Christmas prep

You know how some people wrap gifts so perfectly? And you don't even want to open it, because it looks so pretty? Some people enjoy wrapping and even add fancy touches, like feathers or ornaments.

Well, I'm not one of those people. (See my earlier post about my arts and crafts project. Wrapping fancy packages is up there with craft projects: not in my skill set.) I invariably get tangled up in scotch tape, misjudge the size of my packages and either have way too much paper or not enough... You get the drift. I just finished wrapping most of my Christmas gifts and I feel like I should get a prize or something.



The main reason I wrapped everything now (instead of Christmas morning) is because I want to give my boss his gift ASAP. I got him a bottle of fancy booze and it makes me nervous to have something so fragile and expensive hanging around! I feel like the longer it's in my possession, the more chance there is of me breaking it. It was the most I've ever spent on a single bottle of alcohol...granted I'm pretty thrifty with consumables, but still...the sooner it's outta here, the better I'll feel.


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Ho Ho...no

I'm trying not to make every blog about dog stuff, but really, there's not a whole lot going on lately. It's been really busy with holiday stuff plus the usual stuff...but nothing exciting.

Tonight I was out running errands- getting ready for an ugly sweater party tonight. After getting most of the things on my list at Walmart, I stopped at Home Depot for mouse traps. I was in for a total of maybe 10 minutes. During that time my 20 pound dog ate about three quarters of a loaf of bread. I've left him alone in the car with Chinese food and he didn't touch it, so I thought my wonder bread would be ok. Not so much. It was the kind with added fiber, so I'm sure he'll be tons of fun later. He's VERY quiet right now, except for the occasional burp.

Is it mean if I take advantage of him being under the weather? I'm thinking this is a good time to try trimming his nails.


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Craft project: holiday garland

I saw a really cute holiday garland banner on etsy and wanted it. But, I'm cheap, impatient and picky: I didn't want to spend almost $30 with shipping; I wanted it now- if I had to wait a week for the order to process, then ship, it would be pretty close to Christmas; and my holiday color scheme is pink and green- not red and green. All the garlands on etsy had red in them. I wanted my garland to hang on the French doors right behind my tree, which has a pink and silver color scheme.



(One of the outtakes from our holiday card photo shoot. Note the pink and white Lilly Pulitzer tree skirt- I bought it on sale in June or July, I think! I was SO excited.)

Apparently these factors created a perfect storm...clearly I wasn't thinking rationally. I blame holiday excitement-this was the first time I put the tree up with the new skirt, and I was really excited. So I decided to make my own garland.

Umm. Arts and crafts have never been my strong point. I taught myself how to read by the time I was 3- my mom didn't even know I could read, until one day when she was pushing me in my stroller and I started reading off street signs. But I got a "check minus" on cutting and pasting in kindergarten.

This seemed like a pretty easy project. Right? Wrong. For starters, I was trying to save money. I probably spent over $20 on supplies, so not much of a savings there. Not to mention all the time I spent running around getting supplies. Oh, and the actual labor itself. Ugh.

At any rate, to make a long story short: this didn't come out quite how I wanted, but it's decent. I used card stock, grosgrain ribbon and a green paint marker. After going to 5 stores and not finding stencils in the font I wanted, I used a combination of stencils and freehand.

It was very much a trial and error thing- I didn't plan to cut out pink snowflakes, but that just kind of happened. I had actually picked up some snowflake cutouts, planning to mount the letters on them. Instead I used a snowflake cutout as my stencil to make the pink ones, then stenciled the letters directly on to the snowflakes.



Here's the work in progress. (The blue pile is the stencil sheets. Other tools used were scissors and hole punch.)

This project was a total comedy of errors- everything went wrong. Even the hole punch was wrong- the only one I could find at the craft store, and it cuts mini holes. Wtf. I had planned to use glitter glue to edge the letters...didn't work out so well.

I finally decided to cut my losses and work with what I did have. It's not how I pictured it would turn out, but it works:



(Sorry for the weird lighting in this pic- my couch is cream and tan, not weird neon!)



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Christmas photo shoot

One of the best Christmas cards I've ever seen came from a guy my dad works with. There were a few family pictures on the front, none of them perfect. At least one of the kids was making a goofy face, picking their nose, or getting licked by the family dog in every shot. The greeting inside said something along the lines of "instead of getting frustrated that we couldn't get the "perfect" picture, we decided to relax and drink hot chocolate as a family. We may not be perfect, but here we are, and we're grateful for every moment." I laughed my tail off when I saw that card, and it's definitely one of the best I've seen.

Well, folks on my Christmas card list may be getting something similar this year, because my attempts to pose Brewster by the tree have pretty much been a disaster.



















He looks like a prisoner in the last one!!

Mac was always so food oriented- all it took was a few bites of hot dog and he'd mug for the camera. Brewster still just wants attention, poor little thing. Every time I try to plop him under the tree he tries to crawl over into my lap.


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Brewster update

It's been just over a week since I brought him home, and Brewster is doing great!



I still can't believe someone gave him up. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, and for him to go wild and turn into a crazy dog...but so far he's been so well-behaved. (Although I guess after owning the craziest dog ever, my expectations for behavior were pretty low!)




He is just the sweetest little thing. His favorite place is on my lap or anywhere else that's ON me- here he is sleeping on my chest:




He is so clingy- poor thing, I think he's terrified he's going to get left again. I joke that I should have named him Barnacle, not Brewster- he follows me everywhere and cries when I leave him. But he is such a good boy and so sweet. I still miss Mac so much, but Brewster is a nice addition.



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Life is better with a snoring dog in my lap

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I can't believe this is happening...

I got another dog.

It hasn't even been two weeks yet since Mac passed away. I knew I would eventually get another four legged roommate, but I figured I'd take some time to heal a bit. (Emotionally AND financially - all the homeopathic meds and Omaha steaks got pricey. Worth every penny, but it did add up!)

And mostly, I didn't want to feel like I was trying to replace Mac. And I'm not. He was truly one of a kind, and I will always, always miss him.

But...my house was just so, so quiet. It was making me miss Mac even more. I felt like coming home to silence was just making Mac's absence even more apparent.

