February
1 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
Now that I am off the ibuprofen once again I'm very sore when I get up in the morning. No walk today with the hope that I'll be better tomorrow. It has been a trial to get up after sitting for a while today so that hope may be in vain.I have been trying to break Patches' habit of barking when I leave her early in the morning. She does not do it, maybe, when I leave her during the day but she will bark when I go to the Park bathroom or across the street to get breakfast. So far I have been unsuccessful in doing so with any consistency.
I have blocked off the front of Desperado with a blanket so she can not see me leave which has worked sometimes and not on others. She is starting to understand that Quiet means to stop barking if I am with her but I don't think she gets it when I return to Desperado and catch her barking.
Still no reply from the RV Park in Kingman. If I do not get one by tomorrow I'll go to plan “B” and see if they have a space for me. Have not completely ruled out going to Pahrump early but would rather not because of the cold.
2 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
I had a very difficult time walking when I first got up today. The right hip and knee pain was as bad as it has ever been, that is with the pain killer meds. It got better by afternoon but getting up is still a trial as is putting on socks (didn't do that this morning).Patches is not please with this situation. She wants go GO OUT, go walk or run. Boonie stopped by for a visit while he was in town so she got some attention from someone other than me which she dearly loves. I may be her main love but she craves affection from everyone.
Boonie wanted to talk me out of the Kingman idea because of the winds that they have there. I had decided last night that if the Kingman Park did not want to answer my email then I would go to Plan “B”, Brenda, AZ. But when I got up this morning and almost could not walk I dropped that idea also.
I'm going to do the more intelligent thing and go to Pahrump where I hope the VA can do something for my self diagnosed arthritis. I requested an early March appointment and expect to be there into April. We will see.
I did make it across the street to Olsen's to get my groceries for the week. It helps if you have a shopping basket to lean on, you don't look like your quite as crippled up. That did not help getting the bags from the Park gate to Desperado but I was able to slowly get it done.
3 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: February 3, 1924Last night was the best night for sleep that I have had in a long time. Only had to get up three times for bladder breaks and the hip/knee was not bothering me much.
Tried to change my routine around a little to work some more with Patches barking if I leave her early in the morning. I'm now going to try and do a walk with her, other than a potty walk, before leaving her alone.
We did not go far this morning but a mile was a big improvement over what I have been able to do the last couple of days. The hip still hurt but I was able to walk whereas the past couple of days I was having a hard time doing that.
My request for an appointment with VA resulted in a big disappointment, the first date available with my PA was April 5th. In their reply they said to call them, I did and they said that when I get in Pahrump just come to the VA Clinic early and request a same day appointment with my PA. They will then do what they can to get me in to see her.
So that decides what I am going to do on February 23rd when I leave here. It will probably take me 2-3 days to get there since I am not in any rush and have not yet decided the route that I will take. That will give me something to do for the next three weeks.
On our walk this morning we had 3 coyotes cross the road behind us where I have seen single ones before, I think Patches smelled them and stopped to look back that is when I saw them. The third one to cross walked down the sidewalk towards us until he(she) was about 50' away, stood there for a few seconds then decided that Patches was too big to mess with.
I know that Patches saw this one, there is no doubt what so ever and she did nothing. No reaction to a dog that she usually has so I am now pretty sure that she knows they are not your usual dog. I also think that one on one the coyotes are more afraid of her than she is of them.
The Bureau of Labor has released their non-farm job numbers for January, an increase of 243,000, which the media has reported as being good news but not with their normal fervor. They have not even broke out the trumpets to announce that the unemployment rate fell to 8.3% as being the very good NEWS story from the release.
However, if you look at the Bureau's historical data, by month, for Total Employed (which includes farm workers and has not been manipulated quite as much) you find this trend: September ADDED 353,000, October ADDED 190,000, November ADDED 317,000, December ADDED 176,000 and January ADDED a massive 847,000.
I was far too pessimistic about the trend after last month, who would have thought January could have posted such gains. However at year end, the BLS did make a lot of changes in their assumptions from which these numbers are derived and they did say that they could NOT be compared to prior periods. I guess we wait until they release February to see what the trend might be.
There was also good news that Unemployed went down by 339,000 but the number of Employed went up by far less than the 1,685,000 increase in the Population (I look upon this as being bad news).
The VERY bad thing about the drop in Unemployed is that most of them did NOT find jobs but left the labor force, the Not In The Labor Force went up 1,177,000.
For the past three months the Not in the Labor Force numbers have been very favorable for President Obama's re-election, if he can extend this trend to October 2012 he will be able to claim that he has brought the country back to Full Employment by Election Day. The key is to continue to move the Unemployed to Not In The Labor Force. The number of Employed can remain stable or even decline if those moves are large enough.
4 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
We went for a 2 mile walk this morning with a stop at Marcela's for breakfast. This is the first time in a week that I have felt like I could make it the two miles.The right hip is still bothering me but not nearly as bad as it was. The tendons behind the knees are still tight at times but not with a lot of pain as before. I can get up from a sitting position much better, not normal yet but much better. This is all very encouraging because I'm not on the inflammation reducing ibuprofen at this time and I'm seeing some improvement.
Patches was the perfect lady at the restaurant this morning. Waited patiently all the time that I was eating and never barked at anyone. She also greeted me upon my return with some decorum for a change rather than her hyper jumping and twisting about that is normal for her.
She did the 2 miles without showing any signs that her hips were bothering her. Yesterday evening I noticed that she temporarily carried her right hind leg but none of that today. She bounded up Desperado's steps without a pause so must not have been hurting much. She is now crashed on the couch gently snoring so I think I have a Happy Dog!
That seems to be the good news of the day. We are both feeling better after a relatively pain free walk. I think I need to get her out for a run tomorrow to burn off some of her exuberance, she needs that every few days or becomes unruly in the 'house'.
The only thing that I can say about the weather is we have more of the same. It has been wonderful since I have been here and the short term forecast is for it to just keep coming. I can not expect this perfection every year but this is certainly at the top of my list for next winter!
My big accomplishment over these past two days where I have been moving a little better was to fill my fresh water tank that was getting low. I dumped holding tanks while I was in the business so this should let me go until I get ready to leave in less than 3 weeks.
