Happy New Year!

Yes, this is Kelley's DOG Blog and we're opening 2016 with a picture of a lizard. That's the kind of year I'm hoping for -- quirky, adventurous, unpredictable and fun. (Plus, I couldn't get Jedi to wear a hat.) Jedi and I are starting the new year at full speed. We have several things going on this month, including:

• Starting today: silly dog tricks! I've always loved Kyra Sundance's Do More With Your Dog stuff. It's a fun and positive way to have fun with the pups. There are even Trick Dog Titles that you can earn. Anyway, I joined a Facebook Spark Team. Starting today we're going to work on 15-20 different tricks and, Jedi willing, we will earn our Novice Trick Dog title this month. Wanna play along? There's still time to join us! (BTW, learning is free; there's a nominal fee if you want the title, but it's not required.)

• On Tuesday the German Shepherd Dog Club board is getting together map out this year's activities. I'm excited. I have some ideas and an amazing core group of people working hard to revive the club. I'm already seeing some energy and excitement coming back into the membership. Cross your fingers. And just for fun, visit us on Facebook. (BTW, right now I'm doing most of the FB Admin for the club, so yes, you're seeing some of the same stuff here and there. I'm not creative enough to come up with different things for each social media. Shhh, don't tell.)

• This Thursday we start a new nose work class. This one is at the same place we did our Sniff 'N Go in November -- literally 5 minutes from my house! This instructor uses UKC Nose Work rules, which will be different. I'm really looking forward to it.

• Next Saturday (as in 8 days from now -- EEK!) Jedi and I are taking the Birch ORT in Lake Park, Florida. Wish us luck!

And I know I said "NO RESOLUTIONS" yesterday, but there are a few things I'd like to accomplish this year. Let's call them "goals" instead, OK?

1. I'd like to get rid of some of my clutter. To do so, I've joined the Declutter 365 Facebook Group. I'm hoping it'll help (she says as she sits in front of the computer typing instead of actually picking up stuff . . . ) Yeah, I need help.
2. I'd like to lose weight. My brother finally proposed to his girlfriend after 16 years. (I know!) I'm flying back to California for the wedding in August and I'd like to be 30 pounds lighter. I need help here too! (BTW, I could stand to lose twice that much. However, if I dwell on that fact it makes me so depressed that I want to eat a pan of brownies. Mmmm, brownies.)
3. I've been saying "I want to go to the Westminster Dog Show" for decades. Decades! It hasn't happened yet. I'll be 48 this year. I don't want to say I'm running out of time, but . . . I know me. Talk is cheap. When I finally decided that "I want a puppy" I opened up a CD and had money taken directly from my paycheck. Two years later, I had Jedi. (BTW, the CD is still active and saving for the next puppy. Don't tell Jedi.) So I've decided it's time to get aggressive about Westminster. Last week I reactivated an old savings account and I'm using this Money Savings Challenge. If all goes as planned, I'll have $1400 (plus interest, I don't trust me with money sitting around in a jar) by this time next year. I want to be at the 2018 Westminster Kennel Club cheering for the German shepherd.

And with that, it's time to log off. I've got a pot of beans cooking (a New Year's tradition in our family), some trick and sniff training with Jedi, and today's declutter mission: figure out where to put the stuff that's being evicted. Later, -- K