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Another Pet Passes On

Posted on November 30, 2008 by auburnchick
Caddilac

Caddilac

The last couple of days have been rough…pet-wise.

Yesterday evening, when we got out Caddilac, Rooster’s rat, I noticed that he seemed “off.”  Normally he scampers around, chattering non-stop.  Well, he just stayed put, putting little effort into moving.  Rooster and I were concerned and spent the better part of the evening holding him.  His breathing was fine, he just seemed over-tired.  I stayed up with him about an hour later than my normal bedtime.  At that time, he started roaming around, so I put him back in his cage.  During the night, I could hear him making his usual night noises, so I thought he was fine.

We left him alone today because rats are nocturnal and sleep during the day.  It’s not unusual for him to stay in his igloo until late evening.

This evening rolled around, and I decided to see if I could coax him out.  He came to me immediately.  Good sign, I thought.

I carried him over to the couch and put him down.  He took two steps and sort of collapsed on his side.

Uh oh.  Something was definitely wrong.  Once again, he seemed lethargic.  I knew something was definitely wrong.  Rooster came out of the bedroom, and we took turns holding Caddilac.  He was cold to the touch but still breathing, although heavily.  We covered him with a hand towel.  I hated the thought of him suffering and tears flowed.  I wanted so desperately to be brave for Rooster, but I couldn’t contain my emotions.

Rooster was stoic.  Every once in a while, Caddilac would get a burst of energy, and he would try to change positions.  I think he was trying to help himself breathe.  As the night wore on, I knew he wouldn’t make it until the morning.  I planned on sitting up with him to the end.

His breathing grew more labored, and we tried to make him as comfortable as possible.  My tears continued to flow, quicker now.

And then it was over.  God answered my prayers that he would not have to suffer long.  The tears were on both mine and Rooster’s cheeks.  It’s only been a little over a month since we lost Chance, our other rat.  At least this time we were able to provide comfort during those last moments.  But we’re feeling the loss deeply.

I know that some people might question how we could love a rat, but he was a pet with personality.  Until you’ve owned one, you probably wouldn’t understand.  Rats are very affectionate animals.  When they like you, they groom you by licking you.  No, it’s not strange.  It’s actually quite the compliment.  Caddilac also had a ticklish spot.  When we scratched a certain place on his side, he would roll over on his back and curl up.  When Chance was alive, they would wrestle the nights away.  You could hear them fighting sometimes, much like siblings.  We used to let Caddilac run around Rooster’s room, and when you entered, he would hear you and come running as fast as he could to greet you.  You could put him on your shoulder, and he would chatter in your ear.  That memory alone is priceless.

Having rats as pets taught me that God has made every creature special.  Each creature gives back as it is given.  We gave much love to our littlest ones, and they gave us much joy in return.

We’ll miss you Caddilac.  When we bury you tomorrow, I’ll cry, as I’m doing now.  Thank you for the love you gave to me and my family.  We’ll never forget you, our wee little fur baby.

Filed under: Pets | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

A Letter to My Dad on His Birthday

Posted on October 30, 2008 by auburnchick

Happy birthday Dad!  Today would have been your 65th birthday.  I think of you often and wonder what you would have done with yourself in retirement.

A couple of years ago, Soccer Chick, your first grandchild and the only female one at that, saved her birthday money and adopted a dog from the animal shelter near our home.  You would have been proud of her.  I know how much you loved rescuing stray animals.  She named him Pele, in honor of the soccer great.

We tried to estimate when Pele would have been born, and true to AuburnChick tradition, we matched it to one of our loved one’s birthdays.  You got the honor this time.  What a perfect way to remember you.

Pele

Pele

Pele turns two today.  He’s a laid-back dog…very easy going and tender.  Although he’s the largest of the three dogs in my home, he quickly rolls over on his back when the other two want to play.  He loves to be the center of attention.  When he wants to play, he gets a mischievous look in his eyes, and his ears take on the floppy look.  He jerks his head backward while looking at Aubie, the oldest.

