I give you Mini, Queen of All There Is and Ashley, a.k.a Princess Ashley Pants:
NEVER would I have thought these two would ever nap together :). Ashley is the long haired kitty in the front.
May there be peace and purrs in your household as well!
Sunday, December 23, 2012
There can be peace!
In an effort to get back to animal posts, I took a picture of the two prima donnas of the house napping together. If THEY can be relaxed in close proximity, I am confident there can be peace elsewhere.
I give you Mini, Queen of All There Is and Ashley, a.k.a Princess Ashley Pants:
NEVER would I have thought these two would ever nap together :). Ashley is the long haired kitty in the front.
May there be peace and purrs in your household as well!
I give you Mini, Queen of All There Is and Ashley, a.k.a Princess Ashley Pants:
NEVER would I have thought these two would ever nap together :). Ashley is the long haired kitty in the front.
May there be peace and purrs in your household as well!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Holy cow, WOW!
Is this a war zone? Hmmm, it looks kind of familiar.
More army guys, wonder if they are friendly?
They are!
Some people wonder why I am so affected by hurricanes - the pictures above were of where I work one week after Katrina. So many wonderful soldiers protected our hospital. So many wonderful men and women helped rescue and house the vulnerable. Yes, they set up camp in our parking lots and open space. They were very welcomed there.
I was asked to go in a little over a week after the hurricane to retrieve research samples that were in CO2 tanks. Some of the cell lines were 20+ years old and back then, they were not anywhere else. It was a grueling 18 hour day driving in from Baton Rouge escorted by the National Guard for our protection. I ran across these pictures and thought about the people I met and how I saw so much more good than bad. My faith in humanity was restored in those weeks as my son and I were taken in by strangers and I had the Guard and commandos watching over me that day. The Lord sent angels in fatigue to make sure I made it back safely.
Oh, and here is me with the commandos! It is a good thing pictures cannot emit odors ..we were very, very smelly that day!
More army guys, wonder if they are friendly?
They are!
Some people wonder why I am so affected by hurricanes - the pictures above were of where I work one week after Katrina. So many wonderful soldiers protected our hospital. So many wonderful men and women helped rescue and house the vulnerable. Yes, they set up camp in our parking lots and open space. They were very welcomed there.
I was asked to go in a little over a week after the hurricane to retrieve research samples that were in CO2 tanks. Some of the cell lines were 20+ years old and back then, they were not anywhere else. It was a grueling 18 hour day driving in from Baton Rouge escorted by the National Guard for our protection. I ran across these pictures and thought about the people I met and how I saw so much more good than bad. My faith in humanity was restored in those weeks as my son and I were taken in by strangers and I had the Guard and commandos watching over me that day. The Lord sent angels in fatigue to make sure I made it back safely.
Oh, and here is me with the commandos! It is a good thing pictures cannot emit odors ..we were very, very smelly that day!
Say a prayers for all those who put themselves on the line for us each and every single day.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Another horsey delay
I had planned on starting to ride in September. While I had not lost the weight I wanted to, I was going to do it anyway. But I have been concerned with my balance, which I blamed on the weight. After we recovered from Isaac, my balance seemed to get worse, walking down stairs was terrifying. Then the vertigo and the nausea started. A couple of minor incidents that I ignored, but then the big one at work. I turned a corner and the world started spinning. I grabbed the wall and had to slide down it. Working at a hospital has its benefits because I was whisked to the ER. It lasted a good 30 minutes but by the time I was seen, it had subsided. My blood pressure was high, so that is what they said it was. I went to my general practitioner and she wanted to adjust my blood pressure medicine but something told me that was not it. The almost constant nausea did not make sense to me.
So I went to an ENT who ordered a bunch of tests. I was reassured because he said it was most likely a type of vertigo that was caused by crystals that could be easily treated. But that did not prove to be the case. The tests show I have an inner ear disorder called Meniere's disease. The fluid inside both is too high. I already have significant hearing loss and can only hear in the middle range. If this is not controlled, the vertigo will continue and potentially get worse and I will continue to lose my hearing. The nausea will continue as well.
Three are four stages of treatment: environmental, medicine, more medicine, surgery. Needless to say I chose the environmental option. The first thing I need to do is to try to keep my daily sodium level to between 1000 - 1500 mg, the lower the better. The next thing is to eliminate caffeine from my diet. Nicotine is third (yes, I sneak a smoke from time to time) and finally sugar needs to be minimized. The last two won't be a problem, it is the first two that will be the challenge.
So, I have decided that I will need to view this in its most simple terms: eliminate processed foods. I think that is the only way I can manage this. Salt is used in canned and frozen foods, it looks all like all natural is where I am headed. I re-test in six months but if I have another severe episode, I need to start the medicine. The biggest challenge will be the boiled seafood here, which I love! I will have to figure out how to boil with spices and no salt.
I must say I was very upset when the doctor told me. I need to make sure the vertigo does not happen again before I start riding. If I gets worse, I will not be be to drive. Not to mention the hearing loss.
But God has his plan for me and while this is all new, if the worse thing that happens is that I eat healthier, then there is no room for a pity party in my life. No matter this progresses, He has His plan.
So riding will wait...for now.
So I went to an ENT who ordered a bunch of tests. I was reassured because he said it was most likely a type of vertigo that was caused by crystals that could be easily treated. But that did not prove to be the case. The tests show I have an inner ear disorder called Meniere's disease. The fluid inside both is too high. I already have significant hearing loss and can only hear in the middle range. If this is not controlled, the vertigo will continue and potentially get worse and I will continue to lose my hearing. The nausea will continue as well.
Three are four stages of treatment: environmental, medicine, more medicine, surgery. Needless to say I chose the environmental option. The first thing I need to do is to try to keep my daily sodium level to between 1000 - 1500 mg, the lower the better. The next thing is to eliminate caffeine from my diet. Nicotine is third (yes, I sneak a smoke from time to time) and finally sugar needs to be minimized. The last two won't be a problem, it is the first two that will be the challenge.
So, I have decided that I will need to view this in its most simple terms: eliminate processed foods. I think that is the only way I can manage this. Salt is used in canned and frozen foods, it looks all like all natural is where I am headed. I re-test in six months but if I have another severe episode, I need to start the medicine. The biggest challenge will be the boiled seafood here, which I love! I will have to figure out how to boil with spices and no salt.
I must say I was very upset when the doctor told me. I need to make sure the vertigo does not happen again before I start riding. If I gets worse, I will not be be to drive. Not to mention the hearing loss.
But God has his plan for me and while this is all new, if the worse thing that happens is that I eat healthier, then there is no room for a pity party in my life. No matter this progresses, He has His plan.
So riding will wait...for now.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Animal Perspective
We are home safe and sound. The trip to Arkansas was very tiring but I was glad we evacuated because my mother's house was without power. We have minor damage to our house and fences - nothing we can't fix ourselves so I feel very blessed.
