CalifornYEAH!

We recently got everything finalized so I can now share our excitement!  For the past three months we’ve been planning a trip to Southern California and It’s been a process!  I know what you’re thinking, “What’s so hard about buying two round-trip tickets, renting a convertible, & booking a nice hotel room on the beach?”  Well, smarty pants, we’re not doing any of that.  Since we don’t enjoy asking our friends & family to watch our dogs, we decided the best thing to do is take them with us… Yep, ROADTRiP!!!! {I’m the most excited about that! ß See, I even wrote multiple exclamation points to drive that fact home, I’m seriously stoked! ßthere it is again!} 

I can picture Diesel laying in the water with his head up high as the waves crash against him and Lady Lashes running up to all the people demanding their attention, both of them wearing their UV protective rashguards, hats, & possibly life vest

 

Yes, I’m buying them all of that.  Diesel I know for a fact wont swim without a life vest, he’ll get in the water but doesn’t like swimming without it.  Can you blame him?  160 lbs. is hard to keep a float strictly by doggie paddling.  As for Lashes Love, I don’t know if she’s ever been swimming, and since she’s so small, I’ll have to bring it as a just in case factor.  It’ll all get used again, our best friends have a boat so I see this gear as investments {feel free to judge, I hear myself, and I don’t care!}

I digressed, back to our planning process.  Since we’re driving and bringing the puppies, it’s not easy finding a location that allows dogs Diesel’s size.  We COULD have stayed at a La Quinta Inn & Suites {they’re like Holiday Inn Expresses, we’re members, and they don’t have weight limits on dogs} but we wanted a yard for the dogs to be able to play in, also the added convenience of being able to leave them outside while we go out on our adventures.  They are inside dogs but at home when it’s a pretty day, we come home from work to a yard full of their toys, and a nice day in Houston is every day in California so they’ll want to lounge for sure.

SO by using VRBO, Home Away, Flip Key, Vacation Rentals, & Google; I found 46 potential rentals in Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, & Huntington Beach area that are all pet friendly.  This was how I kept track, I know very Type "A" of me

We quickly decided that Huntington was too far away from all the action and we didn’t want to spend 60% of our trip in the car {I mean, we're already driving there}, Los Angeles was too far from a beach, and Santa Monica & Hermosa Beach were too $$$ so we isolated it down to just Venice Beach.  At the end of February we found a couple that was renting out their guesthouse, it was small, but it seemed perfect.  We corresponded back in forth for about 3 weeks sizing each other up asking questions, etc… When Cody & I decided that we indeed wanted to stay there I explained to her that we were waiting on our tax refund check before we could paid the $500 deposit {which we wouldn’t get back until 14 days after our trip which I found odd}, but I would be willing to pay $250 to show her we were serious.  She told me that it was fine, we could just fill out and return the contract she sent me and since we were expecting our refund within the next two weeks, she could wait… Well, we received our check on a Thursday, I told her that day, we paid her via PayPal and on Sunday it was refunded with an message saying they rented it to someone else… “YOU BiT…” *DEEP BREATHE* So it was back to the drawing board.  I re-contacted people that were more expensive but in the same area, a lot of them no longer had vacancies, so we started to worry.  After doing another sweep on Home Away I found two prospects and they both sounded fantastic! 

One is a Studio Apartment

It’s attached to the owner’s house that is a 5 min drive to the beach, the couple actually has rental property in the Houston Heights, and she fosters dogs so her and her husband are very dog friendly, but they didn’t have a washer & dryer and we wouldn’t be able to walk to anything, we would have to drive.

The other one is a Bungalow 4 blocks from the beach:

It doesn’t have a high fenced grass yard which is why we’re hesitant to rent it, but we figured we can buy the fake grass to lay out on top the patio.  I mean it has a hot tub, it’s near Abbot Street, & they have a washer & dryer.

We were having trouble choosing so I posted a vote on this blog and everyone said to go with the Bungalow, which is exactly what we did! 

This is where we’ll be spending our first four nights in Venice Beach:

We’re only 0.3 miles from the beach

Now that our accommodations are finalized it feels more real and we can get to the fun stuff, like buying the things we’ll need for our trip & planning our excursions!  When we vacation we like to “live like locals,” and be going none stop, we normally need a “stay-cation” after returning from our vacations! 

