Snap Crackle Boom Pop...

For all of you living in the USA… Happy 4th of July. Firecrackers, bottle rockets, sparklers, things that go boom in the night sky. Barbecues at the beach, lake, Oceanside, park, etc. It’s a huge party day. I may go to a fireworks display this evening. Although if I climb the hill behind my house and kennels I can see fireworks going off in the night sky for miles and miles. Truthfully I do like a closer look, but it is a phenomenal view from that hill. It can be a little willy going up there at night. But generally isn’t a problem if you take a couple of big dogs with you. The coyotes and other wildlife come in pretty close at night. Usually they will leave you alone unless they are rabid, or some big cat that has decided humans are easy prey.


I saw a beautiful red fox the other day. I drove to the little post office and it was running along the side of the gravel road, then it dashed across. Of course I didn’t have my camera. So the only picture I captured of it is in my mind’s eye. Beautiful bright red fox.

I am still grooming Poms as fast as I can. Hair flying everywhere. I started doing something I said I would never do. I started doing summer cuts on the hairballs. Their undercoats are so heavy that they are walking around in the equivalent of a heavy down filled coat in 100 degree temps. Happily some are blowing their coats of by themselves, so those will only need a basic brush-up, deworm and toe nail trim… I’ll probably do a bit of a hair trim too… that’s what I have been doing.

I haven’t been messing with the scale much. I got on and it said I had stayed the same. I know I’m getting smaller because my clothes are getting looser. My body composition is changing. Burning off fat, and building muscle.

Fat takes up 5 times the space of muscle, on the flip side muscle weighs 5 times as much as fat does. Sound like a no win situation.

It may sound that way but it’s not. You need muscle to function. Fat is merely excess fuel stores. It doesn’t help you to function unless you are out of fuel. I can feel my abs getting stronger, across my back and shoulders, my arms. When I flex my arms you can see the muscles moving, even with the fat layer on the outside.

Hopefully my skin will draw up as my size continues to decrease.

I really want to be able to walk a marathon. I want the physical capability to do that, and actually enjoy the day. Not a torture test.

I want to be able to ride a century in a day as well. When I am actually able to take a vacation I want to take a bicycle tour, and be able to enjoy the ride.

I am sooooo not interested in the waif thin stick figure bobble head doll nonsense. I have no desire to be weak and lightheaded. What a boring way to live.

I want to be able to enjoy being physically active. I can already feel my strength building. I took a look at a picture my husband took of my dad and myself standing side by side. I was pleasantly surprised to notice that I could see changes in my body and face already.

I have measurements on record, and do not plan on measuring until the end of the summer.

I am pacing myself a bit. Actually that’s not quite true I’m working flat out on this kennel and ranch this summer. Periodically I have to take some time to just chill out and let my body rest. I am making an effort to not fry my mind looking at the whole of everything that needs to be done. And at the same time stay on target. Looking at the whole can really overwhelm.

Translated… if you have 100 pounds of excess lard hanging on your butt, and can barely walk across the room. Focus on one step at a time. Small changes. Not a total shock. Build to the marathon… by first getting off the couch. If you can walk across the room do that. Then take 3 more steps. And so on and so on.

Rather than “ I can’t do this it’s too much” ask yourself “how can I do this (whatever your goal may be) and enjoy the process” Live your life.

On a business note. I see pre-launch and brand new-launch this that and the other thing all over the place. Some of these may be great, some may be total crap. Keep in mind that if they are actually new launches or pre-launches. They really do not have a track record. The figures they are throwing around don’t mean much of anything. Yes I’ve gotten caught up in the frenzy before.

Before you add something to your business portfolio ask yourself if this is a program or product you want to represent. Does this program/product/system add to your portfolio or is it a detriment to what you are working for. What is your niche? How does said program/product fit into it. Is it a positive representation of your business.
I work with a variety of programs, and in truth there are some that are going to be trimmed from my portfolio. I’ve been at it with a machete whacking off dead branches, so to speak. Sculpting my online presence. That is an on going process. My business is a growing thing, and like a hedge sometimes it needs trimmed, pruned, watered and fertilized.