I started looking on Petfinder, thinking it would take a while. I didn't really have any specific criteria- just a dog that I clicked with. When I found Mac on Petfinder, it was love at first sight. I saw his picture and just knew he was MY dog. So this time I was looking for something similar- maybe not as strong as love at first sight, but just a feeling that this dog stood out, had a little extra personality.

I knew I wanted a shelter dog- there are so many good dogs that need homes. And I truly believe that shelter dogs know that you rescued them, and they love even more because of it. I kind of thought I wouldn't get a purebred- they're harder to come by in shelters anyway, and I liked the idea of a scrappy mutt. And I was thinking a Pit mix would be nice- so many shelters are overflowing with Pits,and they're such misunderstood dogs. I wasn't trying to replace Mac, but since he was such an amazing dog, I didn't think there was anything wrong with looking for a dog with some of his characteristics!

On Thanksgiving, I showed my family the listings for a few "finalists," and asked for their vote. I'm sure they were all great dogs, but there was one that just kind of stood out. Ironically, he received the least votes. And he's a purebred- a Boston terrier.

His name was Brewski (which has since been changed- I don't think he liked it either, as he never really responded to it!). I called the shelter on Friday and, since work was pretty quiet, went in to see him on my lunch break. The staff at the shelter said he was an owner surrender, that he doesn't get along with other dogs, and that his previous owner had two other dogs. They said that when Brewski was brought in, he just cowered in the back of his kennel. They told me that he wasn't friendly, and that the reason no one had picked him yet was because he was so standoffish, and that he could be "reactive and vocal" - he gets overstimulated very easily and responds by barking.

I took him out for a "get to know you" stroll, and we just clicked. I sat on a rock outside and he climbed all over me, licking my face. When we went back inside, the staff was shocked. They said they couldn't believe this was the same dog, and that he had never warmed up to anyone like that. It was at that point I knew I would take him. He sat quietly at my feet while I filled out the paperwork. The staff said they usually have a longer approval process, but after seeing us together, they approved me on the spot. When I said I had to go back to work, we agreed I would come back the following morning for him. It was like Brewski realized and started to freak out- he jumped up and put his front paws on the counter. He refused to budge when it was time to take him back to his kennel.

Meet Brewster:




We are still getting used to each other, but so far, so good. We spent last night at my parents' house- I was nervous he'd be getting in to stuff, but he was great. From what I can tell, his previous owners mustn't have spent a whole lot of time with him- he is starved for attention, and timid with new people. He's been responding pretty quickly to new commands and seems to be adjusting pretty well.

He's not Mac; I'll always love Mac, but I think I'm going to love this guy too.




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STG = big wimp

Right now I'm live blogging from my bed, which I'm afraid to leave- there's a potential mouse on the loose in my house. I've had traps set for the past week, and one of the traps was set off today. I can't tell if there's anything in it, and I'm terrified to look...I get the heebie jeebies just thinking about it!!! And of course the trap that went off is directly in the line of access from my bedroom and kitchen to the rest of the house. The good news is my dad is on the way- he was already coming over, I swear. Until he gets here I'm staying holed up in my room!!


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Pimpin' ain't easy

Mark your calendars: I had two dates this weekend. With two different guys. This doesn't happen often.

So now I'm in a pickle: I like them both. For totally different reasons. I wish I could combine them, because both of them have qualities I'm looking for, but neither is my perfect guy. (Not that I'm looking for my "perfect" guy, because Lord knows, I'm far from perfect...but you catch my drift.)

Guy #1 is...hmm, how to describe him....well, I'll be blunt: he's a bit dorky. Socially awkward, even. He needs a fashion makeover in a big way. (Full disclosure: I am in NO way saying I'm the greatest thing ever. These are just my honest opinions on these guys.) The thought of introducing him to my friends makes me a little hesitant. But...he's really cute, really smart, and incredibly thoughtful and considerate. And he's tall. Never been married, no kids- a rarity at this age. I don't think he's a player at all, partly because he has no game lol. He's sincere and sweet...although maybe, umm, a little less dynamic than I'm used to. However, he seems like an all-around great guy: he even rearranged his work schedule to be able to take his grandma to doctor appointments and spend more time with her. We've gone on 3 dates so far. I had a great time, but they were pretty basic dates-movies, dinner or drinks at chain restaurants that I've already been to.

Guy #2 is adorable. He's short, but super cute and really charming and funny. He's sharp, but not book smart like Guy #1- he's more savvy smart. I can totally picture bringing him out with work friends, regular friends, the whole thing. But...he's divorced and has 2 kids...who are teenagers. On one hand, I'd rather deal with someone who has teenagers, versus toddlers...but still. I've never dated someone with kids, or someone who's divorced, for that matter. I'm not sure I can deal with it. However, he's really cute and makes me laugh a LOT and is someone I could see myself having a blast with. I have an easier rapport with him than I do with Guy #1. His lifestyle is more of what I want in life- he travels a lot, sails, loves to go out to new places...but could be a bit of a player. I'm not sure. We had our first date tonight- he put some thought into it and came up with somewhere I've never been, and it was on the water with a great view (we had dinner and drinks). I had a harder time reading him- I wasn't sure if the date was going well...until he asked me out for next weekend.

The other thing is Guy #2 is more direct. He's already asked me out again, and Guy #1 hasn't contacted me since our last date (Friday). I guess I'm just going to ride this out for a little bit and see where things go. And who knows- maybe one or both of them will decide they're not into me!

I guess what they say is true: when it rains, it pours. A while back I was on a really bad streak of getting stood up- literally three Fridays in a row, I got stood up by a different guy! And I've earned the nickname "Shit Magnet" from my friends- notice i said earned. I got that nickname the hard way- attracting the wrong guy wayyyy too many times. Now I'm having a hard time figuring out who I want to go out with! This isn't the norm for me, but I guess I'll take it.


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Back to the grind

Today was my first day back to work. As awful as this week has been, I am so, so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. Everyone at work was so supportive- other places might think I'm a crazy dog lady (and I guess I am!) but all my work peeps were so considerate of my feelings.

