted it and dug it out. It comes back each year but I know where to look and so I just remove it each year and it does not come back until the following year. Two years ago a second, closer-to-the-house patch appeared and I spotted it and removed it also. This year both patches dutifully appeared in the spring, grew to about 2 feet in height, spread to about 18" in circumference, and when I spotted them I dug them out. Then the weather changed. This spring has been quite different than average, and the extra rain and the combo of rain-sun-rain has caused things to go through a regeneration cycle. I did not know this until I was working on the county road side of the property installing better deer fencing, moving back and forth and not paying much attention to the ground, and then dropped a tool and as I was bending to pick it up, came face to face with new poison oak growth, 2 feet high, growing straight up from the location from where I dug it out earlier in the spring. I stopped dead still, looked all around the area, and when I realized that this was the only spot, I then very carefully removed and got rid of the oak, cleaned all the tools with gasoline, washed my work clothes twice in hot soapy water, and took a hot soapy shower myself. The oak discovery cost me about 1.5 hours of productive work time, and it has been a week now and no oak has appeared on my body, so I guess I survived *:-)
I then realized that the other spot had also probably grown back, so a couple days later I took that new growth out as well.

Very Cool:
Our cat, while truly a "Cool Cat", is also quite upset with us. We did not listen carefully enough to the radio weather warning about the sudden drop in temperature accompanied with wind and cold rain and we left our cat out ALL DAY in the cold and rain *:-( She is still pissed off about it and provides us with reminder lectures as she goes in and out the door now *:-)

Movie Recommendations:
"The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 2: (all episodes)" (2003) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Swimming Pool" (2003) - No, don't see it. OC-

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Who Was That Masked Cat?

Who Was That Masked Cat?
I returned home to find my son and our daughter in law talking with my wife on our deck. They were looking, talking about and gesturing toward one of the apple trees over by the back shed. They were excited because the cat in the tree was not ours, not any of the 5 neighbor cats that we know, was large, had poofy long gray fur, was physically very active and was climbing the apple tree with great skill and was focused on a squirrel that was several yards away. We are excited because perhaps this is the cat that has been helping us by killing the squirrels. Welcome, newcomer *:-)

Movie Recommendations:
"Swades" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Lover's Prayer" (1999) - No, don't see it. OC-
"A Series Of Unfortunate Events" (2004) - No, don't see it. OC-
"Swimming Upstream" (2003) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Allo Allo!" (1984) - No, don't see it. OC-
"A Different Loyalty" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"National Treasure" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Veteran - Warrior

Veteran:
I am one. April of 1968 through September of 1970. As of today, 2 people have thanked me for my service to our country, and I have also been honored by a Native American ceremony for warriors, where I was asked to step into the center of the ceremonial circle. I am not Native American, and I was the only Veteran at the ceremony, but they asked me to step out anyway because it is for all warriors and I am one. The Native American honoring dance was the first time I was recognized as a Veteran, and that was in 1998, 28 years after my service ended. I will be using my Veteran status to help me get my next job, if what the county and state say about Veteran preference is true.

Movie Recommendations:
"The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers" (2005) - Yes, see it. OC+

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Cats 1, Squirrels 0

Cats 1, Squirrels 0:
I came home yesterday and as I was preparing something to eat I glanced out the kitchen window and saw a dark, strung-out object on our concrete walkway that leads to our gate to the main road. It bore no resemblance to any shape I was familiar with, was remaining completely still, and had some grotesquery about it that made me curious. I left my food prep area and walked outside and approached closer. Heh. Heh Heh. Heh Heh Heh. *:-> The smallest of the 3 squirrels that have recently started entering our domain lay very definitely dead on our walk. I'll spare you a description of the grotesqueries unless you email me for the details. I verbally and loudly thanked the cats (invisible somewhere in the bush) for their efforts, shoveled up the remains and walked some distance up the road and flung them into the wildness of our mountains.

Movie Recommendations:
"The Life Aquatic" (2005) - Yes, see it. OC+

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Progress, Preparation, Possibilities

Progress:
At today's business meeting for an area group that I am currently chairing we voted on and passed several items that have been hanging around for along time. Thanks for everybody's help and good will *:-)
Preparation:
A large international meeting is coming up and our elected delegate needs lots of help in preparing to "be the voice of the people". He is adamant that all of us do our part to make sure he is representing us and not just his own desires at the votes that will be taken. It is inconvenient for us to do all the preparatory work that could be avoided if he were the sort that allowed us to shirk our duty. Thanks go to his committment to the process.
Possibilities:
They are infinite. I am working to remember that. And they can be infinitely good as well as bad. Stay tuned.

