The angel/devil divide
I am home today with a tummy bug. So I am sitting in bed reading blogs before having another nap. I just took a photo of our youngest puppy. He is curled up against my leg with his mushy face all squished against me. He is sleeping soundly. I can hear him snoring.
How is it possible that this dog is the same as the one who has required that I get out of bed today to stop the following:
- dragging a dog bed from the loungeroom into the yard
- dragging a bag of dog food from the laundry into the yard
- tearing apart our store of plastic grocery bags
- pulling all of the cushions off the lounge, apparently in search of one crumpled napkin from Subway
- detaching the new computer parts from where they were taped to the notebook computer just back from being serviced (don’t tell phil)
- chewing on the portable oil-heater (to be fair, I didn’t bother to stop that too much - he can’t even leave teeth marks in the metal)
- making a hole in the side fence, apparently all the better to bark at the neighbours
Sometimes I get a glimpse of what it would be like sometimes to have kids. And I hear you aren’t even allowed to lock them in the toilet when they are misbehaving (after removing access to the toilet brush of course).
July 18th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
“And you aren’t even allowed to lock them in the toilet when they are misbehaving”
You aren’t…. boy have my parents got some explaining to do.
July 18th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
beat me to the line! HAte that
July 18th, 2006 at 4:53 pm
ahhhh…yes…the joys of puppy parenting!
We have one too! This morning he ran into the back garden with my husband’s $500 saxophone mouthpiece and reeds…followed up by ripping to sheds an egg carton on our back step (okay…I admit…I did give it to him)…pulled apart a perfectly good sock…and did a “good morning” wee in the kitchen…
And I don’t want to go out tonight with a comp. ticket to see some fantastic musicians…because I’d rather stay home with my puppy instead!
Sad sad sad!
July 18th, 2006 at 8:12 pm
into the sax heh pj… you ought to have a chat with veritas… big sax player and fan… go to his website at lordveritas.blogspot.com
July 19th, 2006 at 10:05 am
I thought about updating this post over the course of the day to include other things that he stole, but I was too frustrated. Gorgeous dog with a devil inside.
July 19th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
I am the proud part-owner of a 10 yo Golden Retriever whose puppyish tendencies have not altered since i drove from Sydney all the way to Melbourne to collect him ten years ago.
He is just like our human child & when he passes i will grieve for him as one.
Dogs are precious. I judge people by whether they like dogs are not.
And people who like cats & NOT dogs? Are a real concern.
July 19th, 2006 at 4:02 pm
Agreed, Reve. Our “puppy” is 14 months old and we are waiting for his “curiosity” to settle down. At least yesterday confirmed that he was not experiencing separation anxiety - he is just as likely to be “curious” when we are at home as when we are out.
We currently are also babysitting phil’s parents’ dog which means that we are struggling with our evening negotiations of how three adult-sized (if not behaved) boxer dogs fit on the bed with us.
July 19th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
Heh Heh,
Little scamps!
Boxers are so ugly they’re become beautiful. Those soulfil brown eyes out of a stunted, crumpled face.
Are they brindles / reds? Animated with their front legs?
They are also in my opinion the most anatomically perfect breed. You can see every muscle.
Did you know that Boxers as a breed are not too keen on water? (to swim in, i mean)
July 19th, 2006 at 5:22 pm
I like cats and dogs…I’m so confused…I find it hard to understand people who don’t like dogs (animals really…of course I spent a lot of my growing up on a farm)…especially don;t understand people who have dogs but don’t keep trhem inside where they can be part of the family!
July 19th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
In the last couple of days I’ve cleaned dog wee off the carpet, cleaned off dog poo stuck to said dog’s fur (gag worthy) retreived lots of pieces of chewed up toy from the carpet, picked up hundreds of pieces of chewed up toilet paper in the laundry… need I go on? I think very sensible people keep dogs outside. (Clearly, I’m not one of them).
July 19th, 2006 at 8:01 pm
I was a Kennel Attendant when i was 18 & i too have had dogs all my life. And i have smelt Baby Diarroeah before. All i can say is, dog poo i can deal with, no prob, baby poo & spew - i dunno, something about it just makes me gag!
Dogs are very good for your health. Affectionate stroking of a dog dramatically reduces stress & blood pressure.
Dog people are honest, transparant & loyal. (Exclusively) Cat people are selfish, narcissistic & deceptive ;o)
July 19th, 2006 at 8:02 pm
Like cats ;o)
July 19th, 2006 at 11:00 pm
I too, grew up on a farm surrounded by cats, dogs and many other species- and I just never fell in love with the dogs. I tolerate dogs, but mostly try to ignore the sluttish behaviour that causes them to fawn on every guest, the invasion of my personal space when they jump up and scratch my legs every time I enter a room, insert their noses up my skirt, attempt to steal my food and then come over to drool on me and exhale bad breath in my direction. And the noise!!!
No. Give me an independent, affectionate, small soft and cuddly cat that comes back into the house every half hour just to check I’m still there, curls up on my lap in the evenings, chases a toy mouse manically across the floor, plays peek-a-boo with my husband around corners and lounges elegantly on beds, shelves and ducted heating vents all over the house. She even gives herself a bath and takes herself for walks.
