My Greyhound part #2: The first week

The first week you bring a retired greyhound into a house is when you realise you will have to teach, a fully grown dog, stuff you would not even think a "normal" puppy would need to be teached !! When we first got home with the dog, we went for a little walk around the block, Bentley was walking very nice on leash, so far all is good... Then we got back home....

First : The four steps from the driveway to the front door. It seems that during his 4 years of racing (70+ races and about 30 wins) our retired Greyhound (Bentley) never had to go up (or down) any stairs. But after a few minutes, and a bit of cheering, Bentley did manage to go up those steps in a very unelegant fashion !! We then knew that it will be a big challenge for him if he wants to get to the house second story through those 14 hard wood steps !!

Second : It also appears that at the kennels where he spend all his live up to now, they don't have any windows or mirrors. So the first thing Bentley does once inside is to try to get right back out through the full size window beside the door... Bang !! Yep my boy that's glass, hard and transparent ! It didn't take long for him to get use to windows, but the mirrors ... You just can tell what he's thinking, Oh cool! another greyhound, he looks just like me and he wants to play too !! Still to this day we are not certain he understand what he's seeing in the mirrors ...

Third : Food, you have to teach this dog that not all food in the house is for him. And that is pretty easy with a small or medium size dog. But with a very tall dog that's another story. See the back of Bentley is about 31 inches from the ground, taking into consideration that your standard dining table is around 30 inches tall. This dog has to look down on what's on the table and he does not have to stretch very high to see what's on the kitchen counter !! So the first few days you really have to re-think where you put anything containing food.

Four : Sleeping at night. Let me put you in context. Our bedroom is upstairs, the dog's crate is downstairs, he can't go up or down the stairway yet and this is a dog that never spent any time, especially at night, alone. So guess what.... The first few nights either my girlfriend or I slept on the coach !! But it didn't take long for Bentley to settle in and master the stairs and before we knew it he was sleeping on the floor, on a pile of pillows in our bedroom !

But on the other hand, within a couple days he was settled in. He was eating good, releaving himself outside, was getting pet by children on walks, we took him to friends houses to meet people and other dogs. He was so easy going that it felt like almost like he had been living with us for years ! He was really enjoying the begining of his retirement and we were very happy to have such a good calm dog that gets along with everybody !

Stay tune for part #3, when we become dog food and poop experts !!

Wordless Wednesday

My Greyhound part 1 : Why a Greyhound ?

Ever since we adopted a retired greyhound in april, I have been asked all sorts of questions. So here's the story on why we chose to get a tall, skinny, funny dog and how we got him.

My gilfriend and I always wanted a dog but since we were not spending enough time at home because of work and other social outings we were always postponing the "dog project". We thought that maybe someday the day would come that we would be free enough to care for a 4 legged furry thing. Well that someday came around last winter.

With a new job that enables me to work from home a couple days a week and a lot less social commitements, we started looking at what kind of dog would fit us best. We agreed that the top criterias needed to be : Quiet, easy going, gentle with children and grown-up and finally medium to large size. We also agreed that we were going to get a rescued dog. Yes puppies are nice but there are so many dogs that need a second chance in kennels everywhere.

So we slowy started looking at what was available at our local recue web sites without really ''falling in love'' with any available dogs. A bit later, in march we were attending the St-Patrick's parade in Montréal and then, between two floats, was the crew from greyhound recue Québec and we tought : yeah how about a retired greyhound ?

After the parade we got back to the house and started reading books and articles on the web about those gracefull dogs. After several hours of reading and watching videos like this one on youtube we were sold to the breed. Then a quick phone call to Shirley from greyhound recue Québec and a long and interesting visit to her house to meet her, her husband Ernie and most of all their 2 greyhounds, Dara and Sergio, got us hooked. They took the time to explaine how the dogs lived and how they are treated during their racing carreer, to gave us an idea of what to expect. They told us the dos and don'ts to start the dog's retirement on the good "paw".

