Dog Ramble Warning

Haven’t been anywhere so Teddy has had no excuse to poop on my bed again. 

After some serious thought I have decided I really shouldn’t get a dog for the dog.  I would be a hoarder if I could.  I have had as many of four dogs at a time in the past. 

Once I went camping for a week-end in a van camper with a Great Dane, a German Shepherd, a Standard Poodle and a red heeler. 

I was fostering the German Shepherd for my daughter.  The dog had been a breeder at a puppy farm and had to be house broken as well as introduced to steps, TV’s, doors, the outdoors, etc.

At a puppy farm the only thing the dog has to call their own is their dishes.

I was cage training her with a huge cage by saying “kennel up” and then throwing a treat into the cage.  It worked the first day.  The second day, not so much, I was boosting her into the cage instead of throwing treats.

That evening she took her food dish and put it by the front door.  I think she wanted to run away from that cage.  She did get the training eventually and headed immediately for the cage when told to.

She slept by the bedroom door.  I tried putting down a cushion for her but she wouldn’t use it.

When spring came I opened a window by my bed.  It took me a while to figure out what was wrong when she paced between the window and the door half the night.

She was trying to figure out which opening to the dangerous outside world was closer to me as I slept so she could protect me.  Her final decision was the window.

German Shepherds are amazing animals.  I really wasn’t sorry when she found her forever home.  All that serious obedience can be demanding on the owner.

So until I leave the house again I won’t have to worry about Teddy’s problems.  He doesn’t much like the hats I am wearing to keep my clipped head warm.  He peeks at me out of the corner of his eye.

Next time I will give him two pills and put him in his cage.

later….

 

Do You Really Really want to know what I did last night???

I decided to give myself a hair cut, arranged a small mirror on the counter and found the best pair of scissors in the dog grooming bowl.  I like wooden bowls and use them to store things like whistles and rocks and pine cones.

But I digress.  It’s hard to cut the back of your hair so this “buzz” took a long time.  Little hairs were floating in the air.  I sneezed and wet my pants.  I sneezed again and wet them some more, thru the undies and long johns and corduroys.  A few expletives deleted.

I headed for the bathroom, removed wet garments, cleaned up, and headed for the bedroom for dry clothes. 

During the gathering of items for redressing I found dog poop on the bed that I hadn’t noticed before, so the pill I gave Teddy before I left hadn’t worked so well.

I showed it to him, let him sniff it and then headed for the back door saying “OUT”.  Half way there I realized I had nothing on the bottom half.  Oh well, first things first.

He stayed out, in the misty evening until I was properly attired. 

I put him in his cage for the night but then relented and let him out. 

Lory says the only solution is to get another dog to keep him company.  I’ll start looking right away.  No more bassets as they are too heavy for me to lift and they are stubborn.

We’ll see what I find

later….

 

Phishing & Dr. Appointment

The other day I signed into blogspot to edit a blog and clicked the box to stay logged in.  The next day I went to my blog to see what I had written the last time (old timers moment).  I found a bright red screen saying that this site had inappropriate content or links to other sites that were dangerous.

A screen came up for me to object to that message.  I was to put in my email address and other personal information.  I didn’t fill it out.  Later when I went to my site the red screen was not there.  Everything was fine.  I signed out of blogspot and won’t stay signed on again.

I don’t understand all I know about this computer stuff but I think I was being phished.  I hope none of my readers got the red screen.

Doctor appointment and chemo today.  Nothing new really.  I gained a pound for a change – up to 126.  I know, I get no sympathy, everyone else is trying to lose weight.

I headed to the health food store and got some rice cheese as well as frozen desserts and a lactose free pizza.  

My hair is falling out bigtime.  I may not be able to avoid getting it buzzed off.  After my shower this morning I thought there was a white mouse climbing out of the drain.

The Dr. recommended vitamin B-6 for the numbness in my right foot.  I was taking that but it ran out and I forgot to replace it. 

Teddy has been getting hysterical when I am gone.  He is hoarse from barking and whining and if I don’t put him in his kennel he poops on the floor or bed. 

So today I drugged him a little.  I gave him one benadryl.  He seemed much calmer when I got home and no pooping.  He will just have to get used to being an only dog.

