I now officially own my Element... I made the last payment to American Honda Finance this afternoon! I bought her new in 11/03, so I've officially had her for 6 years, and now am officially car payment free!!!!!! Such a great feeling and relief! :)
I bought the element with 36 miles on it - and as of today it has 125,031.
She's been in a front end collision with a cow and came out the victor!
She's been to California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and New Mexico!
I've jammed her full of this, that, and everything in between and never once have I had a mechanical problem with her.
I love love love my Element and would not think twice about getting another one, should something tragic ever happen to mine.
Happy days ~ maybe I'll actually wash her this weekend (for the first time in more months than I should admit).
Showing posts with label Element. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Element. Show all posts
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Monday, July 06, 2009
July 3rd - Ventura/Camarillo, CA
I got there Thursday night and set up a grooming spot (wasn't the same as when we'd all set up and groom together in OR and WA... just not the same at all). It was "first come - first served", so I found a corner and set up the x-pen, table and chair.
It was nice when I got in on Friday tho - had a lovely little spot with electricity (yippee!) between a Cocker Spaniel person and a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog person.
Chancey got himself a bath first thing and we spent FOREVER blow drying, it felt like. It just showed me how used to ZERO HUMIDITY I've become. Dogs dry relatively quick here when you're using the dryers outside... not so much at the coast. LOL
He looked great. We probably could have showed better, but the footing in the ring was weird... I felt he did a great job, but was RWD.
After we showed and socialized, we went over to the BVS set up. I had found their advertisement in the Premium List, and decided to go ahead and get Chance's hips OFA'd (finally!).
It was SUPER easy - I got to be there and hold his little noggin and tell him what a good boy he was, while two very nice vet guys (father and son team) held him appropriately to get the shots. See below:
The vet guy (who again, was VERY nice, and who spoke to me like I actually DID know what I was talking about) said that HE would give him a "good" based on what he saw here, but he said it *may* come back as low as "fair". He had no doubt it was worthy of an OFA number. :) Now we wait . :)
After we had the x-rays done, we saw Marian Mizelle still hanging around as well. She was holding Harvey (CH Mariel's Harvest Moon) and it was just too cute NOT to take a picture of. :)
I like him quite a bit after watching him this weekend. It's always nice to see Marian, so it was quite a nice surprise to see her at the show :)
After all the excitement of the show, the kids passed out on the bed. Where am *I* supposed to lay, guys?! LOL
It was a beautiful southern California afternoon, so we went for a walk through the neighborhood. I stayed in Camarillo, CA - which was about 15 miles from the show site in Ventura on the beach. The Motel 6 (which I would HIGHLY recommend) was very nice in terms of Motel 6's and the staff was great. It backed up onto a little lake that had ducks and turtles and such - and that lake wound through a little town home community. We walked around that little town home community and enjoyed the sights (and SMELLS!!) of the day.
I *loved* these trees! The street I walked down was LINED with them! Such beautiful purple blooms!! The walk made me think of one thing I missed about living in California.... the beautiful foliage and scents... It was beautiful.
There were three Elements staying at the Motel - the two orange ones ended up next to each other, so I had to take a picture :) I don't really care for the shade of orange of the newer model, personally... I like the "sunset" color that mine is. :)
I had to hand feed Sedona that night... She hadn't eaten in two days. She gets so weird about eating some times. Kota was observing. And making a huge mess. Nice, huh?
He wouldn't take his eyes off of her as she was eating...
a close up of the muzzle area of the above photo - this dog DROOLS like no other dog I've had. LOL
Sedona is spoiled rotten... it's a good thing I love her little pumpkin face. She's eating fine now, by the way.. ;-) (terd)
The boys, back to back. I thought this was a cool shot.
and so ended our Friday... no wins in the win column, but a good day, overall... :)
It was nice when I got in on Friday tho - had a lovely little spot with electricity (yippee!) between a Cocker Spaniel person and a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog person.
Chancey got himself a bath first thing and we spent FOREVER blow drying, it felt like. It just showed me how used to ZERO HUMIDITY I've become. Dogs dry relatively quick here when you're using the dryers outside... not so much at the coast. LOL
He looked great. We probably could have showed better, but the footing in the ring was weird... I felt he did a great job, but was RWD.
After we showed and socialized, we went over to the BVS set up. I had found their advertisement in the Premium List, and decided to go ahead and get Chance's hips OFA'd (finally!).
