Never have I been so glad to pick up poo

This morning on taking Leia outside for her morning walk, she did a wee.  And then afterwards, she opened her bowels in the garden.  After the weekend we had, I have never been so glad of that!

A poo filled day

Knackered.

Last night Leia would not settle.  And did a poo in her crate.  It went everywhere.  We tried to get her to do a poo in the day yesterday but this failed.  So we cleaned out the crate, the sides and the mat inside.  It took ages, and the smell was terrible.  My daughter helped us but the barking after we left went on for ages.

Today, she has done one wee outside.  But has done two poos inside and three wee’s.  We get a warning of a second or two before she does it which makes things harder.  One wee was just before I took her outside to see if she would pass water in the garden.  One poo was within five minutes of me taking her in after waiting with her for ages outside for her to do a poo!

She is lovely though and has warmed all our hearts.  Apparently the kids did snap today, but I did not get to see this. Leia may make things better between them.

I am at work tomorrow and my wife is going to manage things alone with her.  Fingers crossed...

Leia and her first day with us

My wife and I woke up at 0530 and left home soon afterwards on a journey to Lincolnshire.  The kids were asleep and the two of us were excited to be on our adventure.  We swapped over when we got to Cambridge after a quick coffee break so my wife could get some kip and I drove instead.  The drive to our destination was about two and a half hours, plus the time for our break.  But it was worth it.  We have seen Leia on video, interacting with Jo her breeder on Messenger as well as seeing updates on Facebook on most days.  But seeing her in person was amazing.

My wife had made the car as ready as she could without letting the kids know what we were up to, but it was not puppy ready.  So after taking Leia, my wife had a socially distanced chat with Jo while I got the car ready.  Then it was time for the journey home,  my wife sat in the back of the car with her and while she was trembling.  During the journey she appeared to settle down, though licked my wife lots, including her glasses.

The children, when we got home guessed that Leia was arriving but they were ecstatic to see her and today we have all been bonding with her.  She has formed a strong attachment to my daughter who has gained in confidence with dogs by playing with the dogs of two friends of hers, but there is no doubt that she loves us all.  The picture was taken by my son earlier today.  Hopefully she will sleep tonight but based on the comments of the owners of her litter mates who picked up their puppies last night this is not going to be the case.

Leia the Puppy

The house is now puppy ready.  Not all of it, just the areas where Leia is to be allowed.  Actually, we think it is puppy perfect.  We have a barrier that we will need, but it tips over.  We are hoping to fix that!

12 Puppies and Us

Have been watching 12 Puppies and Us today.  We have tried to get the children to watch it, but they do not have the stamina for an hour of learning about dogs.  Which is worrying as we are to get a dog later this year.

They are in bed right now and my wife and I are watching Only Connect.  She has managed to do quite well on this while I have need the answers explained to me.

And finally, I am not sure if this is less or more humiliating, my Instagram account was hacked and loads of spam was posted.  The worst bit was that they got more comments than my normal posts! 

Pokémon GO and trading

Time has been good for trading.  Niantic have increased the distance at which we can trade until the end of month.  And due to COVID, meeting up to trade a Pokémon can carry risk, though this can be done in a socially distanced manner.  Saying that, it has been nice trading from my living room, but I need to be clear about what I am after.

These are the Pokémon that I am missing from my Pokédex

352 - Kecleon

369 - Relicanth

417 - Pachirisu 

455 - Carnivine

476 - Probopass (I do not have a high CP Nosepass with good scores to evolve one)

479 - Rotom

489 - Phione (but I am not sure that this is not available at all)

490 - Manaphy 

511 - Pansage

512 - Simisage

515 - Panour

516 - Simipour

517 - Munna

518 - Musharna

528 - Swoobat (I have yet to get a high CP Woobat with good scores)

538 - Throh

542 - Leavanny

551 - Sandile

552 - Krokorok

553 - Krookodile

556 - Maractus

561 - Sigilyph

570 - Zorua 

571 - Zoroark

582 - Vanillite

583 - Vanillish

584 - Vanilluxe

592 - Frillish

593 - Jellicent

602 - Tynamo

603 - Eelektrik

604 - Eelektross

615 - Cryogonal 

619 - Mienfoo

620 - Mienshao

621 - Druddigon 

626 - Bouffalant

631 - Heatmor

636 - Larvesta

637 - Volcarona

647 - Keldeo

648 - Meloetta 

865 - SirFetch’d

I will see if I can get time to see what other Pokémon I need at a later date.

