*WARNING* This post is full of ME POUTING!!! Don’t say you weren’t cautioned before you read it!
Bad luck comes in more than threes, apparently … either that, or Karma can’t count. Or maybe Karma is getting all sophisticated and is slotting my bad luck into categories rather than single events. Or maybe I asked for too much good vibedness from the universe for my doggies and it boomeranged back some shit. Whatever’s going on here, it’s not very good for me.
IOW, the sun is shining everywhere but on me. Harumph.
It’s not raining, it’s pouring.
The world is KICKING MY ASS!!
Are you ready for the latest?
So I’m driving home yesterday afternoon along the highway. It’s my “Friday.” I leave early on my “Fridays” so I can get to class on time. I’m cruising along in not-quite rush hour traffic enjoying some tunes when all of a sudden my radio signal disappears. I’m all “WTF?” and look at my dashboard – speedometer, lights, temperature gauge – all gone. Huh? I step on the gas, nothing really happens. Oh shit. So I pull over into a little turn out on the side of the highway and turn off the truck. Try to start it again – nuthin’. Double shit.
Call BCAA for some roadside assistance – oh dear, let that lapse last year when I bought this hunk of crap SUV. Renew that to the tune of $120.00. They come along and tow my truck to the nearest garage where they tell me my alternator died. “And unfortunately for you, we have to take the whole front axle off to get at it to replace it, because it’s a FORD, and Fords are evil.” $580.00 and three hours of mindlessly wandering Ikea, it being the only store around, later, I have missed class but have a running vehicle again.
This is what’s now known as The $700 ‘Friday’ That Ruined My Life.”
Seriously? Hot on the heels of $700 worth of vet bills that I barely squeaked through my bank account? I’m living on clear broth and noodles until payday so my dogs can eat and I get this handed to me? Is this really happening?
Bad luck, bad luck, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when it comes for you?
The irony here is that the vet bills ate up all the money I had put aside for Regionals this year. Regionals is on the Island in June and in an exciting turn of events, Nationals is also on the Island in August. I’d been really looking forward to running Tweed in Regionals, doing really well (because he’s been a hot damn to run this last year) and then hopefully doing really well at Nationals too, since we almost never get to go to Nationals (it moves all around the country and is generally too far away for me to attend) and ending Tweed’s agility career with one helluva bang. I mean, he is about to turn 12, this would have been his last shot at Nationals, since while he IS GOING TO LIVE FOREVER
(are you listening to this directive TWEED??)
*ahem* While he is going to live forever, obviously, he is also going to be really, incredibly, old the next time a Nationals comes our way.
So spending all my competition money on vet bills was a bit of a bummer and I’ve been sorta turning that over in my head for the last week or so, and then I thought “I know, I’ll ask my super smart fan base for some fund-raising ideas.” I was thinking, like, more photoshoots now that the weather is getting better, maybe a studio day, maybe selling some prints or what have you … not looking for charity, just looking for some good ideas from some wise peeps o’ mine. I mean, Tweed is already entered, so I figured one last kick at the can couldn’t hurt to try and get the cash together in time to party it up at Regionals for the last time ever. Even though the stack of unexpected vet bills were a drag, I was optimistic that I could pull it together, and felt pretty much like this:
I DON’T FEEL LIKE THAT NOW!!!
Oh brother … looks like she’s gonna blow. Are you afraid? I’m afraid.
Run away! Run away!
WAAAAHHHHHHH!! Leave me alone, bad luck!!
I know this isn’t the end of the world. I know there are people who have it way worse than me right now. I know there will be other Regionals, and maybe even Nationals, with other dogs. Maybe even Spring one day … she’s a smart cookie and we’ve started learning the 2X2s this week. She’s catching on quick!
And Dexter, of course, has potential up the wazoo. Sometimes the wazoo is exactly where I want to punch him, but we’re slowly becoming a team, and I know one day he’ll be fantastic.
And of course the WooTWoo are stellar agility dogs …. just kidding.