5 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
Patches and I went out to the west side desert this morning. I walked about 2.5 miles and she was off leash for about ½ of that. She climbed Desperado's stairs with a bit of snap in her step so I don't think she was hurting.Not from the running/walk, or distance, and she gave no sign of hurting from the cholla that were sticking out of her. She had a large chunk on her left rear leg that she was able to shake off but it was only later that I found small ones on her front legs. Then when I got home I found individual thorns stuck in her front legs which she had decided to ignore. Tough Girl!
When we got back I took control of the one working washing machine in the laundry got my load finished before anyone else showed up. Since I have been here one of the dryers has gone bad and now one of the washers. For a fair size Park when there are only one or two of each it can become a BIG problem.
I then tackled the job of cleaning the bathroom and the toilet which had become gross even by my liberal standards. I have just been hurting too much to try and get the job done. Today was not easy, particularly the getting up from being on my knees, but I have it looking decent once more. The kitchen is still to be done, maybe tomorrow?
I feel about the same today as I did yesterday. That does not mean that I feel good but when compared to the past week it is all relative. The right hip was better this morning, I think, and the shoulders also seem to be a little bit better.
6 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
It was only a short walk this morning with backpack, no not me, Patches had the backpack. This was only a little over one mile and she bounded up Desperado's steps easily when we finished. She then whined and carried on for a couple of hours after we got home that she had not had enough walk and wanted to go out again.I was not feeling as well as I have the past couple of days and did not look forward to more than the one mile walk. If it had not been for Patches I would not have done even that much. I wanted a dog to walk with to encourage me to get out and walk; I've got one!
Became reasonably current on all my blog reading once more. I have also depleted my To Read list for the time being. I may now add blogs which I'll start at their beginning but will be dropping off some that are on my Monthly Read list as I do so. There are only so many that I can stay current on.
I did not get to the kitchen area cleaning today. Just generally hurting too much to add the additional kneeling down and then trying to get back up. I'm so pleased that I was able to take care of the bathroom yesterday, it needed it for quite some time.
7 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
I had a tough time getting any sleep last night because of hip and shoulder pain. Then overslept until 7:00 this morning to make up for it.Took Patches for as long, relatively, potty walk and then across the street to Food Mart for breakfast items. She was not happy with this and spent a couple hours looking out the windshield and whining. I want to GO, I want to GO.
The hips are bothering me even as I sit today and it is a chore to get up from a sitting position. I had those two good days and thought I was on the mend but it does not look like that is true. I'll be back on ibuprofen after a couple of more days, can only hope that there will be more improvement then.
Boonie stopped by again while he was in town to pick up a few things from Olsen's. He said that most of his neighbors had moved to the Golf Course Camping area for the Ajo Fiddler Contest over this past weekend. He is now back to his preferred uncrowded boondocking ways although none of the crowd had been a problem in any way.
8 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
I felt a little better this morning and knew that if I did not give Patches a longer walk there would be hell to pay at home the rest of the day. The old saying: “If Mama is not happy then no one is happy.” is true in this household also just substitute Patches for Mama.We did the two mile walk with a stop at Marcela's for breakfast. They had a big crowd there when I arrived and then another large group came in after they had left. Must have been 20-25 people in and out of the restaurant and Patches barked only one time, maybe 3-4 barks, by the time I got up to go out to shut her up she had quit. She did Good!
After we got home I did some blog reading before going to Olsen's for a grocery run. Patches was quiet, I think, while I left her to do that. I'm not sure what is going through her mind but she seems to only bark for my return IF we have not done a daily run/walk.
It was mostly cloudy this morning, and has remained so, versus the partly cloudy forecast. The morning low was pleasantly high and the high has been pleasantly low because of that. Not the clear blue sky that we have been having but still a very nice day.
I think President Obama has really stepped in it with the birth-control mandate that HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued. He is already trying to backpedal but not very successfully. I can see him loosing this one and throwing Sebelius under the bus to make his escape. She is such a ideologue that I doubt that she will take that very well so it could get real ugly for the President.
The political furor over President Obama's birth-control mandate continues to grow, even among those for whom contraception poses no moral qualms, and one needn't be a theologian to understand why. The country is being exposed to the raw political control that is the core of the Obama health-care plan, and Americans are seeing clearly for the first time how this will violate pluralism and liberty...
The Affordable Care Act itself is ambiguous about what counts as a religious organization that deserves conscience protection. Like so much else in the rushed bill, this was left to administrative discretion. What the law does cement is the principle that the government will decide for everyone what "health care" must mean. The entire thrust of ObamaCare is to standardize benefits and how they must be paid for and provided, regardless of individual choices or ethical convictions.
To take a small example: The HHS rule prohibits out-of-pocket costs for birth control, simply because Secretary Kathleen Sebelius's regulators believe no woman should have to pay anything for it. To take a larger example: The Obama Administration's legal defense of the mandate to buy insurance or else pay a penalty is that the mere fact of being alive gives the government the right to regulate all Americans at every point in their lives.
9 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
I didn't feel good this morning and wanted to just stay in bed. Had to get up for my own bladder relief as well as take Patches out for hers. I could have then have easily gone back to bed.Easily said if you don't have a Patches in the household that is bugging you to Go OUT, I want to GO OUT. I put on her backpack with my coffee cup inside and we went first to Olsen's for a sausage, egg on biscuit (really good). Then to the Food Mart for coffee; much cheaper with my re-fill cup in hand and also much better than Olsen's.
I let Patches stop and smell everything she wanted, for however long she wanted, along the way. This was with the hope that she would consider this a walk and not bug me after we got home. No such luck, she knows when a walk is NOT a walk.
I don't keep track of my neighbors coming and goings except when Patches alerts me to something happening. Today she alerted me that my north neighbor had fired up his Jeep and was leaving. I watched him drive across the street to Food Mart, about 100 yards away, park and walk maybe 25 yards to to get inside. He came out quickly, so it was a rush purchase, got back in his Jeep and drove back to to this Class A next door. I was amused as well as amazed!
10 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: February 10, 1924I started my third 10 day cycle of ibuprofen this morning at 02:30. Got up for a call of nature at about 03:15 per my wrist watch which I knew had to be wrong. It is a very good indication of how much my left shoulder has been hurting me for the past couple of days; the watch was wrong because it is self winding and I did not use that left arm enough to wind it.