Now - for the animals input on this:
Endy - a.k.a. the Big Dumb Dog
I went to Arkansas with Mom, the boy and a couple of other adults. At first I was not sure about the trip but it was fun! The fences where we were were low enough for me to jump so a human had to be with me the whole time. Doggy heaven. I tell you if it weren't for me, these humans would have been freaking out. They finally learned that petting me and spending tons of time with me during a crisis keeps them calm. I know that there is this training for horses called Parelli, so I think will call my human training program Endymi. In Endymi, you train the humans to pet and give lots of treats and show them that they do much better when they are with their dog 24 hours a day. I think there should be 10 levels and my humans have made it to level 8. I am glad to be home and will continue my humans' Endymi training while at home.
On another note, we stayed in a hotel-thingy on our way up. There was this really freaky small room that we would go in, the door would be closed by ghosts and then when the ghosts opened the door, we would magically be somewhere else. I never want to do that again!
Mini - a.k.a. the Queen of all there Is
Hurricane, smircane, what is everyone's big deal? I went to Baton Rouge with the other cats and stayed at my grandparent's house. It was so good to see grandma, she pet me and let me stay in her chair.
It was very nice but I could do without the 1 1/2 hour drive.
Maggie - a.k.a. the Sweetest cat alive
It was horrible! I was cat-napped, thrown into a tiny jail, jiggled around forever and then in a place I vaguely remember. I too much noise so there was this sofa thing and I got in it - Ashley was on the other side. But then I snuck out of the room we were supposed to be in and found another sofa thing and hid there. Mom and Dad could not find me, it was funny to listen to them tear apart the other sofa thinking I was there! But then they found me and threw me back into the tiny jail and jiggled me around again. I am home but I may never forgive them for this...wait, is that a treat?
Ashley - a.k.a. Princess Ashley
Horrible? Maggie does not know what she it talking about. Hell on Earth. We get there and I think they are friendly humans. I start to come out to visit and suddenly there is a huge pain in my tail. The really big man-thing stepped on my tail! Hissed and hissed and let them know that they needed to put that man-thing down. I found the sofa to get in and Maggie would not let me in on her side so I was on the other side. It was awful. Even the boy said I lost weight once I got home. I am going to write my Congressman, this was completely unacceptable.
Murphy - a.k.a. Murph the Smurph
Yea, I am with everyone else on the jiggly jail thing but this was pretty fun. I got to meet Grandpa and Grandma and I don't know what Ashley's big deal is about Grandpa stepping on her tail. She is such a princess - luckily Grandpa played and played with me. I got to meet all kinds of people there and was happy when Mom showed up. My only complaint was they would not let me out - it looked really cool and familiar out there - like I had been there before? Oh well. I am with Mini, those other two cats are drama queens.
Geico and Jumper
After much discussion, Mom decided to leave us since her trip was going to be so long and Dad was staying so close. Mom gave me tons of crickets and Jumper tons of blood worms. And do you want to know what the best part was? We never lost power in our homes! I know Mom had to leave because of her Mom but I think everyone would have been better off if they stayed here. The only thing that worries me is that I know she will bring us again if the storm is bigger. Either way, we were the best off here!
Me - Yes, leaving Geico and Jumper was very difficult but I was able to get enough crickets for Geico that I thought the best thing for her was not to be moved around. Jumper is so big now and getting old for a frog, I really did not want to lose him.We evacuated them for Gustav but we it was only a 1 hour drive, this time around I had to get Mom to Arkansas. She cannot breath outside this time of year so she literally needs AC 24 hours a day. I could not take the chance of staying here even for "just a category 1 storm" (ha-ha, Isaac surprised us all!). It was the right decision because while my house kept power the whole time, it was a fluke and my mom's house did not get power until Friday. My street and the streets on each side of us were the only ones. They are calling us the freaky pocket. Too bad we can't rely on that for the next storm.
Anyway, we are all safe and sound and I will start to help my friends who were not so lucky and flooded. La Place, who figured THAT would happen.
Later gater!
Now - for the animals input on this:
Endy - a.k.a. the Big Dumb Dog
I went to Arkansas with Mom, the boy and a couple of other adults. At first I was not sure about the trip but it was fun! The fences where we were were low enough for me to jump so a human had to be with me the whole time. Doggy heaven. I tell you if it weren't for me, these humans would have been freaking out. They finally learned that petting me and spending tons of time with me during a crisis keeps them calm. I know that there is this training for horses called Parelli, so I think will call my human training program Endymi. In Endymi, you train the humans to pet and give lots of treats and show them that they do much better when they are with their dog 24 hours a day. I think there should be 10 levels and my humans have made it to level 8. I am glad to be home and will continue my humans' Endymi training while at home.
On another note, we stayed in a hotel-thingy on our way up. There was this really freaky small room that we would go in, the door would be closed by ghosts and then when the ghosts opened the door, we would magically be somewhere else. I never want to do that again!
Mini - a.k.a. the Queen of all there Is
Hurricane, smircane, what is everyone's big deal? I went to Baton Rouge with the other cats and stayed at my grandparent's house. It was so good to see grandma, she pet me and let me stay in her chair.
It was very nice but I could do without the 1 1/2 hour drive.
Maggie - a.k.a. the Sweetest cat alive
It was horrible! I was cat-napped, thrown into a tiny jail, jiggled around forever and then in a place I vaguely remember. I too much noise so there was this sofa thing and I got in it - Ashley was on the other side. But then I snuck out of the room we were supposed to be in and found another sofa thing and hid there. Mom and Dad could not find me, it was funny to listen to them tear apart the other sofa thinking I was there! But then they found me and threw me back into the tiny jail and jiggled me around again. I am home but I may never forgive them for this...wait, is that a treat?
Ashley - a.k.a. Princess Ashley
Horrible? Maggie does not know what she it talking about. Hell on Earth. We get there and I think they are friendly humans. I start to come out to visit and suddenly there is a huge pain in my tail. The really big man-thing stepped on my tail! Hissed and hissed and let them know that they needed to put that man-thing down. I found the sofa to get in and Maggie would not let me in on her side so I was on the other side. It was awful. Even the boy said I lost weight once I got home. I am going to write my Congressman, this was completely unacceptable.
Murphy - a.k.a. Murph the Smurph
Yea, I am with everyone else on the jiggly jail thing but this was pretty fun. I got to meet Grandpa and Grandma and I don't know what Ashley's big deal is about Grandpa stepping on her tail. She is such a princess - luckily Grandpa played and played with me. I got to meet all kinds of people there and was happy when Mom showed up. My only complaint was they would not let me out - it looked really cool and familiar out there - like I had been there before? Oh well. I am with Mini, those other two cats are drama queens.