It was SUPER easy - I got to be there and hold his little noggin and tell him what a good boy he was, while two very nice vet guys (father and son team) held him appropriately to get the shots. See below:
The vet guy (who again, was VERY nice, and who spoke to me like I actually DID know what I was talking about) said that HE would give him a "good" based on what he saw here, but he said it *may* come back as low as "fair". He had no doubt it was worthy of an OFA number. :) Now we wait . :) 
After we had the x-rays done, we saw Marian Mizelle still hanging around as well. She was holding Harvey (CH Mariel's Harvest Moon) and it was just too cute NOT to take a picture of. :) I like him quite a bit after watching him this weekend. It's always nice to see Marian, so it was quite a nice surprise to see her at the show :)
After all the excitement of the show, the kids passed out on the bed. Where am *I* supposed to lay, guys?! LOL
It was a beautiful southern California afternoon, so we went for a walk through the neighborhood. I stayed in Camarillo, CA - which was about 15 miles from the show site in Ventura on the beach. The Motel 6 (which I would HIGHLY recommend) was very nice in terms of Motel 6's and the staff was great. It backed up onto a little lake that had ducks and turtles and such - and that lake wound through a little town home community. We walked around that little town home community and enjoyed the sights (and SMELLS!!) of the day. 
I *loved* these trees! The street I walked down was LINED with them! Such beautiful purple blooms!! The walk made me think of one thing I missed about living in California.... the beautiful foliage and scents... It was beautiful. 
There were three Elements staying at the Motel - the two orange ones ended up next to each other, so I had to take a picture :) I don't really care for the shade of orange of the newer model, personally... I like the "sunset" color that mine is. :) 
I had to hand feed Sedona that night... She hadn't eaten in two days. She gets so weird about eating some times. Kota was observing. And making a huge mess. Nice, huh?
He wouldn't take his eyes off of her as she was eating... 
a close up of the muzzle area of the above photo - this dog DROOLS like no other dog I've had. LOL 
Sedona is spoiled rotten... it's a good thing I love her little pumpkin face. She's eating fine now, by the way.. ;-) (terd) 
The boys, back to back. I thought this was a cool shot. 
and so ended our Friday... no wins in the win column, but a good day, overall... :)
Monday, May 25, 2009
click, click, click...
That's what I heard when I went to the garage to start the ole Faithful Element today... "errrr, errrr, click, click, click". You know that sound. Where the lights are real dim and your stomach falls to your knees.
First instinct is to check lights - "did I leave them on for two days?". Nope. What the heck.
Try again... "click click click click". DAMN.
Go out to the driveway - see neighbor guy I've never met in the 2 years of living here (almost).
"Hi... uh, I have a strange request." says me....
"sure..." says stranger neighbor guy who I've seen but never spoken to...
"would you be willing to jump start my car?"
"sure - give me a second" he says in his thick accent...
crap. this hasn't happened to me in YEARS - but at least I was HOME!
He was kind enough (his name was Manny) to jump my car and suggest I go get my battery checked on - which is the FIRST place i headed.
Checker checked (haha) the battery - and yep - just as expected, it's as dead as a doornail. Boo.
I guess it's all good - Batteries are only supposed to last a couple of years here on the face of the sun... I got a new battery when I played bumper cars with the cow, and that was in November of 2006. So we're past the "life expectancy" technically.
A new battery and a nice guy at Checker, and we're back on the road... and here I just wanted to go to Walmart to get some ribs to grill on the BBQ later! Shesh! Expensive trip to get ribs! LOL
Happy Memorial Day!! :)
First instinct is to check lights - "did I leave them on for two days?". Nope. What the heck.
Try again... "click click click click". DAMN.
Go out to the driveway - see neighbor guy I've never met in the 2 years of living here (almost).
"Hi... uh, I have a strange request." says me....
"sure..." says stranger neighbor guy who I've seen but never spoken to...
"would you be willing to jump start my car?"
"sure - give me a second" he says in his thick accent...
crap. this hasn't happened to me in YEARS - but at least I was HOME!
He was kind enough (his name was Manny) to jump my car and suggest I go get my battery checked on - which is the FIRST place i headed.
Checker checked (haha) the battery - and yep - just as expected, it's as dead as a doornail. Boo.
I guess it's all good - Batteries are only supposed to last a couple of years here on the face of the sun... I got a new battery when I played bumper cars with the cow, and that was in November of 2006. So we're past the "life expectancy" technically.
A new battery and a nice guy at Checker, and we're back on the road... and here I just wanted to go to Walmart to get some ribs to grill on the BBQ later! Shesh! Expensive trip to get ribs! LOL
Happy Memorial Day!! :)
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The dog-Element sticker found it's home!
A little while ago, Tom and Carolyn sent along the cool Element-dog sticker, but my car was FILTHY (ask anyone who has seen it lately!) and I told myself I was going to wait till it was clean....
Well... I broke down and took it to the car wash today - which meant I could put on the sticker!!