And my friends- they have just been awesome. I just got home from work and a care package was waiting for me from one of my sweet friends- a book about how our dogs are our angels. I am crying my eyes out right now and I have a date in an hour!! Get it together girl!!


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Goodbye, old friend

Mac passed away yesterday. I'm actually doing better than I thought I would. I'm incredibly sad- my heart is broken- but I'm also so grateful for all my friends and my family. Everyone has been so, so wonderful.

I had scheduled an appointment to bring him to the vet tomorrow...I was having a really hard time coming to terms with putting him down. I'm so grateful it didn't come to that- one of my friends said that Mac always did things on his own terms, so that it made sense that this was no different.

He had been really finicky with his eating over the past few weeks, and the past couple days his food of choice was rotisserie chicken. Yesterday on my lunch break I stopped at Boston Market to pick up lunch for both of us, then went home to check on him. When I got upstairs he was sprawled by the door. It took me a couple minutes to process what had happened. He was still warm and I think he made a few sounds (although I was pretty hysterical so I can't be sure). But at any rate, what I think happened was this: he heard me come home and was waiting by the door for me and collapsed. It brings me a lot of comfort to think that he knew I was home and was coming up to see him when he went.

There was also fresh pee on a shopping bag in the next room- so I know he had been up to his usual antics, and that also makes me feel better. I don't think he suffered or was in pain- I think his heart just finally gave out. He had a bunch of places around the house that were his "hang out" spots- the couch, the sun room, couple rugs he liked- and the place I found him wasn't one of his hang outs. It was where he always waited by the door for me. So, I truly do think he heard me pull into the driveway and come up the stairs.

I'm sadder than I can even express- for the past 10 years he has been my sidekick. I keep looking for him, expecting this to be a bad dream or something. I keep forgetting that he's gone. Just a couple minutes ago I looked at the foot of my bed, expecting to see his little face pop up. It's going to take some getting used to.

But I'm also more grateful than I can say- my parents, family, and friends have been so good to me. My dad is out of town this week so couldn't be with me, but he called the vet for me and made all the arrangements for me to bring Mac in. My friend Amy, bless her heart, drove down from Boston to take me to the vet yesterday so I didn't have to go alone. Another friend stopped by to check on me last night, another came by today, and another took me to dinner tonight. I've had tons of Facebook messages and emails. Even Mac's vet called to say how sorry she was (she wasn't in the office yesterday). This has been such a shitty situation, for sure, but I'm so grateful for all the love, and it really has made me feel so much better.

I'm also glad he's not suffering. It was starting to get to the point where he would be suffering soon; for a dog so full of energy and vitality, I couldn't have handled seeing him lose his mobility. He was starting to have trouble getting up, he had fallen a couple times, and stairs were iffy. Just the day before he passed away, we went for a ride in the car. He had his head out the window and was bouncing around in the car, scoping out other dogs. We went through the drive thru at Burger King and the ladies working fussed over him and told him how cute he was. I'm glad I took the long route. I'm glad I drove slower than usual so he could hang his head out the window. And I'm glad I spent a little longer in bed yesterday morning, because I was snuggled up with him and didn't want to leave. Before I left for work, I gave him a kiss on the head and told him I'd be home to see him at lunch. It was one of those mornings that got away from me at work, and when I might have skipped lunch. I'm glad I didn't. I'm glad I went home and was there.

So, even though this really sucks right now, I don't think I'd change anything. He was an exceptional dog- so freakin' smart, full of personality, adorable and funny and sweet. I'm glad he went out on a good note, because he deserved it.






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Rough night

Not good news over here. We have been up all night and Mac isn't doing so great. I have a bad feeling this time.

At this point, taking extraordinary measures is just selfish on my part. I've known we were on borrowed time for about a month now; I'm grateful for the extra time, but selfishly, I always want more. I don't think there's ever going to be a point where I'm ok with this or ready to let him go, so I'm just trying to do what's best for him. As long as he still wanted to fight, I wanted to let him. But I think his body is finally giving out.

It sucks. It just plain sucks.


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Oops

I may or may not have just flipped off a school bus.

In my defense, I'm stuck in traffic so bad I am blogging. Blogging. That's ridiculous. And I'm seriously about to pee in my car, I have to go so bad. And I'm running late for my 2nd date with semi-mullet guy, much against my better judgement. (This israel trying to be open-minded and give him a shot. I'd rather stay home on my couch with my sick dog, thank you very much.)


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Losing it

I'm trying not to make every post a Mac post, but these days it's tough.

He is still hanging in there. It has been quite a roller coaster ride- every time I'm ready to give up and make our final vet appointment, he rallies. After a couple bad days in a row in which he didn't eat much at all, I spent most of last night crying my eyes out. (I know, at some point I really need to get a grip.)

Then this morning he jumped put of bed (lately he's been lazy in the morning and I have to coax him out of bed) and ran down he stairs to go outside. His appetite isn't close to what it should be, but he ate half a hot dog for dinner.

Which brings me to the story in this...Mac has always been a brat. It's part of his charm, and I'm convinced that his spunky, stubborn spirit has gotten him this far. He has always been a picky eater, going on "hunger strikes" for up to a couple days if what I feed him isn't what he wanted.

It has always been annoying and obnoxious. Now, it's driving me nuts. I try to guess what he'll eat, and it's been something different every day now. For a while it was beef teriyaki, and ONLY beef teriyaki. Then boneless spare ribs, chicken fingers (with ALL breading picked off. But not roasted chicken or grilled- chicken nuggets only), Omaha Steak hamburgers, and finally Omaha Steak filet mignon. Only Omaha Steak filet. I tried giving him plain old filet mignon from the meat market, and he refused to eat it.

And at this point, he's so weak, a couple days without eating is really, really bad.

So I drove to the Omaha Steak store nearby. I know I could have gotten a much better deal online. And even worse, my bff's mom works for another Omaha store and probably would have been happy to pick some filets up for me. But I couldn't afford to wait a couple days - after the past couple days I needed to pull out the stops NOW.

When I got to the store the sales guy went through the whole song and dance: "what cut of meat do you want? How do you like it cooked?"

