July the Oneth

 I've been taking Tucker to puppy kindergarten and he's learned to sit. Nothing else yet but wow, can he sit.  He is such a brave guy.  Every time there's a commercial on tv and he sees a dog, cat, cow, chicken, pig, toilet tissue bears, frog - whether real or animated - he barks at them for the full 30 seconds and at the end of the commercial THEY GO AWAY! He actually does that for me, I guess to keep me safe from all those strange critters that are in his house on the big black box.  What a guy!

I learned I've been feeding all my critters wrong. I believed that free-feeding was good.  They always have food so they know they don' have to gobble it down all at once, in case there may not be more coming. WRONG. In order to train the pup, I'm to carry baggies full of food with me all day long. When one of them does something correctly, I give them a few morsels of kibble. Aha, positive reinforcement. But when one gets, all four want. It makes no difference to them that someone just sat. Or did a down. Or is being quiet. I want what he/she got and I want it now, too.

It wouldn't be so confusing if Sadie or Gigi weren't always underfoot. Mister K still gets his food up high so the dogs can't get into it but even he is learning that if somebody does almost anything, kibble will hit the floor so he dives in with the rest of them.

It certainly makes vacuuming fun. Carpet everywhere but kitchen and bathrooms. I don't like putting food on the carpet but "if that's where you get the behavior you want, that's where the kibble needs to go immediately".

So my dilemma is do I want a nice clean carpet and a spazzy puppy with no manners or a not so clean carpet and a puppy that still isn't getting the hang of it but might learn someday?  And no, moving out to the garage isn't an option. Although..... concrete sweeps up beautifully. Nah.

I'll give this a few more days - hoping they don't all starve to death if they should misbehave (not my furkids!) and probably go back to free-feeding. I understand the premise of them doing good things to earn their food.  I'm just not sure I completely agree with it.

Summer Puppy / Kitty Treats

Wash 5 lb of potatoes thoroughly.  Using a fork, poke multiple holes all over the potatoes.  Place them in a large stock pot, cover with water, add bouillon cubes to flavor and boil until tender. Remove from heat and drain. Once cooled, cut into bite size pieces appropriate for your furkid's mouth, fill a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer. During hot weather, these frozen treats will almost disappear; they're nice and cold, flavored and you don't have to thaw them.

Once again

Sometimes, good intentions end up being just that...and only that.  My execution of plans is dictated daily by health issues.  I'm proud to be an Army veteran of 13 years; but the VA is the only medical I have.  There are constraints on what services are available, the system is so overwhelmed by the vast numbers of vets that appointments are often unavailable for at least 6 months and the wait can be mentally, as well as physically, devastating.

I had to get a good grip on myself before I felt comfortable enough to return here.

But here I am. I can make so many others feel better just by laughing at what goes on here...

My puppy is now a year old and, from his early, sad beginnings of 21 pounds, he is thriving at 91 pounds.  He's such a love, full of the devil and lots of things he shouldn't be eating.

My memory foam pillow, with the wonderful cooling layer, is now chunks of foam and lots of little sticky blue gobs.  Most of the binding on his quilt is missing so I have to believe it was also eaten since there is not a trace of it anywhere.  Yet.  It could still show up somewhere in the back yard.  Another pair of slippers bit the dust. The couch is almost void of stuffing so that's something I'm excited about.  Once all the stuffing is gone it will come to an end.  I hope.

No idea where he found the ball point pens but my carpet has some lovely blue ink stains in the living room and the hall is decorated with red ink.  Those took a whole lot of time, chemicals and hand scrubbing to eliminate.  This was done after we brushed the teeth that were rather purple with the colors combined.

The excitement never ends.  Pulled into the driveway, pressed the button for the garage door and it opened. Off loaded my things, pressed the button again and, while the door did close, it was so fast I barely saw it.  The rails that held it to the ceiling tore away, the cables snapped from the door, it's crashed and I have yet another project.  Naturally, I don't have the standard 12 ft door.  No, I have the 16 footer that's special order.

To get to the repairs necessary, I have to rearrange everything in the garage.  I had nothing else to do, of course.  It gets 30-45 minutes a day because that's all I can handle physically.  Yes, I'm a certifiable dizzy broad.  Have fractured/broken bones, scars and bruises to prove it.  Two years of tests and still no diagnosis.  It has certainly changed my life. :-(

Also underwent a real adventure having new windows installed.  The primary reason for doing this was to replace skylights (which I discovered they didn't do after I signed the contract).  So one garden window, patio slider and seventeen windows later I'm still "dealing".  After-market locks will be installed to compensate for the windows installed without them. Brilliant solution for the garden window, which is very difficult to open and close, is "just spray it with WD-40 and it'll work fine."  Caulking will be mended in places where it is raised, has air pockets or just didn't seal.  The lifetime, transferable warranty turned out to be a limited period of time and non-transferable. I hope the letter they sent amending the situation will be honored. Had to fight to get these things done and they still have yet to finish.  Buyer beware is taking on a whole new meaning for me.

