Day 0 at Haute TRACS

SUMMARY: Wednesday.

Usually I do some sort of statement as to what I'm hoping for or what my goals are for the weekend. I didn't do that here this time, but on Friday, while at the trial, I had occasion to be pondering that. So here's the list I came up with:

1. If I could have anything, it would be a Jumpers Q for Boost to finish her MAD. Not only would that be proof that we can in fact do Jumpers (after 39 or 40 nonQs, need to do some tweaking in my database), but the MAD (Master Agility Dog) is a nice "versatility title" milestone in general, and it would also allow us to enter UKI (should we decide to compete) at the top level to start with, so I wouldn't have dogs at 2 different levels.
2. I know that Tika will eventually get more "metal" titles (bronze, silver, gold, etc.) but being in the annual USDAA Top Ten is a rare experience for me. Like--done it once, in one category, with one dog. So I'd really like to win all three Gamblers and all three Snookers because those were where we did best last year and where I'd expect to do best this year. Second would be OK, too, or maybe 3rd if I have to. Am I greedy?
   
   I'm disappointed that there will be far fewer dogs in Performance 22" than I had hoped. With 11 dogs, 1st is worth 7 pts, 2nd 5, 3rd 3, etc. But there are never more than 9 dogs in any of our classes this weekend, so it's 5/3/1. I'd really like the 5 because I'm not planning on doing many events this year and I'll need at least 30 top ten points to be in contention.
   
   So far this year, Tika has 8 in Gamblers,
   12 in jumpers(!),
   3 in Snooker.
   
3. Tika's 3rd Standard for her Performance MAD (called PD3--Performance Dog 3). For some reason we are not clicking in Standard and she's only 2 for 17!! since we moved to performance. Dang dog can get Snooker SuperQs without blinking but can't get a Standard leg? Sheesh.
4. Tika and teammate Brenn win Performance DAM tournament. OK, maybe i'm still greedy, but I say it comes from 15 year and 4 dogs and never even placing in the tournaments until very recently, so now I want to make up for it. It's the only event where you earn those fancy neck medals, too, so that's fun to have. Brenn and Tika have a great track record since we've both moved to performance. It probably helps that they're both in the 9-10 years range instead of any older, but eh yeah they're very good dogs anyway.
5. Boost earn Super-Qs in Snooker. This is as bad or worse than the Jumpers thing. We need three of them and we have none. It's not that she's not fast enough.
6. Boost just have some nice smooth runs w/out knocking bars or runouts or refusals. Am I asking too much?
   
7. Tika win Steeplechase. Again making up for many years of hardly ever finishing in the money, and it's the only even where you *can* earn money. In performance, it's not much, but it's the principle of the thing. And since it's not much, might as well go for the gold (so to speak).

So--Wednesday night, I get to bed later than I'd have liked for a 4 a.m. wakeup call, stick my feet under the blankets, and they both immediately start going into spasm--the toes are pulling up and in and it's very painful and I can't make it stop. Short story: It's 1:30 in the morning before they stop. I don't know what started it. Walking around, ice on my spine and hips (when I can stop walking long enough) and finally a little stretching. Argh. This could be a miserable weekend if they keep it up.

So to sleep by around 2, and the alarm goes off at 4, so I will look and feel my best.