“Play,” he asks?

Aubie often needs a little encouragement.

“Go get Pele,” we’ll tell her.

Off they run…around and around the “circle” in my kitchen.

You would have loved him.

So, Dad, on your birthday, I toast you by hoisting an imaginary glass of the finest wine.  The glass is imaginary because 1) I can’t afford expensive wine right now, and 2) I’m subbing and drinking isn’t allowed on campus.

Always in my thoughts…

Love,

Nathalie

Filed under: Pets, This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

The (Daily) Great Escape

Posted on October 14, 2008 by auburnchick

I just got back from a 20-minute car ride.

What kind of trip did I make this time, you might be wondering.

Oh, the around-the-block kind of trip.

To round up two pups who consider it their mission to escape from my home…on a daily basis.

No kidding.

As you might remember, I recently had blinds installed in my windows.  It sure would help if I used them in the afternoons.  They are a lot more decorative than prison bars too.

Who are the escapees, you might be wondering.

My not-so-loveable (at the moment) Pele and Molly.

Pele

Pele

Molly

Molly

Don’t let their quiet demeanors fool you.  All they are doing is plotting.  They are saving up their energy for the perfect moment.  The moment they spy Rockin’ Rooster playing outside.

His sighting is the signal to run.

Pele runs to the laundry room door…the one that leads to the garage, and turns the handle.

Out he goes with Molly hot on his heels.

Because I am saving electricity by hanging clothes to dry in my garage, the garage door is wide open…the perfect avenue to freedom, and the dogs know it.

As I run out the door, grabbing my car keys on the way, all I can see is a streak of white.  Molly is headed down the street on her newest adventure.

We’ve figured out that retrieval is fairly quick when we offer them a ride in the family car.

Not tonight.

I drove slowly down the street, windows down in order to track them by the sound of their tags jingling with every step.

I spy Rooster, hot on their heels but never quite close enough.

Tonight Pele decided to tease me.  He stopped running and approached my car.  Relieved, I got out and gently approached him.  Just as I was about to grab his collar, he took off.

Typical male.

The dogs rounded the corner and headed around the circle that the neighborhood is built around.

Great.

I don’t know how Rooster managed, but he kept pace.  Down each street we went with brief pauses along the way.  Both dogs gave us obligatory glances before heading deeper into no-man’s land.  People stared at us, but nobody offered to help.  I suspect they were trying hard not to laugh.

I did laugh, for a short bit.  At one point it was comical.  Then I got frightened that I would wind up watching one of the pups get hit by a car.

Not so funny.

Part of my neighborhood backs up to our high school.  I could see the lights of the baseball field and hear the crack of the bat.  The sound of tags jingling met my ears…coming from the dirction of the baseball field.

Oh no.

I parked the car and headed in that direction.  Then I saw it.

Rockin’ Rooster had Molly by the collar.

He had run her down, in his bare feet.  Pele followed alongside, tail hanging down.

Just another day in the AuburnChick house.

Filed under: Pets | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Double-Dog Dare You

Posted on August 25, 2008 by auburnchick

Today when I awoke, I eagerly awaited the time when I would get home from work so I could start knitting something that isn’t a dishcloth. Last night was the Closing Ceremonies of the Olympics, and I finished off my last dishcloth (I’ll try to post pictures tomorrow).

Of course, I had a few small chores to do (as most moms do), and then I had to take Soccer Chick to meet with her sports trainer. When we got home, it was dinner time. I let the dogs out since they had already eaten and needed to do what most living things do after they eat (i.e. go potty).

All of a sudden, Mr. AuburnChick walked out of the other room and informed me that I better check on the dogs. Apparently, Molly and Pele had escaped…once again.

Yes, I said “again,” as in this-is-not-the-first-time “again.”