You can quickly see that these guys love greyhounds, they go through so much trouble to save a handfull of racing greyhounds every month and yet they don't make any money off of this. They just do it for the dogs.

So of course we signed the papers and the waiting began. A week later, a phone call from Shirley saying that a "big fawn boy" fitting our profile was available. We were to come pick him up next week-end !! So we spent all week going from pet stores to pet stores gathering the things we needed : food, bed, nail clipper, id tag, treats, doggy tooth brush, etc.

Then saturday came and we finally saw our "big fawn boy" coming out of the van ! He came along with 4 or 5 other "ex-racers" and we immediatly understood why he was called BIG !! He was at least 2 inches taller then all the others !! Still suprised by how big he was, we brought all the dogs to a fenced area where they could finally stretch their legs after the long drive. One by one the volunteers inspected every inch of the dogs, cleaned the ears, gave them a bath, a flea and worm medication. And then finally it's time for a little walk before the car ride home, where we were to discover how bizarre and fun it is to care for a retired racer ...

Stay tuned for part #2 : The first week !!!

Le tour de france : partie #2

Et bien nous voilà presqu'à la fin du Tour et j'ai pensé vous partager mes coups de coeur et mes coups de pied !

Coup de coeur

Francaise des jeux pour leurs maillots.

Pinarello, les plus beaux vélos du Tour.

Plus belle victoire d'étape : Heinrich Haussler étape 13.

Étape 15 Pontarlier - Verbier, les plus beaux paysages du Tour. À couper le souffle en Haute-définition.

Coup de pied

Les commentaires de Richard Garneau au Canal évasion....

L'attitude "grosse tête" de Mark Cavendish, ses grosses jambes suffisent amplement, il n'a pas besoin d'en ajouter.

Les maillots de Lampre, sérieux rose et bleu pâle.

L'omniprésence du jaune dans le peloton. On devrait réserver le jaune uniquement au porteur du maillot.

Wordless Wednesday

The small things

You know what ? It's all about the small things in life. When ever you feel tired and a bit down, focus on the small things you like, the things in life that brings a smile to your face.

Forget the big picture for a while, forget about your career path, your mortgage, your retirement plan, the leaking faucet, that noisy neighbor....

Have a beer with a friend, watch a early morning F1 Grand Prix with a nice latté, have a piece of pie while watching a late night TV show. Do something small that will bring a small to your face and enjoy the moment.

Cheers....

Le blog français du jeudi

Donner un coup de pouce à la planète

Recyclage, gaz à effet de serre, produits bios, matériaux recyclables, énergie vèrte on si perd facilement... Bien que je ne suis pas un citoyen vert modèle, j'aime penser que je fais ma part. Mais je dois avouer que c'est difficile de penser à tout. J'irais même jusqu'à dire que pour le commun des mortels c'est impossible de suivre les règles du parfait petit citoyen écolo. Il y a trop de choses à penser trop de choix à faire auxquels on n'a pas les réponses.

Par exemple, si jamais vous oubliez ou vous n'avez pas assez de sacs réutilisables au super marché, vous allez être confronté à cette question : Plastique ou papier ? Pour moi le choix n'est pas facile. Le sac de papier est un produit recyclable et bio dégradable. Mais il faut couper des arbres pour en fabriquer. Le sac de plastique est maintenant recyclable et peut également être fait à partir de vieux sac recyclés mais il est produit à partir de produits pétroliers. Donc dans la fabrication des deux sacs, lequels a demandé le moins d'énergie et lequel a rejeté le moins de déchets. Et faut-il calculer la quantité ou la toxicité de ces rejets? Et le lieu de production ? Et le transport du produit final ? Ça compte aussi... Vous voyez que, si on pousse la question un peu plus loin, la réponse n'est pas toujours facile.

Après plusieurs maux de tête et des recherches infructueuses, je me demandais si ca valait vraiment la peine que je m'attarde à tous ces détails, en tenant compte de mes connaisances limitées et de mon contrôl encore plus limité des impacts des mes actions et choix écologiques quotidiens.