After a few questions I couldn't take it. So I finally admitted the steaks were for my dog.

The sales guy, bless his heart, tried to steer me toward ground chuck. I had to explain that no, my dog won't eat chuck; in fact, he won't even eat non-Omaha steak filet mignon.

I think I get the prize for strangest customer of the day.

Poor sales guy still was not deterred and tried giving me cooking tips. I had to confess another shameful detail: I've been cubing up the steaks and pan frying them. On my stove top.

Somewhere in Montana, ranchers are rolling in their graves at the sacrilege upon prime beef I have committed.

But for now, I am so grateful to Omaha Steak and its products for buying me time! (The hot dog Mac ate part of today? Omaha Steak.) Clearly Mac has an extremely sophisticated palate.



My skinny boy.


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Doesn't get better than this

Right now I'm curled up on the couch with my sweet Mac. The Grinch (original version) is on tv and the pup ate nearly an entire filet mignon for dinner. I don't think there is anywhere I'd rather be right now!

The date this week....well, it has taken me this long to blog about it, so obviously it didn't rock my world! It was ok. Not fabulous, not terrible. One thing that really annoys me: I think on the first date you should put your best foot forward. I don't go crazy, but I put thought into what I'm going to wear, try to look nice, etc. I hate it when a guy shows up looking like a schlub! I don't think I'm a perfect 10 by any stretch of the imagination, but I've never been kicked out for eating crackers in bed either. And if someone isn't going to put in some effort on the first date, I don't think they ever will. He was wearing ill-fitting jeans (a little too tight and VERY straight), brand new gleaming white sneakers, and a jacket that looked like it should be a plaid flannel shirt, but was actually a wool barn jacket. And the worst part- bad hair cut. When I first pulled up I thought he had a mullet.

He was really nice. Dorky, but nice. He was a gentleman, held doors open, was polite. But dorky. Again- I don't think I'm the toast of the town, but I can hold my own in most social situations. I can be shy in groups, but one on one I'm in my element. And I can talk to a wall. Usually I can keep a conversation going, no matter with who. I did fundraising, for pete's sake! I can keep a conversation going with deaf old men! This guy was tough. It was like every so often he would just geek out.

So I'm really not sure if there will be a date #2. For now, I much prefer to spend my evening with Mr. Mac!




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Wordless Wednesday

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Big day

Major doings in this house today: Mac ate a whole steak...and I made plans for a date on Tuesday. Yes, an actual date. With a boy.

I'm more excited about the steak though! Mac ate pretty well all weekend. Today he even ate a dog treat, something he hasn't done for a few weeks! Not sure if it's his new homeopathic meds, or what, but I'm just glad.

We're heading to bed happy. Good night, all!



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Let it snow...

Never thought I would say that! But we're getting a nor'easter tonight and into tomorrow. Nothing major, just enough to be a messy pain. So I have an excuse to stay in tonight with my main man:




We've been parked on the couch for most of the night, and honestly, it's the best night I've had in a long time. We got Chinese food and Mac had a few chicken fingers! Earlier today we made a Target run and he ate a plate of rice and burger before we left. For some reason, he has always done this when we're about to go for a ride: he rushes over to his food bowl and wolfs down whatever's in it. Since he's been sick, I've been using the promise of rides to get him to eat. These days, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Today it did, and I am just so happy he's eating.

Last night I went to a wedding. I'm not ashamed to admit- I totally smuggled out my leftovers for Mac. It was filet mignon, and he ate all of it, well worth my senior citizen tactics. (Not to mention risking the well being and cleanliness of my beloved Gucci bag, which I stuffed the meat into. THAT is true love.)

I also ordered homeopathic meds for him a couple days ago on Amazon. I figured at this point I don't have anything to lose. I bought one for his heart (PetAlive heart and circulation tonic and one for his Cushing's disease (PetAlive cushex drops for pet adrenal health and Cushing's disease).

Last week was so bad, I knew if something didn't change, this week would probably be his last. I don't want to drag this out and make him suffer, but if there's anything that can help him, I want to at least try.

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Exciting mail day!

The first issue of my subscription finally arrived!! Very excited!!!



(In my defense, I got it as a Groupon deal.)


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Clearly I've lost my mind

I just took apart my bed frame and put my mattress and box spring on the floor.

I had gotten a set of those doggy stairs for Mac a while ago- before his health took a turn. I figured it would be better to get him used to using them.

He wanted nothing to do with them. And it didn't help that they weren't high enough to really reach the bed. (I never realized just how high the bed is until Mac started struggling!)

Tonight I came into the room and saw his little face peeking up from the edge of the bed- he was trying to use the doggy stairs, and they weren't high enough for him to reach the bed. It just about broke my heart.

At first I was going to wait until tomorrow to take apart the frame, but I knew it would bother me and I probably would h e trouble sleeping. (I have terrible insomnia as it is!) So I bit the bullet and took apart the bed.

And of course now Mac is sleeping of his dog bed on the floor! Oh well, I tried.


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Technical issues

The blog redesign is partially up- I can't wait for the whole thing to be up. I LOVE it. I didn't want to spend a ton, since I just do this for fun. It came out even better than I thought it would, and I am so excited.

That was the big excitement of my weekend, lol. Mac is still hanging in. He is not his usual self, but he's doing ok. Just ok, not great....but I'll take it.

Today I was back to my regular Sunday routine: lunch at my grandparents' (my mom goes too), then my mom treated us to manicures, then I stopped by my parents' house (my dad saves the Sunday paper coupons and sale flyers for me- lol).

There's a horse pasture near my parents' house, and Mac has always loved driving by and seeing the horses. So today I actually pulled over and let him hang out the window for a while:




We are still taking it day by day, but I'm just grateful he's still plugging along.

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My dog is more Internet savvy than my dad

Mac and I are enjoying a relaxing night in. I think he may be getting sick of Omaha burgers, and I'm desperate to get him to eat anything....so we got Chinese takeout tonight. Yes, we. Mac has been eating beef teriyaki lately. At this point, if he'll eat it, I'll try it.




(Yes, I was previously couponing at my coffee table. Don't mind the mess. Behind Mac is the vacuum he peed on a couple weeks ago.)

