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My little Beauregard had a bit of a rough day today.

His day started great - a drive across town gave him the opportunity to hang his head out the truck window and let his ears flap in the wind.

But, after the truck stopped and he took a short walk into a building filled with lots of prospective playmates, including an English bulldog (go Dawgs!) and one angry little kitten, his fun came to an abrupt halt. The nice lady in the white coat, who had only moments before given him an apple-flavored treat, stuck him in his back with a long needle. Not once... but twice!

Well, as if that weren't bad enough, only 2 hours later, he falls into the swimming pool. It's 65 degrees outside, the water's freezing, and he's soaked through to the bone. The good news is, we learned the hard way that Beau can swim. His short little legs were doggie paddling 90 to nothing.

So, he gets all dried off and a few minutes later, his back swells up and is sore he can't be touched.

A call to the vet explains the situation as a normal reaction to the rabbies shot he's received earlier in the day. But the poor little thing... he laid down and just slept most of the day away.

Be sure to check out his latest photos and videos at his webpage - www.dorisweldon.com/BeauregardPup.htm

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This morning, the scariest thing ever happened to me while I was driving.

The road was Coldwater Canyon - a twisty, curvy, uphill two-lane scattered with pot holes that have been created from washing water. You see, when it rains, water rushes down the mountain sides onto the street below - which happens to be Coldwater Canyon.

Rain was falling this morning. Water flowed down the mountains and washed mud onto the street while running swiftly across the road's surface and over the mountain's side to the canyon below.

Traveling at less than 30 mph, I took a particularly muddy curve of the street and lost full control of my steering.

The tires lost traction and I swirved into the lane of oncoming traffic. I turned my wheel in vain trying to get back into my own lane. The truck, acting outside of my control, made a sharp right turn back into my own lane... but heading directly for the side of the mountain.

The entire moment of hydroplane probably lasted no more than 7 seconds before I regained traction, but the time that lasped felt like a small eternity.

I got control of the vehicle, but I lost control of my senses.

During the scare, I was calm and rational... remembering not to hit my brakes, remembering not to turn my wheel too sharply. After the scare, my heart beat wildly, I sat hunched in the seat practically hugging the steering wheel, I had to turn the radio off, and breathing became a conscious effort.

One of the scariest things I've ever experience - not having control.

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(written 10-31-05)

The Discovery Channel has an hour-long show called "A Haunting" that I've recently discovered. This show scares the living daylights out of me.

"A Haunting" is based on true stories of homes that are haunted. No, not the grand homes that are now museums, not bed & breakfasts in New Orleans, not castles... nothing you would have already heard about as being a famous haunted house. The tales in "A Haunting" are just your average, everyday run of the mill private homes that families, after moving in, found to be inhabited by spirits... and usually not the good kind.

The show is shot in reenactment style with a narrator and interviews with family members, mediums, and anyone else who encountered the chaos of the home. But the way it's shot... freakin scary crap, man. Special effects, creepy music, lighting, eerie sounds... heebie jeebies, I tell you. Heap freakin jeebies.

The reenactment are awesome, though.

In conjunction with Halloween I suppose, The Discovery Channel aired back-to-back episodes last night. And I, the girl who is afraid of the dark, could not bring myself to turn the channel. Nope. I sat with eyes glued to the television, remote in hand with thumb position over the "up" button. I should have turned the channel. Really, I should have. It wouldn't have taken much effort. My thumb was shaking, itching to hit the button on the remote... but I just couldn't do it.

I have a sick, sick addiction to "A Haunting."

A nonhuman demonic spirit possessed a medium, a teenager's bed shook and moved, an elderly couple's breakfast was interrupted when a ghost opened their pantry door and manifested before their eyes, a loving husband and father was turned into an evil, raccoon-killing man by the spirits in his home... and the list goes on.

As a result of the haunted marathon (stupid Discovery Channel), I slept with four lights and the television turned on until 6:00am the next morning. I woke about 5 times during the night, who of which I swear there were abnormal shadows on the wall. Dang, stupid Discovery Channel.

Thank God for Beauregard!

I hate that show.

I wonder if it will be on tonight.