Geico and Jumper
After much discussion, Mom decided to leave us since her trip was going to be so long and Dad was staying so close. Mom gave me tons of crickets and Jumper tons of blood worms. And do you want to know what the best part was? We never lost power in our homes! I know Mom had to leave because of her Mom but I think everyone would have been better off if they stayed here. The only thing that worries me is that I know she will bring us again if the storm is bigger. Either way, we were the best off here!
Me - Yes, leaving Geico and Jumper was very difficult but I was able to get enough crickets for Geico that I thought the best thing for her was not to be moved around. Jumper is so big now and getting old for a frog, I really did not want to lose him.We evacuated them for Gustav but we it was only a 1 hour drive, this time around I had to get Mom to Arkansas. She cannot breath outside this time of year so she literally needs AC 24 hours a day. I could not take the chance of staying here even for "just a category 1 storm" (ha-ha, Isaac surprised us all!). It was the right decision because while my house kept power the whole time, it was a fluke and my mom's house did not get power until Friday. My street and the streets on each side of us were the only ones. They are calling us the freaky pocket. Too bad we can't rely on that for the next storm.
Anyway, we are all safe and sound and I will start to help my friends who were not so lucky and flooded. La Place, who figured THAT would happen.
Later gater!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Packing Up
Well, with the storm coming, we are packing up. The plan is that I will take Conor (my boy), my mom and my elderly cousin Rodney to my uncles place in Arkansas. We are not sure what Pat's company will do yet. I will take the cats to Pat's parents tomorrow and then leave with my humans, Endy, Geico and the aquatics very early Tuesday morning. I have rented a trailer for mom's medical equipment so I feel in pretty good shape. Even without a direct hit, the chance of losing power is very high and my mother is fully dependent on oxygen at this point. I also can't worry about a medical emergency in the middle of this and not being able to get to a hospital if my mom has an issue.
Since 2002, I have evacuated 4 times: Lilli, Ivan, Katrina, and Gustov. I still get the same feeling when I try to figure out what to bring and what to leave. I know we will probably be back but I learned after Katrina not to expect to be back. It is a very strange feeling, and you figure out very quickly when you are running out of space. It is very strange.
So that is it for now. I will be up to my eyeballs running around until this is done. Just know that my family, including furry, reptilian and aquatic beasties will remain safe. Safe driving everyone. Dawn.
Since 2002, I have evacuated 4 times: Lilli, Ivan, Katrina, and Gustov. I still get the same feeling when I try to figure out what to bring and what to leave. I know we will probably be back but I learned after Katrina not to expect to be back. It is a very strange feeling, and you figure out very quickly when you are running out of space. It is very strange.
So that is it for now. I will be up to my eyeballs running around until this is done. Just know that my family, including furry, reptilian and aquatic beasties will remain safe. Safe driving everyone. Dawn.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Too Many Apps
I wonder if they are computer hacking Apps?Hey http://fernvalley01.blogspot.com/, what do YOU think?
(Found the source of this giggle of the day: http://www.cafepress.com/jlwdesigns/7184272 and she has awesome merchandise for sale!!!)
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Endy is out of Recovery
Quick note: Endy is out of recovery and he did really well. The vet was very optimistic about the things and we should know in a couple of weeks if they are benign.
We had a good talk about the inability to hold his bladder problem (I love this vet - he deals with my thousands of questions with grace). Since the blood work came up good and there were not crystals present, the vet gently told me that Endy is getting older and sometimes they just have to go more. That made me feel better though I am still worried about his losing 12 pounds (move than 10% of his body weight) and decreased appetite.
One thing at a time; I will pick up my baby in 3 hours, 51 minutes (yes, counting minutes) and get him home where he belongs. I am going to pick up new clippers from the pet store tonight so I can fully shave him since right now I just clipped him with scissors around the affected areas - or basically his whole back end. My focus will be keeping him comfortable and then we can see how he does.
So drama mama needs to get back to work - just so happy we have a vet who knows me well enough not to hang up on me!
We had a good talk about the inability to hold his bladder problem (I love this vet - he deals with my thousands of questions with grace). Since the blood work came up good and there were not crystals present, the vet gently told me that Endy is getting older and sometimes they just have to go more. That made me feel better though I am still worried about his losing 12 pounds (move than 10% of his body weight) and decreased appetite.
One thing at a time; I will pick up my baby in 3 hours, 51 minutes (yes, counting minutes) and get him home where he belongs. I am going to pick up new clippers from the pet store tonight so I can fully shave him since right now I just clipped him with scissors around the affected areas - or basically his whole back end. My focus will be keeping him comfortable and then we can see how he does.
So drama mama needs to get back to work - just so happy we have a vet who knows me well enough not to hang up on me!
Monday, August 13, 2012
The Endy Dilema
I love this dog. So very much. His vet visit Saturday did not sit well. There were some things that have cropped up with him the last few months and we addressed them directly:
- He has started obsessively licking, not just himself but the carpet, sofa, us, anything within reach.
- His skin is red and irritated - I even clipped all the hair from his waist down to try to help
- He can only go 5 hourse without a potty break. This means that around 3 am, myself or hubby get up to let him out - we are fighting sleep deprivation since we can't get back to sleep.
- He has a "thing" on his side that in the last couple of weeks has suddenly is irritating him and has started to bleed.
- I have noticed that he doesn't always finish his food.
- He has lost 12 pounds, I think most of it in the last 3 months, and we have not been trying to get him to lose weight
We decided to tackle the obvious things first. Blood work to hopefully identify a bladder infection and schedule surgery on Tuesday to remove the thing. The thing will be biopsied to see what it is and why it changed so suddenly. He will be on antibiotics from the surgery which will actually help his skin - turns out what I thought was allergies is a skin infection.
The nurse called me today and the first part of the blood work is back: no bladder infection. Crap. That would have been the easiest thing to deal with and would have potentially explained 3, 5 and 6. Several years ago he had an issue with his kidneys and crystals - I am afraid that might be rearing it's ugly head again. More extensive blood work will happen during the surgery so I am trying to take one thing at a time.
I just have this feeling in my gut that he is not comfortable. We will see what happens after tomorrow, he will let me know. I just love the big, dumb dog!
Friday, August 10, 2012
Athos, Porthos and Aramis
These are my additional office buddies with A2, the Beta.
Yes they are Ghost Shrimp! They live in their own little aquarium and hopefully with thrive like A2.
It is very relaxing to take little breaks and look at my aquatics in my office - remember I get lonely in here with no one to socialize with.
Back to work!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
A nice night
Every Tuesday night, Conor's father's side of the family gets together and has dinner. I am always invited and usually try to go once a month. Last night, Conor's sister was there (she just moved back to New Orleans), his brother was there and many of his adult cousins. I am only 6 years older than my step-daughter and 15 years older than my step-son so it is really like having friends than a parent-child type relationship.