{For our honeymoon we only had one out of six days where we did absolutely nothing, and we ended up napping that day because we got bored.} 

Our initial plan is to leave on Tuesday evening/night and drive 16-17 hours to either Tucson or Phoenix, Arizona.  Our goal is to arrive before 10:00 am on Wednesday.  We’ll check in to a La Quinta Inn & Suites where we’ll sleep for a few hours, shower, eat, recoup, etc… then either leave that night or early the next morning for the remaining 8 hour drive to Venice Beach.  My Bubeleh said he wants to see if we can make it all the way to California in one trip, of course stopping for the puppies & potty breaks {the 2 “Ps”} but we’re going to play that by ear.  Our main focus is not being exhausted our first day, we don’t won’t to be useless, we actually want to venture out and explore the neighborhood. 

We’re planning on visiting Santa Monica Pier, hiking the Hollywood sign, people watching on Venice Beach, Catching a T.V. or Talk show taping in Burbank, eating lunch at the Ivy, Seeing the stars down Hollywood blvd, taking our photo in front of the Chinese Theater, eating at Rosco’s Chicken & Waffles, spending a day in Malibu, visiting the Getty Museum, window shop on Rodeo Drive, see the Griffith Observatory, & visit with a few friends.  I created a PiN BOARD on Pinterest to tag the places I mentioned and a few restaurants that were featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives as well as Man vs. Food.

If you can think of anything else that we HAVE to go do, or places we HAVE to eat at, please post a comment! 

The remaining 3 nights of our trip will be spent in San Diego! 

We don’t check into our cute single family home until 4:00 pm so we’re going to spend the morning in Huntington Beach.  I want to take Diesel & Lashes to Dog Beach, they’re going to LOVE it. 

After lunch on the beach we’ll drive our last hour to San Diego.

We’re staying in a “Cute and cozy 2 bedroom 1 bath cottage with a totally private feel. The front yard is completely fenced in with 12 foot high hedges providing a hideaway that allows you to stretch out and relax in the yard as well as the living room. The backyard is very spacious to give even the most energetic dogs room room to play! The interior of this home has every last amenity that you'll need to enjoy your stay. The kitchen and bathroom are completely updated as well as the rest of the house. Hardwood floors and custom paint as well as quality furnishings throughout, will make even our high maintenance travelers happy. There is also a 2 car garage for secure off street parking.  Dogs are allowed. 2 Dog per reservation maximum. The property is completely fenced in and very safe for our 4 legged friends. There is even a kennel in the back yard to secure the dog while you are away for his/her protection.” 

{I copied & pasted the VRBO description.}

 “It’s only 8 blocks from the beach and 4 blocks from the bay.  This amazing rental property is located in Pacific Beach of San Diego, bounded by La Jolla to the north, Mission Beach and Mission Bay to the south, Interstate 5 to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. While largely populated by young people, surfers, and college students, the population is becoming older, more professional, and more affluent due to rising property and rental costs. 'P.B.,' as it is known as by local residents, is home to one of San Diego's larger nightlife scenes, with dozens of bars, eateries, and clothing stores.”

I’ve only heard amazing things about San Diego so we’re really excited to holiday there!  I can’t wait to visit their zoo & eat at La Jolla Beach and appreciate the sea lions, that’s going to be so neat!  We’re also planning on visiting the Gaslamp District, Del Mar, maybe hit up Ocean Beach, Laguna Beach, Old Town San Diego {there’s a few haunted places here!!}, & Hotel Del Coronado. 

If you know of anything else, please let us know!!

I’m determined to blog every night/morning about our outings, purchases, events, etc… throughout this 11 day adventure. 

We’re going to try and film some stuff too, we’ll try and make it interesting, promise!

PS:
I'd like to say a special thank you to my cousin, Monique, who will be house sitting for us while we're gone... THANK YOU!!!

CALiFORNi A or B?

We’re planning a family trip to California in June, yes, we’re bringing Diesel & Lashes, so you know what that means?  ROADTRiP!  We found two places that are happy to rent to us, now we have to decide which one we want to stay at,
which would be your vote?

Keep in mind they are both VERY dog friendly, they both included cable/satellite television, & two beach bike cruisers.

OPTiON A: THE BUNGALOW 

OPTION B: STUDIO

Which one do you vote for

A or B?

Evil Avocado!