Got up at about my normal time based on the rising of the sun. Took Patches out for her toilette and then prepared for a walk. We went the two miles to Marcela's with a stop for breakfast. That seemed to be enough for her this morning, she was climbing Desperado's steps quite slowly. Now she is in her favorite spot on the couch snoring, a Happy Dog.
It is hard to judge what she is capable of day by day. I'm sure she has her good and bad days as I have been having but she can not tell me ahead of time what kind of day it is for her.
My Jeeping neighbor moved out this morning so I now have a much better view to the northwest. That is good and bad, it also gives Patches a much better view and we have had a contest of wills about what is appropriate to bark at. I have a much narrower range than she feels is appropriate so the line in the sand has been drawn and the fight is on – I will prevail, after all I'm the Alpha. HA HA
The following excerpt is from The Study of Sociology by Herbert Spencer that I think was first published as a series of articles in Popular Science Monthly starting with their Volume 1 in May 1872. It was then published in book form in 1873. Here he is presenting ideas/beliefs, 140 years ago, that are being argued by the politicians of today as if they were totally new. Just like the weekly articles by Will Rogers this is another example of how little things have changed and how little we, as a people, have learned over all the years.
Now, as then, may be daily heard among other classes, opinions just as decided and just as unwarranted. By men called educated, the old plea for extravagant expenditure, that " it is good for trade," is still continually urged with full belief in its sufficiency. Scarcely any decrease is observable in the fallacy that whatever gives employment is beneficial : no regard being had to the value for ulterior purposes of that which the labor produces : no question being asked what would have resulted had the capital which paid for the labor taken some other channel and paid for some other labor Neither criticism nor explanation appreciably modifies these beliefs. When there is again an opening for them they are expressed with undiminished confidence. Along with delusions of this kind go whole families of others. People who think that the relations between expenditure and production are so simple, naturally assume simplicity in other relations among social phenomena. Is there distress somewhere? They suppose nothing more is required than to subscribe money for relieving it. On the one and, they never trace the reactive effects which charitable donations work on bank accounts, on the surplus-capital bankers have to lend, on the productive activity which the capital now abstracted would have set up, on the number of laborers who would have received wages and who now go without wages—they do not perceive that certain necessaries of life have been withheld from one man who would have exchanged useful work for them, and given to another who perhaps persistently evades working. Nor, on the other hand, do they look beyond the immediate mitigation of misery. They deliberately shut their eyes to the fact that as fast as they increase the provision for those who live without labor, so fast do they increase the number of those who live without labor; and that with an ever-increasing distribution of alms, there comes an ever increasing outcry for more alms. Similarly throughout all their political thinking. Proximate causes and proximate results are alone contemplated. There is scarcely any consciousness that the original causes are often numerous and widely different from the apparent cause ; and that beyond each immediate result there will be multitudinous remote results, most of them quite incalculable.
11 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
Patches and I went for almost a 2.5 mile walk this morning. The hips and knees felt better than they have for a long time. I am also feeling better all over than I have for a long time. This does not mean that I don't hurt but it has become a relative kind of thing, hurting less is very good.Patches went up Desperado's stairs even better today than she did yesterday. I take this to mean that she was also hurting less even though the distance was longer today and most of it was done without a stop to rest. As I said, it is hard to judge from day to day how much I can exercise her without making things worse.
I can say that she has had a couple of naps with some serious snoring going on. Has taken control of the couch and is stretched out along almost the entire length in a nice patch of sun. I have a Happy Dog!
I saw a number of cyclist riding south past the Park yesterday afternoon. Then this morning I saw some signs at the ambulance 'barn' about ¼ mile south of me. I was able to find on-line information about the event: 207 miles Between Poverty and Hope, a charity ride from Peoria, AZ to Rocky Point, MX with the first day overnight here in Ajo at about the 120-130 mile mark.
It brought back so many memories of my bicycling days. That is all now in the past but it gives me great pleasure to think about those thrills of victory and agonies of defeat. I know I can no longer do it but I can still remember.
Charles Krauthammer in his February 10, 2012 essay The Gospel According to Obama points out President Obama's hypocrisy on the HHS contraception ruling flapdoodle as well as anyone.
Therefore: To flatter his faith-breakfast guests ( National Prayer Breakfast) and justify his tax policies, Obama declares good works to be the essence of religiosity. Yet he turns around and, through Sebelius, tells the faithful who engage in good works that what they're doing is not religion at all. You want to do religion? Get thee to a nunnery. You want shelter from the power of the state? Get out of your soup kitchen and back to your pews. Outside, Leviathan rules.
The contradiction is glaring, the hypocrisy breathtaking. But that’s not why Obama offered a hasty compromise on Friday. It’s because the firestorm of protest was becoming a threat to his re-election. Sure, health care, good works and religion are important. But re-election is divine.
12 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
I started our walk this morning with the intent of doing 3 miles but by the time we reached a little over 1.25 miles of the out-n-back route I decided I had enough.The hip joints and knees were telling me that it might not be a good idea. The final total was a little over 2.75 miles or the fartherest that I have walked since back on January 15th.
I continue to feel better. I can now get up from a sitting position while holding onto my laptop table and laptop; this is something that I have not been able to do in a long time. Being able to stand up after sitting on the toilet is also a pleasure that we do not recognize enough until we can not do it. Shoulders are still a problem but nothing like they were.
Patches did as well as or better than I did. She did slow some after we reached 2 miles but went up Desperado's stairs faster than I did. She has collapsed again for the day so once more I have a Happy Dog.
I'm current with my Daily blogs and the oldest read Monthly blog is not much older than a week. I have no To Be Read blogs in the queue. This is the most caught up that I have been in a long, long time.
This has given me more time to just kind of ramble around the Internet looking for interesting “stuff”. Happened upon the archives for Popular Science Monthly magazine which go back to Volume I in May 1872.
This will entertain me for a while I'm sure but I cannot stay with it for very long at a time. The monthly magazines back then did not have a table of context so paging through them is tedious at best and boring as hell at its worse.
All the News is about the death of Whitney Houston of course. I can see another week like we had when Michael Jackson died. The only blessing that I can see so far is that there most likely will not be a trial that carries her death out for year(s) after the fact.
We have been in the upper 70s, near 80°, the past two days with today probably being the same. Then it will cool down some next week but still some very nice weather. I'm not looking forward to giving that up and can only hope that it follows me north.