Movie Recommendations:
"The Young Visitors" (2003) - Yes, see it. OC+

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Opossum, Squirrel & Bird

Opossum:
It's back. Big, old, absurdly heavy, agonizingly slow, long tailed opossum. It climbs into the plum tree, hangs upside down and walks paw-over-paw out to the end of the limb, bending it horribly, to get to the non-ripe and just-set green fruit that is starting. For some reason I am not motivated to shoot it...yet...and will think about that for awhile. Noisy beast too.

Squirrel:
Game On! Several squirrels of several sizes have re-entered the game court on our property. Still entering on the telephone line and seemingly much faster this year. They quickly recognize the sound of my paint ball rifle and also don't like the orange paint that splatters them with near-misses. I haven't gotten deadly serious yet about aiming, and I will keep playing for awhile longer until the apples start getting ruined by the squirrels, then I'll aim more carefully so I can knock them to the ground where the cats or my axe can finish them.

Bird:
We like the birds, the birds like us. We are blessed with many varieties that other neighbors don't see much, probably because of the variety of fruit trees and other foliage we have. Our cat is completely incompetent at catching birds so no worries there because she was brought up by her mom to be a mouser and only a mouser, which she does very well.

Movie Recommendations:
"Birth" (2004) - No, don't see it. OC-
"Hotel Rwanda" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Neighbor, Dust & Rock

Neighbor:
Nice fella, young, married, two dogs, one child, lives in a house right across from our driveway, which shares a cul-de-dac like end with his. Since we live in the mountains our driveway is...ummm...unpaved. Mostly dust actually, with occasional stones and pieces of fallen limbs *:-) Day before yesterday I came home from work early and wheeled rapidly into our driveway. My neighbor was standing in his (recently blacktopped) driveway.
Dust:
He stood quite still, facing our driveway, as a huge and thick cloud of dust enveloped him and made him gray from head to toe. He said nothing, didn't get mad, didn't smile, just stood there and eventually went into his house.
Rock:
I got on the phone immediately to the local quarry rock delivery service and ordered 7 yards of 3/4" Aromas washed rock. It arrived promptly and was dumped in the common portion of our driveways. As my wife and I retired for the evening, we could hear the scrape and toss sounds as our neighbor began spreading the rock over the common areas. I finished the job the next morning and now we don't cover him in dust when we pull in *:-) He brought over a half-watermelon this evening and is smiling a bit *:-)

Movie Recommendations:
"Dirty War" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Echos of Enlightenment" (2001) - No, don't see it. OC-

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Library and Bibliographic Instruction

Library and Bibliographic Instruction:
I had the opportunity recently to research what is happening with school libraries these days. It seems that the school administrators are using the library budget to buy laptop computers for the "library classroom" instead of many hardcopy tomes. I believe there is a fundamental difference between bibliographic research using a laptop and library research using a professional librarian at the elbow of the person trying to learn. Unguided bibliographic research can present the student with a black hole full of info tidbits that may or may not be relevant to the research project. A guided research effort with a professional librarian, coupled with a least a few actual books to hold in the students' hands will, I believe, produce a better informed and intelligent result.

Movie Recommendations:
"Aviator" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"The Phantom Of The Opera" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+
"The Best Of Zagreb Film: Nudity Required" (2000) - No, don't see it. OC-

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Paving Stones, Bamboo & Clay

Paving Stones:
We visited our son and his wife at their new(ish) home today so my wife could do some measurements for some maternity clothes for my son's wife. I asked me son to take me on a tour of his property and he did and we got to talk about the landscape and remodel plans they are working on, which I enjoyed. He even listened to and acknowledged some of my comments relating to using paving stones to provide an efficient and pleasant looking parking area near the front of the house! He would not commit to allowing me to install a "baby cam" in the nursery so my wife and I could log on to watch the baby-to-be though *:-)

Bamboo:
While we were at our son's place my wife got a call from a friend who happens to live just a few blocks away from my son's and the friend needed some help so we went over there too. After the help part was done we got a nice tour of their property too and they showed us some of their recent nursery purchases, which included some golden bamboo still in the nursery containers. The Jasmine was in full bloom and the entire yard was filled with the most exotic and fulfilling fragrance...it was wonderful.