But there’s just something about that groove with my old man dog that I really wanted to pay respect to by taking him out of the game on a high note. We’ve worked so hard to get where we are – that poor dog put up with so much crap handling and instruction from me over the years, and he patiently waited until I got it together and could run him like a real partner. It’s been a long journey, he deserved a big ass party when we finally reached our destination, you know?
Yeah, cuz it was f*ckin’ exhausting!
(he gets his potty mouth from me. *pride*)
And I know I should count the blessings I have. Here are 6 of them, for example:
But I’m still really disappointed :(
And broke! I’m still looking for some ideas to raise some cash, cuz I owe my mum’s credit card $700.00 worth of bad luck! So post ’em if you got ’em (ideas, I mean).
I have a few things I am going to try to sell online. Not my camera gear, never fear!
But maybe a dog or two …
WHAAAAAAAT?
cinnamondog says
I will pay you to not send Woo or TWoo to me. Name your price. I’m afeared of those dogs!
Jenn says
Boo.
Maybe set up an online store to sell prints? Does that require outlay first? (see how much I know?)
The flying Spring photo above is fab. (any flying Spring photo is fab… that dog has her hooks in me!)
Jennifer says
Hoping April is a much better month for you.
Deanna says
Oh god. Sucketh. I’d say sell prints on Etsy.com (slow — what’s your time frame?) or sell the hell out of that story on Kickstarter.com. I’d throw some money into that hat, as my agility dreams fizzled away after I was diagnosed with a chronic illness that left running on grass in heat pretty much a joke. So that’s my story. Is it usual that borders still have it going on at 12? My beardies started really slowing down this year (12 & 13) but I’m half afraid it’s because they don’t have as many enrichment activities here at the retirement home…
Ruth says
To bad you’re not closer, I’d hire ou to do a photo shoot of my two.
Lets see, you’ve already got the Cafe press store, wll they do prints like Jenn suggested? Advertise the tshirts a bit in a post (I need a Piper mad teeth tshirt, it just has to wait till next payday….)
Hmmm, I’ll think on it….
Tia says
Where on the Island are the events taking place?
Shasta says
I am sorry you are having such a rough go of it lately.
Jen says
I have no idea how agility competitions are set up, but what about looking for a sponsor? Maybe a local business would help with the entry fees in exchange for you wearing their logo on a shirt.
Maria says
have you looked into advertising on your blog? Another blog I read blogs as his ‘full time occupation’ through advertising…. apparently some ways are more lucrative than others, but it may be worth looking into. There are some ways you can get paid per hit on your page… You don’t have the hugest following yet, but you just need one of your posts to go viral…. You’re funny enough, so give it a shot…. surely you got something viral in you…. lol
Colleen says
What about a bake sale? Of liver cookies that is! Maybe you could sell them at your agility school (and let ppl know its for Tweed’s competitioning!) And you should sell them on your Cafe Press store. Can you do that? And you should advertise your cafe press store more. :) I will go buy a tee right now.
peggy says
I bought your first book and loved it — would it end up costing you money to publish another one? I’d buy two this time…
floral says
Crappy. I understand the old man bond and why you want to do this with him. My old man is almost 14 and in a wheelchair now. Blog sponsors or advertisers are a good idea. Is there anything you can do with your land? Let out some space for boarding or something? What about advertising more for your photography? You are an excellent photographer and I would hire you in a second (except you are across the country)! What about teaching family pet obedience classes? That usually pays well too.
Laura in California says
Poop. I’m really sorry about the car, although I was relieved that nothing else happened to any of the pups. I second some of the ideas above, promote the t-shirts on Cafe Press, advertisers for your blog, sponsorship for the agility dogs.
Maybe this will make you smile for a moment..when I try to access Wootube from my workplace, I am denied with a message that says the content is inappropriate :-)
Carol says
What a string of bad luck. My 2012 has been crappy too, you know? Like when is it going to look up?
An idea – do you know anyone that videos fairly well? Get them to video the pack on an outing or at play. Edit and intersperse your photos and commentary. Start and end the video with a reference to Wootube the Blog. Post on Youtube. Pray for it to go viral.
