Jim Ringel's Blog

x      =       exhibits characteristic
―      =       does not exhibit characteristic   SalesmanDog Hunts to Survive xx Charming when necessary xx Loyal ―x Always glad to see you (pre-sale) xx Always glad to see you (post-sale) ―x Smells its prey's weakness xx Requires grooming xx Enjoys doing what he's told ―x Does what he's told xx Best trained in a crate xx Fits in with the pack ―x The young ones are cute; the old ones droopy xx Cats are onto their tricks ―x Obsessed with fashion x― Not good with paper work xx Obsessive xx Understands money ―― Scratches embarassing body parts - self ―x Scratches embarassing body parts - others x― Means what he says ―x Pouts when he doesn't get his way xx Loves to play fetch xx Doesn’t reciprocate when playing fetch xx Drives a nice car x― Chases nice cars xx Learns how to behave through positive reinforcement xx Rebels against punishment xx Happily sniffs alpha dog's butt xx Been seen playing poker xx Exudes self confidence xx Constantly sheds old dead coat for newer, shinier coat xx Gets along with others xx Sometimes named after saints xx Enjoys children poking and pulling his ears ――Tolerates children poking and pulling his ears if it gets him what he wantsxx Barks when stressed xxCould be reincarnation of a saint―xSometimes fakes being hurt to get his wayxxKind to secretaries―xDrools when he sees what he wantsxxAlways scraping for better position amongst peersxxDid well on High School SATs――Talked about nicely by others―xWishes he had studied to be a lawyer insteadx―Dreams of chasing something when he sleepsxxDreams of being chased when he sleepsxxAnxiousx―Wonders if others are watching when he exercisesx―Eats the same food every meal―xDrinks the same drink every mealx―Makes for interesting readingxx

Wanted
A Pet, a Dog
A Boy's Dog
A dog I can get old with.
Looking for a non-shedding don't-make-me-sneeze dog. Must be into melding minds. Appreciation of Buddhism appreciated, but not a must.
You: Cute, active, enjoys a day on the trails, but evenings home in front of the telly. Digs cold weather, but grooves on a summer day. Lives in the now. Willing to teach me how to live in the now. Willing to sit with me, and meditate.
Enjoys books. Not slippers.
Me: Hard to follow, but still I expect it. Likes long walks down secluded paths, some alive with prairie dogs, some without. Smells. I like a path that smells, but I don't get close like you might want to. That's fine, do your thing. I'm not going to watch. I won't judge.
Must appreciate our differences.
Must enjoy quiet walks, as well as the loneliness of a quiet walk.
I prefer young, but I don't want to appear rigid here in public, so whatever age you are, you should at least say hello.
Send pictures please.
I want a dog who's not afraid to tell me what they're thinking.  But more than that, I want a dog who lets me tell them what I'm thinking.
That's really why I want a dog. Someone to tell my thoughts to.
That's how it's going to be between us. Me telling you stuff. Not that I'm bossy, I'm not bossy. I just want to tell you stuff. It'll be nice, a nice diversion. Doesn't mean we won't enjoy one another's company. Perhaps we'll enjoy one another's company more, this way.
Must be able to listen.
Must come when called.
Must sit, stay, roll over when asked. Can you shit on command? I want to help you shit on command.
Teach you how to stick your paw out. I like a dog with a firm shake.
Can we agree on that?
Me: Willing to work with you.
You: possibly a Rottweiler? (PS, I love Rottweilers. You could be #1―on the list of dogs I'm considering.) If Rottweiler, females only, please. You big bowsers, you're too hard on a leash. The girls are just the right size. Plus there's an insurance agent next door, and you know how they can get.
Labradoodles, don't be shy, would love to hear from you.  I admire a dog with a brain. Sometimes, I like to think of myself as a dog with a brain. Maybe you're brainy enough to tell me, explain―why are there so many different types of Labradoodles? F1's, F2's, F1B's, F― that.  Are you tough? Can you handle yourself? I mean, a dog like you and a me looking like me, walking around, we'll gonna get picked on. We're gonna get in fights. You up for a fight?  Cause that's why I really want a dog, you know. Someone to go out and get in fights with. Tell folks it's not our fault. It's just how we are. It's our nature.
Beaucerons, Pharaoh Hounds―we've had our time together, and you've taught me so much. Let's not cheapen it. Let's not try to figure out if we were really as good as we remember.
That's why I want a dog. Someone to show me my faults. That's what it's really about.
Look, I don't want to appear pretentious. I'm just talking, you know. I'm like that. I talk. Just don't get tired of me talking. You don’t have to understand what I'm saying, just don't get tired of me saying it.
All relationships fake a little.  Ask the Beauceron.  Ask the Pharaoh Hound.
Must enjoy hikes, but not every day. Should like cold weather, breaking snow tracks, and be leash-trained well enough that I can keep my hands in my pockets on cold winter strolls, in case I forget my gloves. Or they're missing.
Please don't take this next part as abandonment and go chew up my socks or something, but I bicycle summer mornings, and you're not invited. It won't be good for you.
That's why I want a dog.  So I can go bicycling by myself. Then go home, and there's someone there to come home to. Glad to see me. That's the real reason I want a dog.
I like Dobermans. Did I mention Dobermans? Boston Terriers?
No shedding please.
Is there anyone out there who can help?

 

Holbrook Jackson said:

   "Man is a dog's idea of what God should be."

I say:
  "And then some."

h

Holbrook Jackson said:

   "Man is a dog's idea of what God should be."

I say:
  "And then some."

h

In the Animal Realm, beings are solid and predictable, clinging to the ordinary, and fearful of what seems out of the ordinary.

A poem by A.R. Ammons

CLARIFICATIONS

The crows, mingled
powder white,

arrive floundering
through the

heavy snowfall:
they land ruffling

stark black
on the spruce boughs and

chisel the neighborhood
sharp with their cries.

A poem for a Solstice evening

Winter has withered everything
in this cold mountain place
dignity is in
its desolation now, and beauty
in the cold clarity of its moon.

                       - Saigyo

I've gotten out the old records.  LPs I haven't heard in a while. I miss Lou Reed.  But that's not bringing him back.

The trick to coping with loss is being comfortable with loss. Laurie Anderson refers to her teacher's, Yonge Mingur Rinpoche, instruction to her and Lou - "You need to try to master the ability to feel sad without actually being sad". 

Read Laurie's tribute here.


http://www.theidproject.org/blog/nancy-thompson/2013/11/08/dharma-connect-lou-reeds-meditative-death

In his book The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating Your Artistic Life, John Daido Loori outlines the following exercise - a good one for writers, visual artists, or anyone looking to expand their insight.

Have a friend put five or six small objects that can be held in the palm of your hand into a wastebasket or some other container.  The objects should represent different types of tactile surfaces.

Without looking, reach in and take an object from the basket.

Now spend fifteen to twenty minutes exploring the object with your hands, your eyes closed. Feel its every part.  Don't try to identify it.  As thoughts arise, acknowledge them, let them go, and return to the object.

When finished, return the object to the basket.  Repeat this process at another time.

As you continue this practice, you'll come to be able to experience the object directly, without labeling it or identifying what it is.

The exercise can help you develop the ability to just see, just hear, just touch, just smell, just taste - without needing to name the thing.  This way of perceiving will allow you to expand how you describe people, scenes and environments in your writing.