wind and unwind weekend

We thought we will have a VERY relaxing Saturday, not doing anything at all other than walking the dogs in the Common as I am still not 100%. Unfortunately, everything turned upside down after 10am! We had a serious leak on the downpipe outside our bathroom and everytime someone is in the bathroom, we will have flood on the balcony and the water travels to the neighbour. The neighbour didn't really complain but she suggested we WANTED to get it fix! I know calling a plumber is extremely expensive in this country and I know a good DIY person can do the job. Colin is not a DIY person, I love DIY but I don't know how to fix it. The neighbour recommended a Polish that did a lot of jobs for them, he came on Friday, with broken English, we managed to understand each other about the job. Other than the broken downpipe, I decided to change all the gutters as well. I understand him saying he will come on Saturday to go to B&Q with me to get the material needed (but I didn't realised he will do the job the same day). He knocked on the door sharp at 10am! I sent Colin off with him and after 40 minutes later, they came back with whole lots of gutters and pipes. He amazed me with the speed his finished off the job at the back of the house. I have to say, it was very good, neat and tidy, no cowboy job! Then, we have problem coming to the front of the house because I haven't got a big ladder for him to climb up. We asked the neighbours and no one has one big enough to reach the roof of the house. I then rang Jim who lives a few streets away from us, he said he has the ladder we need, so off Colin and the Polish went in his car to pick up the ladder. Both of them came back in 15 minutes, can you see how efficient he is. He straight up with his job but Colin looked pale and weak when he came in the door. I asked him what happened, he said they came back by foot! I was shocked! It normally take us about 15 minutes to walk to Jim but I thought carrying such an heavy and big object, they surely will take longer (I thought they came back by car). I have to say, it was a very heavy ladder, solid wood and it's monsterous! No wonder my poor husband is looking ruin! He then told me he did ask the Polish if he want to put the ladder down and have a break a couple of times but all the Polish did was to jog back to our house! Hahaha ... sorry Colin, everytime I think about it, I just can't help but laugh! I must be a cruel wife!! Oh yes, after he finished the front of the house, he asked Colin to return the ladder to Jim again. I should have taken a photo of Colin's face then. Priceless! Well, I thought this could keep him fit but I think we totally ruin him! He did has bruise on his side though, poor man! Anyway, job done and no more leaking! By evening, Colin hardly moved! He just glued to the settee in one position.

To unwind our tiring Saturday, we (actually "I") did agility, yeah!

The competing season is quiet down now, this is the beginning of winter trainings and winter series time. I don't normally do winter show because it's generally very cold, wet and muddy. The only winter show I like is C-Side, now TraVal. I missed the C-Side last year because I was away visiting my brother. Due to Sizzle just started to compete, there is not many show we can enter, so it would be good to do some winter shows with him to get more ringside experience. I have entered the South Eastern October show, it was fairly local to us, only an hour's drive, not bad at all and we could have a little lie in as the show only starts at 9am. WooHoo!

I remembered entered South Eastern with Sing many years ago, well before I have other dogs. My memory for the show was very wet and muddy and we came back in thick mud. Yesterday, it was totally different. We were indoor and the flooring looks new, the sand was fine and good. I haven't run in indoor for a year and I am not used to run in a softer ground. In the morning, they have combined 1-3 classes for small, medium and large; and in the afternoon, they have combined 1-7 classes, also for small, medium and large. Colin still looked very tired after jogging with the ladder on Saturday, so our plan was to go home after Sizzle's run in the morning, after all, we just want to gain experience for Sizzle.

Our morning started off well. This is Sizzle's first indoor run. Our first class was the combined 1-3 Agility. The course looked good other than the see-saw to the weave bit which I think is a little challenge to us. There is cloth tunnel lying very close. My option is to handle Sizzle on my left, so I can block off the cloth tunnel, send him into the weave and switch behind. If you look at the video, you can see me using the wrong hand (my right hand) pointing on the see-saw (to tell him to wait until it tip), then switch to my left hand to send him to the weave and instead, he saw the tunnel because he was following my right hand! I should have used my left hand to point at the see-saw. Eventhough he thinks of the tunnel but he turned away quickly when I called him so he was lucky not to get a refusal. I was surprised when he turned away from the tunnel and look at the weave, he was actually off angle to the entry and I was impressed he finds the entry. There were many dogs got trapped by the cloth tunnel, whether the handler was on the left or right.

His jumping round was good, well I feel good because we sail through the whole course smoothly, no hesitation at all other than I have to learn to tighten the flip away (turn away from me) in the box. He took a wide turn but this is just a baby thing, I am sure we can practise that for the next season. When he went down the line in speed, I thought he will go into the 2nd pole but he did his weave entry nicely, so I am very happy! Watching other run, most dogs make mistake in the box, the dogs ran diagonal and took the wrong jump!

We finished our morning run before 10am! I was about to pack up and go but Colin was too happy with Sizzle's wins and he asked me to stay for the afternoon! Ha! I am happy to stay, so during our wait for the afternoon runs, I catch up with some friends and time just flew by. The afternoon was more stressful because I have to run three dogs in 2 different heights. They have two rings, an agility ring and a helter skelter ring. They starts one with small and one with medium. I do not want to take all the dogs out so Colin has to keep going back to the car the fetch dogs. The afternoon started off with Saturn in the Medium Helter Skelter, he wasn't the speedy self but was good enough to get a 4th place. I didn't run Sing in the Helter Skelter. Then, I've got Sizzle to run the combined 1-7 agility. I thought the course was hard for him because there is a right turn to the jump after the DW instead of straight into the tunnel; also there is a pull through from jump #15 to jump #16. I have not teach him the pull through YET, so I was hoping to do the wrap the wing (#15). With the DW right turn to the jump #3, I called him too early, so he came off and missed the contact point, now I know where I should improve; then on the see-saw, I want to stop him to wait til the see-saw tip so I did a close front cross and he didn't like it and he jump off too early and we lost each other. More wobble work! Then the wrap around wing #15, I told him left but he turned right, I think my shoulder wasn't turning left at all, so we need to practise that more.

After the agiltiy round, we ran straight to the combined 1-7 Helter Skelter ring. He didn't power on as I was hoping for, so I was thinking is it because he didn't like to be drag from one ring immediately to the other or the long wait start? I had the same problem at Suffolk 5 Rivers. He was jumping happily in the Jumping ring, then immediately after the jumping, I jog with him to the helter skelter ring. Also another wait start, he was slow in the helter skelter too. I need to find the answer to this so I can imporve it.

I ran Sing in the combined 1-7 agility. The physio still didn't reply to me, I keep Sing un-active for the last couple of weeks, doing absolutely nothing at all other than walking. I like the course and I want to run him to see if he can do the course with no faults. He did the DW to the jump beautifully, didn't miss the contact point, good start. Then he fell flat on landing jump #3. When he stand up again, I was already facing the tunnel and he back jump #3 to get the elimination. He did other bit nicely and we didn't managed the pull through.

I am glad I did stay for the afternoon runs as I know now what my homeworks are!