July 20th, 2006 at 8:51 am
Reve, at the moment we have two dark brindles, but we have had two reds in the past. Our guest dog is brindle as well.
People say that boxers are ugly - I just can’t see it - when they snuggle those mushy faces into your lap, they are irresistable.
July 20th, 2006 at 9:50 am
I think Boxers are beautiful too, i guess it’s in the eye of the beholder. And i love the way they wiggle their whole bodies when they are excited & show the whites of their eyes. They really dance.
Laura, you’re clearly really a cat person. I guess I just grew up in a male-dominated household with a Dad from the New England region of NSW whom believed that animals should be utillitarian & useful, not admired for making a fool of humans ;o)
It all came home to me in January when i holidayed near Byron Bay & was looking after a big Queenslander-style house on my own (my aunts). Part of the deal was that i had to look after her elderly red tabby.
I was a liitle uncomfortable being there alone in a strange neighbourhood at night & they have rediculously loud storms & lightshows (lightning) in Summer.
I remember thinking to myself “if i had a good dog here he would defend me if someone tried to break into the house, or at least warn an intruder off through barking”.
Then i looked at my aunts cat & realised that someone could break in & i could be fighting for my life with a knife to my throat, & she would probably just lazily get up, stretch her legs & wander into the next room to rest up before killing more native wildlife the following morning.
I guess it comes down to what you’re after, a useful, loving, self-scarificing, loyal companion or,….. a teddy-bear with a heatbeat that eats & sleeps.
;o)
July 20th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
We just got out little boy puppy “done” yesterday…
Ohhh…the poor little thing…it was staggering around last night….ended up falling asleep with his ear flopped into the water bowl.
Over-compensated by buying him every little treat I could possibly find in the supermarket…he’s never even so much carob in his entire life!
Poor baby!
July 20th, 2006 at 1:56 pm
Ouch!
Extra cuddles & reassurance for him.
July 20th, 2006 at 3:27 pm
Our youngest had the snip just on a month or so ago and sailed through it with barely a care. Had the vet nurses eating out of his hand but showed virtually no ill effects. Hope your puppy manages similarly without the requirement for the bucket on the head treatment.
July 20th, 2006 at 5:16 pm
Thanks for the reassurance!
He’s bounced back well…for a ball-less critter!
July 20th, 2006 at 9:36 pm
I love Boxers!
My first boxer was called Chief! He was awesome! He used to let me brush his teeth with my brother’s toothbrush. I cried when he died! No other dog has ever lived up to Chief’s high standards of unconditional love. Neither have any women so far!
On the other matter…as a sole parent of three kids who is desperate and dateless, I have been considering having the snip so I will never have to go through the agonising manipulations of “let’s just have one” again like I did with my Ex Fiance. I have brought these guys up on my own for 10 years! I don’t want any more!
What does the rest of the Signposts church think?
July 21st, 2006 at 12:31 am
Well as people who have just about decided that our incorrigible dogs are as close as we are going to get to having kids of our own, I certainly don’t begrudge you your feelings.
We know a couple whose marriage basically failed because the common understanding/agreement about kids before marriage was departed from by one of the partners. Totally mental.
July 21st, 2006 at 9:38 am
I know a couple who married- he’d already had the three children and the snip- and ten years later she decided she desperately wanted kids and wanted him to have it reversed. He refused and now she is living with her new boyfriend and new baby. I don’t expect my story to be very helpful to your decision
On the dog thing, Reve said…
“I guess I just grew up in a male-dominated household with a Dad from the New England region of NSW whom believed that animals should be utillitarian & useful, not admired for making a fool of humans ;o)”
My dad thought that animals should be useful too- and we ate many of our own chooks, chook eggs, cows, dairy products and even pet rabbits. The dog did some guarding of the property, I’m sure, though most country people are pretty slack about protecting their lack of possessions. And the cat kept the property relatively free of mice. My dad was never embarrassed to make a fool of himself because of his love of animals though.
Incidentally, I once had a cat who was very unhappy about a dog that ventured into our backyard. The last we saw of that dog was his backside as he ran off into the distance with the cat maintaining a tight grip on his back with her claws as she rode him out the gate.
July 21st, 2006 at 9:55 am
Laura, you are a cack! (that last paragraph)
Yes, cats can be useful as ratters & micers, i had forgotten that.
Neil, the fact that (& correct me if i’ve got this wrong) Hillsong supports your wife while you feel ostracised raising her children on your own leaves me flabbergasted! Conservative Family Values indeed! & what kind of woman allows a Church to suppress her natural instinct to consistently nurture her own husband & children! I guess you will answer that.
It’s not really my place to comment but i am so angry on your behalf. I think everyone on this blog feels an emotional connection to your plight (& your kids) & would offer every piece of advice & help you asked for. WE are your community, now.