I’ve been using Veretekk to help grow my business. Truthfully it’s been extremely useful. I’ve risen in the search engines over the past few months. First I went after my name. Mary E. Robbins, happily I am on the first pages now, in both google and yahoo. I was clear back on page 10 in yahoo and farther back in google. Then I went after robbinsrun, again I’m on the first pages. I am starting after another set of key words now. It’s a learning process. Speaking of which there is very useful training at Veretekk.

Gotta run…
Life is a journey… enjoy the trip… Mary E. Robbins & the Hairballs
307.788.0202 USA Mountain Time

Hairballs...Heat...Drugssssss...

Wow the great hair off campaign is in full swing. After so many years you would think that I would no longer be amazed at how much coat these little hairballs (alias Pomeranians) put on in the winter. WoW… this past winter had weeks of below or near zero weather and they dressed for it. Good thing it was wicked cold expecially when the wind blew. However it’s so thick that it is not just shedding it’s going to have to be pulled. Slicker brushes, combs, hair rakes, soft bristle brushes, and clippers are a flying. Yes I said clippers I usually don’t do summer cuts but they are getting trims this year. Not real short, my little hairballs do not need sunburns. But a trim up just the same.

It jumped from the 80’s to between 110 and 115 a couple of days ago. So I’m going to be a bit scarce till I get this grooming done. The first big comb out in the spring/summer is always a monster of a job. This Year it is an Olympian event. I thought of that first karate kid movie last night somewhere between 10 and 11 pm as I was finishing up Copper Pudwell. You know the fence painting and the wax on wax off… he he… with me it’s brush brush, comb comb, clip clip…

Happily it was only in the 80’s yesterday, you know it felt cool in comparison. Felt pretty good.

Pop (my Dad) has been her visiting, and David (my husband) has been on vacation at the same time. Actually that worked out pretty good. They have been able to hang out together and go fishing and such. David tried to brush out one of the dogs a bit yesterday. I was happy that he tried, he helped by dumping and refreshing their water yesterday afternoon. They foul it pretty fast when it’s very warm or hot. They play in it and plop themselves in the water buckets. Frankly I don’t blame them. I would to. But you have to stay on it or it gets nasty in a hurry.

Truth be told, as tired and sore as I am, I’m glad to be able to do this work. The past few years, between west nile, adhesions, and a nasty hysterectomy made it nearly impossible. The hysterectomy really trashed my abdominal muscles. It’s taken a couple of years but they are getting stronger, and stronger. Decent abs make such a huge difference over all. Especially in your back. Wow!

On the muscle regeneration/healing/development/healing note… I learned this past week that a drug that I was taking to help with muscle spasms. Get this… let’s see how did they word that. Oh yeah… paradoxically can cause muscle degeneration.

Let’s see…hmmmm… I was (note the was) taking a drug to help me work through the process of repairing and building up my muscle structure and one of it’s side effects is … DESTROYING MY MUSCLE STRUCTURE!!! Get this that nice little side effect was not listed in the initial side effect information that comes out with a new prescription either.

Added benefit of this particular drug. One of many I might add… is deterioration in your vision, swelling, eye redness/irritation/infection. A couple of weeks ago I went into the doctor because my face looked like a swelled up melon and was red as a stop sign. Eyes were nearly solid red. By the way having your skin turn yellow is another side effect.

This particular drug is Skelaxin. In truth it makes a difference in muscle spasms. In the long run it does more damage than good.

FDA approved all right… this will be the last time I take a drug and trust that the required explanation that comes out from the pharmacy is enough information.

I’m glad I was taking some good quality vitamins/minerals. Scary to think what it would have done to me without them. I wonder just how many people are taking prescription drugs. Trusting their doctors and pharmacies that what they are being prescribed is actually a good thing, when in fact it is making them sicker and in some cases actually killing them.

Life is a journey… sometimes it’s a heat hair storm… Mary E. Robbins & the Hairballs