was Putin conned by Trump?

 

not intentionally...i mean Trump cons everyone.  he boasts about his finances, he boasts about what he has done or can do. he is a lying machine.  was Putin so orgasmic about getting a US POTUS on his side that he didn't realize that Trump was over promising and lying and just plain full of shit. (above is the quilt i had made...great to snuggle with the dogs with Tusker right there)

Putin, like so many others, wanted something and Trump made him believe he was going to gift him it all. so many otherwise intelligent people have been sucked into Don the cons orbit and turned into fools. he has them believing the most insane stuff...Putin is no different.  he is human and one that has been in a bit of a bubble, surrounded by yes men.  why would he expect to be bull shitted by anyone.  with his power anyone in his orbit that he caught trying to trick him would be destroyed, but trump had things he wanted and he had things, money, trump wanted. i'm sure trump was giddy as well with the relationship and willing to do or say anything to secure a relationship with his hero. 

we have always wondered what trump gave away in their private meeting, was it more what he promised putin he could do for him? putin has put years and a lot of money presumably into this fantasy of getting a us president on his side. trump tells people what they want to hear.  i don't think he controls this..i think he is a pathological liar and narcissist.  he wants to be the center of all attention and i'm guessing if he was promising destruction of nato and world dominance to putin he was more than happy to suck it all up. 

will the con be the downfall of putin in the end? what a happy surprise that would be...if something good came out of trumps bombastic/lying insanity. did trump ultimately give putin the confidence and arrogance to believe he could easily take over Ukraine. i mean it does appear he sent in many very young and inexperienced military...word is many of them were told they were going some place for training exercises. 

will putin figure out he was conned by the greatest con of our generation...i mean look at all the fools in America prostrating themselves over the alter of trump.  who have destroyed their reputations and careers for the fool that is trump. the few that wake up are pissed.  

will we see repurcussions? will the pee pee tape finally be released? will putin take his revenge more directly even as he falls? 

i just hope his revenge is directed at one in particular and not the whole. 

desperation combined with nuclear weapon access is not very comforting.  i live too close to Russia.  i'm sure Alaska would be a lovely target sadly.  not too high of a population.  i will try not to think about that though. i do hope it doesn't come to that.  i figured we had people in our government to prevent the worst trump had to offer and that was dicey proposition and hope at best...are there people in russia's government that would do the same and stand up to putin?

these are early days with Sunny. lots of memorials for Tusker. i'm sure there was some guilt about getting the puppy so soon and there still is.  it wasn't meant to erase Tusker at all, it was meant as a band aid because of the pain. 

looks like a lovely day out there right now.  stuff to do on the to do list. back to work tomorrow. i really do need to work.  i have flooring to pay for. 

i had hoped to see the sprint races yesterday but i think i had the wrong times and was too late.  

i ended up walking the dogs out at University Lake. Sunny found a few puppies to really get a good chase/run in.  he had a blast. 

i then left them at home and headed downtown to see the snow sculptures. 

there was a lot of meltage on many of them but still some cool ones. 

next week is the start of the Iditarod.  it is ironic that this will probably be one of the first things to feel normal since covid hit...which was ironically, the last thing to feel normal before we were fully engulfed in the covid mess. 

these are again from that last trek to Homer.  

we had no idea it would be Tuskers last.  in October was he already having issues with his gut that i just didn't notice? i'll never know. 

i still have never asked for the biopsy results. easier to imagine there was cancer. 

these are from the clam gultch stop.  the light in the fall is dropping fast and so being a late trek we were short on light. summer is fun because you just have hours and hours to explore and play

some cabin rentals are being planned.  thanks SH for doing it since i just haven't had the heart to plan much of late. 

me on the swing under the docks below

a little trail i found in Homer.  a nice break from the beach and mushroom hunting as well

sunny's first actual class tonight. his leash skills are not great as i haven't done too much of that yet. my bad. i think it's been tough at times to get excited about dog training when i had the mindset in December of several years of minimal training and just enjoying well trained pups.  so is life...suck it up girl and get this puppy trained.  he's super smart though and does pick up quickly on the stuff we do work on.

have been doing the leave it exercises...you put a treat in your hand and open it up in front of his nose then say leave it...he now steps back away from it and sits waiting for the treat from the other hand.  smart boy. 

he's doing very well off leash with the "off trail" commands and "here puppy" commands. 

he has mostly mastered his puppy push ups...where you do sit, stand, down in different orders. 