Im interested, - as you see it now, was your mariage already weak & flawed in the first place so it was easy for HS to drive a wedge or was it strong & it’s destroyal a testament to HS’s cultish tendencies & abilities?
July 21st, 2006 at 12:00 pm
Reve,
Sorry if my love life has confused everybody in here. I have avoided using names but i think i am going to have to use initials because It is too confusing otherwise.
The Time-line
1987 Married SC.
SC ran off with some baptist guy and is now married to some uniting church minister somewher in western Sydney I believe.
1990 SC Divorced me.
1990 met FH. Was upset with God and and the way I was treated by the chruch SC and I went to over the SC affair. (Although I did nothing wrong - it must have been my fault!)
Got FH pregnant and tried to make the best of a bad situation. First son was born in 1991.
1992 FH left us and ran off with a doctor. During late 1993 and early 1994 we started getting on well together and she became pregnant again. In December 1994 my 2nd son was born and I let FH move back in with us.
In 1995 FH became pregnant again. In March 1996 my daughter was born. In July 1996 FH left again and shacked up with a guy who was supposed to be my best friend. I have looked after my kids on my own again since then.
In June 1999 I stopped trying to outrun God! To cut a long story short, God made me go back to the church SC & I had gone to to discover that it had changed, the people had changed etc. It was a powerful period of forgiveness and restoration.
In February 2002 I joined Hill$ong! In December 2002, I met and started dating MO. MO and I became engaged in July 2004. In February 2005, MO smashed my house up etc etc and I broke off the engagement. In February 2006 I walked out of Hill$ong’s doors for the last time.
As for Hill$ong’s influence in the relationship…
MO is a very emotionally fragile person. She has, what I believe are, borderline personality disorders. She has a very controlling personality and uncontrollable rage. She becomes a different personality when she flys into these rages and cannot even remember what she has said or done.
Hill$ong preys on people like MO! MO became a worshipper of Hill$ong rather than Jesus! MO, coming from a catholic upbringing, already had a works mentality and Hill$ong just exploit that! Yes the destruction of the relationship was a testament to Hill$ong’s cultish tendencies.
Right now I am trying to build my life. I live each day for today! I make friends because I want to. Not as some morally reprehensible way of evangelising. I believe evangelism is the Holy Spirits job not mine or any one elses. I just try to love God and people. I am loving my kids to death! I am looking for a new woman! I am curious as to what a New Testament church really is and I think it is a cross between this blog and Geoff’s idea of a Sunday afternoon at the Newport Arms…although somewhere closer to God’s Country (the Shire) would suit me better.
That’s about it! I am not bitter. I am still hurt and that probably seeps out in some of my posts.
Sorry if I have confused you in the past.
July 21st, 2006 at 12:50 pm
Dan said: We know a couple whose marriage basically failed because the common understanding/agreement about kids before marriage was departed from by one of the partners. Totally mental.
Dan, I’ve certainly seen this happen too…but I don’t see it so much as a departure from some common understanding/agreement, but rather a shift in priorities, values, desires. And if people don’t have the ability to negotiate that, it’s tragic.
July 21st, 2006 at 12:53 pm
Neil, my heart aches for you.
July 21st, 2006 at 1:30 pm
Nel, oh my………
Wow..
Ummmm…..
dude.
It’s seldom i don’t know what to say. I’m trying to tap the Holy Spirit here to find the right words.
July 21st, 2006 at 1:45 pm
What is the meaning you have found (if any) in why you have attracted these chaotic women?
If you don’t think me rude, intrusive & presumptuos can i suggest that a fearless inventory of what you subconsciously do to attract these women (with God’s help, of course) might be in order before seeking more female companionship? If not for your sake for your kids.
I’m sure you’ve done this.
If i were you & straight i think i would have decided to forget women indefinitely & just be in Love with God.
So many of us go for a different version of the same person over & over again, …..can you see now in retrospect that there was similarities amongst all of them & the hook that pulled you in each time?
PS. If my care & interest comes across as arrogance you can tell me to MMOB & you won’t hear another word!
July 21st, 2006 at 1:59 pm
“Forget women indefinitely”….? Geez, that never works. Don’t even try it. Just try not getting involved with the crazy ones, the ones you think you can help.
I know cos I do it too, only with different results to you. I end up having to disengage from a highly intense relationship after they see me as offering them a bunch of stuff - stuff I never really am comfortable with providing.
I feel for you, brother. Life can be shitty sometimes, and it isn’t your fault. For what it’s worth, I’ll pray for you too.
July 21st, 2006 at 8:35 pm
Neil,
Amen brother, you’ve tried valiantly to make the best for your kids in hard circumstances.
The influences of “spiritual instruction” in whatever guise, can be comforting, reassuring, perplexing, challenging and downright hostile to some people. Those who are particularly susceptible to any one of the above are vulnerable unless they have a sound grounding in the basic tenets of the Christian Faith.
I’ve also been hurt, in some of the ways that you describe, but also in cop outs of those I’ve trusted in the church when I’ve needed a bit of suport.
Don’t worry mate, God hears your heart and, as the scripture says ” all things work for the better for those who believe in the Lord”