Starting a new workout routine...
Eleven completed thus far...all are different in one way or another...
Shopping...what else?!
The cost and savings of the carload above...
My stockpile (this is not my pantry) is growing...
Nearing maturity...
Sunflowers are gorgeous at night!
Interview outfit...
Aubie...old but loyal
Pele and Molly are best buds...
Molly knows she has a great life...
Filed under: Pets | Tagged: couponing, dogs, grocery sthopping, job hunting, Pets | 1 Comment »
Poor Pele. I saw him laying on the floor in front of one of the bedroom doors.
I know why.
Do you want to?
Ever since we started keeping Aubie and Molly separated, Pele has been stuck in the middle. He’s like Rodney King and doesn’t understand why everyone just can’t get along. I mean, he doesn’t have a problem with either dog.
His life was perfect before. Aubie and Molly gained up on him, and he LOVED it!
Now, although he gets to play with both, he knows it’s not the same. And truth be told, he prefers Aubie over Molly.
Aubie was here when we brought Pele home, so I think that Pele considers Aubie his mom.
Aubie and Molly take turns sitting in the bedroom while the other dog goes outside or spends time in the living room. It’s really a better alternative than giving one up. Most of the time, both dogs are out…with one being outside and the other in the den, or vice-versa. So, it’s not like one is cooped up in a small room for very long. The chair stays in front of the door when Aubie is in there so Pele can’t jump up and turn the doornob.
But, today it was obvious that Pele really misses Aubie when she’s not out and about. The picture captured his mood perfectly.
Filed under: Pets | Tagged: dogs, Pets | Leave a comment »
I’ve been subbing at Chicky and Rooster’s school, which is conveniently located next to the subdivision I live in. Thus, it’s very easy to run home during my 50-minute lunch.
Soccer Chick frequently takes the opportunity to special-order lunch (i.e. she wants me to bring her something hot to eat…much more appealing than her PB&J). Today was no exception as she requested two slices of lasagna…one for her and one for Guy Friend.
Not a problem. I stuck them in the toaster oven (we don’t microwave anything) and ran outside to play with Molly.
She and I have a regular routine now…one she counts on daily. It goes like this:
I let her outside, where she turns and waits for me until I join her. She then grabs her ball and drops it at my feet, taking a seat to wait for me to throw it…
See how she’s at the ready? It’s absolutely the cutest thing.
I throw the ball, and she runs after it, sometimes catching it mid-air. Then, she returns for the next throw…
We spent about ten minutes outside before heading back in.
When I walked in, I saw the pan of lasagna I had left out and Pele sitting on the floor next to the counter.
He licked his lips.
Then he licked them again and glanced at the pan.
I looked from one to the other, growing suspicious.
I gently grabbed Pele’s snout and inspected it for signs of food. I saw a little white on his mouth.
Could it be ricotta cheese?
I took a closer look at the pan of lasagna, but I couldn’t find any obvious areas that might have been disturbed by my furry friend.
So then I did what I thought I would never do.
I smelled Pele’s breath.
Definitely lasagna breath.
Ugh.
Almost an entire pan of lasagna gone to the dogs.
However, I didn’t have time to chunk it, so I did the unmentionable.
I placed the Saran Wrap over the top and stuck it back in the fridge.
Say it ain’t so!
Yes, I sure did.
I knew that the Mr. wouldn’t be eating any of it. He’s lactose-intolerant. Chicky would be babysitting after school, and Rooster was catching a ride home with me.
I figured I would get home in time to dump it before some unsuspecting person ate from the doggy “bag,” so to speak.
Before I left, I managed to snap this photo of Pele, who looks quite pleased with himself…
Filed under: Pets | Tagged: dogs, Italian food, lasagna, Pets | 1 Comment »
Today was my first day back to work…as a “real” sub again.
First of all, I have to say that God’s timing was perfect, as it always is. Having the week of Spring Break provided the cushion of time that I needed to get over the shock of being laid off from the Attendance desk. Still, my heart hurt a bit as I spied Ms. D, sitting by herself at the counter.
We quickly hugged and talked over each other in our rush to catch up in the five minutes I had to get to class. I brought her a small gift…a bag of feminine products. She chuckled. You see, she keeps these items behind a cabinet door for the girls who inevitably need them. Donations are sorely needed…something I quickly noticed when I first started working the desk. For $3, I can pick up a bag of the off-brand. The girls appreciate having these at their disposal. I wonder how many other schools could use these donations.
Anyhow, I made my way to the portable and set up shop for the day. As I scanned the rolls, I recognized many names. Working the Attendance desk has given me an advantage few subs have…becoming familiar with the students and their various tricks for getting out of class.