Learning from racism

Yesterday two of our friends popped round to have a chat in our driveway.  It was very socially distanced, but it was nice to see and talk to friends.  One thing discussed was the outcry over the advert that Sainsbury's have had this Christmas because it features a family who are all black.  We agreed on two things.  It is right for this advert to be shown.  And Sainsbury's have already let shoppers who disagree with inclusivity know that they can always shop elsewhere. 

And this brings me onto an issue that has come up in the aftermath of the elections in the USA. Notably racism in US politics.  I know that Donald Trump does not mean to sound racist, but he has, an example being his comments on a Judge, American by birth.  

One of the allegations was that, when working with his father, the company he ran employed a racist housing policy, aiming to exclude black people.  While some have argued that this was the action of his father, and that he should not be held accountable for that, he was named in the court papers with his father.  

The other allegation is that the Democrats are the party of racism.  They were, and my daughter has been learning about this during this term at her school.  But now, the Republicans are the party that White Nationalists flock to.  Yes, there have been KKK members in the Democratic Party and one that is mentioned is Robert Byrd.  But what people forget that that he renounced racism and worked towards bringing about civil rights for Americans that were not dependent on skin colour.  Just like Johnny Lee Clary.   

Global warming and my children

 

I think my children may not care too much about climate change.  Last night, the lights were left on downstairs, though hey tried to pin the blame for that on me.  Tonight, one left all the lights on as well as the television.

At least this time the child accepted the blame.

Up!

Our family film today was Up!  My daughter watched it aged about 3 or 4 and both loved and was upset by it.  We watched it as this film changed my view of dogs, and getting a dog, I thought it would be a good idea to watch it.

We were in tears soon after it started, but loved Dug the dog.  I am not sure it if will help them with Leia, our dog to be, and we will never know, but it was great to watch.

My wife has continued to be amazing with her drive to organise the house to be ready before Leia arrives. The amount of productivity she has with this is exhausting.  But she is just amazing and while knackered, is still slogging on.

Trump and the US election

Donald Trump is fighting for the election.  It appears that the strategy is that he is aware that he cannot win if states certify the results of the voters.  If he is able to keep the result in doubt, then he may be able to stop the presidency being awarded to Joe Biden when the Electoral College meets.  If this happens, then the decision as to who is to be president is made in the US House of Representatives, there the Republicans have a lead.

I am sure that this is the justification for not working towards a peaceful transition of power.  But to be fair, Trump never said he would allow this anyway.

If Trump does get away with this, it means that the legitimacy of the US to comment on the democratic processes in other nations will be harmed further.  I say further, as the US does have a history of ignoring the democratic will of other nations electorates.  

An exam is coming up

This morning I went into work to catch up with some work.  My daughter came along as well as she is now doing quite often as she finds it easier to do her homework there than at home.  Our Saturday morning trips now involve a drive to get some coffee at a drive through before heading to my work.  She also gets a toastie while I eat breakfast at home before we leave.  

It means that I do not get to cycle to work which is something that I blame for my ever expanding waistline.  My Wednesday job used to burn off a lot of calories, but due to lockdown, I work from home on a Wednesday instead.  After I got back, I did go for a walk, not a bike ride as it was after dark.  My wife has been hard at work preparing the house for our puppy with my son helping her.  

When relaxing, we watched Strictly Come Dancing, as well as The Voice UK and we both fell in love with the Waitrose advert which we think sums up the Christmas spirit and reflects how our nation is best when we decide to #BeKind to each other.   