J'ai donc décidé de concentrer mes efforts sur ce que je pouvais facilement contrôler : #1 : Réduire ma consomation d'essence. Je me suis mis à planifier mes déplacement en voiture de façon à réduire autant que possible mon kilometrage en optimisant les arrêts pour éviter de faire du va-et-vient. Également, j'utilise autant que possible du carburant bio-diesel fabriqué localement à partir d'huiles végétales usées, question de réduire au maximun mes rejets de gaz à effet de serre. #2 : Acheter le plus possible de produits fabriqués localement. En plus de favoriser entreprises, emplois et artisants locaux on minimise les effets négatif du transport de marchandise sur grande distance. #3 : Réduire la quantité de déchets domestiques en disposant des matières recyclables dans le "bac de recyclage" et en compostant les matières organiques. Sur ce point je dois lever mon chapeau à ma blonde qui est plus assidue que moi sur le recyclage et le compostage.

En fin de compte, comme on ne peux tout controler en matière d'écologie et d'environement, pourquoi ne pas se concentrer et maîtriser un aspect du mieux qu'on peut. Une fois que c'est devenu un automotisme, il suffit d'en choisir un autre, de s'informer et de le mettre en pratique... Pour ma part, travaille à optimiser l'utilisation de mon bac de recyclage et sur les détersifs "vert".

Wordless Wednesday

Why I'm not a golfer

GOLF, I still don't get it !!

I'm not a golfer. My dad plays, my neighbor plays, some of my friends play, I don't. I just don't understand the fun in that game. I have been trying every year since 1995. Yeah, I play once a year at the office annual tournament. I know what you golfers are already saying : "Stick with it, you will get better. The game (sport for them) will get more interesting and more fun if you can hit the ball better." Well that's exactly where they are so wrong !!

I agree, in my first five games I sucked really bad at hitting that small white ball. But, in the following years, I have spent some time at the driving range and went through a good number of those buckets of white balls. So the hitting the ball part is now solved. I'm still not really good, but I can hit the ball pretty straight.... And guess what, I still don't like the game.

So many people have bragged about the "being outside, walking in nature, beautiful scenery, fresh air". Well if that's what you are after, why don't you find a mountain and go on a hike ?You don't need to carry a big bag full of clubs and submit yourself to a dress code to enjoy nature at is best !

Actually, what I hate the most about golf is not really the game, it's the protocol around it. Got to wear a polo shirt, tuck in those pants, those shorts are too short or to long, those shoes are not allowed on the course, No you cannot talk if that guy is even thinking of maybe taking a swing. And the looks from the "members" if you don't have the latest titanium-graphite-carbon clubs. Oh Yeah, there'd the how much did YOU play question from the guy who knows so bad that he's better then you !! I could go on for hours, but you get the point.

But for all you golfers out there keep swinging and don't worry, I will still be giving the game a try next year and the year after. Maybe, just maybe, someday I'll understand !!!

Le blog français du jeudi

Un peu de répit du trafic.

Bien que l'été tarde à s'installer dans la grande région de Montréal, on peu commencer à voir un autre phénomène estival s'installer : la réduction du trafic automobile pour entré sur l'île le matin !! Et oui l'école est terminé, professeurs et étudiants abandonnent la Métropole. Ajoutez à cela le début des vacances pour certains et on obtient une réduction considérable des bouchons de circulation. Encore deux semaines et le banlieusard que je suis sera au nirvana ... Enfin, les vacances de la construction :) Pendant ces deux semaines, c'est la joie pour venir au centre-ville. Les autobus sont à moitié vides et en voiture on ne ralentit même à l'approche des ponts.

Les bureaux seront traquilles, on peut enfin travailler sans être dérangé, le temps de transport diminue de moitié. On pourra partir plus tard de la maison et quand même arriver au bureau à la même heure. C'est un peu comme des vacances au bureau !