13 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
I believe that Patches has been reading my email. Let me explain.I have been in correspondence with Boonie over the past couple of days to arrange a day and time for us to go walking/running with Patches and Coffee Girl before I leave next week. We agreed that he would meet me this morning at 7:15 here at my Park.
Well, Patches was up at 5:30 all hyper. Pacing the length of Desperado, sitting in the passenger seat looking out toward the road at I know not what. I can't help but think she was waiting for Coffee Girl to show up and since she does not have a watch she simply did not know what time it was.
She stayed hyped even after they had run today. Climbed Desperado's stairs with no sign of pain. It wasn't until nearly noon that she finally calmed down and went into her usual afternoon comatose position on the couch.
That was partly because I had two neighbors that left this morning and she was very attentive to ALL their preparations. The one neighbor had only stayed two nights where the Class 'A' with Jeep had been. The other one had been here since I arrived. I noticed that the back part of the Park has lost some rigs also so the northern migration may have started already.
The weather has cooled down sooner than I thought. With the wind blowing this morning I doubled up on my t-shirts with a windbreaker before we went for our walk. That wind has brought in scattered clouds and temperatures only up into the mid-60s for the next few days.
President Obama wants to sweeten the pot to make the Chevy Volt a success and maybe recover our, the tax payers, investment. However, the tax payer will be on the hook for the sweetener so it is simply taking from one pocket and putting it the other. The more important consideration is how many votes will this buy him in from auto union members, votes are what drives all of President Obama's proposals.
The White House intends to boost government subsidies for wealthy buyers of the Chevy Volt and other new-technology vehicles — to $10,000 per buyer.
That mammoth subsidy would cost taxpayers $100 million each year if it is approved by Congress, presuming only 10,000 new-technology autos are sold each year.
But the administration wants to get 1 million new-tech autos on the road by 2015. The subsidy cost of that goal could reach $10 billion.
14 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
It was windy, cold and overcast this morning but we went to Marcela's for breakfast anyway. It had rained very briefly at 04:00 and looked like it could do it again.We avoided any more of the wet stuff and the wind kept pushing the cloud cover to the east. It brought in some very thin high clouds from the west to replace them but that allowed it to warm up more than the high 50s that were forecast.
Since we got home it has been a hunker down and stay warm kind of day. Probably the worse weather day that I have had here in Ajo since I got here. Even at that it has not been that terrible.
I bought a small thick cut of beef, kind of like a very thin roast, at Olsen's yesterday. Put it in my Roaster at Bake for about an hour with some oregano and basil sprinkled on it and a little red wine poured over it. Turned out to be rather good eating when accompanied by some of my Mediterranean salad and some Deli pasta salad from Olsen's.
The 2013 Budget has been submitted by President Obama. It is doubtful that it will be approved as submitted but if it is the excerpt below provides some food for thought. This was all done during a time when there was a Do Nothing Congress in place for half of his term. Can you imagine what he would have been able to do if he had had a Democrat controlled House and Senate.
The previous record for most deficit spending during a presidency was set by President George W. Bush. During Bush’s 8-year administration, total deficit spending was $3.402 trillion. That’s a truly extraordinary and reckless sum. It’s also $1.768 trillion less than deficit spending in just four years under Obama. Per year, deficits under Bush averaged $425 billion. Per year, deficits under Obama (according to his own numbers) will average $1.293 trillion — or more than three times as much.
Because the gross domestic product (GDP) nearly always grows from year to year, the most favorable way to view Obama’s deficit spending is as a percentage of GDP. Surely he can’t look as bad in that light, right?
Well, prior to Obama, our annual deficit spending had only exceeded 6.0 percent of GDP during the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. Except during those huge conflicts, our deficits had never exceeded 6.0 percent of GDP in any year — not during the Great Depression, not at the height of the Cold War defense buildup, not ever. But that’s no longer the case. During Obama’s four years in the White House (and, again, using his own numbers), annual deficit spending will average 8.4 percent of GDP.
15 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
No walk for us this morning. It was cold, back down into the upper 30s, my right knee pained me during the night and I was lazy.I thought I would try tricking Patches into thinking she had been on a walk. I put on her backpack and we went to Olsen's for a sausage, egg and biscuit; they really do make the best. Then over to the Food Mart for a cup of coffee which is much better than at Olsen's. I let her sniff all she wanted along the way.
I don't think I fooled her for a minute. She was ready for a rest day also and went along with my charade. There was also the Wave heater for her to flop down in front of which she took full advantage of. No walk but I still have a Happy Dog, how good is that?
It was only up to the lower 50s by noon with a promise of upper 60s for a high. I don't think it is going to make it. The next few days are forecast to be much the same. Not the wonderful weather that I have had for over a month but still not too bad when you look at the alternatives around the country.
I got a new neighbor this afternoon, a fifth Wheel from British Columbia, Canada. This got Patches' attention very quickly so I took her out to meet the couple as they were backing in to save us all an lot of barking agrivation. She did just fine after meeting the couple with not a bark out of her.
I have labeled her the self designated Neighborhood Watch Block Captain. She does take that job serious even if she does not understand the title.
I received an email today that said in part: “I am curious, as you have so much to say about obama, is he the only problem? Or are others complicit? You might mention your view on your blog rather than replying to me.” I have replied to the email as follows:
I do write a lot about what President Obama has done, or is going to do, because that is the News of the day. Others complicit? Yes, virtually ALL the politicians that have been in office over the past 30-40 years plus the Lap Dog Media that have reported their goings on. I do not like the policies of President Obama nor do I think much of those of the Republican candidates competing for the nomination. I do like Ron Paul's fiscal positions but he does not have any chance. The last time I voted for a Presidential candidate that was either a Democrat or a Republican was in 1992; it is very doubtful that I will do so in 2012.What I have been railing about, and not knowing that I was doing so, was pointed out over 160 years ago by Herbert Spencer in his first major work of political philosophy, Social Statics in which he attempts to lay the basis for a limited state on a rigorous development of a doctrine of natural rights.
The following will probably be only the first quote that I extract from that work.