After Mac ate 3 pieces of teriyaki and a couple boneless ribs, I felt like celebrating. So we called my parents to share the good news.

My dad recently got an iPod touch. This is a major step up for him. I had shown him how to use FaceTime, so I suggested we FaceTime so Mac could "see" my parents.

BIG mistake. Ever seen the TMZ video of John Mayer giving his dad tech support? (Not sure if this link will work, but here it is for your viewing pleasure: http://fliiby.com/file/159406/qfhgiq0hoi.html) Well, that's what it feels like. I was on the phone with my dad- my iphone to their land line, trying to explain to him what the FaceTime icon looks like. After nearly losing my mind, I was able to explain to my dad how to enable FaceTime and Mac was able to FaceTime chat with my parents.

Aside from nearly reaching through the phone and throttling my dad, I was glad we FaceTimed. They've been worried about Mac, too, and when they saw him just a coupe days ago he was in worse shape. I was happy they were able to see that he's perked up a little.

In the meantime, we are taking it easy. I went to bed really early last night and I think it did a world of good! I'm just enjoying the time I have with my favorite guy.



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Holding pattern

Just a quick update on Mac: he is hanging in and defying the vet's expectations. He's eating- not as much as normal, but more than a few days ago.





And typical Mac, all he'll eat? Omaha Steak hamburgers mixed with rice. My stove has gotten more action this week than in the whole time I've owned this house!!

He's also eating a little bit of baby food here and there- the vet had suggested we try giving him that. I was so desperate to get him to eat I would've tried anything. He has gotten REALLY skinny. It hurts my heart to see his ribs poking out.




But...he doesn't seem to be in any pain. He's slower, but still Mac. He just barked when one of my tenants pulled in, and jumped up the chair in the sunroom to see what was going on.

I know that I'm only buying time at this point. But even if I only get a few extra days, I'll take it.

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Redesign...coming soon!

Since I've been a total Debbie Downer lately, here's something exciting: I finally splurged and am getting a professional redesign for the blog! I'm very excited. I figured since the last couple weeks have been so lousy, I needed a little pick-me-up.

In other news, we are in a holding pattern with Mr. Maxwell. He perked up a little today and ate a bit. (Granted, I bribed him with rides in the car...) He's definitely not 100%, but he's got more pep than he did a few days ago. I'm supposed to check back in with the vet tomorrow. This may be selfish of me, but I'm not ready to make any decisions. I can't even bring myself to say out loud what the "decision" I have to make is! I'm just not ready. And he doesn't seem to be in pain or uncomfortable. He's not his usual crazy self, but he's still Mac.

I've been reading a lot of articles over the past few days- on congestive heart failure, Cushing's disease, etc. What stuck with me the most was this: one woman said she made a decision that when her dog couldn't do two of its three favorite activities, then it was time. Today Mac was riding around with his head hanging out the window. I'm just not ready yet.

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Hoping for a miracle...

Brought Mac to the vet again this morning- the news wasn't good. In addition to the congestive heart failure (which he's had for a while) and probably Cushing's disease, the xrays showed a large mass in his liver. He just had a full workup of bloodwork and xrays about a month ago. The liver mass is something new, and some of his counts are off- kidneys, liver, and he's now anemic. He's got fluid in his lungs. And he still isn't eating much and is really lethargic. His heart has also enlarged significantly since his last xray, and he's lost 2 more pounds since his visit on Wednesday.

So basically, everything.

My heart is breaking. He's home now, and I'm going to check in with the vet on Monday. Unless something miraculous happens between now and then, I'm probably going to have to make some tough decisions. The vet said we are talking about days, not weeks.

It does make me feel a little bit better to know I've done everything possible without compromising his quality of life. I'm not going to subject him to all kinds of testing and surgery just to buy a few more months. We've been monitoring and treating his heart condition since the day he was diagnosed. I had hoped for a little more time with him, but I also don't want to be selfish. I don't want him to suffer just because I'm not ready to let him go.

It also makes me feel better that, even though he's weak and tired right now, he's still Mac. He still gets excited for a ride in the car, and he still hangs his head out the window while riding shotgun. His crazy little personality has always been what I love most about him, and I'm grateful he still has his spunk.






Here he is on the way home from the vet today.







Lying down next to me while I blog...looking skinny :-(





From this angle you can see how enlarged his chest is and how much weight he has lost.

My poor little monkey.

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Status update

Had to take Mac to the vet for an emergency visit today. He started throwing up (in my car) late Saturday night and hasn't been eating for the past couple days. I had caught him eating something in the yard Saturday during the day -which he NEVER does - so at first I just chalked it up to him eating something funky. Monday I was concerned, but not freaking out. We lounged around for most of the day and I thought he was on the mend. Then Tuesday he wasn't eating at all and was super lethargic- he refused to go up and down the stairs on his own. I had to carry him in and out to go to the bathroom. That really, really sent me into a panic. This morning I called the vet as soon as they opened at 8am; they were really great and squeezed him in pretty quickly.

His vet thinks it's hopefully a stomach bug and gave him a prescription to help with the nausea. However....the news was not all good. I've been noticing a few other weird symptoms lately, which I had figured was just old age. Turns out the vet thinks Mac may have something called Cushing's disease. There is treatment for it, but the treatment involves frequent blood tests to make sure other organs aren't being damaged. Mac is such a spaz at the vet, so this isn't a good option. I'm starting to have to make decisions about quality vs quantity of life, and that just plain sucks.

Sorry...I promise I'll post a blog that's not a total downer at some point!! We have just had a rough couple weeks over here.


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Stage fright

I have a "shy bladder." It's a problem. I have a really hard time going in public bathrooms, other people's houses....anywhere people can hear me. And yes, I know that everyone pees...but it is just wayyy too mortifying for this girl. I have a real issue with bodily functions in general. It's the area I am most prim and proper about- I tell my boyfriends that I am a Lady (yup, with a capital L), and everything about Ladies is sunshine and roses.

(Riiiiggghhhttt. Ask me again if I'm a Lady after I've chugged a few beers at the bar.)