We all have to get used to change sometimes.  Just maybe this is as good as it will ever get.

Later….

 

Busy Day

Yesterday was a very busy day.  In the morning I went to the grocery store and filled the cart.  Since this past week has been a week off from chemo I stocked up for the next couple weeks when I might not feel like shopping.

In the afternoon Lory came and worked in the garage.  We sorted through boxes of “stuff” and found some items to take  to the booth.

We went to the barn – temps in the 50’s for a few hours encouraged us.  A cold front was coming and the wind was fierce  but it was not freezing.  The barn is not heated during the week, just on Fri. and Sat. when it is open to the public.

Lory removed all the Christmas stuff and I hung Easter eggs on the small tree.  Then Lory rearranged items, took out some and added others.  I wrote price tickets for unpriced things.

We took out some items for family members.  I’d rather give nice items to family than sell them. 

I slept very well last night.  Today I don’t have much planned.   Tomorrow is an oncologist appointment and chemo.  I plan to stop at the health food store on the way home and get some more cheese made from rice. 

My hands and feet are still healing from the last kind of chemo.  I’m still putting Udder Cream on them.  The skin on the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet are kind of like old leather now.

Tax info is starting to arrive.  I need to make a file so I don’t misplace anything.

later….

Another Buzz? Antique Booth

This morning the house was chilly but then it usually is.  When I checked the temperature it was 60 degrees inside.  That brought on a change of batteries in the programable thermostat.  That didn't help.
Looking at the furnace didn't help either so I called the service man.  He was here in less than an hour and his bill says he cleaned out the drain line.  I don't know where a drain line is but apparently it fixed things.  I ran my gas fireplace and raised the temperature by 4 degrees by the time he arrived. 
I ran my hand through my hair today and came away with ten or fifteen hairs.  You know how we women are – we can’t keep away from things like that. 
Buzz cut time?  Maybe I’ll just wait a bit.  I don’t like finding hair in my food, on my handkerchief, in my mouth and on the computer keyboard.  I’ll wear a hat to catch it and see if it really means it or not. 
Our booth at the Butter Street Barn needs redoing. I say OUR because Lory now shares it with me and does most of the work.  The Christmas stuff has to come out and we Lory needs to go through stuff in my garage to see what different items should be offered for sale.
It’s really just a half booth and we cram it pretty full.   I’ll try to get some pictures of the redo job.
later….

The Amazing Light In the Sky

Had blood drawn at the local Dr. office yesterday. Also picked up a few things at the store.

It rained all day yesterday, an inch of rain, then turned to snow pellets and flakes.  All this with a little lightening and thunder thrown in now and then.

But this morning the sun is out, the snow is gone even though it hasn’t gotten above freezing outside.  That amazing sun can melt snow at 28 degrees.

 

This says it is 1/18 9:35.04  20% humidity, 67 degrees inside, 28 outside.  That little face never smiles – some people are like that.  If I push the button and the base it talks to me – in a Chinese accent.

This is my 2002 Jeep.

I am getting the hang of my camera but haven’t reliably figured out where the software puts the pictures.  So far I’ve been able to find them with “RECENT PLACES”.  I’ll figure that out..

later….

Winter Has Arrived

The snow has arrived as well as the cold temperatures.  We have very little snow right here but the roads are slick and the wind keeps blowing the snow back onto the road.

I am hibernating.  Susan brought me some Ginger Ale and Gatoraide to help with my uncertain stomach.  The new chemo (Epirubicin) is playing heck with my digestion. 

Lory came and helped me take down the big dog kennel in the living room.  She also swept up the stuffing from a destroyed dog bed.  The room seems really big now.

I was gathering up all the doggie blankets and beds to get them washed but when I came to Bandit’s favorite I was blocked by Teddy.

See that determined look?  “You will not take this one.”  So it will not be washed for a while and will be wrapped around Teddy when he comes in the house with snow on his whiskers.

I have been studying my new camera off and on, between naps.  This is the first picture from it.  Why do they make these things so complicated? 

Shopping on the internet I found slippers that you can put in the microwave and heat up the insert in the sole.  They also have aromatherapy.  The inserts contain eucalyptus, clove, and cinnamon. 