Many of the students were surprised to see me. They behaved though. Maybe they had to face me the day they wanted to check out for the concert. Regardless, they knew I meant business when I reminded them of the school’s “No Cell Phone” policy. Each class worked quietly.
I ran home for lunch and allowed myself enough time before last period to visit Ms. D. We hugged again. She gave me a gift:
It was the bag of cookies I had left in the desk drawer (her note to me was stuck on top):
I promised to visit her the next time I had to sub (which turns out to be tomorrow, as a matter of fact!) and proceeded to my last class.
The time flew by, and before I knew it, the final bell rang. Soccer Chick and I had stuff to do…there wasn’t a moment to spare!
We ran to the seamstress for her third fitting. Oy! We’ve agreed that we’re glad she didn’t go the pagent route. Too much finangling and rearranging of parts that don’t like to be rearranged.
Next, it was off to Sam’s for new contact for Chicky. The optician wasn’t in, so we had to wait. Of course we did a little shopping. Chicky exclaimed with delight when she spied this bag:
You see, when she was enroute to Las Vegas, they were served the above snack. She and the Mr. agreed that it was quite tasty. Naturally, we bought one. They are a bit strange…pretzels pressed into flat, crispy chips. Delicious, though.
We bought a few other essentials and departed for home.
Molly was waiting for us, and boy, was she feeling good.
Take a closer look at the paw that is resting on the ball. That’s her bad leg. Yep…the swelling has gone down a bunch, and the sore is healing nicely.
I made her wear the cone while I was at work. She’s adapted to it though, and can run around outside and even catch a ball with it on. Quite amazing how animals adjust, eh?
I’ll continue treating the leg until it heals completely, but it appears that we are definitely on the road to recovery. I am so thankful that I didn’t get the x-ray the first vet recommended. God is so good.
My day wasn’t over after my game with Molly. After dinner, I headed out for a meeting at church. A few of us are trying to spearhead a Prayer Shawl ministry. I felt a bit overwhelmed when I saw the shawls others have made.
One of the things I like about the baby blanket project is that a knitter doesn’t have to knit an entire blanket on their own. The thought of facing such a large project on my own is daunting. So, I suggested that, for knitters like me, we offer a similar format. The other ladies seem to be open to the idea. The main purpose is to produce as many shawls as we can and donate them to those in need. I’m thrilled to be a part of this.
One neat thing about our meeting is that while we were talking (and it eventually turned into what I would venture to guess is a “knit night,” which I’ve never been to), I could hear the praise team practicing songs for Sunday.
Sigh…
Contentment…
I could have sat there all night knitting and listening.
Instead, I headed home in time to watch the Dancing With the Stars results show. Lame, I know, but I needed some down-time.
What a great day. It was a reminder to me that being in the classroom is my heart’s desire as far as work is concerned (since I haven’t won the lottery!).
Yes, it was a good day.
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: Dancing With the Stars, dogs, Pets, pretzel crisps, substitute teaching | 3 Comments »
Ahhh…Sunday morning.
I had planned on getting up and going to church. Molly had other plans.
She woke up and didn’t seem to be feeling better. She went outside, did her business, and drank a bit of water.
And then I saw it.
A puddle of blood.
One look at the back of Molly’s leg, and I confirmed where it was coming from.
I gently wiped her leg, only to have blood quickly reappear.
I did what you might expect. Called my friend Rabbit, who works in an emergency vet clinic. Her husband answered the phone by saying, “Good morning AuburnChick.”
Caller ID, and they still answered. Bless them.
We went through Molly’s symptoms, and she told me the bleeding wasn’t normal. After advising me to put pressure on the leg to stop the bleeding, we hung up.
Poor Molly. If you could have seen the look in her eyes as I gently grabbed her leg. Full of pain, questions, and sadness.
I started crying…for several reasons.
1) It hurts to see your babies hurt.
2) Lack of money is forcing me to make tough decisions regarding her care.
3) I was scared that she might lose her leg…or worse…her life.
My vet opened at 12, and believe me…I was the first in line. Molly walked in with her tail between her legs and her ears flat against her head. Neither one of us were pleased to be there.
I sat in the room for a while…lost in my thoughts and worries. I had no idea what to do and felt so overwhelmed.
Another blow financially and emotionally. I simply do not know how much more I can take.
I’m so thankful for the time I had in that room. Molly settled into a nap on the floor, and I stretched out on the wooden bench. A peace gradually descended. Although I had no idea what the vet would say, nor did I have any idea how I would pay for it (charging it was pretty much not an option), I just felt calm. It’s hard to describe.