One breach of the law leaves a gap for numberless subsequent trespasses. If the first false step has been taken with seeming impunity, it will inevitably be followed by others. School-boy promises of—“only this once” are not to be believed. Make a hole through a principle to admit a solitary exception, and, on one pretence or other, so many other exceptions will by and by be thrust through after it, as to render the principle utterly good-for-nothing. In fact, if its consequences are closely traced, this same plea for licence in special cases turns out to be the source of nearly all the evils that afflict us. Almost every wrong doing is excused by the doer on this ground. He confesses his act is at variance with the moral law, which he admits to be, and in some sort believes to be, the best guide. He thinks, however, that his interest requires him now and then to make exceptions. All men do this;—and see the result.
16 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
It wasn't very cold or very cloudy this morning so Patches and I went to the Roadrunner Bakery and returned. Stopped at the Bakery and got a couple of Oatmeal Cookies then coffee at the Food Mart.The weather then proceeded to get worse after we got home. I had the Wave heater on for a couple of hours before it warmed up a little and there was some sunshine coming into Desperado. Got a few sprinkles before noon with more clouds building and then a light rain started at 1:00.
This rain is going to be VERY good for the wildflowers in the area. There were some winter rains that would have been enough to provide for a show but this little spring rain is going to make the desert bloom REALLY a good one.
Need I add that Patches and I are sitting out the storm in warm dry comfort. We have reached the high of 64° that was forecast but I can see it cooling down early this afternoon with the rain and wind. Might have to fire up the Wave heater again before going to bed.
I almost feel sorry for President Obama, so many of his 2008 supporters are bailing out on him here in 2012. It is not just individuals that have spoken out against him but polling numbers are showing large groups are having less than warm and fuzzy feelings about him for 2012.
America’s youth vote, which turned out in record numbers in 2008 and gave a historically high percentage of their support to President Obama, has soured on him because they are having a hard time finding work and, as a result, are putting off major decisions like getting married and starting a family.It is not all negative however, Maya Angelou is still a strong supporter and said so while in England recently.
Obama, who won 66 percent of the 24 million voters age 18-29 in 2008, has seen that support slashed. And in a new poll from Generation Opportunity, a nonprofit that seeks to engage younger voters, only 31 percent approve of Obama’s handling of youth unemployment, a number that threatens to rob him of the voter group that pushed him to victory.
This year, if it progresses as Angelou expects, will exacerbate the pattern, bringing a momentous high, but not before some sickening lows. Don't worry about Barack Obama, says the chronicler of black history. He'll be re-elected. He deserves to be re-elected. But between now and November, it's going to get nasty...Another quote from Social Statics. Does anyone, beside myself, see a parallel with this and what has happened since Woodrow Wilson established the Federal Reserve, Richard Nixon took the USA off the gold standard and Presidents of both parties have run up massive debts? Have we also overreached ourselves so that we too will not be able to borrow more except at proportionately high rates of interest? Why is it that we do not now consider the practice to be suicidal?
Obama has critics and doubters. Angelou, the sage of black America, now 83, has no time for them. "I think he has done a remarkable job, knowing how much he has been opposed," she says.
When Philip of Valois, King of France from 1328 until his death, swore the officers of his mint to conceal the debasement of the coinage, and to endeavor to make the merchants believe that the gold and silver pieces were of full value, he thought that although perhaps unprincipled, such a measure would be vastly profitable. And so no doubt believed the other kings, who, in the “good old times,” almost universally did the like. They overreached themselves, however, as all such schemers do. It is true that their debts were diminished “in proportion to the reduction in the value of the currency; but their revenues were at the same time reduced in the like ratio. Moreover, the loss of their reputation for honesty made them afterwards unable to borrow money, except at proportionately high rates of interest, to cover the risk ran by the lender.” So that they not only lost on the creditor side of their accounts what they gained on the debtor side, but put themselves at a great disadvantage for the future. After centuries of dearly-bought experience, the practice was reluctantly abandoned, and is now universally exploded as essentially suicidal—just as suicidal in fact as all other infringements of the rule of right.
17 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: February 17, 1924My right hip and knee was hurting before I got out of bed this morning so I did a less than 2 mile walk with Patches. The way she climbed Desperado's stairs when we got home indicated that this was a good decision for her also. She will go and do what I ask even if it is hurting her so it is good when I can avoid that.
It was cold, less than 40°, again this morning but the sky was clear except for a fringe of clouds around the horizon to the south and east. Had the Wave heater on again for an hour of two so that the heater hog would be comfortable. The high for the day is forecast to be back up to near 70°, I hope it makes it.
Did my last shopping at Olsen's, for this trip. I may stop in and pick up an egg, sausage and biscuit but today was my last grocery stop. I will be leaving with a reasonable bare refrigerator which is the way that I like to travel from place to place.
Nothing much out of the ordinary happened during the remainder of the day. I did get some work done on the Will Rogers weekly articles for March so they will be ready for links to my Friday postings. I just need to remember to do that!
Charles Krauthammer has written an essay Overreach: Obamacare vs. the Constitution for The Washington Post in which he says the following in part (shown below).
I have only one question, is there any limit to what President Obama, or any President, can mandate or decree? If there is, what is that limit?
Has anyone considered the import of this new mandate? The president of the United States has just ordered private companies to give away for free a service that his own health and human services secretary has repeatedly called a major financial burden.
On what authority? Where does it say that the president can unilaterally order a private company to provide an allegedly free-standing service at no cost to certain select beneficiaries?
This is government by presidential fiat. In Venezuela, that’s done all the time. Perhaps we should call Obama’s “accommodation” Presidential Decree No. 1.
18 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
Not the first thing I did this morning but among them was to go to the posting of yesterday and add the Will Rogers weekly article link. I can not keep track of the days of the week, need one of those huge clocks that show no time only the day of the week for us retired folks.Took a rest day. My right knee was hurting even more than yesterday while I was still in bed so thought I should give it a rest. Took Patches with me when I went to Olsen's and the Food Mart. When she climbed into Desperado upon our return she did so very slowly so I think she was ready for a rest day also.
We must have had some more light rain last night. The ground was wet this morning, lot of humidity and with a slight breeze it was cold. Had the Wave heater on again for a few hours with the heater hog stretched out in front of it snoring.
Had a last visit from Boonie while here in Ajo. We may cross paths again later in the year but that is the way of Fulltime RVers, you never know. I think I have convinced him to stay for the wildflower extravaganza will probably erupt within a week to 10 days.