Grrr…

I don’t understand why, but almost every dog we’ve ever owned has been an escape artist and a runner. Our first family dog, Cali (spoken like “Collie,” but with that weird spelling…blame Soccer Chick for the name), was a Beagle. You think Beagles can’t run? Think again. Every time she spied an open door, she bolted. Boy was she fast too. That was the most stubborn dog I think I’ve ever faced off with. Eventually, we parted ways, with me giving her to a good friend who had the magic touch and got that dog trained so she could leave the door open for hours and the dog didn’t leave the house. Of course, “Duke,” as they renamed her (weird for a female, but my friend’s husband was a John Wayne fan…whatever), continued to exhibit Beagle traits by raiding the leftovers each night.

Anyhow…I digress…

Aubie, my nine-year-old lab mix, has also been a runner…from day one. One time, she ran across a busy street and into another neighborhood. Mr. AuburnChick almost gave her up to the streets that day, but the Chick children, who were quite young, cried so much that he relented, and we all jumped into the car to find her. Imagine our consternation when we finally spotted her…in somebody’s backyard. All we could see was Aubie being sprayed with a hose. Aubie saw us and started trotting down the street. We drove very, very slowly, holding the back door open and calling her name. Aubie calmly walked on, occasionally looking at us over her left shoulder and plodding on. We probably drove half a block in this fashion until we finally coaxed her in the car.

We were fuming but inwardly relieved that she was back home where she belonged.

Pele joined our family about a year and a half ago when Soccer Chick saved her birthday money and used a PowerPoint presentation to convince Mr. AuburnChick to allow her to bring a second dog into our home. Pele has been fairly easy-going since the get-go, but one bad habit he brought to us was his digging. Pele is a lab/heeler mix, and he has BIG paws! It wouldn’t take him long to dig a swimming pool, let me tell you. However, he’s never been much of a runner…just a digger.

Last summer, I fell in love with Molly when I spied her at our local animal shelter (all of our dogs, except for Cali, came from animal shelters). From day one, I knew that Molly was a runner; however, she only weighed ten pounds when she came to my home, so she was easy to chase down. No so anymore.

When you combine Molly’s mind with Pele’s paws…well, you’ve got trouble. I like to tell people that Molly is the brains of the operation, and Pele is the muscle. What a team.

At first, the dogs only escaped to my neighbors’ yards. Thank goodness for kind neighbors…until the day when one of them called me on my cell phone and kindly, but firmly, told me that I would be replacing his sod if I didn’t do something ASAP. Boy, did I fuss at my dogs. I was mortified.

I can’t tell you how many kitchen items I have used to plug the holes around the fence. I used to own a George Foreman Grill…the kind with the tall stand. Due to my doggies’ exploits, the grill has been dismantled. The skillet part is in one hole, and the stand is in another. Hey…whatever works.

I bought a wireless pet containment system for my yard and put the special collars on Molly and Pele (Aubie does not need this because she’s older and pretty much stays home now). However, I don’t always put the collars on the dogs. They know this too, let me tell you. They also found a new place to dig. Under the fence gate…the gate that leads to the outside world.

Great.

And I wondered why there was so much dirt getting tracked into the house. It’s because Big Bad Pele was digging his little heart out…working it a little at a time so I wouldn’t notice. Have you ever seen the show Prison Break? Well, that’s exactly how M and P work.

The worst feeling in the world (well, okay, ONE of the worst) is to suddenly look out your front window and see a white streak go past. That’s when I know that the dogs have escaped.

This has happened so many times that Rockin’ Rooster can put on a helmet and jump on his bike in about five seconds flat. He has a nose for where the dogs run, usually arriving home holding onto Molly’s collar and Pele walking calmly beside her.

So, now that you know the history, you’ll understand my afternoon. As I said, I was excited to finally get to knit something besides a dishcloth, when we discovered that the dogs had escaped once again. After they returned home (yes, they do sometimes come back on their own), I got mad. I got out the shovel, heavy rake, and hatchet and proceeded to clear the weeds behind the gate. The hole beneath the gate was deep. As I hunted for something to put in the hole.,I laid eyes on the plywood I use to cover the windows during hurricane season.

Hmmm…my brain frantically put the pieces together. Would they fit??