I digress. In the middle of dinner, I looked at the head of the table and see Nanny and Paw sitting there, smiling very contently. I realized the full table, many jokes and teasing was filling their hearts. Paw has been very quiet about Mark's (Conor's father) death while Nanny will talk with me from time to time - I know her heart really hurts. But last night, in the midst of the chaos and I did not see the hurt in either of them...I just saw the peace that happens when surrounded by loved ones. Nanny and Paw are in their 90's so to see that look now is a blessing.
Now, a part of the teasing was to Conor: he got braces yesterday! Say CHEESE!
I digress. In the middle of dinner, I looked at the head of the table and see Nanny and Paw sitting there, smiling very contently. I realized the full table, many jokes and teasing was filling their hearts. Paw has been very quiet about Mark's (Conor's father) death while Nanny will talk with me from time to time - I know her heart really hurts. But last night, in the midst of the chaos and I did not see the hurt in either of them...I just saw the peace that happens when surrounded by loved ones. Nanny and Paw are in their 90's so to see that look now is a blessing.
Now, a part of the teasing was to Conor: he got braces yesterday! Say CHEESE!
(he's so not happy about this!)
Monday, August 6, 2012
The other shoe...
might be waiting to fall. Still working on my pictures but kind of down at the moment. My uncle, who comes from AK to help me with my mom, received news Saturday that it looks like he might have kidney cancer. He was in town and had to leave early to go for the final tests yesterday. I am old enough to know we do not have enough information yet but my poor mother is so beside herself I can't console her. There is alot of family drama surrounding this relationship - I have managed to stay above it but it is tiring at the moment.
This uncle is the grandfather to my precious cousin's baby girl (remember the toes?).
The really strange thing was Friday I was frantic wanting to see my cousin and her baby and give them a hug. Then the news came Saturday about the diagnosis - she hasn't called me back and I am frantic missing her again. I left a message - my precious cousin, she is my sister and I hope she is doing OK.
Just venting - wanting my heart to catch up to my head...I will just feel better when I hear back from my cousin.
This uncle is the grandfather to my precious cousin's baby girl (remember the toes?).
Just venting - wanting my heart to catch up to my head...I will just feel better when I hear back from my cousin.
Bath
The trip. The first day was a loss due to a missed flight at Houston so we actually lost a day. I have decided to post day by day sooo: Bath, UK.
I went crazy with the pictures so if you are interested, the full album is here:
Bath Album on Facebook
Walking the city
The architecture was beautiful
As were the gardens
The cathedral next to the Roman Baths
 |
| Bathing anyone? |
Friday, August 3, 2012
Extra Pickles Please!
Just read an amazing post from one of the bloggers I love to follow:
http://fernvalley01.blogspot.com/2012/08/extra-pickles-pleaseor-ask-for-what-you.html
So my challenge for today is follow this sage advice: Extra Pickles Please!
(Thanks FernValley Appaloosas!)
Oh, and England pictures should be posted by the end of this week-end :)
http://fernvalley01.blogspot.com/2012/08/extra-pickles-pleaseor-ask-for-what-you.html
So my challenge for today is follow this sage advice: Extra Pickles Please!
(Thanks FernValley Appaloosas!)
Oh, and England pictures should be posted by the end of this week-end :)
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Straight A's
This one will be a quick one because I have only been back in the states for 12 hours but my son got straight A's in his Oxford course work. The physics and biology professors both encouraged him to consider careers in those fields. A bit soon, he is still 12.
Once I get more sleep, I will post more info (plus pictures) but my my baby got straight A's in Oxford!
Once I get more sleep, I will post more info (plus pictures) but my my baby got straight A's in Oxford!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
If I curse myself...
I will shoot myself.
I have been dying to get back into horses. Now that the boy is essentially a teen and all I am is transportation and grade overseer, I am finding a little time for me. I have the situation with my mom down to a science as well. My wonderful hubby has been asking me why we do not look at buying a horse. I had (and still have) my reasons:
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! Really? Oh my! I nearly fainted. I told him I needed a tune up and would start lessons as soon as I got back from England (got to go get the boy) which will give me 2 to 3 months to get in shape, see if I can catch up as fast as I think I can AND see if my uncle is comfortable with this little plan of ours. And you know what, even if he does not feel OK with me and his horse, then I will have 3 months under my belt and maybe will be able to pull the trigger on seeing about a lease.
Soooooo, that is my news, I have been surfing looking for horse stuff - I am not sure my saddle will fit his horse (my mare was 15.2 hands, his is 16.3), ok so I am pretty positive it won't. Either way, I am headed in the right direction and am so happy I can't see straight.
I am imagining hugging a horse right now - can you guess which one it is? ;)
I have been dying to get back into horses. Now that the boy is essentially a teen and all I am is transportation and grade overseer, I am finding a little time for me. I have the situation with my mom down to a science as well. My wonderful hubby has been asking me why we do not look at buying a horse. I had (and still have) my reasons:
- Evacuations. I would want a horse I could go see before work and to have one that close means I would have to have a hurricane evacuation plan in place.
- Do I REALLY have the time I think I have? That still needs to be answered in my mind.
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! Really? Oh my! I nearly fainted. I told him I needed a tune up and would start lessons as soon as I got back from England (got to go get the boy) which will give me 2 to 3 months to get in shape, see if I can catch up as fast as I think I can AND see if my uncle is comfortable with this little plan of ours. And you know what, even if he does not feel OK with me and his horse, then I will have 3 months under my belt and maybe will be able to pull the trigger on seeing about a lease.
Soooooo, that is my news, I have been surfing looking for horse stuff - I am not sure my saddle will fit his horse (my mare was 15.2 hands, his is 16.3), ok so I am pretty positive it won't. Either way, I am headed in the right direction and am so happy I can't see straight.
I am imagining hugging a horse right now - can you guess which one it is? ;)
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Happy 4th!
No report from the boy today but I got to spend some time with my wonderful cousin from Washington and her daughter. She is the little sister I always wanted and I love that baby. So for your viewing pleasure, here are toes:
And the beautiful girl herself! Complete with manners and a huge smile.
Sorry for the fuzzy pictures, she moves around alot!
I may have horsey news in the next couple of months so keep your fingers crossed for me!
And the beautiful girl herself! Complete with manners and a huge smile.
Sorry for the fuzzy pictures, she moves around alot!
I may have horsey news in the next couple of months so keep your fingers crossed for me!
Monday, July 2, 2012
And my boy is in Oxford
It has been a while since I posted but I am pleased to say my son is safely settled in his dorm room at Oxford. I was kind of a nervous wreck - not only is this the first time I have sent him away for an extended period of time, but sending him overseas had the be the first place? What was I thinking? I was thinking it would be a wonderfully educational experience (he is studying mathematics, physics, biology, photography and debate) and they have a great program for kids his age (12 - 15). We have spoken a couple of times since he has been there. The first was last night to make sure we were watching the soccer game and the second was this morning because his credit card was not working.