I would be tempted to stay also if it were not for getting some help with the pains that I have been suffering. So, I move on to Pahrump, NV to my VA provider and see what if anything they can do for me. I have the feeling that I'm going to be told that what I have been doing is the best that they can offer but we will see.
President Obama in his radio address today was patting himself on the back about the great improvement in manufacturing jobs that he has brought about. The 3.7 million jobs in the last two years were not in manufacturing, he was simply pointing out that the improvement in the one sector has led to this overall improvement.
However, when you look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics data for manufacturing you find that when Obama became president there were 12,552,000 employed in manufacturing compared to 11,862,000 at the end of January 2012. Not a stellar record of accomplishment as I would measure it.
President Barack Obama says the painful restructuring of America's manufacturing base means a lot of jobs are gone forever, but not that Americans must "settle for a lesser future."
In his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday, Obama said American manufacturers are reinventing themselves with new technology and new efficiencies that have helped lead to what the administration claims are 3.7 million new jobs created over the past two years.
"Factories where people thought they'd retire have left town. Jobs that provided a decent living have been shipped overseas" and will not return, Obama said. "But that doesn't mean we have to settle for a lesser future."
19 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
This was a very quiet day for Patches and myself. We did walk up to the Roadrunner Bakery and back but that has been it.She was slow in climbing Desperado's step when we got home and has been sleeping most of the day. I had a short nap also. It is just one of those lazy days.
The weather has contributed to that lazy feeling. Not too cold this morning then warming up into the upper 60s with just a slight breeze.
I did a little more work on the March Will Rogers weekly articles. Read my Daily blogs and some of the archived columns of scurrilous commentary by Fred Reed (some of the most anti-political correctness available). Also devoted some more time to Social Statics which is very slow reading.
20 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
I did not sleep well at all last night. My left shoulder was paining me a lot. I would shift around where it would not be so bad and then my right knee and hip would begin to hurt.This gave me a good excuse to not go for a walk this morning. Except for the short trek to Olsen's and Food Mart to pick up some breakfast and some coffee. Patches did this at a very subdued pace and then slowly climbed into Desperado. Perhaps she is hurting also, I never can tell.
I did get the kitchen cleaned up. Didn't get on my hands and knees to do the floor (I was afraid if I got down I would have a hell of a time getting up again) but I did get it looking a lot better than it was. The stove top was a mess but cleaned up easily, just looked worse than it was. I think the interior is ready for travel.
Was cold when I took Patches out for her toilette. I need to get used to that, it will be that way in Pahrump for at least two week, maybe more, after I get there. The daily high temperatures will also be 5-10° lower than what I have been having here until after mid-March.
The only other major accomplishment was to prepare my 3x5 card with directional notes for my first day and a half on the road. I'll be going over a prior route but it still makes me feel better if I have the notes to refer to.
I am very surprised by the number of blogs that I read where the RVers have maps and GPS systems and continually are getting lost. I have noticed that they usually say something like “When we realized that we were lost we turned on the GPS, or got out the map.” It seems that those tools are for finding where they are at after they get lost rather than as guides where to go.
Gas prices have not gone up much here in Ajo since I have been here. I see that they are already over $4.00 per gallon in California but Pahrump is cheaper than here by 10-15 cents. By the time I leave Pahrump it will probably be over the $4 level which may have me re-thinking where I go this year.
21 February
Ajo Heights RV Park
Ajo, AZ
My night was a repeat of the one before. Didn't walk other than across the road to Food Mart to get breakfast.The left shoulder is real painful with my right knee almost as bad. The surprising thing about the knee is that the bending motion does not increase the pain, it is just the pressure of standing on it. I am also having a lot more trouble getting up again.
With all the aches and pains it was still a busy day. I got laundry taken care off early this morning. Then dumped holding tanks around noon after it had warmed up. I still have over ¾ tank of fresh water so did not add to that.
Nothing left for tomorrow morning but to unplug from electric. Then drive to the Food Mart and fill up with gas and get back on the road. I have enjoyed Ajo as a winter stop and will certainly keep it in mind for next year.
22 February
Black Rock RV Village
Brenda, AZ
The shoulder and knee felt slightly better this morning. However, after sitting in the drivers seat for a hour or more it was all I could do to get out of Desperado and walk.I discovered this after only driving to Gila Bend, AZ where I stopped for breakfast at the Space Age Restaurant. This is one of those places that were built along the cross country roads during the late 1940s and 50s. Most of those that remain are along Old Route 66, this one is on Old US 80.
My route today, which I drove most of in the spring of 2010. The last few miles from Hope, AZ to Brenda I had not been on since the late 1980s; lots of RV Parks now and lots of changes. AZ85, Pima St (in Gila Bend), Old Hwy 80, Salome Hwy, Courthouse Rd (where Salome becomes gravel), 515th Av, Salome Hwy and US60.
This was only 161 miles but I wanted to see this RV Park as a possible place to to stay part of next winter.
The weather is perfect with a cooling breeze, it feels hot when in the direct sun. Had to get out of my turtleneck long sleeved shirt as soon as we got hooked up to electric. The down side to the location is the hours of operation for the restaurant, no breakfast hours.
Patches was her usual nervous self while we were traveling. She does not stay in one place for long while we are moving. That all changed within an hour after we were hooked up, she was back in her usual couch position and snoring again. It is hard work to ride along with me.
I stopped not too far north of I-10 on Salome Rd to take a rest and allow her to run free for a potty break. I was not sure what she would do when I turned her loose out of Desperado without a leash, she has never done that before. She never got more that 25 yards away from 'home' and trotted up the stairs right behind me when her business was done. She can be a Good Girl!
We will see if that holds true when I go to the restaurant this afternoon for my 'linner'. I know she barks some of the times when I leave her and other times she does not, I just can not predict when she will. If she disturbs my neighbors we may get thrown out.
I did tell the Office that I had a dog but did not tell them the breed and they did not ask. However, the Park Rules say no Pit Bulls. She is NOT a Pit but each Park can make their own decision and I have very little that I can do about it. Just try and teach her some manners when she sees another dog!
President Obama does not "accept responsibility" for high gas prices, his spokesman indicated today, arguing that Obama has done everything he could to bring down the price of oil and blaming the high gas prices on oil price increases caused by global factors. This is not a surprise, he does not accept responsibility for anything that goes bad and takes credit for anything that goes well; that is just who he is.