So I have my fix-it guys here fixing my tenants' bathroom ceiling. The intake valve of my toilet was leaking a couple weeks ago, causing a drip in the downstairs bathroom. In order to access the leaking pipe, a bunch of the ceiling had to come down.

The problem is that the first floor bathroom sits immediately below mine- the floor plan of the first and second floors is identical. So the guys are fixing the ceiling on the first floor...which is right below my toilet. Which is all fine and good, but now I have to pee. They've been here for a while, so I keep thinking they've got to be almost done....in the meantime I'm getting more and more uncomfortable!

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Facebook stalking

I always used to warn my BFF "be careful what you go snooping for, because you just may find it." Well, guess who went snooping tonight on Facebook...yup, this girl. And I discovered that my high school boyfriend, who is now a tennis pro at a country club, is apparently dating a much older divorcee. Whom it looks like he met at the club. With 3 kids, the oldest of which is 18. Wtf!!


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Wordless Wednesday

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Spoiled dog

When I lived with my parents, I used to wrap Mac in a warm towel after he would go out to potty in the cold/rain/snow. Now I'm living on the second flood, and the dryer is in the basement. Not convenient for a quick towel heat up- by the time I get it up the stairs it's cooling off. And especially now that Mac is having health issues, I'm babying him more than ever.

So I think I'm going to buy a towel warmer for him. I just looked on amazon- they sell the same kind they use at the salon- for about $60. Not too bad. And I'll get to use it for myself too.

Mac has been coughing a lot lately, so I came home to check on him at lunch. And ended up taking him back with me. He didn't actually come in to work- he stayed in the car. I'm sure anyone walking by would think I was a terrible dog owner, but I swear- he LOVES the car. He was happy as a clam, and he's hardly coughing tonight.

Here he is, hogging the bed last night. He was happily snoring away and I was squished over to the side- the white lump next to him is me. (He literally had his behind up against mine.)




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Some days you get the peanuts...

...some days you get the shells. I think today was a shell day.

The smoke detector in my front stairway has been chirping for about a week now. I've replaced the battery twice. Still chirping. Finally I gave up and bought a new smoke alarm today. I took down the old one and was reading the instructions for the new alarm. When I heard a chirp. The old alarm was on my coffee table, sans battery. I couldn't figure out what the heck was going on. And then I realized....there was another smoke alarm in the front hallway. That I didn't know about.

I still can't believe someone let me be responsible for an entire house.

While I'm on the subject of responsibility....I also need to remember NOT to grocery shop around the first of the month, EVER. I never ran into this problem when I lived in cowtown, but here in the 'hood it's a whole different story.

Today I wasn't feeling well and just had to have ice cream. Since I was out purchasing a new smoke detector anyway, I hoped for a one-stop shopping trip. Wal-Mart looked like the day before a blizzard- literally, a lot of shelves were bare. So I stopped at Price-Rite. Oh man, what a mistake. You would have thought they were giving away food. Good lawd. But the good news is that I'm home, the freezer is stocked with fudge swirl ice cream, and the smoke alarms (all of them) are silent. For now anyway, all is well in Mudville. Or the 'hood.


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The whole world in His hands

I know that in the scheme of world problems, a dog is probably low on the list. But I figure if the Lord knows every hair on my head, then He knows how ridiculous I am about my dog and He won't be too offended if I ask for a special request.

I consider myself Christian. I was raised Catholic, went to Catholic school, the whole thing. But now...not so great about going to Mass every sunday. Let's just leave it at that. Even though my habits aren't the greatest, I do consider myself religious.

Mac had another vet visit this week. It didn't go so great. He went for blood work to see how his body was reacting to a new medication. The hope was that, with a couple Xanax prior to his visit, the vet would be able to take a blood sample without sedating him. (Since he's a "heart patient," there's a risk when he gets sedated. And he's always been a wild man at the vet- they typically have to sedate him to do an exam. Before it wasn't a huge deal. Now, with his heart problems, it is a very big deal.)

The good news is that the blood work came back ok. The bad news is that he's been coughing like crazy since then.

For the first day, I tried not to freak out...I figured he had been stressed out at his vet visit, it could be a residual effect of the sedation, etc, etc...

It's been a couple days and he was still coughing tonight. I started to freak out. I even came home early to be with him. (The coughing is because his heart is so enlarged from working too hard to pump blood. It's pushing on his trachea and other organs, which makes him cough.)

Do I think Mac will live forever? No. But selfishly, I need him for a while longer. So I begged the Lord to just hold his little heart in His hands. Is that a stupid thing to pray for? Maybe. I know there are starving children and other much more important world issues. But after 48 hours of around the clock coughing, Mac stopped and seems ok.

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Country night out

One of my besties took me out for my bday last night. She knows me soooo well, so she took me to Toby Keith's I Love This Bar in Foxboro. Her hubby came along too- I have a long history of being their third wheel, so it was a blast!

To get ready for some serious country fun, I had to dress the part: big hair, and big boots.




(sorry, the self-portrait angle gives me a bit of crazy eye)

My cowgirl boots!





Ok, maybe my version of big hair isn't exactly Texas-big.






I had so much fun - it almost felt like being down South!




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The love of my life has four legs

Yup, there's no shame in my game: Mac is the four-legged, furry love of my life. I justify it because I don't have kids- so he's my child substitute. And he really is full of personality. I'm convinced that's what saved him when he was at the dog shelter. He had SO many issues...he had been taken away from his previous owner because of abuse. From the little I know about how this stuff works, for a dog to actually be removed from a home, the situation must be pretty bad.

When I got him, he was about 7 months old- still a puppy, and just the cutest little thing. All gangly legs. He had been bounced around a little bit already- spent a couple months at the shelter, been adopted a couple times, but then the families never showed up to claim him. I found him on Petfinder.com, and it seriously was love at first sight. I saw that little face and knew he was mine. Even though he was in Pennsylvania, fate intervened: it just so happened that the week I found him on Petfinder, my dad was away on business- about 30 minutes away from Kittanning, PA, the tiny town Mac was in.

Apparently the shelter doesn't usually adopt to people so far away, and they usually don't expedite the process to wrap up in just a couple days. But I was on a mission and made it happen.