He sounded so happy so my anxiety is pretty much gone. I will say the house was way too quiet over the week-end; I even contemplated Skyping some of his friends. But speaking with him made me feel really good so I am hanging in there.
I will be picking him up at the end of July - I am going a few days early so I can enjoy England. Hubby can't go because he started a new job and does not have enough time accrued. (Boooo!).
Hug your imaginary horse today! I am imagining hugging my boy.
He sounded so happy so my anxiety is pretty much gone. I will say the house was way too quiet over the week-end; I even contemplated Skyping some of his friends. But speaking with him made me feel really good so I am hanging in there.
I will be picking him up at the end of July - I am going a few days early so I can enjoy England. Hubby can't go because he started a new job and does not have enough time accrued. (Boooo!).
Hug your imaginary horse today! I am imagining hugging my boy.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
News of my demise...
Mini here. What the heck is going on with my humans! Don't they understand that I am tired from those crazy lunatics poking me, sticking something up my butt, taking my blood - are they vampires? And then I start to feel a little better and my human dad takes me to the lunatics who stick me with needles once a year and LEAVES ME THERE!
Mom apparently wised up and rescued me from the second set of lunatics. But she has been driving me crazy petting me all the time, watching me eat trying to get me to drink. Hey, if a horse isn't going to do it, why should I? I mean I heard they were "pushing fluids" and frankly, I was just not thirsty when I got home.
Off balance? Wouldn't you be too if you spent 24 hours with something shoved into your arm (which they shaved and looks absolutely ridiculous)? Sure, I tried to jump down and fell on my face but I was tired. Mom, do you even know what TIRED means?
The humans finally left yesterday and I got to sleep again. Mom got home and when I got off the couch without falling on my face she scared the poop out of me. All that whooping and hollering - what a drama queen. I do like the extra petting and I get the best spot on the sofa but really, this has to stop. Well with the exception of the extra treats.
So in the peace and quiet this morning after mom woke up the boy, I decided to try to sneak and drink from the sink (dad left the water running for me). Dad was there and quiet but as soon as Mom saw me, she started the noise again. Sheesh. At least Dad was able to calm her down.
So, don't believe what drama queen mom is saying, I will do what I want to do when I want to do it and that is the way it has always been!
Human mom back in here: My plans tonight include petting Mini and drinking heavily!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Mini alert
Haven't blogged lately - life has been getting in the way. My mother had a COPD flare up but is recovering from it. While she lives 20 to 30 minutes from me, it is extremely difficult for me to get there in the mornings and evenings when she needs my help. I am currently working to see if I can get her moved closer to me. My father's last year, I had him two doors down from me and it made taking care of him so much easier. I am thankful I was able to give him that so he was not in a nursing home. I know God will see me through this.
It is also finals time for my son. He is smart and trying to convince him he actually needs to study more than a day in advance has been a struggle. While I am glad that he is able to go on brain power alone, I fear that not developing the study habits now will come back to bite him in the...you know what....later.
I have a major situation going on at work and is sucking the energy out of me. Trying to remain professional when those around you are stabbing you in the back is very difficult. I keep on thinking of one of my favorite quotes:
"Sir! We're surrounded!"
"Excellent! Now we can fire in all directions!"
In the middle of all of this, Sunday night I noticed that Mini was sitting in an odd position on some clothes. I called my husband because I felt like something was wrong. He picked her up (she didn't complain) and put her on the bed and she sat there lethargically. I looked at her eyes and they were half open and she was obviously miserable. I asked my husband to pick her up and hold her and again, she didn't complain and let him cuddle her. We knew something was terribly wrong then. I had to tell my son he needed to continue studying (he had 2 finals the next day) and we rushed to the emergency vet at 8:00 pm.
They were able to see her quickly and figure out she was extremely dehydrated. Pulled blood for all kinds of blood work and asked if we would let them keep her so they could put in an IV and rehydrate her (cha-ching). Additional tests would be a urinalysis, FIV and a bunch of other tests. Everything came back normal considering she was dehydrated (glucose and globulin were slightly elevated but that is "normal" in a stressed, dehydrated cat). She stayed the night to get her fluids.
The next morning, my husband went to get her and bring her to our regular vet. She was a little cantankerous, which for her is an improvement. The vet continued to rehydrate her and when he tried examine her, she was a hellion (a vast improvement). I went to pick her up after work and could hear her screaming through the walls when they were trying to put her in her carrier (my heart flew with happiness).
We got her home and comfortable and are now watching her. When I got up this morning, I raced to make sure she was OK - whaaaaaat mom? I was sleeeeeeeping!!! She is still lethargic but looks much better. I hope she is just tired after her 24 hour ordeal, after all she is 10.
We don't know what caused this but the next few days are important. How do you get a cat to drink when they don't want to? She is eating a little - we are bringing it to her but the water thing concerns me. I was just happy to have a good love session with her this morning and even got a very strong purr.
I will be on pins and needles until I get home tonight to check on her. And if Princess Ashley Pants (her newest nick name) walks up to her, sniffs her and hisses one more time, she may go for a 24 hour vet visit!
Picture Update: What, you want that paper?
It is also finals time for my son. He is smart and trying to convince him he actually needs to study more than a day in advance has been a struggle. While I am glad that he is able to go on brain power alone, I fear that not developing the study habits now will come back to bite him in the...you know what....later.
I have a major situation going on at work and is sucking the energy out of me. Trying to remain professional when those around you are stabbing you in the back is very difficult. I keep on thinking of one of my favorite quotes:
"Sir! We're surrounded!"
"Excellent! Now we can fire in all directions!"
In the middle of all of this, Sunday night I noticed that Mini was sitting in an odd position on some clothes. I called my husband because I felt like something was wrong. He picked her up (she didn't complain) and put her on the bed and she sat there lethargically. I looked at her eyes and they were half open and she was obviously miserable. I asked my husband to pick her up and hold her and again, she didn't complain and let him cuddle her. We knew something was terribly wrong then. I had to tell my son he needed to continue studying (he had 2 finals the next day) and we rushed to the emergency vet at 8:00 pm.
They were able to see her quickly and figure out she was extremely dehydrated. Pulled blood for all kinds of blood work and asked if we would let them keep her so they could put in an IV and rehydrate her (cha-ching). Additional tests would be a urinalysis, FIV and a bunch of other tests. Everything came back normal considering she was dehydrated (glucose and globulin were slightly elevated but that is "normal" in a stressed, dehydrated cat). She stayed the night to get her fluids.