I did a little more dirt-rearranging and wedged two of those babies into the ground, covering them with just enough soil to make it look like the dogs would be able to dig.

Heeheehee…

That’s my evil laugh.

In the middle of this chore, Mr. AuburnChick walked outside.

“You picked a strange time to work in the yarn,” he calmly said to me.

I looked up at him between my sweat-soaked humidified hair strands, holding out my dirt-streaked arms and gave him a look that wasn’t exactly loving.

He got the point and walked away.

Yeah, don’t you dare offer to help after that comment, I thought to myself.

So, the plywood is down.  All that remains is for the dogs to test it out.  I double-dog dare them to escape this time.

I sure hope I don’t lose the dare.

Filed under: Pets | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

AuburnChick Succumbs to Temptation

Posted on July 25, 2008 by auburnchick

BRIEF INTERRUPTION…

Littlest Chick will henceforth be referred to as Rockin Rooster. Thanks, Megan, from the Stitch-It Ravelry forum, for this suggestion! We mulled over each idea very carefully and decided that this name fit the bill nicely, being something he will not outgrow as he ages.

AND NOW, BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM…

AuburnChick has hit the road again. Soccer Chick’s team is playing in a national tournament in Virginia Beach, so we loaded up the car and headed out Thursday afternoon.

Packing for this almost week-long, 13-hour each way trip proved challenging. As fellow knitters, I’m sure you can identify with the following scene.

I arrived home from taking the kids to youth group and decided to get busy preparing for the trip. What’s the first thing a knitter packs when going on a trip? Clothes? Um, no. Toiletries? Wrong-o. Of course, it’s the knitting that goes into the bag first. Clothes and other stuff go in last, and if there’s no room, my motto is that you buy them when you get to your destination.

I currently have three works in progress. This is way more than the one I usually have, but into the bag they went, along with all possibly-needed accessories and patterns.

Next, I decided to pack yarn and needles for the charity blankets I hope to cast on this week. I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before, but I am heading up the West Coast Oddball Baby Blanket project that’s based over on KnittingHelp.com. You’ve seen the other blankets I’ve worked on. Well, wonderful Shandeh, brave leader of the entire project, decided to split the country into regions to make the project more manageable. I was asked to coordinate one region. I’m very excited about this. I created a blog for the project, found here. My region covers the states of California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and Hawaii. If you live in one of these states and want to participate, please let me know. We have a thread going over on Ravelry in case you’re not on KH, so you can stay connected there as well. Or, you don’t have to be a part of either site. Just drop me a line, and I’ll explain how the project works. It’s a fabulous way to use your talents to benefit others…without having to make a humongous time commitment to knit an entire blanket.

Within 30 minutes, I had filled up two bags with knitting supplies. My family was not amused that half of our trunk is devoted to my hobby addiction.

Now, being the techie that I am, I also cannot leave home without my gadets. Enter in my laptop, with its 17″ screen (aka a LARGE computer bag), and my new camera.

Oh, I didn’t tell you about that yet? Well, remember that my old camera was kicking the bucket. It finally quit sputtering and completely died. I just cannot be without a camera. My blog requires the frequent posting of pictures, plus I want to capture every drop of sweat that Soccer Chick works up on the field.

After much inquiring and research, I finally went to Best Buy, where I totally disregarded everything I had previously read and fell into the tech trap that frequently engulfs me the moment I step foot into that place. To be fair, I passed by the $899 cameras. There’s a line I won’t cross, and that was it. Stepping over to the cheaper aisle, I was quickly overwhelmed by all of the shiny gadgets. I was like a kid in a candy store…I wanted everything!

Timing is everything. At that very moment, Mr. Young Salesman appeared at my elbow.

“Hello, you look like you’re confused and thus willing to spend an exorbitant amount of money right now. Allow me to lead you down the path to debt.”

Yeah, that was me alright. And boy did he lead me astray. It was almost like he had chocolate in his pocket, and my sniffers knew that and followed blindly behind him.

Sure, I’ll take that expensive camera that happens to be on sale this week (of course).