C'est pour ces raisons que depuis plusieurs années je prend toujours mes vacances après les fameuses ''vancances de la construction''. C'est un peu comme 2 semaines de prélude à mes propres vancaces.

Wordless Wednesday

You Can't make everybody happy

It is just so true, no matter how hard you try, you just can't make everybody happy. Somehow somebody won't be please with something !!

I often find myself organizing stuff (diner, out-of town week-ends, get togethers, etc..) for friends, family, co-workers. I don't really know why, it just happens to be this way. Over the years, I have tried so hard to think of every details that would make everybody smiling happy ! Well guess what ?... I have failed. People won't tell you right away, but over time you will find out that you buddy's girlfriend did not really like going to that pub or that guy at work really don't like eating sushi. It might take a couple days or a couple months but you'll found out.... Even if you thought you took care of everything, and they seemed happy, even if they thank you... Trust me, somebody was not pleased !!

But don't worry, you just cannot make everybody happy. So what to do ? Well, I found out that a person is more likely to appreciate an event if they have a role, a task, something to do with it. It could be something simple like calling a few people to confirm their presences or to bring a dish to a party. It just brings out that feeling of fulfillment in people. When you are involve in something you just appreciat it better and you are less likely to focus on the bad things then if you are just in for the ride.

So just do your best, be honest and if somebody ask if they can help, say yes and find them something to do !

Tour de France

Vive le TOUR ! http://www.letour.fr/

Before I go any further... I am wondering if this blog should be written in english or en français ?? Je vais faire un peu des deux...

J'adore regarder le Tour de France à la télé. Depuis 4 ans je crois avoir manqué moins de 10 étapes. Merci à mon enregistreur numérique !! Cette année j'en en grand dilemme, je dois choisir entre les 2 chaîne de télévision qui présente le tour quotidiennement au Québec. OLN et Canal Évasion.

On OLN I get top of the line commentaries from people on site following the Tour day in and day out on "normal" TV !! On Évasion, I get OK commentaries with High Definition 720p picture. So I have to choose between the audio or the video content. It's not easy, I've been thinking about it for weeks and I just can't make up my mind. I'll flip channels for the first stages and let you know !

Lance... Les gens qui connaissent mon intérêt pour le vélo, me pose tous la même question : Est-ce que Lance Armstrong vas gagner le tour ? Ma réponse est un peu simple... Je me fou un peu de la performance de Lance. En fin de compte je me fou même du vainqueur, je ne me souviens même pas qui a gagné l'année dernière.... un gars sur un cervélo, de CSC je crois ?

I watch the tour 'cause it's relaxing, beautifully relaxing, I love to watch the bikes, the scenary, the crowd and the tactics of the different teams. I will not make prediction on stage wins nor on the overall winner. But I can tell you that somebody from Française des Jeux will be in almost every breakaway and that if you have only one stage to watch, it should be stage 18 on July 23rd, the time trail in the very beautifull town of Annecy.

C'est assez pour l'instant, je vous reviens durant le tour avec mes décision sur quelle chaîne de télé je vais choisir et si je vais utiliser le français ou l'anglais pour écrire sur le Tour.

Le blog français du jeudi

HOCKEY !!

Ben oui il faut parler hockey, plus précisément du Canadien de Montréal. Je suis loin d'être un fin connaisseur de hockey.... Mais je suis un FAN... Un fan du Canadien !!

On ne peu pas dire que Bobby G. est allé avec le dos de la cuillère !! Beaucoup de changement, on dirait une nouvelle équipe, mais LA bonne nouvelle.... Koivu ne reviens pas :) Merci, enfin, il était temp. Je ne veux pas dire que Koivu est un mauvais joueur, mais son temp à montréal étais fini depuis longtemp. J'espere qu'il pourra aller finir sa carrière avec son frére. J'ai bien hate de voir tout ces changement sur la glace et si nos ptit vieux, heee non je veux dire nos vétérans vont tenir toute la saison !

C'est assez, pas d'autre commentaire sur le hockey avant que le mercure tombe sous la barre des 10 degés Celcius.