my heart does break for those in Ukraine who should not have to be dealing with this madness. oddly, putin has probably put them on a faster track to getting their nato status. he's getting them on a faster track to getting admitted into the EU.  he's even gotten nations like Sweden and Finland pondering joining Nato. he's screwed himself in so many ways....many of his own people are standing up to him than before. 

war is very different than in other times in some ways.  Elon Musk apparently moved his satellites over Ukraine so they will have continued internet access.  a group of hackers are actively working against putin and many nations have joined in on the many sanctions.  russian vodka removed from shelves, airlines dropping areoflot and nobody flying there. 

pride cometh before a fall seems to be very relevant and as i said...there is the possibility that the con man accidently raised that pride. what happens when two narcissists and misinformation guru's clash. i hope the worst for both of them. 

meeting my friend at 12:30 for a walk.  changed away from north bivouac on the off chance that there is a dead moose or awake bear.  always prefer to avoid that. 

lots of knots this past week, with the little nagging headaches. so annoying

i should take a drive down the arm today before class.  will see. it's a balance of having the puppy tired out enough to be able to focus on training and too tired so that he just wants to nap in class.  Tusker was easy to tusker out as i used to call it. Ivy could do 10 miles and still have tons of energy in class.  Sunny seems more on the Tusker end of things.  he is a puppy so he does have his zoomie moments but overall he mellows fairly easily

it may also be nice to stop before or after class at a store for some in store training. 

really like both these shots.

this one as well.  

i am getting more used to just not calling family much.  i think after the one brothers message and the lack of real support from the others i was finally able to just stop dreaming of something that wasn't to be...to finally see the limits of those relationships in that for the most part it was predominantly one sided.  there was pain in the lack of reciprocation that i just hadn't understood. i don't feel anger...just disappointment at the loss of the dream of a better relationship than the one that exists. you can't be mad at people who don't want the relationship you want.  you just have to accept it and pull back to a more realistic level. it's been freeing really. 

i think it helps to see these tiktoks of exmormons..so much pain out there.  so much division.  i have it pretty good really because i got out so early so i'm very grateful for that.  the longer you stay in the more devastating it can be leaving. 

better get with GCI and get the ball rolling on the streaming stuff.  the times they are a changing.  only a few of you will get that reference.  :-)

better start the element and hopefully i can get it in this week for it's oil change. clean it out a bit and get ready for spring break up dog treks to the mud.  that is the point of it anyway.  it is tougher in winter to keep two cars up and running.  

so sorry Putin...you were conned by the Don...haha.  you heard what you wanted to hear and that will hopefully be your undoing.  Don could not deliver on his promises and he no doubt lied about his assets to get money from you.  stand in line...there is a long list of others who have been conned.  you are no better than anyone else.  fools...all of you sadly. 

grateful for A. beautiful days in beautiful places B. adequate health to get out and enjoy the beauty of this earth C. peace

much has happened and nothing has happened....

 

for me, life is simple. i have a lazy life.  i'm mostly okay with it. i feel guilty at times as i know so many others have much more complicated, dramatic, painful lives.  i live in a beautiful place. i have wonderful pets to share my existence with.  i have amazing friends who are more like family. 

i watch the scenes from Ukraine and it makes me worry for the future and grateful for the peaceful life i have been lucky to have. lucky....i do not feel that i deserve a better life than others.  i just have been lucky.  some view their good fortune as a sign that God loves them more, or they were better in the pre-life as i was taught.  i just view it as good fortune. good fortune that may run out at any time

Put is a mad man.  he has become more and more isolated in his power.  he is no doubt surrounded by people who do not question him.  if you look at history...the dictators who live do not try to increase their territory.  Put is attempting to take over Ukraine at this moment. will he be successful...it seems he has more money and equipment.  

things that are against him...the bulk of the other humans/nations on this earth.  even China refused to stand up for him.  there is also the Ukrainian people.  there are many acts of bravery that have come out already.  while people here whine about being oppressed wearing a mask.  they stand up to Put troops and lose their lives doing so at times. their President is willing to stay with them and fight along side them.  their people are willing to literally say fuck you to the powerful military of Russia.  

another thing that Ukraine has going for it.  many in Russia are not fans of Put or this war. many have family in Ukraine. it sounds like many from russia who were sent to Ukraine to fight were not even aware they were being sent there or for this so they are not as willing as Put is to fight this battle. put is more of a hide in the bunker guy and send others to do his bidding.  he could care less if they die doing this.  we all know tump is that way as well. 