4gb memory card, that’s also on sale this week? Of course. Why not. I’m gullible today.

Extra warranty? In case I drop my camera in the toilet? Sure thing! You go boy. Ring it up!

To my credit, I bought the generic camera bag.

I walked out of there the proud new owner of a Nikon Coolpix P80. It’s got 10.1 megapixels and 18x optical zoom. No longer will I have to wait until the second half of the game when Soccer Chick is on my side of the field. I can photograph ever hair of her unshaven leg from across the park, if I want. I’m sure she’ll appreciate this comment, but since she doesn’t read my blog (thinks it’s stupid, but what does she know), who cares.

Here are a few of the pictures I’ve taken so far…

My Leaf Lace Scarf…

A Little Slip of a Thing…

Pele (Soccer Chick’s dog)…

Molly…

Aubie…

This is Ziggy, Soccer Chick’s teammate’s dog…

I plan on posting more pictures from Virginia. I can’t wait! The scenery is beautiful up there, which should give me ample opportunity to play with my new toy.

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Progress

Posted on May 16, 2008 by auburnchick

Well, despite the rough start to the week and the fact that I worked many extra hours, I did manage to get more of the Tidal Wave sock completed. Here’s how it stands at six repeats:

My daughter’s soccer friend has long legs, so I had to knit one more repeat than the pattern suggested. My goal is to get this sock done this weekend and finish the second one by Wednesday or Thursday. We leave next Friday for a tournament, and I want to gift them then. Actually, I should probably finish by Wednesday so I can block them. Grrr. I do not block socks, but I will do the right thing…think about presentation. Forget the fact that they are Tofutsies…lovely color by the way…it’s all in the presentation.

I was also a bad girl last week. I ordered more yarn <gulp>. Don’t tell Mr. AuburnChick, okay?

Lookie what came in yesterday. Thank goodness Little Mr. Chickadee’s swim meet was canceled. I was able to head off the UPS guy and hide my prize.

Yes…it’s more of the Alchemy Sanctuary that I am totally in love with. The one on the left is called Ruby, and the one on the right is called Platinum. I bought the pink one for a friend who liked the color when she saw it online (she also liked the Greenaway Fingerless Gloves that I made for our co-worker). So, not wanting to waste all of that shipping cost, I ordered another skein. Getting more for my money, you see.

Despite the fact that I was having a bad week, Pele (Soccer Chick’s dog) did not have a care in the world.

Must be great to be a dog…in my house anyway.

Doggie training camp is going well…for Molly anyway. She’s turning out to be a smart dog, despite Mr. AuburnChick’s declaration that she was stupid. He said this when I first brought her home, over his objections. I think the word stupid meant stupid-cute.

Off I go to work on the heel flap of these socks. More later…

Filed under: Knitting, This-n-That | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

A Tuesday Worthy of Chocolate

Posted on May 14, 2008 by auburnchick


Pictures speak louder than words.

Tuesday was not the best day. I was greeted at work by a friend bearing a bag of M&M’s. Out of the blue. Very much like my friend. She loves dark chocolate. I’m a milk chocolate kind of gal. Common denominator? Chocolate. The perfect base for friendship. We have a way of bringing chocolate goodies to each other at just the right time. I can see God’s hand in what might seem trivial matters to some people. Chocolate is not trivial to me.

Especially on days like Tuesday.

Without going into details, it was just one of those days. I was glad to get home. However, upon finding out that a new employee was starting the next day (yep…very short notice), I spent the entire evening prepping their computer…remotely from home. Thank goodness for technology. Thank goodness for chocolate.

We had a new gal start in our office this week (a different person from who’s starting on Wednesday), so we took her out to lunch. What a treat for me! I never take lunch since I work part-time. The lure of Mexican food was too much to resist. I quickly jumped in my car and followed my boss.

She started going the back way to the restaurant. I followed blindly. However, when we started pulling up to a seafood restaurant, I got concerned. Surely they wouldn’t have changed the restaurant without calling me to make sure I knew? She had no way of knowing that I was following her.