The next morning, my husband went to get her and bring her to our regular vet. She was a little cantankerous, which for her is an improvement. The vet continued to rehydrate her and when he tried examine her, she was a hellion (a vast improvement). I went to pick her up after work and could hear her screaming through the walls when they were trying to put her in her carrier (my heart flew with happiness).
We got her home and comfortable and are now watching her. When I got up this morning, I raced to make sure she was OK - whaaaaaat mom? I was sleeeeeeeping!!! She is still lethargic but looks much better. I hope she is just tired after her 24 hour ordeal, after all she is 10.
We don't know what caused this but the next few days are important. How do you get a cat to drink when they don't want to? She is eating a little - we are bringing it to her but the water thing concerns me. I was just happy to have a good love session with her this morning and even got a very strong purr.
I will be on pins and needles until I get home tonight to check on her. And if Princess Ashley Pants (her newest nick name) walks up to her, sniffs her and hisses one more time, she may go for a 24 hour vet visit!
Picture Update: What, you want that paper?
Sunday, May 6, 2012
If my body is a temple...
then I feel like it is The Temple of Doom.
I have been fighting fatigue for the past couple of years. I finally convinced my doctor to change my prescription from Synthroid to Armour (I had to have my thyroid removed in 2006). While things have improved a little in the fatigue area, I am still very tired a lot. This has not done much for my waste line - but THAT is another topic. I hope that she will consider upping the Armour during my visit with her tomorrow.
This week-end wore me out! Friday night, my son had his school concert - home at 9:30 pm. Saturday morning, he was in the Math Olympiads at school and I was a proctor for one of the rooms. Up at 6 am, at school at 8 am, 3 hours of testing and monitoring. I stress during this time because I want to make sure that I do things correctly so the kids do not get disqualified in my area. During the individual competition, I had two students wright their answers on the wrong sheet - luckily the judge allowed them to transfer the answers to the answer sheet. I kept on having to explain to the boy just the answer only because he was asking me questions. It was his first tournament and started getting really rattled; I noticed his handwriting was great and complimented him and that seemed to calm him down.
Math Olympiads ended at 12 and we ran home, took showers and got dressed up for my son's second concert at Loyola University. His rehearsal was at 1 pm, his call time was at 2 pm and the concert started at 3 pm. I had a parents meeting at 1:30 pm for the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra. The concert was wonderful and kind of bitter sweet. My son has been so stressed out with not clicking with his new violin teacher and everything that has happened last year (my grandmother's, his father's and my cousin's death) so we have decided to honor his request to take a year off from GNOYO and try to start back up with his original teacher.
From the GNOYO concert, we went directly to watch one of his best friends play in a band for a set. His friend has had a rough couple of years and 6th grade has been brutal for him. I normally would have said it is too much, but it meant so much to both the boys that we ran from Loyola to the Marrero. We got there at 5:30 and his friend played around 6 pm. He was wonderful - he recently took up the bass guitar and was asked by the band to play. I got the chance to catch up with his mom, who is an angel masquerading as a human here on earth and his grandmother. They were so touched that we came to watch him, knowing the days we had. We left there after 7 pm and got home at 8 pm. It took me a little while to get to sleep.
5:00 am this morning, Endy needed to go out. So I hauled myself up, let him out and then laid back down...and woke up at 4 pm! I literally slept the whole day. All the things that I was supposed to do didn't get done and now I am getting ready to go back to bed.
Temple of Doom - do too much and I die!
Well, at least the imaginary horse had a fun day of grazing and relaxation - and there is always next week-end.
I have been fighting fatigue for the past couple of years. I finally convinced my doctor to change my prescription from Synthroid to Armour (I had to have my thyroid removed in 2006). While things have improved a little in the fatigue area, I am still very tired a lot. This has not done much for my waste line - but THAT is another topic. I hope that she will consider upping the Armour during my visit with her tomorrow.
This week-end wore me out! Friday night, my son had his school concert - home at 9:30 pm. Saturday morning, he was in the Math Olympiads at school and I was a proctor for one of the rooms. Up at 6 am, at school at 8 am, 3 hours of testing and monitoring. I stress during this time because I want to make sure that I do things correctly so the kids do not get disqualified in my area. During the individual competition, I had two students wright their answers on the wrong sheet - luckily the judge allowed them to transfer the answers to the answer sheet. I kept on having to explain to the boy just the answer only because he was asking me questions. It was his first tournament and started getting really rattled; I noticed his handwriting was great and complimented him and that seemed to calm him down.
Math Olympiads ended at 12 and we ran home, took showers and got dressed up for my son's second concert at Loyola University. His rehearsal was at 1 pm, his call time was at 2 pm and the concert started at 3 pm. I had a parents meeting at 1:30 pm for the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra. The concert was wonderful and kind of bitter sweet. My son has been so stressed out with not clicking with his new violin teacher and everything that has happened last year (my grandmother's, his father's and my cousin's death) so we have decided to honor his request to take a year off from GNOYO and try to start back up with his original teacher.
From the GNOYO concert, we went directly to watch one of his best friends play in a band for a set. His friend has had a rough couple of years and 6th grade has been brutal for him. I normally would have said it is too much, but it meant so much to both the boys that we ran from Loyola to the Marrero. We got there at 5:30 and his friend played around 6 pm. He was wonderful - he recently took up the bass guitar and was asked by the band to play. I got the chance to catch up with his mom, who is an angel masquerading as a human here on earth and his grandmother. They were so touched that we came to watch him, knowing the days we had. We left there after 7 pm and got home at 8 pm. It took me a little while to get to sleep.
5:00 am this morning, Endy needed to go out. So I hauled myself up, let him out and then laid back down...and woke up at 4 pm! I literally slept the whole day. All the things that I was supposed to do didn't get done and now I am getting ready to go back to bed.
Temple of Doom - do too much and I die!
Well, at least the imaginary horse had a fun day of grazing and relaxation - and there is always next week-end.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Week-end derailed
I had truly hoped to be able to post about my adventures this week-end visiting different riding stables. Unfortunately, too many things came up and I could not visit one. Nothing bad, just regular "oh my gosh, I forgot this needs to be done" stuff.
There are two huge concerns for me regarding getting another horse. The time (will I be able to spend enough time with the horse) and evacuation plans. While I do not consider myself traumatized by Katrina, big decisions are always taken into consideration with our personal evacuation plans. Katrina was the one time on my son's life that we were literally homeless (before I married hubby). While for us the "homelessness" lasted about 4 weeks (I was able to secure a place for us), I have sworn that my son and my pets would never be put in that position again.
The decision regarding the horses is to focus on stables on the North Shore. Most of them can shelter in place so moving a horse during an evacuation would not be necessary. Plus, I really do not like city riding so it seems like a good plan.