It’s been one of those days... It started off with me waking up late, trying to hurry but my feet and mind just were NOT allowing me to do so, my hair wouldn’t dry therefore it would not curl, I’m not tan so my makeup is too dark for my body {I ran out of my “white” makeup}, I couldn’t find my “feels like I’m still wearing PJs,” dress so I had to wear a different one {which turns out has TONS of static cling down the middle of the skirt part so it looks like I’m wearing a weird romper!}, to top it off, my sweet husband cooked me breakfast but as I stepped out of the truck holding the Styrofoam container which housed it, I apparently developed super human strength and crushed the lid causing it to open allowing my morning goodness to plummet to the parking garage floor… 

This is my reenactment of this morning’s events:

A little later on, our friend arrived to work and ended up parking next to us; when he saw Cody, he asked, “Why were there eggs & bacon beside your truck?”  SHUT UP JESSE!  GAH!

Diesel’s Progress: Entry 2

Problem 1: "Triggers" on Walks

Progress:

We’ve been walking him almost every day.  We bought a slip lead martingale collar combo similiar to this one:

which has really helped.  I'll post an actual photo of him wearing his later.

Every time we see a potential trigger cody jogs passed it.  Diesel still pays attention to it, so there is a lot more work to be done there.  One night I was walking/running him {it was 11:00 pm, we didn’t think anyone else would be out, we were wrong!} and there was a man walking his Golden Retriever… Diesel reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally wanted to meet this dog, so he took off, pulling me behind him {there was no way I could stop him!} and he ran up to play with the dog… LUCKILY that dog was nice and submissive or it could’ve gone an entirely differnet way.  This tought me that I am NOT ready to walk him… *sigh

Problem 2: He “owns” too much

Progress:

He moves when we go to sit on the couch/bed.  When we tell him “Off!” he gets off.  This has helped tremendously when he gets super excited and wants to leap & jump and go crazy on our new couches.

Problem 3: Giving too much attention

Progress:
We don’t pet him {or Lashes} the minute we walk in the door, we wait for them to calm down, and them show them love.  When he walks over and puts his head on me, I ignore him, I wait until he’s not paying attention and then I call him over to me.  This was VERY hard in the beginning, BUT I’ve been getting way more kisses than ever.

Problem 4: Reaction to Noises

Progress:
Diesel no longer leaps of the couch and goes barreling towards the front door yelling/barking excessively.  Now, he quickly walks up to the front window, looks out, and will make a small bark and look back at us.  When we tell him to “leave it!” or “thank you!” he’ll come back and lie down on the floor or his bed. 

Problem 5: I belong to him

Progress:
He’s not allowed to lean on me, or sit on me after he hears a noise.  If I allow him on the couch/bed and he lays on my foot/lap that’s fine.  He’s no longer allowed to boss me around.

Problem 6: Owning the Front Door

Progress:

Starting to see a trend with his problems?  Any who. 
We ordered pizza last weekend, and when the doorbell rang, he, of course, went bananas!  Cody had him go lay down on his bed and wait there {CoDiY had to use some force to hold him back in the beginning} while I paid the man and received my square box of deliciousness… Lashes on the other hand needs to take a chill pill, that girl is crazy for strangers!

Sleeping with the Miles

This is how I sleep almost every night...

I start out comfy, then horrifically hot, then freezing... It's an amazing dance our family puts me through!

Good hair day/Bad Morning

My fabulous "sleep time," bun {"Sleep Time," because I wear my hair like this to bed} is due to my lack of time this morning because I had to pull an object from my dog's rectum... that is a sentence i should NEVER have say!

Click on the photo below to see a reenactment:

This is how Diesel got his nickname as "Clothes Monster."  As some of you know, we’re in the middle of training Diesel so we haven’t been giving him all the attention he’s used too… We think he's acting out to be noticed, good job, it worked!

In the comic you just watched, that was either a long toy or a shirt hanging from Diesel's butt, we won't find out until we get home from work tonight.

Diesel’s Dilemma

There is a reason why Cody & I made the deal that I’m going to be the one who picks out all of our dogs in the future from now on.  I hate admitting to this, but the day we went to pick out our English Mastiff, I didn’t want Diesel.  Prior to going to the breeder’s house we agreed on a fawn male Mastiff.  When we arrived there the breeders had two males & one female.  The males were both fawn and hiding in a corner together, wanting nothing to do with us.