The big dilemma was WHERE to put it... but I found it a cozy spot. The Passenger side was DYING for some love too - so there it sits! :)
Thanks Tom and Carolyn! Glad to have you as part of the Element dog owners pack! :)
Well... I broke down and took it to the car wash today - which meant I could put on the sticker!!
The big dilemma was WHERE to put it... but I found it a cozy spot. The Passenger side was DYING for some love too - so there it sits! :)
Thanks Tom and Carolyn! Glad to have you as part of the Element dog owners pack! :)
Saturday, April 18, 2009
this weekend (and the things I've done)
When I got mail (like USPS mail) from Mr. and Mrs. Tom Cannon I scratched my head.... "what could THIS be?"
Is this awesome or what?!? Thanks Tom and Carolyn!!!!! You guys rock! :) I love it! Now I have to clean the windows to find a place for it! :)
Since last weekend my camera has been an @$$hole, and I can't figure out why, so unfortunately I have to submit you folks to blurry photos....
Kota's hematoma has gotten bigger.... to the point where it is flopping his ear down. While cute on a puppy, it's NOT so cute on an almost 6 year old dog I was hoping to show in Veterans.... *sigh* So because it LOOKED like a puppy ear, I'm TREATING it like a puppy ear! LOL
Kota's not THRILLED about having his ear taped, but it's working, so I'm doing it. I'll do whatever it takes to not lose that ear if I can help it. If I do, I do.. but I'll do whatever I can to save it. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know...
He goes in on Monday to have it drained (to relieve some pressure) and I will be talking to the Dr about surgical options.
And since I've had 140 feet of PVC pipe in my back yard for .... oh gosh, I dunno how long... I finally got off my butt and bought the T-joints and end caps I needed to make agility jumps...
I got the plans from Instant Agility and it was SO easy! Tho because I'm working with 1 1/2" PVC piping, the stability bar ends up being ALMOST an 8 inch jump (which is what Kota has been jumping at class). I put marks for a 10" and 12" jump, but I need to find something to drill bigger holes in the pipe. My drill bits are too small :( for now this is fine - since the two younger dogs are just learning anyway, and Kota is comfortable jumping this height... Again, sorry about the blurry photos....
Here's Chancey trying out the new jump....
and Kota, excited to have one of his OWN now! :)
And Sedona - after having to learn what to do, gracefully hopped right over... I think she'll be a natural once she gets some training....
Is this awesome or what?!? Thanks Tom and Carolyn!!!!! You guys rock! :) I love it! Now I have to clean the windows to find a place for it! :)Since last weekend my camera has been an @$$hole, and I can't figure out why, so unfortunately I have to submit you folks to blurry photos....
Kota's hematoma has gotten bigger.... to the point where it is flopping his ear down. While cute on a puppy, it's NOT so cute on an almost 6 year old dog I was hoping to show in Veterans.... *sigh* So because it LOOKED like a puppy ear, I'm TREATING it like a puppy ear! LOL
Kota's not THRILLED about having his ear taped, but it's working, so I'm doing it. I'll do whatever it takes to not lose that ear if I can help it. If I do, I do.. but I'll do whatever I can to save it. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know...He goes in on Monday to have it drained (to relieve some pressure) and I will be talking to the Dr about surgical options.
And since I've had 140 feet of PVC pipe in my back yard for .... oh gosh, I dunno how long... I finally got off my butt and bought the T-joints and end caps I needed to make agility jumps...
I got the plans from Instant Agility and it was SO easy! Tho because I'm working with 1 1/2" PVC piping, the stability bar ends up being ALMOST an 8 inch jump (which is what Kota has been jumping at class). I put marks for a 10" and 12" jump, but I need to find something to drill bigger holes in the pipe. My drill bits are too small :( for now this is fine - since the two younger dogs are just learning anyway, and Kota is comfortable jumping this height... Again, sorry about the blurry photos....Here's Chancey trying out the new jump....
and Kota, excited to have one of his OWN now! :)
And Sedona - after having to learn what to do, gracefully hopped right over... I think she'll be a natural once she gets some training....
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
re: vanity plates
Heidi documented some vanity plates she saw while at a dog show.... I'm part of "that group" too... I'm sure people giggle at mine... There's no doubt when I'm at a dog show, which breed I have... :)
In fact.... if memory serves... at the Southern OR shows a handful of years back, someone came to the Corgi ring (can't remember now if it was Pems or Cardis) talking about that "Orange Honda with the Got Corgi" stickers on it... and did "anyone know whose car that is?" Some people think I'm a weirdo, I'm sure... I had the same plate in CA when I lived there too! :) (well, CA plate with the same letters)
In fact.... if memory serves... at the Southern OR shows a handful of years back, someone came to the Corgi ring (can't remember now if it was Pems or Cardis) talking about that "Orange Honda with the Got Corgi" stickers on it... and did "anyone know whose car that is?" Some people think I'm a weirdo, I'm sure... I had the same plate in CA when I lived there too! :) (well, CA plate with the same letters)
Monday, September 15, 2008
take a trip with me...