When Mac arrived, he was a mess. He wasn't housebroken, as the shelter had told me. And, more upsetting, he was pretty aggressive. He attacked often and without provocation. It was really scary. But in between his outbursts, I could see his spunky little personality and his eagerness to please- it was like he really wanted to be a good dog, he just didn't know how.

To make a longggg story short, I ended up working with a really great dog trainer who showed me how to handle Mac. After months of private lessons, Mac graduated.

Fast forward ten years, and here we are. I can't imagine my life without him. He is feisty, funny, smart and loyal. He can be such a pain in the behind...but he has more personality than any dog I've ever seen. One day I tried counting how many words he recognizes, and I got to over 200. I call him "the Einstein of canines."

I'm convinced he overcame all his early obstacles because he has such a big heart. Ironically, that turned out to be true not just figuratively, but literally too: a couple weeks ago we learned that Mac has congestive heart failure. He has always had a heart murmur, and a couple years ago it started getting worse. The day he was diagnosed as having pre-congestive heart failure I started him on medication as well as a prescription diet. I know that I've done everything I can to slow the progression, that this really sucks, and there's not a whole lot that can be done. I really, really hope that the same indomitable spirit that has gotten him through everything else will somehow get him through this. I'm praying for a miracle.

I know he's a dog, and a nearly 11-year old one at that. I know that in the scheme of world problems, this is nothing. But I love that damn dog more than anything in the world.

Tomorrow I'm taking him for blood work to see how he's tolerating a new medication. It's a diuretic to help with the fluid around his heart, but his vet has to make sure his other organs can tolerate it.

One blessing has been Mac's wonderful vet- she is amazing. It makes me feel better to know he's getting such great care. She's not big on giving a prognosis in terms of time, but she did say a best case scenario could be as much as a couple years. Here's hoping!!!



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Book club pick

I belong to a book club. It's actually more of a drinking club that reads. Or sort of reads.

It's kind of a motley group of women: I'm the youngest by about 20 years. The next youngest is the former press secretary for an elected official. Then there's a music teacher, a teacher at a fancy private school, a retired psychiatric nurse, and a former coworker, aka my "Jewish mom." She's also the ringleader of the group. We meet at her house every time. Everyone brings snacks, and she makes pitchers of cosmopolitans. We meet monthly, and when we discuss the latest book we're always careful not to give away the ending, because it always ends up that someone hasn't finished the book. (Usually we're in varying degrees of completion.)

We talk about the books a little bit, but mostly we talk about stuff. Whatever's going on in the world, in local politics, in our lives. And we knock back a few cosmos in the process.

We've read a few really good books (and a few not so good books) but the latest is one of my favorites so far.







Obviously I liked it right off the bat. The main character is named Emily, has blond hair and blue eyes and a dog. What's not to like so far? The dog's name is Einstein, which also tugged at a nerve for me - I joke that Mac is the "Einstein of canines."

I'm not good at summarizing a book in a few sentences, so I'm not even going to try. I will say, however, that I couldn't put it down. In fact, I even stayed in Saturday night to finish it- I more or less read it in one sitting (with a few breaks for house stuff), which is what I do when I really like a book.

And, I think I have a new favorite author. (I have many favorite authors, but she's working her way onto the list!) I've already downloaded another book by the author, but I'm not starting it just yet- if it's as good as the last, I want to give myself enough time to read the whole thing!

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B-day recap

Even though I'm not thrilled about getting older, this was definitely one of the best birthdays yet. Nothing crazy, just a solidly great day. I had lots of birthday greetings on Facebook, and since I'm a total fb nerd, it made my day.

It didn't hurt that my day got off to a particularly fabulous start- I left the house and found this on my car:




It was so pretty, I didn't even want to open it! Don't worry though, I did- it was a Tory Burch makeup bag! The gift was a surprise from one of my boos. (I don't have a boyfriend; I have the "boo list." More on that another time.) I was so excited- not just about the gift, but the thought that went into it! The same guy also texted me at exactly midnight to wish me happy bday. He definitely scored major points.

I capped off the evening with dinner and cake at my parents' house. My grandparents came too. I'm super close to them and am so thankful that they live close enough that we're able to see each other a lot.

And of course Mac isn't one to miss a party:




After he ate his own dinner (specially cooked for him by my parents!) he positioned himself under the table to snag any fallen scraps. Here he is eating ice cream that my mom is giving him- I swear, they treat him more like a toddler than a dog! Wonder where they get it from...

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Older, definitely. Wiser? Maybe.

It's my birthday this week. Tomorrow, actually. Back in the day, before I got a house, I used to buy myself bday gifts. Like a Coach or Gucci bag I'd had my eye on, a shopping spree at Sephora...you get the picture. This year? A toaster oven. my, how things have changed. If I'm really feeling wild I may also get a new microwave. (Not sure about that...I have one, it's just lousy. The toaster was actually a wise investment as it uses less energy than my clunky, ancient stove.)

To add insult to injury, someone at work gave me a brochure for a singles' group. I know she meant to be nice, and at first I was touched by her thoughtfulness. But then I started thinking about it...prior to receiving the brochure, I had ONE conversation with her. Ever. How, in one conversation about our dogs, did she glean that I'm single/spinsterly/lame?? It's not that I'm offended by the gesture- I really do think she was being sweet- I'm more concerned that I'm somehow giving out a vibe of desperation!


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No more wine before bed

The other night I dreamed that I was going to an ugly sweater party with Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and other randoms. Clearly this would never happen- Gwyneth was wearing an uglier sweater than me.


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Never forget

I can't believe it has been 10 years already.

Like most people old enough to remember 9/11, I have a clear memory of where I was that day. I was working for a non-profit; we'd held a golf tournament the day before, so were all going into the office later than usual that day. I was eating breakfast while watching Good Morning America, so I saw it happening live on tv.

I hadn't been speaking to my parents at the time. We'd had a blowout over some differences of opinion, and it escalated to the point that I had moved out and was staying with my boyfriend in Boston.

I remember the total confusion at first- initially everyone thought it was a terrible accident. Then the second plane hit while I was brushing my teeth, and we all realized it wasn't an accident.