However, the car I was following passed the restaurant. Now I knew that something was not right.

“Ring, Ring…”

“Hello, boss. Where are you?”

“At the Mexican restaurant, of course!”

Great. I followed the wrong car. Good thing this city is so small. I was there in no time, embarrassed. What kind of impression was I making on the new gal? “Oh, it’s just AuburnChick…you know…”

My bad day extended into my home life.

I’m working very hard to get my dogs trained properly. This has been on my mind since my first attempt to take all three to the dog kennel. See this post if you haven’t heard this story. Let’s just say that I could do the Iditorod with my dogs.

I’ve read that dogs need to be walked…a couple of times a day. Simply running around the backyard is not ample exercise. So, I’m trying to be a good mommy and walk the dogs properly. Easier said than done.

Yesterday, I went to the bookstore and bought this:

In case you don’t know who this man is, he is the Dog Whisperer. I’ve seen some of his shows, and I’m amazed at how quickly the dogs respond to him. The biggest thing about his training, however, is that the owners are actually the ones being trained. Boy, do I need training!

Ever since Pele joined our family, we’ve allowed ourselves to be controlled by our most adorable furry family members. Aubie, in true first-born fashion, was never allowed on the furniture. We were strict with her, and she is the best behaved dog in the world. Not so with Pele and Molly.

So, we’re doing doggie boot camp. We’re starting with walking. You would think that walking a dog is easy. Wrong-O! Molly and I only made it around the cul-de-sac. Walk, stop (when she pulls), make her sit, treat. Walk, stop, make her sit, treat. Over and over and over. I can’t even begin to imagine what the neighbors must have been thinking. Hopefully something like, “Boy, that lady sure loves her dog a lot.” Good mommies make their children behave, whether they are the two legged or four legged kind.

Regardless, my hands are sore from the leash, so knitting has been slow the last couple of days.

After coming in from our training session, I checked dinner, which was in the crockpot. BBQ beef sandwiches were on the menu. Mouth watering, I looked at the meat. Hmmm…it looks…a little pink…

My hands carefully touch the side of the crockpot. Cold. A look at the front assures me that the thing is turned on low. But what’s this? The cord…it’s not plugged into the outlet.

Sigh…

What a dork. I forgot to plug it in.

Sigh…

A whole roast ruined. I had even doubled the sauce mix too because it is so delicious. All that $$ gone down the drain.

So, the kids were reminded of how great it is to have me cooking again and to not take it for granted. They actually took it in stride, which pleased me.

The fact that this happened today just did not surprise me.

Thank goodness for the goodies pictured at the top of this post.

Oh, and here’s a knitting update. I have managed to complete almost three repeats of the Tidal Wave socks for my daughter’s teammate. Here’s how they look so far.

I am using Tofutsies, color #799. It’s a fabulous pattern…very easy.

So, on to Wednesday. Hopefully I won’t have to eat the whole bag of M&M’s. I can’t make any promises though.

Filed under: Knitting, Pets, This-n-That | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

AuburnChick Buys Metamucil

Posted on February 20, 2008 by auburnchick

Were you scared when you saw the title? And yet, here you are, continuing to read.

First of all, let’s be clear. The Metamucil was not for me. “Yeah, right,” you’re probably thinking to yourself. Trust me, there is no need for the stuff in AuburnChick’s household. We are, to put it bluntly, a family of poopers. Yep. We have that down pat.

The parents, Mr. AuburnChick, I mean, and myself, passed down this wonderful talent to our amazing children. We knew that they had gotten the pooping gene when our daughter, all of three days old, proceeded to poop — in an arc — over Mr. AuburnChick’s body in bed that first night. I was changing her, and, well, let’s just say it looked like a rocket had exploded. Dad just watched in fear as it went over his prone body. He puffed up with pride when he was sure it was safe to move. It was a sight to behold.

Wanna hear another story? Oh, wait, this is a story about Metamucil. So sorry…I got caught up in the memories…

Anyhow, here’s why (and who) I had to buy the stuff for.