Still trying to achieve a diminishing household content.  To actually survive, I probably need only one-third of what is here.  But I can't bear to part with so many of the remaining items.  In my next life, I do not want to be sentimental or retain my mom and daddy's philosophy of hanging on to everything because you never know when you may need it.  Children of the depression.  Attitude, passed on.

Today and tomorrow, I will be patient, but persistent, with the VA.  This is no kind of life for anyone.  When the simple task of walking causes injuries, it makes every day a challenge.

I will maintain a positive attitude and laugh often.  Which isn't a problem. I have three dogs and a cat that are all a little wacko.  Their antics and habits are truly laughable.  They make every day worthwhile.

I  will continue to toss, donate, recycle and downsize.  Sooooo much stuff.  And it can't all be good stuff.

I will continue with my plans to move back to Hawaii.  I want this to be my very last winter in the rain, cold and snow.  Makes my bones ache. It's not fun.

I will come back to this blog without feeling diminished in any way.

I cannot wait for the sun to appear. My plan to move back to Hawaii was put on hold for years while I cared for my parents; they have both passed away. Now that I have the opportunity to move, my health is taking away the ability to do so.

Totally perfect blood results with only one exception - Vitamin D dangerously low levels. I live on the wet side of the state and if the sun is shining, we all do the happy dance because it's not the norm here.  So I'm taking this as a sign I'm supposed to move to the sunshine.  My illness will just have to go with me.

It would be nice to have a diagnosis. The VA, while being a fairly decent alternative, is so crowded that appointments are months out and there are few services for women. After my last MRI, I was told I had MS.  I attempted due diligence online to learn what I could about the disease; it wasn't a fun adventure.

About two months later, I had the first available neuro appointment where meds, therapy and details would be provided. Ooops, so sorry no one let you know - it's not really MS. Or at least we don't think so. What they didn't realize was by not letting me know, I "did have MS for two months" and the anguish with it.

As conditions are being ruled out, the symptoms get worse with no diagnoses. Yesterday I learned some illnesses are simply left to languish if the VA doesn't have the ability to perform certain tests that are not cost effective.

I will need to learn to live with it. I will enjoy the rain we so lovingly refer to as liquid sunshine.

So everyday, I hug the furkids and literally bask in their total and complete love and devotion.  What would I do without them?

Tucker is such a good guard dog. So much so I can no longer watch The Dog Whisperer. He's learned if he barks at those big dogs inside the box that has pictures and sound, they go away! He's so brave and protective. And loud. Unfortunately, this is not good behavior to reinforce. So in small doses, I'm using sound interruption to deter the behavior. Not sure how long this will take for him to realize what's really happening and respond positively to it.

I can almost see Sadie and Gigi shaking their heads at him. Mister K just looks at him with a "you've got to be kidding me" look only cats can manage.

Car wax. And the kitchen sink.  Love my Franke triple but it can be a pain to keep it in shining condition. One day while looking for something else, I found my "once a year" car polish. I used it on the stainless steel and let it sit about half an hour. Then buffed it to a great shine.  Depending on how often you have a real mess in the sink, this wonderful shine and water-repelling properties will keep your sink in wonderful condition and only requires a minimal wipe down to keep water spots away. Who knew?

Just when you believe things are looking up - and what could go wrong now? - it does. I guess shame on me for having a positive attitude and angering the house trolls.

A few days ago I finished removing the dog's nose art from the living room window, tossed all the bones because each one of the dog's wanted the one the other guy had, finished laundry....all the stuff I needed to do and realized it was cold indoors.  Took the kids out to potty and discovered the heat pump was running. Constantly.

Since it wasn't heating the house I had to assume it was cooling. Two technicians later, I got the news - the compressor has gone "out" and it's only a little over 3k to replace it. Oh, and by the way we seem to have misplaced paperwork on the 10 yr parts and labor warranty you purchased. But because you've been such a good client we can either repair the old one or install a new one at a drastically reduced price. But we'll also have to replace the coil in the new furnace you bought from us at the same time. But you'll have a like-new furnace, a new heat pump AND we promise not to lose your new 10yr warranty. But what if I don't have the budget for that right now? No problem, you just use your furnace (higher cost), shut off the heat pump (wow, that will really help the utility bill) and give us a call. 

The follow up call offered a price I couldn't refuse so the work will get done. But when I look at the original price for equipment and installation and the price for new - at their "cost" - it's about 6k less than the price I paid initially. They made bank on me the first time. Shows how much mark up they have and their huge profit margin, if nothing else.

This is immediately followed by the necessity to replace windows. Details unimportant - it has to be done. Let it suffice that I have an ex-husband. It explains a myriad of details.

Whew, that felt good! I will not ever, ever, ever again ask what could go wrong now!

Did the WD40 trick yesterday. Sprayed the spring above the garage door, the side rails and rollers. I do this religiously every 3 mos and I have NEVER had a problem with it. I also do the bottom slide rail for all of the windows but that will apparently not be necessary with the new ones.