I can’t walk in them very well so they are for bedtime or naptime only.  But they sure feel good on cold feet. 

I am also enjoying my fireplace in the bedroom as I get ready for bed and read for a while.  Thanks Bob.

Later….

Bye Bye Bandit

After a few phone discussions with the basset rescue people it was decided to put Bandit down.  So this morning he went to the vets and I left him there. 

He was in pain from his old joints and since he couldn’t stand being around other dogs his size he would have gone to an unheated kennel instead of another home.  Some rescue people have 5 or 6 dogs. 

Anyway – Teddy has been searching for him all afternoon.  He will require some extra attention for a while.

I also took the digital camera I bought back to Walmart and got one that actually has some instructions with it, a Kodak M5350.  Now I will do a little studying and have some pictures for my blog.

Tomorrow is the day I get the second round of the new chemo.   My hands and feet are still red from the old chemo.  The red skin is hardening and getting ready to peel.  I’m still putting Udder Cream on it. 

Today was a beautiful sunny day.  I even had the car window down for a while.  How many more days like this?  Snow is predicted for Thursday.

later….

 

Double Trouble

When you stop one kind of chemo on Tuesday and start another kind on Wednesday you get a mixture of side effects.  That’s my excuse for spending the last two days on the couch.

I have made a call to the Ohio Bassett Rescue to come get Bandit.  We will see if they respond in a timely manner.

Both of my daughters have threatened to call them for me so I went ahead and called.   He is just too much for me now and I have caught him abusing Teddy.

I enjoyed him for the first eight or nine months but enough is enough.

Today was a beautiful day in the 50’s.  This has been a very mild winter so far – knock on wood.

Some bulbs have started to grow – silly things.

later….

 

New Chemo Drug

The Dr. called yesterday to forewarn me of the fact that I need to change chemo drugs.  The pills had helped at first but had stopped working according to last weeks PET scan.   AARRRGGG.

That information is pretty depressing.  I put up with all those lousy side effects and then find out it was for nothing.

The new one she recommends is Epirubicin (<—link), pronounced (ep-i-ROO-bi-sin).  It is given by IV two weeks in a row, then a week off.  Weekly blood tests to monitor red and white blood cells and liver function.  My liver function continues to test normal. 

All the usual side effects seem to apply such as fatigue, loss of hair, nausea, etc. etc.  At least my hands and feet should return to normal.   If my hair falls out again (50% chance) I still have all my hats and scarves and wigs. 

I received the first dose of the stuff today and it doesn’t take long.  They were offering cookies and snacks and warmed blankets in the chemo room. 

People watching in there is interesting.  Some women crochet or knit,  some complain at the family member who brought them, some eat and some doze.  There are individual TV’s for each chair but few people watch them. 

The sun is shining today and it should get up to 40.  WOOHOO.

I learned how to use the remote starter on my car.  I thought he had said push once to start and twice to turn it off but that was backwards.  Maybe I heard him wrong.  It does work if I can remember to turn it on before I’m ready to go.

I’m sure the colder it gets the better I will remember.

later….

 

Remote Start Installed

This morning I met my daughter, Susan, at Ziebart at 7:30 to leave my car to get the remote start installed.  She brought me home which just happens to be almost on her way to work.

Last week when I called them to make the appointment they said it would take all day.  I tried to picture what I could do all day at Ziebart.  I thought maybe a nap on their floor.  Then my kids came up with the solution. 

Lory picked me up and took me back to pick up my car.  Kids are great things to have around when you need a ride.

I had forgotten that it is still dark at 7:00 a.m.  I stuck to secondary roads and did a few didoes on the roads at stop signs.  Yesterday it rained, a misty rain, then pellets of snow fell, then snow.  That left the roads a little slippery.  I heard they had a 50 car pileup in Kentucky.

I have become that little old gray haired lady who has both hands on the steering wheel and is leaning forward peering over the steering wheel, going just under the speed limit. 

That means stay out of my way on the road!

I also managed to wash dishes, do a load of laundry, and put the trash out today.  Such energy!

Bandit got into the dogfood bin while I was picking up my car so he got no supper tonight.  I think hope he has a stomach ache.  I am moving the dog food to a cooler with a latch on the lid.  I will not be defeated by a dog!

later….