Should I find a riding stable that I am comfortable with and am able to spend enough time at, we would then consider a lease. If am able to keep up and that and the stable is working out, then we will consider getting horse. I see this as a minimum 2 year process but I am comfortable with it and if any part does not work out right now, we can revisit it later.
When I was tween, I had a wonderful Quarter Horse gelding and we did barrels, pole bending and trail riding in the mountains (I grew up in Colorado). The barrel racing was kid fun (not like Brown Eyed Cowgirl talent!) and I got a few blue ribbons on him. When I was a teen on a Anglo Arab mare, I started jumping, did some cross country and really enjoyed dressage. I never did show but loved the cross country training and riding in the mountains. I think my goal now will be to do a little dressage and english trail riding. I would like a horse that is over the showing (hopefully dressage) and will enjoy exercise dressage and trail riding; I have no desire to show. Like I said, a process but I am always in my comfort zone when I have my procedure together.
Have a great day (and I am hugging my imaginary horse now)!
There are two huge concerns for me regarding getting another horse. The time (will I be able to spend enough time with the horse) and evacuation plans. While I do not consider myself traumatized by Katrina, big decisions are always taken into consideration with our personal evacuation plans. Katrina was the one time on my son's life that we were literally homeless (before I married hubby). While for us the "homelessness" lasted about 4 weeks (I was able to secure a place for us), I have sworn that my son and my pets would never be put in that position again.
The decision regarding the horses is to focus on stables on the North Shore. Most of them can shelter in place so moving a horse during an evacuation would not be necessary. Plus, I really do not like city riding so it seems like a good plan.
Should I find a riding stable that I am comfortable with and am able to spend enough time at, we would then consider a lease. If am able to keep up and that and the stable is working out, then we will consider getting horse. I see this as a minimum 2 year process but I am comfortable with it and if any part does not work out right now, we can revisit it later.
When I was tween, I had a wonderful Quarter Horse gelding and we did barrels, pole bending and trail riding in the mountains (I grew up in Colorado). The barrel racing was kid fun (not like Brown Eyed Cowgirl talent!) and I got a few blue ribbons on him. When I was a teen on a Anglo Arab mare, I started jumping, did some cross country and really enjoyed dressage. I never did show but loved the cross country training and riding in the mountains. I think my goal now will be to do a little dressage and english trail riding. I would like a horse that is over the showing (hopefully dressage) and will enjoy exercise dressage and trail riding; I have no desire to show. Like I said, a process but I am always in my comfort zone when I have my procedure together.
Have a great day (and I am hugging my imaginary horse now)!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Alpha v2.0 (and other quandaries)
I was playing with the idea calling him Go Live (just could not bring myself to call a beta, well you know, Beta) so I have decided on Apha 2, nickname A2. When spoken, it sounds like "et tu" (and you in French) so it stayed. I am pleased to say A2 has been eating healthily and is very active so I think he will stick around.
Endy. Major commotion with him. He is becoming more unpredictable and last week attacked a dog. It was not that he was gunning for the dog, he was actually being very nice and then snapped. Of course he had snuck out of the front door and luckily I got to him before he caused injuries. The other dog's owner was furious, and I don't blame her.
After the last set of evaluations with the vet, we discussed at what point we would put him down. I made the appointment last week to have him put down and started to prepare my son. Well, I can't do it just yet. I know we drew a line in the sand so we would have guidance for the time; we are at that line but my gut says no. Am I being irresponsible?
He had another couple of seizures last night and most of the time he is his wonderful self. It is the unpredictability that is the problem. It was my fault he got out but he has been snapping at the cats and got fur from Murphy. So we are going to do more evaluations this week-end. The decision to put Nyla down, while not easy, was clear. She was having more bad days than good. Endy has mostly good days but unpredictability. I wish I had a clear sign.
Here is my son and his dog. What would you do? (That is Ashley, the queen all there is, on the sofa thinking Endy is crazy!)
Thursday, April 12, 2012
His name was Alpha...
And Alpha bit the dust! My poor little beta, he apparently was scared to death of the camera because shortly after I posted, Alpha started doing tricks for me. I knew he wasn't here long.
It will be a little while before I replace him, we have major animal drama going on right now. I can't bring myself to discuss it yet but soon...
It will be a little while before I replace him, we have major animal drama going on right now. I can't bring myself to discuss it yet but soon...
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Ooops, I did it again!
Ooops, I did it again! I have mentioned before that I work in a very solitary environment. One of my scientists decided to get a beta to keep him company so of course I had to follow suit. Here is the newest member of our clan. He does not have a name yet but I wanted to remember when we got him.
And here is where he lives in between the Buffalo (6 TB, thank you very much) and the Easter picture of my son.
Hmmm, what should his name be?
And here is where he lives in between the Buffalo (6 TB, thank you very much) and the Easter picture of my son.
Hmmm, what should his name be?
TWO followers and a lurker
Oh no, the stress, I now feel like I need to post more! I promise I will do so (after I finish work, cleaning house, taking care of pets, kids and hubby, and so on and so on...)
Monday, February 27, 2012
He's watching!
I caught my husband looking at my blog over the week-end! He never really did respond to when I called him a sillyhead online...
Anyway, my dear, one of my favorite blogs is ending. The writer has decided to continue on facebook. Just to give you an idea of what I hope to be doing when we retire:
http://laughingorcaranch.blogspot.com/
Love ya, babe!
Anyway, my dear, one of my favorite blogs is ending. The writer has decided to continue on facebook. Just to give you an idea of what I hope to be doing when we retire:
http://laughingorcaranch.blogspot.com/
Love ya, babe!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Old Pictures
 |
| My son and Endy when we first got Endy. The boy is now 12! |
 |
| First white water rafting trip in April 2010 |
 |
| Second trip, August 2010. My son is on the right side in front of the tour guide and I am on the left side in front of the tour guide. |
 |
| August 2010, the bear tore the container from the cabin to get to the trash! We were trapped in the cabin for about an hour. |
 |
| He preferred the junk food (he left theoranges out and ate the cookies - BAD BEAR!) |
Monday, February 13, 2012
R.I.P. Henry
February 5, I found Henry, the plecostomus, had left our world. He was with us for nearly 8 years, which is about average for a pleco. To remind you, we got Henry with a bunch of other fish prior to Katrina. I had put in all kinds of live plants and then Katrina hit and we could not get home for a while. Henry and the other fish lived off the plants and scared me to death when when they moved - I had assumed that everything in the tank had died. Henry also survived Gustav - he stayed safely at home while we got wolluped in Denham Springs.
I was never able to get a good picture of Henry in his tank so I have found one that resembles him very strongly.
R.I.P. Henry - I will miss talking to you!
I was never able to get a good picture of Henry in his tank so I have found one that resembles him very strongly.
