Sleepless In Coquitlam

http://darcycanaday.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/the-snoopy-saga/

 

I’ve been on a bit of a detour this week.  You can go to the blog that I share with my sister to get the details on what’s been going on (link right above).  Short and sweet is that Snoopy got very sick on Monday, I’m alone at night because Ray is on graveyards and Snoopy’s discomfort/condition seem to flare out of control in the dark hours.  So he screams and cries and burns up with fever while I try to comfort him all night.  It’s been a horrific game of trying to make him comfortable, anticipate his needs, try not to get bit while attempting to help him and understanding that into everyone’s life a little dog pee must soak ones pajama pants.  I make light of it but it’s actually been horrible and brutal and heart breaking.  It’s been picking him up off the lawn at 1:30am when he face plants into the grass because he’s unable to stand up.  It’s been listening to him shriek in pain through heavy duty narcotics.  It’s been trying to get him to eat, injecting water into his mouth every hour, petting and shushing him while crying myself.   All of this, all night long all by myself…and then going to work all day.

 

Anyway, Snoopy is now back with the vet, apparently he had a good night last night with minimal pain killers and is walking around much better.  He still has a high fever so there’s definitely something not right with him and they’re trying to figure it out. We’re trying to figure out what our decision about him will be going forward.  There are people in my family who tell me in no uncertain terms that Snoopy’s health and wellbeing comes dead last in the list of all the other things that I have to consider.  This from someone who actually has their own animal.  Along with everything else we’re dealing with, it’s startling when you discover that when the chips are down, people’s reactions to it are so different than what yours are or what you would expect of them.  Especially when it’s not even their own chips that are down; all they have to do is offer support and they can’t even do that. 

 

Our uncertainty about what’s going to happen going forward isn’t about whether or not we want to keep him, we certainly do, in a perfect world Snoopy is our second dog!  But whether or not his current needs & condition are something that we’re even logistically able to deal with?  If he needs constant supervision for the next two months…..well…..we both work, we have no ability to supervise him all day long.  Unfortunately when we agreed to take him, we agreed to take a healthy puppy that would be perfectly find staying home during the day with Grace.  Snoopy isn’t that puppy right now and it’s heart breaking.

 

OK, Snoopy aside.  No.  Wait.  There is no “Snoopy aside”.  He’s pretty much consumed my existence for the last week.  No gym, no exercise, barely functioning to cook.  Last night since he’s in the care of the vet, I came home and had a glass of wine, dinner, a scorching hot bath and a lovely blue sleeping pill and was dead to the world at 7:35 (went to bed at 7:30 and Ray came to ask me about making my lunch 5 minutes later and apparently couldn’t wake me up…zzzzzz).  So I got over 10 hours of dreamless sleep….and this morning I feel worse than I’ve felt the rest of the week.  A bit of sleeping pill still in my system plus an adrenaline hangover, I suspect. 

 

Last week (when things were still normal), I had done a lot of research regarding adding a new vitamin to my fitness routine.  I went out and spent quite a bit of money on it and was all raring to go this week, test it out, see how it made me feel, what my performance was like and if it did anything to give me further or different results.  I see the little pill mixed in with the rest of my vitamins each morning and it’s a bit of a kick in the pants when I have to pick it out and then throw it back in the container.  No weight lifting means no supplement! 

On the subject of vitamins, go and research Vitamin D.  It’s long been believed to prevent multiple sclerosis in women who live in the Northern Hemisphere but more and more research is indicating now that everyone should take the vitamin and in larger doses than was ever previously thought.  I currently take 5000IU daily and my hubby takes 2000IU…I’m working him up slowly, not because of reaction but because he’s a staunch supporter of “conventional wisdom” and doing what “they” prescribe.  (shakes head)

DISCLAIMER!  I’m not equipped to give dietary or vitamin or supplement recommendations, I can only speak for myself at this time. Proceed at your own discretion.

Anyway, I hope that next week things will be more normal and I can set my alarm for early gym and go and test out the new supplement.  Results/reactions I’ll post here!

 

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Fast & Furious

It is blissfully sunny out (finally!) and I am insanely busy at work so have been getting there early to start work…which eats into my blogging time.  😉

An update of things ongoing in point form, shall we?