there are the crazy tump/put fans...how Americans can side with put is beyond any rational discussion..but there it is.  we have some major issues. faux news is being played, unedited on russian propaganda tv.  i do hear that there are annonymous hackers who are going after russia big time.  you just never know what to totally believe. i hope this is true though. the international community is hitting them hard with sanctions.  

even put directly. flights are cut off, banks are cut off.  many liquor stores have even refused to sell russian vodka. there are many protest marches, even in russia...where folks quickly get rounded up and taken to prison as protesting is illegal there. 

russia has become a master at misinformation and sadly, many in our country are deeply into that misinformation.  some of those fools run news stations or have positions of power in our own government. 

i really hope that put doesn't become desperate enough to use the nuclear arsenal at his disposal. Alaska is way too close. we can't evacuate...where would we go?

it's a horrible situation there in Ukraine and in the surrounding nations, the stress level must be so horrible. 

these photos are from this fall of course. we are having a melt down here still.  it's all a mess.  warming a bit/freezing a bit.  

on my walk the other day there was a poop on the trail that looked like possibly wolf. it had moose fur all over in it. as i walked further there was an odor in the air. wild but i don't know what it was.  wolf? bear? dead moose? i took a different route and hoped for the best.  we saw nothing.  both wolves and bear have been spotted apparently.  hoping the bears go back to sleep for a bit

we are quickly headed toward a change in seasons.  first we have fur rondy and the iditarod.  it appears that these things will mostly be moving forward with more normalcy than we've seen in a few years. 

i was on call last night and never called in.  i was awake at strange hours so i figured i'd blog, feed animals and perhaps take another nap before starting the real day and attempting to get some rondy events in. 

i only worked one night this week, in PICU.  the first night i had eaten something and my gut wasn't settling so i just called out.  i always get dinged in evals for calling out.  when i was younger i would work through anything...including bouts of bronchial pneumonia.  as i get older i'm just not as willing to do that.  

you try to take care of yourself.  life is fleeting.  we don't always control that much of it.  as i said, things are crazy out there, put is invading unprovoked with hopes of just taking territory and making russia bigger.  bigger isn't always better...it's hard to control bigger.  you can't watch all those humans or control all those humans..which is why i said those dictators who brazenly try to build up their territory generally do not have good outcomes. in general i do not see this ending well for put but he can do a hell of a lot of damage on his way out.  

tumps foolish cult followers parrot trump and act like tump was tough on put.  the reality was tump was the poop in put's diaper.  read the transcripts of the first impeachment.  he was blackmailing Ukraine, preventing them from getting defense from rus in exchange for supposed dirt on the bidens. tump also was doing puts bidding by attempting to get us out of nato.  what was said in that meeting tump and put had.  how much money does tump owe to put? does that crazy pee pee tape exist?  tump was puts puppet regime...if he gets in again we will have little hope.  i'm hoping put has met with some demise by that time.  

in lighter news....the puppy is adorable.  i often see an open spot between Ivy and Sunny and imagine Tusker there. 

i attended the first class for puppy training.  he will go on Monday.  i braved Home Depot with both dogs the other day.  it was a bit rough the first few minutes but he did well after that. 

Ivy's Birthday came and went..of course, it was Tuskers Birthday as well.  it was a bit low key. i did put down some ashes that for the first time include some of tuskers ashes.  sure miss that guy.  dogs do not know it's their birthday but i know and i felt bad for Ivy being without Tusker.  

she is bonding with the puppy and seems to enjoy her new friend.  dogs do not live in the past and i'm trying to learn from them and not live in the past as well.  

there are things in life you have to let go of even if you never fully accept them.  that is true with the losses we suffer but it is also true of pain caused by others.  i don't think you have to forgive or forget to move forward.  you don't have to put yourself in the position of a repeat of bad actions.  which is why i say you don't have to forget.  forgetting would put you in the position of allowing a repeat.  you can understand the issues in others lives that caused them to be hurtful without forgiving the actual hurt.  some things do require people to apologize and go through those steps.  life can't return to any normalcy without that.  it doesn't mean that you allow that persons behavior to stay with you in the form of anger. you move on from it and you respect yourself enough to never put yourself in that position again.  you respect yourself enough to set boundaries and demand actions...even if you know those actions will never come. 