Chicago 7

We have finally finished watching this!  My daughter and I have been watching this in bits, but she found it upsetting hence watching it in instalments.  She was encouraged to watch it by her school.

It was enlightening.  I was aware of the injustice that black Americans faced in that time, but I was not aware of just how bad things could be for white people who did not conform to what the state wanted.  

She will watch political things with me and now is politically aware.  She blames me for this, but I suspect that she would have become like this anyway.  

When I was a child, my parents exposed me to this as well.  My son is aware of political issues, but being two years younger appears more interested in matters such as talking to this friends on his mobile.  That may change with time.

How much is that doggy in the window

On the weekend, we told the children, that they are to get a dog.  My wife has wanted a dog for a very long time, and so have the children.  When we got my daughter her fish, it was to prepare her for a dog.  She did not look after it.  The children promised to look after Ron, our hamster, but they did not.  The argument they had to get it over a fish was that a hamster can be played with while you cannot do this with a fish.  Several people we know have got a dog and I think my wife broke.  Of course, during lockdown, the prices of dogs have shot up, but she has researched into this, and has decided to get a dog.

I guess as it is for her, that is acceptable.  Because I know that the children will not look after it as much as it needs looking after.  People at work with a dog are very happy for us, and they have pointed out that it is good that the dog is for my wife as if all goes well, the children will leave home in a few years.

My wife had contacted a breeder, and we were to collect the dog after lockdown.  But this may not be possible, so the odds are that it will be delivered to us.  And this weekend, we got to pick it.  This had to be done via facetime due to COVID as we were not able to travel to see them.  We were not expecting to pick as we were the last to sign up for the litter, but someone had to drop out, so my wife got to pick between a boy and a girl puppy.  Both looked adorable, but she picked the girl after I said I wanted the boy.  

I am unprepared for a dog but the children are very excited and have named her already.  So if anyone has any tips...    

Trump, the US elections and the law

Everyone I know is happy that they think that the US election is over and that Trump has won.  But I am wary as I think that he may win the elections in the courts.

I am sure that many people think that I am insane when it comes to this, but let us face it.  He has tangled with the law before and has managed to avoid being termed racist when it came to his housing policies, avoided being found guilty of collusion with Russia (though a few people were sent to jail in the process of the Mueller report) and also has managed to avoid being impeached.  

He and his team are to challenge the election results in the courts.  And these will include courts where he has appointed people, notably the US Supreme Court.

I hope that the court cases are won by Biden and that he becomes the next US president.  But if this happens, those who hope that Trump will be jailed due to his actions will find that his judges will not jail him.

Voting for a man who boasts about sexual assault and encourages the Far Right.

I am not shocked by the behaviour of Donald Trump in making unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud.  I am shocked that so many Americans have voted for a man who has boasted about sexual assault and has encouraged the far right.  

He has stated that his claims with sexual assault was just locker room talk, but I while I have heard men talk about what they would like to do to other women, I have never ever heard one boast that he had sexually assaulted one.  While many who read this will say that the women let him grab them, I would like to refer them to the video about how women facing assault freeze.  

And when it comes to backing the Far Right, I understand why he does not want to alienate one of his major voter groups.  I do not understand why so many Americans still vote for him, notably, those from groups that the Far Right wish to act against. 

Anyway, a lot of people are optimistic that Biden will be President.  I am not.  I see this going to the courts and that means the Supreme Court where they will back Trump.

COVID19 and the nation developing herd immunity through infections

I am livid

On BBC Any Questions earlier today, Richard Tice spread fake news stating that a lockdown is not needed and that the nation can develop herd immunity by allowing low risk people to become infected.

He is either ignorant of the facts, or is deliberately lying.

The facts are simple.  COVID19 mutates.  We are not dealing with just one infection, but many subsects.  The latest mutation to hit the news has occurred in Denmark and these mutations mean that we cannot assume that we can acquire herd immunity by allowing the population to become infected as different strains exist.     

Anyway, stay safe and take care.