However, let us look back and see how he felt about high gas prices when Bush was President. Where is Pelosi, who does she blame now?
In 2007, when the average national price ranged from $2.17 to $3.22, then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., demanded that the Federal Trade Commission investigate Big Oil for "price manipulation." In 2008, presidential candidate Obama urged the Justice Department "to open an investigation into whether energy traders have been engaged in illegal activities that have helped drive up the price of oil and food."
Obama also called for "a windfall profits penalty on oil selling at or over $80 per barrel." As of Christmas 2010, a barrel of oil sold at slightly above $90. What happened to the windfall profits tax? Yes, back then the average price per gallon was four bucks. But blaming "oilman" Bush for high prices began when the average price was well below today's $3.05 national average.
Where are the calls to sic Obama's Justice Department on Big Oil to hold the oil companies accountable for "market manipulation"? Why aren't we hunting down the amoral "oil speculators" responsible for repealing the law of supply-and-demand in order to line their pockets?
During President George W. Bush's administration, we constantly heard demands to hold the President accountable for "Big Oil's price gouging." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., just two years ago, knew exactly whom to blame for "skyrocketing" oil prices: "The price of oil is at the doorstep; $4-plus per gallon for oil is attributed to two oilmen in the White House and their protectors in the United States Senate."
23 February
Whiskey Pete's Casino
Primm, NV
We were up at our normal hour, Patches went out and I got us un-tethered from electric and we were on our way to Quartzsite. I stopped at Sweet Darlene's which has 10 items on the menu that are all under$5, it is the place for a cheap breakfast.That had me arrive at Discount Solar, just down the street, at about 8:00 and sure enough they do not open until 9:00. I got my Daily blogs read while I waited so all was not lost. Then took about a half hour to get an estimate on the cost of solar for Desperado. It came in at a bit less than I was expecting; I had the labor charges higher than what they have estimated.
They are only open from mid-October to mid-March which is not an issue at this time. I need to get the roof coated first and wanted to know if I needed to remove the TV antenna to make room for the solar panels. Don't need to do that which is good. Now all I need is money!
Today was a little longer (at 212 miles) and I hurt even more today than yesterday. Almost fell down when I got out to pump gas in Searchlight, NV. I was able to almost fill up there at the same price that I paid in Ajo yesterday. Both stations were Chevron with regular at $3.799. I could have stopped at a Chevron in Nettles, CA and done so for $4.799.
My route: Main St./Business I-10, AZ95, CA62, US95, Broadway, River Rd (in Nettles), I-40, US95, NV/CA164 & 1-15.
These were the first interstate Highways that I have driven since I left Fernley, NV back in May of last year. All but the I-15 could have been avoided and I have done so the past two years. Wanted to see that part of US95 that I have missed and lucked out with a 10-15 minute delay for road construction.
They were improving the infrastructure on US95 plus two bridges that I went over. None of those project seemed to need any more workers and I saw not one shovel in evidence.
I went into the Casino to ask for permission to stay overnight in their parking lot but could not find anyone that had the authority to grant it. I'll stay and if I get rousted during the night I fall back on the principle that it is better to ask forgiveness than permission.
I was just hurting too much to try and do another 90 miles to Pahrump. I'll get in there early tomorrow and stop at the VA and see if I can get in. Then will get a new place to park 'home' for Patches and myself. Dog breed discrimination will determine where that might be.
24 February
Pair-A-Dice Escapees
Pahrump, NV
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: February 24, 1924This was a short driving day (only 94 miles) but I had a full morning. My route today: I-15 (Exit 12), S. Las Vegas Blvd, St Rose Parkway, Southern Highlands Parkway, W Cactus Ave, S Jones Blvd and NV160.
But first, by sundown my solitary parking spot in the parking lot at Whiskey Pete's Casino was filled up with big trucks. The row that I was in filled up starting on each side of me as if I were the marker to line up on. I saw this morning that there was another line of trucks behind me.
One of those had a VERY loud generator running all night. It did not keep me awake but I could hear it roaring every time I got up during the night. He did shut it off, or left, in the early morning hours.
The total miles for the day included a few extra because I went directly to the VA Clinic to see if my PA could see me today. I was told yes, at 10:00. I looked at my watch and saw that I had an hour and 15 minutes so went to get breakfast. Rushed to finish breakfast and arrive back at 9:45 as instructed.
When 10:45 rolled around I went to the reception area and inquired about my PA seeing me at 10:00. They said certainly in another 15 minutes, I was still on AZ time so was an hour early.
I did get in to see my PA and she has scheduled blood test to check for arthritis. Also has me scheduled for x-rays and MRI of my shoulders. She suggested that the shoulder pains may be due to a deteriorating rotator cuff rather than arthritis but that does not explain the inflammation in other joints.
Took me off my cholesterol medication and put me on fish oil to help with both the cholesterol and the inflammation. All of this will take time but for now everything is scheduled to happen before I need to leave Pahrump at the end of April.
I have a nice space here in the Park. Close to the bathrooms/showers and also closer to the main entrance than what I had last time I was here. This will let me get in and out of the Park with Patches by passing fewer spaces, fewer people and hopefully fewer dog. I'm looking for a trainer while I'm here to help me fix her reaction to dogs while on leash.
25 February
Pair-A-Dice Escapees
Pahrump, NV
Because of the time change it is now full sun up at 6:00 rather than the 7:00 that I was working with in Ajo. Patches was ready to go outside at 5:30 local time or her previous 6:30 so I split the difference with her and we got up at 5:45.I also changed our routine from get up, go for a potty walk and then exercise walk to get up and go for the exercise. This morning I tried a brush covered field to the northeast of the Park that has a number of dirt roads running through it.
The one that I took led me to the VFW Post that would have been over a mile if we had gone by the paved roads. We the went out into a very big brush cleared area to the north of the VFW and walked until I had reached a mile. I turned Patches off leash, but with backpack on, to see how she would react. A little less exuberant but not by much, still crashing through bushes backpack and all.
About 100 yards west of the VFW we saw a pack of three coyotes. Again, I know that patches saw them but she did not react to them as she does to dogs. I let her stay off leash on the way back home and noticed that she was additionally watchful so I'm convinced she senses the coyote danger.