R.I.P. Henry - I will miss talking to you!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Getting my geek on
I am so lonely at work. I am the IT Director for a Research facility that focuses on HIV and childhood diseases. Due to the lack of funding for grants, we have shut down labs and researchers have either moved on or out of the field. I love what I do. I get to work with all the cool programs that sequence DNA, watch cutting edge ideas for development of new vaccines as well as solve network problems and come up with cost effective creative solutions. I really love my job, BUT...there is NO ONE here who understands what I do!
So, last night, hubby got home from his new job (he is in IT as well) and I literally bombarded him with questions about his day because I am so starved for tech talk. He is now working with a team and I am so jealous. He told me about his day until he finally said he was tired of talking about it. He is right, I am not bored but lonely because I have no one to talk to when I use a sniffer to track down a rogue access point, catch a hacker poking at my firewall, change a disk in the cluster without downtime or come up with a really cool work around for my scientists. Yes, they are my scientists and I love working with them.
Poor hubby - got my geek on him last night till he said "ENOUGH!!!"
Gotta run and figure out why our video conference system is misbehaving - I will hug my imaginary horse before I go though :).
I love my job!
So, last night, hubby got home from his new job (he is in IT as well) and I literally bombarded him with questions about his day because I am so starved for tech talk. He is now working with a team and I am so jealous. He told me about his day until he finally said he was tired of talking about it. He is right, I am not bored but lonely because I have no one to talk to when I use a sniffer to track down a rogue access point, catch a hacker poking at my firewall, change a disk in the cluster without downtime or come up with a really cool work around for my scientists. Yes, they are my scientists and I love working with them.
Poor hubby - got my geek on him last night till he said "ENOUGH!!!"
Gotta run and figure out why our video conference system is misbehaving - I will hug my imaginary horse before I go though :).
I love my job!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Focus on the good
I admit it, I need some therapy right now. But until I can get that setup, I have decided to focus on the good that is happening.
At my son's soccer game last night, I had the chance to catch up with a couple of good friends. We made plans to get together Saturday night and it just felt good doing something normal. Unfortunately his team lost but it was fun and the boys played the best they could.
After picking up dinner for the humans and the cats, I started working on the Oxford plans. Oh, didn't I tell you? My son got accepted into a 4 week program for Oxford University (yes ENGLAND)! He will be studying math, physics, debate and photography. They have field trips and he will meet kids from all over the world. I was trying to find something this summer that would challenge him and I think this will do it. I also wanted him to meet new kids and that will definitely happen. His buddy was also accepted so they will be able to bunk together. His parents are going to bring the boys up and we will bring them home. My little nerd - he is so wonderful! I guess I should stop saying little, he passed my up by 2" this month. OK not hard to do because I am only 5' 2" but at 12 and 5' 4" he is taller than most of the kids in his class.
Hubby started a new job this week -yeah! He is a nerveball about it but I know he will do fantastic. He seems to like to so far, I am just glad he is no longer at the other job. They were working him into the ground. Getting a good job in this economy shows how valuable he is - sillyhead will not believe me when I tell him though.
My father-in-law is starting chemo next week - yeah! WHAT?? you say. Yeah because they feel he is strong enough and a good enough of a candidate to go through it. He had small cell carcinoma in the bladder, which is very rare. Of all the bladder cancers that are found, small cell carcinoma is on .05% - 1/2 of 1%! It is also extremely aggressive so they are saying he is tumor free and the chemo will hopefully knock out any microscopic small cell carcinoma in his system. So, Yeah! My father-in-law is starting chemo.
The animals are all doing well. At Petco last night, I made the mistake of looking at one of the shelter cats - I have to stop doing that. No I did not bring her home but I just get pissed that people allow their pets to breed and dump them. I remember being young and nearly every family in our neighborhood let either their dog or cat have a litter so the kids could experience the miracle of life. Being young, I thought it was cool. We got to help "raise the babies" and if we could not find them homes, we could just bring them to the shelter so they could. I choose the believe the parents did not understand what would really happen. All our cats are strays:
Mini walked up on my husband and his evil ex-wife starving at 6 months
Maggie was adopted from a shelter - I think she was born at the shelter
Ashley was found by my wonderful sister-in-law starving in the bushes at 6 weeks
Murphy walked up on my father-in-law skin and bones with an embedded collar at 5 months
The positive is that we have them and they are ours for life.
I find myself reading dreamhorse.com. I know I do not have time but I wish I had a horsey.
At my son's soccer game last night, I had the chance to catch up with a couple of good friends. We made plans to get together Saturday night and it just felt good doing something normal. Unfortunately his team lost but it was fun and the boys played the best they could.
After picking up dinner for the humans and the cats, I started working on the Oxford plans. Oh, didn't I tell you? My son got accepted into a 4 week program for Oxford University (yes ENGLAND)! He will be studying math, physics, debate and photography. They have field trips and he will meet kids from all over the world. I was trying to find something this summer that would challenge him and I think this will do it. I also wanted him to meet new kids and that will definitely happen. His buddy was also accepted so they will be able to bunk together. His parents are going to bring the boys up and we will bring them home. My little nerd - he is so wonderful! I guess I should stop saying little, he passed my up by 2" this month. OK not hard to do because I am only 5' 2" but at 12 and 5' 4" he is taller than most of the kids in his class.
Hubby started a new job this week -yeah! He is a nerveball about it but I know he will do fantastic. He seems to like to so far, I am just glad he is no longer at the other job. They were working him into the ground. Getting a good job in this economy shows how valuable he is - sillyhead will not believe me when I tell him though.
My father-in-law is starting chemo next week - yeah! WHAT?? you say. Yeah because they feel he is strong enough and a good enough of a candidate to go through it. He had small cell carcinoma in the bladder, which is very rare. Of all the bladder cancers that are found, small cell carcinoma is on .05% - 1/2 of 1%! It is also extremely aggressive so they are saying he is tumor free and the chemo will hopefully knock out any microscopic small cell carcinoma in his system. So, Yeah! My father-in-law is starting chemo.
The animals are all doing well. At Petco last night, I made the mistake of looking at one of the shelter cats - I have to stop doing that. No I did not bring her home but I just get pissed that people allow their pets to breed and dump them. I remember being young and nearly every family in our neighborhood let either their dog or cat have a litter so the kids could experience the miracle of life. Being young, I thought it was cool. We got to help "raise the babies" and if we could not find them homes, we could just bring them to the shelter so they could. I choose the believe the parents did not understand what would really happen. All our cats are strays:
Mini walked up on my husband and his evil ex-wife starving at 6 months
Maggie was adopted from a shelter - I think she was born at the shelter
Ashley was found by my wonderful sister-in-law starving in the bushes at 6 weeks
Murphy walked up on my father-in-law skin and bones with an embedded collar at 5 months
The positive is that we have them and they are ours for life.
I find myself reading dreamhorse.com. I know I do not have time but I wish I had a horsey.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)