When we left off, Laura’s face was swollen up like a monkey and there were pain pills and the car was in the shop needing half of a new engine and the dogs went feral and really. I had just had it up to here. I am gesticulating wildly right now at where the swelling was, just along side my nose and dropping down into my then paralyzed monkey lip.

Since then, I got the car back and it runs great! No smoke! New valves! And then some! The swelling went down and I went off the pain pills. And I even went to a dog show on Sunday in Turlock.

I am still missing a tooth though. Don’t look too close if you see me in person for like, the next year. And if we go drinking, I can pop that fakie out real quick if I want. Just warning you.

We had a great time at the dog show though. I wasn’t sure if I’d even be able to run. Among our runs this weekend was Otterpop’s best run, ever in a dog show, ever in our lives. Did you hear what I just said? Did you see that one? It was her jumpers run with her fastest start line EVER. EVAH! And Gustavo brought home the family SuperQ in Snookers. He wore his good citizen badge of good listening, all day, all the time, everywhere. EVERYWHERE!

There were some not so great moments, Gustavo’s wheels fell off in his Advanced Standard. OK, maybe the only moment of non good listening when he decided, not laying down on the table after one of those trainwrecky style runs. I think he has practically everything he needs for an ADCh now, except for the little matter of he’s still in Advanced Standard. Such is life. That was the only run like that for him though. Really, I’m not joking about all the other good listening he did. The weavepoles! The running dogwalk contacts! Wow!

Otterpop’s fast startlines deteriorated as the day wore on, but she did knock out one helluva gamble in Gamblers. I made a large steering boo boo with Hobbes in his otherwise lovely Grand Prix run. So our champion project, definitely a work in progress.

But we had some really good moments. Far more good than bad. I saw progress, in bits and sparts.

Wait. Is that supposed to be fits and bursts?

Fats and spurts?

Anyways. We had a good day. Not perfect. Far from it. We have a long ways to go in the champion department. But I think we’re on the right track.