When we got home I disconnected from electric and went to Terrible's Lakeside Casino for a big plate of biscuits and sausage gravy. That cost me $2.87 with my Geezer Discount; one of the best buys in Pahrump!
From there it was to the UPS Store to pick up my accumulated mail. The most important being all the paperwork that I need to get my Income Taxes done by the end of March. Because I closed out my IRA last year there is a good chance that I'll owe some tax but I knew that when I did it.
Final stop was at Smith's where I picked up groceries. Put some of them to use when I got home by making some fish tacos from fish sticks. Made up a BIG bowl of salad that will probably last me the week and set out a few shrimp to thaw that I'm going to roast with garlic and a curry basting.
The mornings are cold as I anticipated but the days have warmed up to about the same as I was having in Ajo. The sky is cloud free and only a very gentle breeze, pretty nice.
26 February
Pair-A-Dice Escapees
Pahrump, NV
Patches was up a few minutes before 5:30 this morning and when I had not budged by that time she stood up on the couch with her front paws on the edge of my cab over bed, looked me in the eye and gave my hand a good lick. It was time to get up!We went for a two mile walk in a counter-clockwise direction that we will also do clockwise. This was all on paved road shoulders with very little traffic. Went past two horse properties that Patches did not like much better than dogs that she sees, probably thinks they are huge dogs.
The main crossroads are ½ mile apart around the Park so we will have 8 routes of 2 miles each to choose from when done clockwise or reversed. Then there is the large field that we walked yesterday where I can let Patches run off leash. I think we will be happy with the walking possibilities and not get overly bored during our two month stay.
Went to the Club house for coffee at 7:00 and there was no one there. A couple came in right behind me and they made fresh coffee in the two machines that are there. I had a chat with the husband while the wife was l looking for coupons in the newspaper. They left after about a half hour and I was again alone until I left just before 8:00. Last year there was always others there when I went in. Maybe tomorrow?
In looking at my Income Tax 1099s I find that the IRS has complicated things again and now require even more Forms. Then the trade that I did back in June has resulted in my receiving a Partnership Statement and instructions that I need to prepare another Form that I have never heard of. I'll get someone to do my return for me this year, it is getting more complicated the more the politicians talk about reform.
Sent an email to a dog training site here in Pahrump asking them if they can help me with Patches. Maybe get a reply from them within the next few days. Have also located a dog groomer that I will see about giving Patches a bath and flea treatment. She scratches like she has fleas bothering her but when I look for them I never can find one.
So, nothing much happening today but I have things to do in the days to come. These are things other than those involving VA and my ongoing aches and pains.
27 February
Pair-A-Dice Escapees
Pahrump, NV
We were up at 5:30 again this morning with the temperature at 49°. Got back from our 2 mile walk of the northeast route at 6:30 and it had not warmed up at all. I then went to the Club House at 7:00 and the wind had come up so it felt colder.Only up to 51° by noon and the forecast high for today and the next 4-5 days is only to be in the mid-50s. Cold here in Pahrump as I had expected. I did see one fruit tree this morning with some blossoms on it so spring and warmer days are coming but not soon enough.
There was a small group at the Club House this morning. I think everyone that was there was also a regular last year when I was here. It is nice to socialize with them while having coffee but I can not imagine being with them every morning for YEARS. I'm not sure how people do that.
Did only my usual routine the remainder of the day. That and tried to stay warm with the Wave heater going for a good part of the morning with Patches stretched out in front of it.
28 February
Pair-A-Dice Escapees
Pahrump, NV
There was a light rain starting soon after sundown last night. Never rained very hard and it was off and on again during the night. This morning the sky was threatening to provide some more so we did not walk.Patches seemed to be stiff/sore in the hips also, it was a good day to take a rest for both of us. She was happy to stretch out in front of the Wave heater after I got back from the Club House and my morning coffee/social fix. Promptly went to sleep and was snoring up a storm.
She also has the habit of keeping her nose to the ground as much as possible when we are out walking. In so doing she will find and eat, or try to eat, almost anything and everything. This morning she threw up a chunk of plastic that may have once been a bottle top or something(?). I don't know if she found it this morning or yesterday but she seems no worse for the experience.
Received an answer to my email request for an Income Tax appointment. I'll go tomorrow for that. While I'm out and about I'll probably go to the dog training location that I sent an email to and have not received a reply. I tend to not do business with those that will not reply to my email requests but they are about the 'only game in town' so I'll stop and talk face to face.
29 February
Pair-A-Dice Escapees
Pahrump, NV
I had a busy morning.Started out with another 2 mile walk with Patches to the northwest. I then disconnected from electric and went to the Nugget Casino for breakfast. Left there a little before 8:00 and arrived at Gold Star Dog Training just before 8:00 where they said that they had not received my email.
I explained my problem with Patches to the trainer and he let out a big sigh when I told him that she was an American Staffordshire. He said he would have to evaluate her and see how she reacts to other dogs but IF she were aggressive it would be $650 to fix the problem. The evaluation and advise IF she is not aggressive would be $40. I told him I would be back later in the day.
I needed to leave for my Income Tax preparation appointment at 9:00. As it turned out I was almost 30 minutes early and it then took 1 ½ to get it done. I'm glad that I spent then money, it was far more complicated than I would want to deal with and the return looks like a small book. Then the best news of all is I owe less than I was estimating!
Back to Gold Star where the trainer had me put Patches through her paces: walk on leash, sit, down (poor), stay (better than expected) and come (good). He then gave me a choke chain training collar and better leash before bringing in a big Doberman that he put in a down position about 20' from Patches. She went into her whining and lunging routine.
The trainer came over and took the leash from me and started to walk with her. She pulled forward and he promptly gave her a quick snap with the choke chain collar and she fell in right beside him. He then walked within 10' of the Doberman and Patches did nothing. She did leave his side a couple of more times and got corrected for doing so.
He gave her back to me and she stayed right by my side and did nothing when passing within 5' of the Doberman. The trainer said with this collar and my consistent correction of her behavior that she will be just fine in less than a week. He said that she shows no aggression and only wants to go play with the dogs she sees and I need to show her firmly that she can not do that.
We will see how it goes this next week! This afternoon she is basking in the sunshine while stretched out on the couch. I think all that waiting for me in Desperado and the trainers lessons have wore her out for the day.