The vet came in, patiently listened to Your’s Truly, who can be long-winded at times (not that you’ve noticed), and told me that everything seemed normal. No x-rays needed…no cutting off of her leg (yeah, I’m being dramatic).
My bill? $35. This included draining the wound and dressing it in a bandage. She didn’t charge me the standard office visit fee.
God bless her.
I paid for it out of my checking account, and Molly and I happily walked out.
I did buy her an Elizabethan collar to prevent her from licking her wound…typical animal behavior. She was not amused.
We both spent a better part of the afternoon snoozing. When she woke up, I took off her collar so she could eat. She’s now happily asleep on the couch, sans the collar. I’ll put it back on her for bed tonight…just in case.
Sigh…
I wonder what tomorrow will bring, given the crazy weekend.
Filed under: Pets | Tagged: dogs, Elizabethan collar, Pets | 2 Comments »
Sigh…
Whatever am I going to do with this adorable dog of mine.
Molly, my escape artist, decided to jump over the fence on Monday. No problem…regular thing with her.
Well, I heard her and ran out the garage to intercept her. She usually starts running down the street after clearing the fence; however, this time, she ran straight to me…limping along the way.
Great. She landed funny, I guess, and she knew she was hurt.
I kept a close eye on her during the next few days. She would usually limp after waking up from a nap. No problem. She’s stiff, I thought.
Well, yesterday (Friday), I took a look at her leg, and it was almost twice the size it normally is. It was hard as a rock too.
I quickly googled “swollen puppy legs”. My search led me to the conclusion that she’s probably got an infection of some sort. Her leg was very warm when compared to the other leg. Another sign of infection.
This morning, I called up a vet that’s open on Saturdays and made an appointment. When I got there, I noticed a red spot on the back of her leg…it was oozing.
Ewww…
Apparently, Molly has an abscess. It chose today to bust through the skin.
The vet wanted to x-ray her leg, but at an additional cost of $300, factoring in the anesthesia. I was torn. I love her, but I do not have the money to go to such lengths to diagnose what might only be a sprain.
I made the difficult decision to just start her on the antibiotics. If the limp doesn’t improve after a round of antibiotics, I’ll let them do the x-ray and put her in a splint.
Meantime, the doctor cleaned up her leg and, in the process, discovered several bite marks…probably the cause of the abscess.
Now, I haven’t allowed Aubie and Molly to be together. So, I know it’s not due to that.
Nope. I think the culprit is Pele. He’s almost 80 pounds but thinks he’s about 10. He has a ginormous jaw that probably accidentally tore into Molly’s leg when they were playing this week. They place rough but not mean.
Sigh…
It’s always something, isn’t it?
Now Molly is sporting a fancy shaved do on her leg…another shameful walk out to the car walking the length of the store because the vet is located in the back. At least her tongue wasn’t hanging out of her mouth this time.
Sigh…
On another note, I’ve made progress on my Shetland Shorty:
Shetland Shorty
I just finished shaping the front and will now begin the 18 repeats for the back. Oy…I’m tired of k2tog’s and double yarn-overs. What a gorgeous texture though!
Oh, and one other thing. I started going through a bag of clothes that Chicky put together from her room…stuff to give away or sell. It would seem that I’m going shopping…for me…out of her pile of clothes…
There’s an assortment of clothes. I hope I can fit into the blue jeans. I wear a smaller size than her (because she has muscular thighs that require a little bigger size).
It’s kind of sad when you have to borrow from your kids’ closets to enhance your own wardrobe. Oh well, I’ve never minded hand-me-downs…no matter the source.
Filed under: Knitting, Pets | Tagged: abscess, bamboo, clothes, dogs, Knitting, Pets, shetland shorty, teenagers, vet | Leave a comment »
Whew! Mondays are crazy, but this one…well…wow!
Fortunately, work was easy…no teeny-boppers skipping leaving school to attend concerts on the beach. I actually had quite a few parents give me honest reasons (albeit unexcused) for their children’s absences. Kudos!
As soon as I left work, Rooster and I ran to the boarding facility to pick up Molly. We chose to board her last weekend rather than have my friend deal with keeping the dogs separated. Molly was very happy to see us, although she changed her mind when I pulled out the hose to give her a bath.
She’s has spent most of the evening sacked out on the couch…
After picking up Molly, I ran to the grocery store. I must say that I have been spoiled. Soccer Chick does most of our shopping. She loves food, so the opportunity to actually pick out what she’s eating is a task she enjoys. Because she babysits three afternoons a week, I decided to save time and do it myself.