Clay:
My wife's friend's husband loves to work with clay and since I taught pottery for several years we talked about different clays and firings and we both agreed that working with clay is something we both enjoy. He is enamoured with throwing on the wheel, while I am enamoured of hand building and pinch potting. We offered to let him fire his smaller stuff in our electric kiln if he wants to start making stuff again. He is a gifted jeweler and bead worker also.

Movie Recommendations:
"Star Wars III-The Revenge Of The Sith" (2005) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Little Black Book" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Storming The Castle & Eating The Rose

Storming the Castle:
I took the huge sword and sliced the entire bridge and entrance from the castle. Hugely crashing onto the plate the sectioned arch was quickly covered in slimy white from the spitting dragon's mouth and the blood red boulders fell to cover it forever.
The castle-bundt cake is delicious, especially when covered in whipped cream and strawberries *:-) My wife has taken another step to become Queen Of The Bundts *:-)
Eating The Rose:
Secrets are found in every bite and only the Queen Of The Bundts knows from what they are made. Delicious again and again and again her creations are my opiate of choice.

Movie Recommendations:
"Trainspotting-Collectors' Edition" (1996) - No, don't see it. OC-
"Connie and Carla" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Hedge Hog & Lawn Hog

Hedge Hog:
It's a great tool. Even the professional loved using it. Try one yourself and check it out. Just google "hedge hog" and go to the tools and hardware result. I love using it *:-)

Lawn Hog:
Ditto for the lawn hog. The auto-mulch setting works very well even on wet, tall grasses and weeds. Cuts nicely through plastic waste-water pipe that is left too high above the ground also *:-(

Movie Recommendations:
"Himalaya" (1999) - Yes, see it. OC+
"Murder, She Wrote" (1984) - No, don't see it. OC-

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Memory & Memories & Memorials

Memory:
I still have mine (the brain function, not the computer kind). I have not noticed any degradation in function or capacity or recall capability and I am greatful for that. My wife is brilliant about foods and cooking utencils and I have good DNA and I am hopeful too that I will get another 30 years out of my memory function because grandkids are just starting to be part of our lives and both my wife and I are doing pretty well otherwise. Good luck to us *:-)

Memories:
I believe it is time for me to start my autobiography! Wow, I had not really thought about that and blogging about Memorial Day has put that thought on the table for consideration. Cool! Please feel free to click on the link in the blog header to get more info.

Memorials:
I've seen some good, some bad, and of course it depends on the viewer. Those that have been purchased for memorializing a primarily egotistical event or person depress me and I believe send the wrong message. Those that memorialize a shared, human emotional experience and are presented in a healing way I find to be exceptionally valuable to my journey here and I believe we need many more of that type. The town I live in is silly when it comes to that sort of thing and I find that sad.

Movie Recommendations:
"House Of Flying Daggers" (2004) - Yes, see it. OC+

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Friends Near & Far

Friends Near & Far:
I have friends. Some are local and some are in other countries. What I have learned is that for me to make a friend takes a very long time. Each of the friends who have come to my aid in my time of need I have spent years with and have had many hours of close personal activity. I am interested in the dynamics of friendship and what it takes to create a friend. As I think about it, in each case there has also been considerable emotional exchange involved. I will think and reflect and read more on it.

Movie Recommendations:
"Pompeii: The Last Day" (2003) - Yes, see it. OC+

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.

Different Breed, Learning, Deciding

Different Breed:
Tibetan Mastiff is not for me as a pet dog. We have enough room and if we made the fence a lot stronger we could let the TM run free but the inherent behaviors of the Tibetan Mastiff breed are not going to work out for me. I like strength and some independence in a dog but the Tibetan Mastiff is still classified as a "primitive" breed and does not train well and does not remain close on command. The search continues.

Learning:
I have planned to attend a local "doggie day" in the park during the first week in June. I will just hang out and learn more about me and dogs and if I want to go in the direction of becoming a pet owner right now. I hope to learn by observation what the different relationships of dogs and owners are and how they work when outside their home turf.

Deciding:
I haven't set a deadline for myself on deciding if a dog is coming into my life or not. I'll let that decision arrive when the time is right. Because I'm still interested I'll keep checking things out.

Movie Recommendations:
"The Cazalets: All Episodes" (2001) - Yes, see it. OC+

Lee's OC Index:
OC+ = High potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.
OC- = Low potential healing and/or educational message for people with OCD tendencies.