If I took halfway decent photos of my own pack, I’d pay you to write and narrate a story about them like you do your own pack. Like “blog my dog(s)TM”, but the TM is yours.
Write to dooce(C) and blog her dogs, then get her to cross post your blog on hers. You have some similar sensibilities. And vocabularies (LOL).
Laurie says
Change the paypal link that says to cut Dexter’s balls off(aren’t his balls gone now) to help Tweed go to regionals and nationals….
Jackie says
If I win the mega millions tonight I’ll give you the money to run Tweed!
Other than that, you could sell a kidney maybe…
; )
jkidding
Laurie says
How about selling raffle tickets at the local trials, the prize what your best at of course, a photo shoot?
Liz says
FWIW, I emailed you twice recently about a potential photoshoot and got no response! I do think that would be a great way to make some extra funds though.
Miriam says
Try Kickstarter. Key thing to remember – it must be a short term results oriented project. It must be beneficial for the supporters. My suggestion – create a book on “Tweed’s Last Jump” (or something like that). You want the donators to contribute so you can complete the project, pay the entry fees, have a photo show and complete the book. Project will be completed after Tweed’s Last Jump.
Donators will get:
$5. thank you ecard with photo of their choice of Tweed
$10. print of their choice of Tweed and thank you ecard
$15. print of Tweed getting his ribbons and thank you ecard
$30. print of all of your dogs – signed by you and Tweed and thank you ecard
$100. signed copy of book
Let me know if you want help.
mommachi says
What about having sessions to teach people how to take better pictures and/or how to edit the pictures once you take them?
Lise says
Oh, no, on top of everything else! Are you on some cosmic Do Not Fly list? :-/
MrsB says
Miriam has the right idea – I was going to suggest KickStart. Look into it – she is offering help – take it.
Fay says
If the 1,339 people who “like” 3 Woofs and a Woo, and those of us who love you but aren’t on the number count, donated just $1 each, things would be looking up. What do you think folks? Can we do it???
Fay says
PS: Who, dear readers, has not gotten a dollar’s worth of pleasure from the triumphs, trials, and tribulations of FL and her pack?
um, mystery woman. says
I vote kickstart sounds like fun and great exposure ;)
You can have TWOoWOo of my dollars!
Of Pit Bulls and Patience says
If you make coasters of each of your crazy wild dogs, I would buy them. In fact, I’d buy most things that featured your wild and crazy dogs…
kt and Mitzi says
I second the coasters idea (though, please please please include teh Donut! I luvs dat one). Also do some of the birdies. That’d be awesome. You could also offer your posts for a price. AKA for a post about Tweed going to Regionals and then Nationals, prepay some amount of money. :) FYI, I already prepaid (just now), so, get one that post. :D
Carol says
I love the idea of photo coasters. Here are two links to show how to make your own.
http://thefrugalgirls.com/2010/11/how-to-make-photo-coasters.html
http://www.carrottopmom.com/?p=426
It sounds like it would cost less than $0.50 each to make them. You could package them in sets of four (and make more money by putting mixed sets together so people buy more). Charge maybe $9 plus shipping per set.
Some suggested sets:
WooTwoo x 2 (kill the wabbit!)
Tweed, Tweed, Tweed, and more Tweed
Mad Teeth(tm), the Flamboyance(tm), the Flambe(tm), the Eyez(tm), e.g. Dexter
SpringSproing(tm) and BigAir(tm)
Angry Donut and the Chicks
And a special set of six ;) for $12.50
Aislinn, Glenn, Coop and Joon says
I like the dollar idea and Kickstart sounds good.
We could also do a local fundraiser at a pub with That’ll do-ers and dog community friends. (Every one loves a social!) We could get door prizes donated (including a photo shoot w/ you) and charge $10 at the door. I’d help wrangle prizes…
We want Tweed to wiiiiinnnnn!
Yuri says
I like the idea of you offering a clinic(s) on how to take better pictures of your pets. I know of a lot of people who have invested in camera equipment, but have no idea how to use it.