• Grace is catching on to life with us…in most respects.  It is becoming apparent that she never spent any time outdoors.  She is nervous and insecure about absolutely every little noise, movement, breeze or bug.  It’ll take time but she’s a smart girl, she’ll get used to it.
• We are more careful about keeping her under our control (leash) than we were at first, now that she’s gaining confidence her little firecracker personality is coming out and she has no hesitation about chasing cats in our neighborhood or even chasing a motorcycle down the road at top speed.
• We discovered yesterday during a visit with our adoption co-ordinator that she was not abandoned on the side of the freeway as we first understood.  She and her brother were tossed out of a moving vehicle at freeway speed and the car that was behind her car pulled over and went back for them while the owners just sped off.  I just about puked when I heard that.  And then cried. 
• I rode my motorcycle to work on Friday for the first time!
• Going back a little ways since I haven’t been posting much, our family dinner worked out absolutely beautifully, everyone was on their best behavior and got along well enough that I would not hesitate to do it again (and we may, in September)
• On the exercise front I have walked 40.1 kilometers in the last 7 days.  This is, apparently, enough for me to not only maintain my weight but to help strip off a little more fat in the legs and belly and replace with lean tissue.  Perfect!  Especially since, because the weather is gorgeous, we are certainly drinking more than we do when it’s raining out. 
• There was a cougar reported in our area late last week, freaks me the hell out!
• We went to a dinner party at Ray’s ex wife’s house last night, she was at our house on Saturday with George so they could meet Grace and she is coming to Ray’s mom’s b’day dinner and then to our house for coffee & cake this coming Sunday.  I am definitely struggling at this point, I don’t mind her, she’s a nice person, I love her dog…….but it’s a strain on my good humour and sociability to crank out a happy face when nerves and upset is what I’m feeling inside.  And Ray, per normal, pays absolutely no attention to my discomfort whether I specifically mention it or not.  It’s a problem.

So, that’s what HAS happened, and here’s what’s coming:

• Grace has a vet appt tomorrow.  We thought she had an ouchie foot because of all the walking however it could be because of how she was….um….surrendered.  She needs to get that looked at.
• Tara is coming over for dinner on Wednesday so that we can drink a nice rose in the driveway and so she can meet Grace
• Ray’s mom is turning 75 on Sunday (hence the birthday dinner and get together at our house).  She just took a tumble yesterday and may have broken her wrist…which is not great, she’s not a great exerciser to begin with and has little confidence in walking to begin with and this won’t help.  Plus, she’s going to Israel and Jordan in September so she needs to get up and going.
• Saturday we have a Harley meeting, a chiropractor appt (that Gracie gets to go to…and he offered to take a look at her and see if he can help her at all) and then a memorial service in the afternoon. 

So that’s about it. It’s too beautiful here to spend anytime indoors and I’m too busy at work to do anything but swear and bang my head against the desk.  Three weeks from now we’re going on holidays as well and that is going to be crazy to get ready for, we’re camping just the two of us and our dog and also towing our big boat up there and going to spend at least a week on the water fishing and swimming and hanging out…..at this point I have requested two weeks off and only had one approved so we can’t even determine how long we’ll be gone for….which really blows.

Amazing Grace

Not the song, Amazing Grace, the dog, amazing Grace!  Well….her name is technically Gracie but we prefer Grace and she doesn’t really care!

Saturday afternoon we got a call and a few pictures and a very small write up about Grace and we were told if we wanted her that we just had to say so and she would be arriving by airplane to Vancouver International Airport on Sunday at 2pm.  We said “Yes” and now she’s here!  We are absolutely thrilled with her, she’s calm and so sweet.  She’s three years old, walks amazingly on a leash (full heel with no prompting) and absolutely loves us.  Us.  Both of us.  Me included.  That was (perhaps irrationally) a fear of mine because our previous dog had been with Ray for 8 years before I came into the picture and she and I never really bonded.  This one though?  Loves me too!

Her story is kind of sad, she and her brother, a chihauhau-weiner cross, were abandoned on the side of a freeway in San Francisco.  The authorities found them and turned them in to the shelter.  The little brother dog was adopted but they were having a hard time adopting her out so they contacted LA Boxer Rescue figuring a more specific rescue organization would help.  While she was at the shelter in San Fran, a pitbull escaped his run and bit her in the side so she came to us with her left side a bit bald and having just had her stitches out.  Even after her dog attack she still has no aggression to other dogs and just wants to play with them.   She knows sit, stay, lie down, shake a paw.  She is also…..fat.  She’s a little sausage with legs, around 7-10 pounds overweight for her size.  They figure she was probably even fatter before she got into the shelter system because they certainly don’t feed them enough to maintain her mass!  The girl who brought her to us said that normally when they come out of the shelter system they are little bone-racks…..we’re not even positive this one has bones!  LOL!