Miss Breezy is demanding food.  it's almost that time.  she does appear to be starving. 

covid....it seems to be in a better place for the moment.  hoping it just fizzles out.  we just see less and less of it so i'm happy with that. hopefully this last wave got enough ill to help prevent another wave. our visitation rules haven't backed down yet, i expect them to any day though. 

now i have two cats demanding breakfast. 

cats are fed.  dogs next.  i'll keep writing. 

anxiety.  still have some. mostly it's random. i suspect the Ukraine attack has added to all of our stress levels even though at this moment most of us are not dealing with any of it directly. we live in relative safety. 

back to january photo's. 

work is still the cause of some anxiety.  it has improved though and very few stray beats of late. 

still occasional leave some ashes or memorial rocks out there. 

haven't done much painting these past weeks. haven't really done much of anything.  though, having said that. i did order the tile and have started that project.  i also got the dogs scheduled for an indoor pool day. i went to fish and game and met with the new manager over Round Island.  he seems cool and excited about his new role. 

trying to start on some purging of crap. there is just always too much stuff to deal with.  things pile up and you just have to get rid of stuff.  shredding papers brings me joy.  each little pile that goes away makes me happy...still way too many piles of papers to attend to. more comes in than goes out and it's just this constant battle. 

that little puppy just keeps growing.  lots of training to do.  his first trick is circle right and left.  just getting it.  it would help if i could remember my left/right as i'm doing the command.

we've been working on leave it this week.  only one piddle pad left inside. it's upstairs and yes, he still uses it from time to time.  brat.... on the plus side through all of this he has at least been pad trained and has had few accidents not on pads.

we do grooming training daily. haven't set up an official grooming appointment yet.  need to do that.  anyone have any good groomers out there?

i have slowly been trying to break up some of the ice on the decks.  worry about all that ice with Ivy.  do not need her other knee totally giving out on her.  so far so good. 

so a few days off and then back for three nights again. then we get to enjoy the iditarod and fur rondy...it always feels like spring comes quickly after these two events and these two events distract you from the final stretch of winter.

our days are getting longer. 

i have been on tiktok too much this week.  Ukraine video's mostly. some ex-mormon video's and of course kitties and puppies. 

i have not posted any video's. never like how i look or sound on video so i don't see myself starting down that road. 

look at this sweet face...his not mine

am i happy i left mormonism.  yes.  so happy.  has it been perfect...no.  sucks that so many in my family are still in and live in that bubble.  sucks to have people view you how they chose too and not how you are. i am very much an imperfect person and a work in progress.  i have many qualities that are good and i have bad qualities as well. i will always be judged by my leaving and not by who i am. 

covid has really helped me see who values me in this world and helped me have less of a desire to please those who will never be pleased.  it has been a truth teller of who is really in your life and who is just on the fringe.  i am happy i left the church and happy i moved to Alaska.  sometimes, in our lives, we just get things right. 

love this shot above.  he just has the sweetest face.  he's just a love and came to me in a time when i was feeling so sad. he's pretty mellow really and is willing to just snuggle when i need snuggles.  

he is always interested in the ashes from the dogs of the past.  love the little orbs that show up in the photos. yes, i like to believe those orbs are people and pets from the past come to watch over us.  oddly, i find that much easier to fathom than a God. 

it seems much more obvious to me that people and animals that had direct contact with us on earth would be the ones who would be watching over us and helping us from the next world. does that mean i don't believe a God is possible, no.  just that i do not believe a God would be all that interested in our individual lives and quite frankly there is so much that is bad out there i hope that a God would not waste time on my little issues. i hope God is helping the people of Ukraine and those oppressed in places like russia and n.korea. i hope God is helping those who are sick or have endured natural disasters. 

i think our prayers, if really answered, are answered by those close to us not God. 

have thought of how much arrogance there was in my previous religion.  they believed they were blessed before they were born. that they had proven themselves more worthy in the pre-life and were therefore gifted to be born under the covenant....into mormon families.  they believe they can and will become Gods over their own kingdoms...what humans are in any position to become Gods really...very few that are that selfless or flawless.  if this world is any proof...power makes men evil.  if we can't handle power here how the hell do we think those folks will handle becoming gods of their own kingdoms after just one run at life on earth. 

off to start the day....slept off and on through the night.  always wake in fear that i missed a call to come in.  when i sleep, it is deep.  grateful for A.  those who are brave against what appears to be overwhelming power B.  the hope that right will prevail against evil. C. the pets that share my life with me.