The other day, I came home from work, eager to see my dear sweet dogs. That’s one thing that’s so wonderful about them. They are tremendously happy to see you when you arrive.

Well, I opened the door to let them in, and my sweet little Molly (pictured below) came in and plopped on the floor.

Molly

Huh? What’s this? This is not my Molly. She’s usually so happy to see us that her entire back end wags. Not that day.

So, a little worried, I call her to me. She takes two steps and lays down. Oh no. Now I’m worried, and I get ready to dial the vet. But first I have to inspect my baby. Are hips supposed to look like that? I haven’t a clue. I’m just a computer tech, and I don’t see an escape key anywhere.

Somehow, I think to lift her up and pull her waggy tail up.

Uh oh. I see something. I don’t think I’ll describe it. But, I had to — uh — get a paper towel and pull it out. She cried a little. I wanted to as well. I’m not exactly used to pulling stuff out of my dog’s behind.

Well, that fixed her. It was almost as good as putting a band-aid on a two year old. She unleashed her thankfulness by running all over the house.

Does the story end here. Of course not. This is AuburnChick’s blog, after all. I give you all the fun details of my life.

So, I decide to pick up the phone and call the vet anyhow. I haven’t talked to them in, hmmm, a couple of weeks? I’m like a neurotic parent of a newborn. I love my furry babies.

Ring, ring (do phones actually ring these days?)

“Hello, AuburnChick’s personal vet at your service.” (I’m exaggerating a little, of course)

“Hi, this is Aubie, Pele, and Molly’s mommy. Do dogs get constipated.” (Imagine that, I get right to the point!)

“Uh, ok, uh, sure. Let me ask the vet about this.” She puts me on hold.

Is she laughing? Probably. I can picture the entire office making fun of me. I should charge them a fee for entertaining them.

She comes back on the phone and assures me that it’s normal, and to buy my baby some Metamucil.

“As in old people Metamucil?” I exclaim.

Yep, that’s it.

You mean that I have to go to the store and have people watch me buy it? Uh oh.

What’s the big deal, you ask? Well, at times like this, I forget that I’m 30-something and regress to the teenage years where buying stuff like — well, you know — is plain old embarrassing. This coming from the woman who loves to do Shakira impressions in public in front of my daughter. Regardless, I put it off for a day.

The next day I ease into Target. I really do not want people to think that I’m buying this for me. I’m the Queen Pooper who’s given birth to Princess and Prince Pooper. I want to shout all through the aisles:

“I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM POOPING!”

Mercifully, I don’t do this and discreetly take my item to the cashier, pay for it, and hurry out to my car.

Oh, and for those of you who have a little trouble “going,” I hope you haven’t taken offense. It’s just that we poopers are a proud bunch. It’s probably good to humbled every now and then.

Filed under: Pets | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

The Dogs Display Their Christmas Finery

Posted on December 1, 2007 by auburnchick

Alright…I’ll admit it…occasionally, I get a little silly…despite being an “old” mom.

On a routine errand to get a bag of dog food, I had to splurge. I love spoiling my animals. The rabbit has more chew toys than Donald Trump’s baby, for goodness sake! But, I digress…

Here’s what I came home with TODAY (I’m sure the dogs would have been happy if I had left well-enough alone!):

Pele is not amused…
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Molly wondered why we didn’t get a clue from Pele’s reaction…she readily displayed her displeasure.
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The Santa suit didn’t make Aubie happy either.
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Yeah, I know…Molly didn’t seem thrilled either.
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So, nice “mom” that I am, I returned the costumes, which were way too small anyway. BUT, something else caught my eye…must get three you know…wouldn’t be fair to leave anyone out…

Poor Molly…she’s tired of this game. Pele was already tired and refused to have his individual portrait taken.
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That’s it, Aubie, just bide your time…the torture will be over soon…
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By the time I took this picture, the dogs were too exhausted to move.
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Boy, do I love my animals! Can’t you tell?? <chuckle>

Filed under: Pets | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

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