She loves to walk, gets very excited when her leash comes out but she is also very obedient and will sit down to get her leash on and stay seated while you open the door until you invite her out.  Very well behaved.

I won’t be a crazy loon of a new dog owner and talk about her exclusively or bore you with nothing but pictures of her, I know that she’s absolutely adorable and sweet to us and that gets boring for other people.  However, today is her 3rd birthday, the day she became a Canadian and her first day in her forever home and that means she gets a few pictures on the blog!

Enjoy!

Shifty Drifty

Wow, I really haven’t been able to get my feet back under me since the potato/tequila fiasco this past weekend.  I haven’t been to the gym yet this week (was supposed to go yesterday and this morning…….slept right through both of those!), I’m not motivated to cook properly (veggies are going to waste in my fridge which is very unusual!) and it’s been a raining bastard outside so we’ve only taken one short stroll. It was quite warm out for our stroll last night but we got soaked in a misty rain.

I’m pretty sure I’m low on iron and that’s causing part of my lack of energy problem.  Picking up the liquid supplement tonight so that should help.  There are a few other things going on though that are occupying my mind and energy.

First, on Monday when I was heading home from work, a huge flat deck tow truck side swiped my brand new car.  Less than a month old.  I could have puked!  So now I have another adjustor appointment to deal with and then repair shop etc.

Second, the chic at my insurance company is not happy with me that I’m only doing a couple of treatments a week since it would then appear that I’m complaining about ongoing injury but not doing anything to help myself.  I explained to her this morning, through clenched teeth, that there is a limit to the amount of money that I have and the insurance company paying $20 on each $100 is not particularly helpful.  I suspect that there will be a request-to-settle letter in my mailbox in the next month or so.  I was advised by my neighbor who is a lawyer, that I document every single day what happened and how I felt since the accident so that I have grounds with which to refuse to settle just yet.  I can do that because I jot everything down in my date book, but it’s a lot of extra work that I have to find time to do.

Third, Ray and I had a little squabble last night about my “obsession” with my fitness and weight.  I did not appreciate that.  I understand why he would think that but he sometimes has trouble understanding that if I am to maintain or improve myself then I have to give it a large degree of my attention and time. 

Finally, tomorrow is the 10 year anniversary of Ray’s dad passing away.  He’s a little on edge (hence the squibble-picking last night) and unfortunately I can’t be with him tomorrow because of my own family commitment.

On to happier news things that are also attention grabbers in my world these days.

First, I have the next two days off.  I’m free until 1pm tomorrow at which time I’ll put on a pretty dress and go watch my mom graduate from university.  Then we’ll all pile back in the car and endure 3 hours of “quality family time” with my grandparents…whom I assume will have passive aggressive or possibly blatantly rude comments to make the whole time.  Fun.

Second…..and perhaps most importantly and very excitingly.  Ray and I are expecting.  Yep!  There’s a little girl in our future.  Her name is Olive and she’s three.  She’s currently living on Vancouver Island and there are people hard at work right now arranging her transportation to our little family, hopefully this weekend.  I wanted to wait until I had my own picture of her to share with you, but I’m too excited. 

Meet Olive!  (you thought it was a child, didn’t you!  LOL!)

Olive (already nicknamed Ollie) will be with us in a few short days!

Olive is almost three, she’s a purebred boxer who had to be surrendered by her current family due to financial hardship and illness (theirs, not hers).  We had listed on our application that we highly preferred that our adoptee did NOT have cropped ears however she does.  It bugged me at first but I don’t care anymore, I’m just excited to get her.  She’s a smaller boxer, about 50 pounds, we think.  She’s been living with a Jack Russell and her current family hasn’t exercised her in over a year so she’s a little crazy at the moment.  She’ll settle down nicely into our routine and before long she’ll absorb our energy levels.  I’ll put up better pics when we actually have her and she’s not scared anymore.

So, all that above, it’s really no wonder that I’m drifty and unfocussed and motivated for everything but not able to carry out anything.