The female was an apricot color and all she did was follow me around, give me kisses, and want to play.  She was so affectionate, I wanted her!  Unfortunately she didn’t fit the description what we previously disgust so she was out of the question.  The breeders had to pick up the males and bring them to us; eventually they warmed up and became curious, but still VERY cautious.  The entire time I was trying to play with the males, the female kept getting in my lap and demanding my attention, such a Diva!  The breeders had to eventually keep her occupied so we could try to play with the males.  Of course we thought they were adorable, but what puppy isn’t?  I even made the statement if a puppy doesn’t give me kisses, I don’t want it, so we were going to leave empty handed.  As we were contemplating walking out, the breeders said the price was negotiable and considering Mastiffs are normally $1500+ we knew we weren’t’ going to find puppies for $900 again, so we played a little more.  As I pet Diesel’s belly his eyes closed and he started leaning forward… he kept leaning, and leaning, until eventually his face was on the cement but his booty was in the air, hilarious, slightly blonde… PERFECT!  LOOK AT THIS FACE, could you say no to this?

Cody promised me that I could have a small female dog in the future that I could name whatever I wanted if I would agree to the name Diesel… Hence why we have a Diesel & a Lashes J

So what’s Diesel’s Dilemma? 

He is still scared of EVERYTHING; bicycles, skateboards, joggers, leaves falling outside, people trying to pet the top of his head, you name it, it freaks him out.  It’s progressively gotten worse so we’ve been meeting with trainers to try and help him, but we can’t find someone under $1500, and we don’t make enough money to just be okay to “throw” that money at his problems.  After doing TONS of research we found out that Diesel is an anxious dog & it’s been his problem since day one.  We tried to help him conquer it by taking him everywhere with us, having as many people handle him as possible, & going to Petsmart for training.  Nothing helped, we thought after we got him neutered it would calm him down, but the vets at College Station called us about 8 minutes from dropping him off saying that he was petrified and that he wasn’t going to be able to stay the night due to his high stress level.  They actually had to sedate him before giving him the anesthesia, they said after we left he sat in a corner and shook.  If a person came near him, he peed, so their behaviorists confirmed that he was an anxious dog with low self-esteem.  We worked hard to try and build his confidence, but still nothing.  Last year we had a trainer from College Station come over to access Diesel to see if they could help us.  We didn’t agree with the things she had to say, on top of her trying to charge us $1250 for just 6 sessions… we had to say no.  Well today we met with another trainer from Corridor rescue group {you NEED to check out Corridor rescue, they do AMAZING things for animals!} she had great insight and gave us very helpful tips of things to try, this is our homework:

1^st: We aren’t allowed to give him attention; the only time it’s okay is when he’s laying down and not asking for it.

2^nd: He’s not allowed on the couch, bed, a room, etc… unless we invite him in.  We’ve given him too much freedom.

3^rd: Every time he reacts to a noise we squirt him in the face with water.  Then we have to body block him from the door, using our bodies to submit him back.

4^th: We take him for walks every day, but if we see one of his “fears” we run pass it, not even acknowledging it.  So he's going to become a runner.

5^th: Diesel considers me “His,” every time he sits on me, it’s his way of saying I’m his, so I have to stop allowing him to do this.

6^th: Anyone that comes into our home has to ignore him completely

7^th: When he asks for attention or does his “SPCA” Sarah Mclaughlin “Arms of an Angle” face, we ignore him for at least 30seconds, working our way up in time every three days.

We were told to keep a journal of his behavior for the week and we’ll report back on his progress, this is what has happened since 7:15pm

Diesel’s Diary:

Squirts in the face: 7-8, each cause was him reacting to the invisible trouble outside our door.

Off the couches: 12 times

Pet/loved on him: We’ve been really good!  It’s really hard though

Cried for feeling mean: Twice. 

We feel evil, but we know he’ll be a happier dog in the end.  It’s like he has a drug problem that we have to use tough love to help him over come!  It’s going to be a journey, but we’re up for the challenge.

PS:

I wouldn't give up Diesel for anything in the world.  He's an amazing dog, with THE BEST face.  He's an excellent snuggler, a great smoocher, so sweet with children, he's obsessed with other dogs, & he warms my heart and brightens up my days.  He knows when I'm mad, sad, etc... and he knows how to react to make me smile.  He is my furry child & a HUGE member of our family.  He's 175lbs of love that will live forever, he agreed to it, and we even shook on it!