Off to get some more plastic hangars for Tucker. He eats anything and plastic hangars cost sooo much less than another couch! AND he loves hangars.... goTuck.

What do you say when your daughter turns 41? Easy. I had her when I was 2! Yesterday was her birthday and when I went outside, it was in the high 50's and the sun was out. Thought back to the night I went to the hospital; had to drive the jeep with the blade down pushing snow all the way to the hospital. That was Eastern Washington and I wasn't sure we'd make it up the hill. Thank heavens after that I moved to the wetside of the state. She did turn out to be a snow bunny. Me - I'm a wuss. There is nothing beautiful about snow except for photographs of it somewhere else. My story and I'm definitely sticking to it.

Another day has gone by and I'm proud to say I didn't kill Tucker/Jaws/Chompers/Masticator the Great. Doesn't seem to matter what he does - cause he's so darned cute you just can't get upset.  Got a picture of him curled up with Gigi on the love seat and they just snuggle so well - who cares if he ate his toy basket this morning... wonder if they make toy baskets in stainless steel?

Hope to get started this week with the trainer. THAT should be an adventure. Taking all three critters so the trainer can observe interactions. He said that will help with his direction. I need a lot of direction to keep my sense of humor. Well, maybe a little anyway.

Had the good fortune to get not one but two 800 calls today.  Feel free to borrow and share. Thanks to caller ID, when I picked up the phone I said in my happiest voice "May I speak with Kaila, Please?" (NEVER say hello!) The person on the other end said "ummm, I must have the wrong number" and hung up.  Did NOT call back. Did the same with the second call and they hung up without a word.  Works like a charm.  Although, once in a while they'll tell me there's no one there by that name.

Time to snuggle in with the kids.  Need to get the king set up because if I don't do it soon, I'll be sleeping on the floor and they'll have the bed.  The queen just doesn't cut it.

FOUR BULLY STICKS! The biggest ones they had. Super size for the massive chewing machines. Three dogs and they'll "fight" over who has which one because they just know the other one is better than the one they have. So if I put a fourth one on the floor, someone can grab the one that was just left behind, which will free up another one and so on and so on. Musical sticks.

I read on a website yesterday that these incredible edibles can last up to two years! I believe that is true. But only if you leave them in the sealed plastic, tuck them into a plastic container with a sealing lid and hide them in the very, very back of a closet on the top shelf.

I gave them to the critters just after 5pm and they were GONE before we went to bed.  Not a trace left behind, no shreds or crumbs. I have no idea who ended up eating the last of them since they each took their prize to hide away from prying eyes.  I searched diligently because I just couldn't believe it and finally gave it up because they were g o n e.

Even Gigi did a respectable job of putting hers away and she's definitely not a massive chewer at 20 lbs. and with a tiny mouth.

I was going to buy them in bulk but after computing the cost of four sticks per day for just six months, I realized I'd be approaching somewhere near the national debt level.

Now I'm wondering if those concrete blocks would be considered too much to give a dog.... ;-) Maybe some of the Craftsman tools that are guaranteed replaceable if they become damaged. Probably not. Tucker would have all the switchplates off or be installing a new door knob within minutes.

So I will continue my quest to find things for them to chew on that might last at least overnight.  Because Greg, my vet, says No Doggie Dentures every time I ask.

Almost warm! Still going to need a jacket but not a winter one.

Ginger goes today to have her stitches removed - finally.  Going to go down in vet hospital history since they moved to a new location and today is their first day open. Kind of fun to be one of the first to be in the new facility.

Ordered some sewing machine feet to replace some of the ones that were stolen from my home while I was gone caring for my parents. Don't think I'll ever get over the feelings of violation and tremendous loss. Not to mention all of the items taken that can never be replaced - which leave a void in my heart.

In my next life I want to be less kind, less forgiving and basically meaner. I learned the identity of the thief; he's the son of a friend.  Because of that I can't turn him in -the three strikes law in this state would probably put him away forever. When it came time to draw the line between friendship and loss, friendship won.  I know it's not the right solution for most people and if the friendship could stand a decision to turn him in but I know I wouldn't like to think of my child in prison forever.

Next I hope no one reads this because it's truth and no one likes to have it all out there. This is cathartic for me.

Not being able to sew, quilt, handle fabric has taken its toll.  Unless a fabriholic, I know this makes no sense.  Just looking at and handling fabric - in itself - brings a calmness and sends the mind off in a gazillion directions.  Taking the fabric and cutting into it, manipulating it, putting it back together into something new and wonderful is such a sense of accomplishment.  Lots of love goes into a quilt and when it's complete, it shows.

So as time and $ allows, I will replace what was taken and dive back in.  Until then, just holding and dreaming will have to do.

When remaking a bed, after the top sheet goes on but before you tuck it in, fold it up a foot or so and sprinkle a light dusting of a gently-scented powder across the foot of the bed and then tuck in. It smells wonderful and your feet will smile when you crawl in tonight.