Not only was the weekend fabulous because of the wins my dogs received... but I got out and about in the area and was able to do some sight seeing and meandering ;-) (warning: this blog post will be HEAVY with pictures).
This was a nice little meadow in Mingus Recreation area
The road up to Mingus was quite the adventure...
Some pretty baby trees were scattered in the area I chose to let the dogs run around in...
Of course the obligatory "cute dog" photo :)
Chance got himself wrapped around the tree...
Kota's the only one I *really* trust off leash... so he chose to go lay in the pine needles in the shade :)
Profile shot of Chancey enjoying the pine scented air
Some pretty flowers amongst the pine needles
little cabbage like plants riddled the area too
This one was the biggest in the area...
Large sized Cardigan modeling next to the large sized cabbage like plant...
more obligatory "cute dogs" pictures :) Note the sunflowers behind the kids.... they were blooming like mad all over the place up there! it was beautiful!
The view down into the Verde Valley
Farther back off that same trail... Note the Oregon sticker ;-) Go Ducks! :)
the side of the mountain on the way down from Mingus... I thought it was cool
Those mountains in the distance, I think, are in the Sedona area... the colors are just beautiful (pardon the dead bug splatters... that's what happens when you take a photo trip while driving ;-) )
Another shot off into the Valley
A stop at one of the Scenic View areas off of 89A... just beautiful
to the right at that same scenic view area
Proof that the Orange Box was there :)
Speaks for itself ;-) Jerome is an old mining town literally perched up on this hill... very interesting old town....
the roads were VERY narrow... I couldn't imagine having a home back up onto this road!
more of the narrow roads
an old building of some sort... I'm sure it was once bustling with miners or something... but now it looks like maybe it had a fire some time ago and is boarded up...
The roads in Jerome remind me of some little town in Italy or something...
Just down the hill from Jerome there were a TON of cacti bursting with their beautiful red fruit....
It was a tiring day, to be certain... the kids passed out!
And the following day... my "weiners" being goons sticking out the top of their soft crate at the Siberian ring
We had a great time... it was good to get away from the desert for a while and enjoy the natural beauty of the state... I don't get out nearly enough. My laziness gets in the way ;-)
Sedona quickly made herself at home at the hotel Friday night...
This was a nice little meadow in Mingus Recreation area
The road up to Mingus was quite the adventure...
Some pretty baby trees were scattered in the area I chose to let the dogs run around in...
Of course the obligatory "cute dog" photo :)
Another angle of the cute dogs
Chance got himself wrapped around the tree...
Kota's the only one I *really* trust off leash... so he chose to go lay in the pine needles in the shade :)
Profile shot of Chancey enjoying the pine scented air
Some pretty flowers amongst the pine needles
little cabbage like plants riddled the area too
This one was the biggest in the area...
Large sized Cardigan modeling next to the large sized cabbage like plant...
more obligatory "cute dogs" pictures :) Note the sunflowers behind the kids.... they were blooming like mad all over the place up there! it was beautiful!
The view down into the Verde Valley
Farther back off that same trail... Note the Oregon sticker ;-) Go Ducks! :)
the side of the mountain on the way down from Mingus... I thought it was cool
Those mountains in the distance, I think, are in the Sedona area... the colors are just beautiful (pardon the dead bug splatters... that's what happens when you take a photo trip while driving ;-) )
Another shot off into the Valley
A stop at one of the Scenic View areas off of 89A... just beautiful
to the right at that same scenic view area
Proof that the Orange Box was there :)
Speaks for itself ;-) Jerome is an old mining town literally perched up on this hill... very interesting old town....
the roads were VERY narrow... I couldn't imagine having a home back up onto this road!
more of the narrow roads
an old building of some sort... I'm sure it was once bustling with miners or something... but now it looks like maybe it had a fire some time ago and is boarded up...
The roads in Jerome remind me of some little town in Italy or something...
Just down the hill from Jerome there were a TON of cacti bursting with their beautiful red fruit....
It was a tiring day, to be certain... the kids passed out!
And the following day... my "weiners" being goons sticking out the top of their soft crate at the Siberian ring
We had a great time... it was good to get away from the desert for a while and enjoy the natural beauty of the state... I don't get out nearly enough. My laziness gets in the way ;-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)