Hazy Monday

I am in a haze this morning.  A red, stinging eyed, headachy, cold sore (sonofabitch!) haze.  I did not expect this to be as bad as it’s been.  Obviously I knew that Ray and Kyle would both be quite upset and the actual event was four grown adults sobbing in each other’s arms.  But the following two days have been absolutely brutal.   Ray didn’t think it would be as bad as it’s been for him either, however in thinking more about it yesterday….he’s had a dog in his house for 37 years.  Brandy is also the last tie to his original family being together before his marriage broke up.  When Ray’s ex wife left, Brandy instantly became his, never left his side.  She eased his transition into the next phase of his life.  She’s also the last dog we’re going to have (more on that later).  So there’s quite a bit to be sad about, no doubt. 

 

Tonight is my first weights night at the gym…..it’s also Ray’s first day coming home from work and not having Brandy there.  He’s asked that I keep with my gym plan, he wants to be home alone for awhile and “blubber in privacy”, so that’s what I’ll do.  Plus, while this (and the fact that my car wouldn’t start this morning) would have been a great excuse not to go to the gym and start something new, that doesn’t gain me any success.  Ray will be fine, crying never killed anyone.  And while I’m nervous/intimidated by starting this new program, putting it off until another day won’t eliminate or reduce those feelings.  Both feet….aaaaand….jump!

 

Among the sad bits there have also been other things going on in the last couple of days.  Friday night was a Costco run and then we stopped and got me some Thai food and then stopped and picked up chinese food for Ray.  Well…..that was a bust.  What I ordered was prawns and veggies in a coconut cream sauce.  What I got was some sick looking miniature prawns and a bunch of green peppers (I can’t eat gr peppers) in an insanely greasy, stupidly spicy clear sauce.  I don’t mind fat….when it has a purpose.  This was just retarded.  I put the whole works into the sink (possibly in a fit of rage) and made myself a big salad for dinner.  Waste of $14.  I think what happened (besides the questionable veg and prawns) was that they forgot to mix in the coconut milk….which would have creamed up the sauce and cut the spice.  Whatever….won’t be doing that again.

 

Saturday morning I did our groceries first thing in the morning since I figured after we’d gone to the vet in the afternoon, neither of us would feel like doing errands.  I also stopped by the mall and picked up a very cute dress that I’m very excited to wear….just not sure to what.  The rest of Saturday was spent on the floor with Brandy; Kyle and Judy (ex wife) came over a couple of hours before the appt.  It was good for Ray, they rehashed fun memories of all the dogs and cats that they’d had, we all cried together and then it was time.

 

And….skip to Sunday, the rest of Saturday was horrible doesn’t bear discussion.

 

Sunday morning we decided to go out for breakfast just to escape the eerie quiet of our house.  Bacon & mushroom omelette – no cheese for me and a waffle and sausages for Ray.  Very yummy and filling; in fact it was our only meal of the day until 7pm when we ate dinner.  We also went to the local Volkswagen dealership on Sunday afternoon and test drove the new Jetta.  Given my troubles with my car this morning, that candy apple white Jetta sedan is looking pretty damn good!  When we got home I made a paleo cabbage roll recipe that I found online.  I used savoy cabbage (the wrinkly one) because the leaves come away from the head so much easier.  I also did a mix of pork and beef instead of just beef because I find that straight ground beef can be a bit heavy.  The meat, two cups of minced spinach, half a red onion minced, a gala apple finely chopped, some paprika and garlic and one egg made up the filling.   It made 16 small cabbage rolls which I poured a home made tomato sauce over and then baked.  They were pretty good, maybe a bit underseasoned which seems to be a pervasive problem with recipes that I find online.  However, they were easy to make and they make lots so it’ll definitely be a do-over recipe. 

 

Today, as mentioned, is the first day of my  new weight lifting program.  I really wish I was in a better frame of mind to start it because I know it’s going to frustrate me the first couple of times.  I don’t like not being adept at things and especially so when I’m wearing tight fitting clothes and there are lots of mirrors and other people around.  A throw-back to being way overweight and self conscious.  Not that it matters (except it sort of does), but this weekend I hit a new low weight mark for me in the recent past and that goes a long way to making me feel a bit more confident about myself in going into a program alone and unsure.

 

Wish me luck….and Ray as well, getting home from work for the first time with no dog to greet him.  It’s going to be rough.