Ugh. I am so out of the habit. I spent half of my trip on the phone with her, returning items from my cart to the shelf and putting the correct brands back in. It seems that she and Rooster, who often accompanies her, have developed their own preferences.
When I got home, Rooster put the groceries away, unknowingly freezing the ground beef that I was going to use for spaghetti tonight, while I hung clothes on the line and vacuumed the car from the ride with Molly.
Then I cooked dinner, keeping one eye on Rooster who is, at the moment, still trying to finish an English project that was due today.
Soccer Chick walked in after spending an afternoon with cranky kids (and having to correct a underpayment on the part of the parents…good for her for speaking up!), and she was mature enough to begin washing the pile of dishes she didn’t have time to do last week.
As she was finishing up, Guy Friend stopped by with a little surprise…
Upon seeing me, he split the bunch into two sections…one for me and one for Chicky. He saw the flowers growing beside the road and made a side-trip to personally deliver them to my house on the way to soccer practice.
Such a thoughtful gesture that led me to give him a hug. A real sweetie. No wonder Chicky likes him.
With the day almost over, I’m finally getting to sit down and put my feet up, Dancing With the Stars playing on the TV.
I have a small treat, though…
A glass of White Zinfandel. The same color as the yarn I bought a couple of months ago. Ahhh…so smooth.
A busy, productive day.
Sigh…
Contentment…
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: dogs, Pets, teens, white zifandel, wine | 1 Comment »
It was another interesting day at work. Not bad, except for a couple of incidents. One made me mad enough that I knew I needed to blow off steam when I got home.
So I took Molly for a walk.
It was a long walk.
I was gone for 40 minutes.
When I got home, Pele had an eager look on his face. He wanted to go outside.
So I laced up my sneakers and took him for a walk.
A long walk.
I was gone another 40 minutes.
Along the way, I seriously gave thought to allowing my dogs to poop on someone’s lawn. A certain someone who lied to me about her daughter’s absence after telling me the truth first. I stuck to my guns and refused to clear her daughter’s absences (really, haircuts should be scheduled for after school, and “not wanting to come in” is not an adequate excuse for staying at home). She then asked for my co-worker, whom she proceeded to tell, “So I have to lie. ‘Miss Can’t Own Up To Responsibility’ was sick yesterday.”
This mom is an elementary school teacher. Her daughter plays on the JV soccer team (not with Soccer Chick, though, who’s on Varsity).
She also lives three houses down from me. I passed it four times during the course of my 80 minutes of walking.
Oy!
I was sorely tempted.
I think, in the back of my mind, I was hoping to run into her while I was out.
Bad, I know, but I’m being honest, as usual.
God is so gracious in moments of weakness. The Holy Spirit reminded me of something.
It was not my place to get revenge, nor was it my place to pass judgment. She will, in the end, have to answer to God.
Filed under: Christian | Tagged: dogs, high school, walking | Leave a comment »
I don’t know if I used appropriate tense in my subject, but who cares.
I thought I would give you an update on Molly after the horrendous post last night.
She had a semi-decent night of sleep after waking up around 12am. She was sleeping with me, and I suddenly knew that she was awake. We headed straight for the door, with her wobbling and limping. She made it out and did her business, hustling as best she could to get back inside.
We went straight back to bed.
She has a place she hides when she wants to escape. To get there, she has to jump on the bed and then off the other side. It’s in a corner, only accessible via this route.
Despite her pain and bum leg, she went to her spot. I understood. It’s her place of safety.
That’s where she stayed the rest of the night/morning. She woke up, went potty, and we crawled back into bed after seeing the kids off to school. I called in to the school I was supposed to work at, explaining the situation with all of the sincerity I could muster.
Molly slept with her head on my leg until 12pm…a five-hour nap. I didn’t dare move a muscle. We both needed the rest.
After a quick jaunt to the bathroom, she resumed her position on the bed. Pele joined her from the other room. He loves both dogs and is very confused by the situation.
We all slept for another couple of hours.
I’m probably as messy looking as Molly. I haven’t showered or changed out of my PJ’s yet. I don’t anticipate doing so before the morning. With my long, curly hair, you can only imagine what I must look like. I won’t be winning the Mrs. America contest any time soon, that’s for sure.
I thank you for your prayers. I’ve seen some of you on Plurk, and I can’t tell you how much your kind words mean to me.
Filed under: Pets | Tagged: dogs, Pets, plurk | 1 Comment »
AuburnChick's Adventures 