Although I wasn't on speaking terms with my parents, I was checking in enough to know that my dad was flying out that day. His company was headquartered in Pittsburg, so when a plane was missing over PA I nearly lost my mind.

There was such a sense of "what next?" After the towers and Pentagon were hit, it was unclear how many other planes might be hijacked, or what other targets might be attacked.

I desperately tried calling my dad's cell phone- both his phones were going straight to voicemail. Logically, I knew the odds of him being on that plane were slim, but I wasn't thinking very rationally at that point. I was terrified and confused. I called his company headquarters- something I had never done, and haven't done since. His secretary confirmed that he was traveling that day, but she didn't have any information, and they hadn't heard from him.

My story had a much happier ending than many others that day- JP was on an afternoon flight, which ended up being cancelled, since all flights were grounded. But those couple hours of panic left a lasting impression on me. I try not to leave differences unsettled, because you never know what could happen. What broke my heart the most was thinking about the thousands of moms and dads who left their houses that day for a normal day at work, and then never came home. Especially for a non-morning person like me- typically I'm blowing out the door in a frenzy of lateness. I would hate for that to be my family's last memory of me. My takeaway lesson from 9/11 is to try not to sweat the small stuff or to dwell on the negative. What matters most isn't what I don't have, or what could have been- it's what I do have, and I'm grateful. My life is far from perfect- things have NOT turned out the way I've planned, but I'm grateful for every part of it.



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Hot mess

Slow start today- still recovering from last night! What started out as a quiet night went downhill fast. I had no plans until 5pm, when I made an executive decision to join some colleagues for drinks at our favorite watering hole. One of the guys from work had tickets to the Pawtucket Arts Festival and was looking for someone to join him, so I went. Then I ran into another friend who was volunteering there (selling tickets at the beer tent lol) so WE went out. Then another friend texted me, so went out with him for late night drinks. Whew.

Today I'm going to the Providence Art Festival with a friend and her daughter Fiona. Fi is probably my favorite kid- she is 7 going on 35, but not in an obnoxious or fresh way. She is hilarious and really freakin' smart. After the art festival we're going to Pinkberry, which I'm VERY excited about- I've never been!

The weather is glorious here today, so I'm trying to get my behind in gear. I think I still smell like booze, so it's probably a good idea to shower before hanging out with kids.


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Location:Lounging in bed

An open letter to my dog

Dear Mac,

I know that you have separation anxiety. I have learned to live with it. Every time I leave you home alone, I accept the fact that I will be cleaning and mopping the floor upon my return. I understand that, for the most part, this is something you cannot control, and that it is one of the many quirks that make you...you.

However....if you relieve yourself upon one more household item or appliance, I truly believe I will surpass the limits of my patience. Over the past several months, you have urinated and/or defecated upon both a handheld and stand up vacuum cleaner, a floor steam cleaner, a hair dryer, a flat iron, a wicker coffee table, two book cases, a glass tv table, the refrigerator and the stove. Today I discovered that you soiled my portable shredder, as well as a small pile of documents awaiting shredding.

I won't even list the multiple pairs of shoes you have sullied, although it must be noted that the black suede Banana Republic ankle books were particularly painful. It is worth mentioning that it must take some effort to urinate INTO said pair of ankle boots, so I find it difficult to believe that this incident occurred accidentally. You have also urinated into my recycling bin, another feat that requires no small amount of maneuvering. While I am trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, I can't help but believe that there is some ill intent on your part.

You are teetering on the precipice of my good will, Mac. I have just two words for you: canine diapers.

Love,
Me



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Mac the wonder dog

I live on the second floor of my house. Mac has a potty routine- when he wants to go out, he goes to the back door and waits.

This morning after he ate his breakfast, he went over the the door. I opened it and he headed out onto the landing of the back stairwell. I told him "if you want to go out, I'll take you, but it's raining." He immediately turned around and went back into the apartment, and refused to go back out.

We just went to pick up my friend Lesley at the bus station downtown. Mac LOVES Lesley- we dropped her off at home, he started getting agitated as soon as we approached her street. By the time we got other house, he was screeching and jumping around the car. I'd like to say this doesn't usually happen, but that wouldn't be true. We actually have a routine with Lesley- Mac gets so upset when she leaves the car, so I have to say my goodbyes before we get to her house. Then I pull up and she gets out as quickly as possible. No lingering, no chatting. Just "ok, bye," then run.

It's pouring out here, so Mac is still refusing to potty outside. After we dropped Lesley off I caught him trying to go in the garage. I stopped him in time, but now I'm concerned- he still hasn't gone and now won't go back outside. I have a bad feeling I'm going to find a surprise in my house.


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Losing it

When I lived with my parents, many mornings I heard chatter from the kitchen downstairs. Knowing that my mom is not a morning person, I once asked my dad who he was talking to. He replied "oh, Mac and I were just talking and laughing." At which point I realized: JP is nuts. Although Mac is an incredibly bright dog.

Fast forward to Friday night: instead of going out after work, I came home because I was tired. Warning sign number one. I stayed in and watched the Joy Behar show (probably warning sign number 2).....and sat with Mac, laughing away. Clearly the apple doesn't fall far from the crazy tree.

Last week after the hurricane, my parents were without power for four days. Meanwhile, here in the 'hood, mine never even flickered. So after a couple power-free days in cowtown, they realized my dad's stockpile of supplies was about to go bad, and I hustled over to clean out the freezers. Yes, multiple freezers. They have the main fridge, a spare fridge in the basement, and a freezer chest in the garage. All packed to the gills. And JP is a huge seafood fan. I am not, but I hate to see good stuff go to waste. I loaded up a big cooler and a couple laundry baskets full - we are talking Omaha steaks and burgers, shrimp, wild salmon, stuffed quahogs....TONS of food. I distributed it amongst my broke friends, and everyone was happy.

Speaking of the hurricane...I spent the day today cleaning up the remainder of debris. I'm actually pretty proud of myself- considering my reformed princess ways, I think I handled that stuff rather well. I borrowed a chainsaw from my parents, but after a little consideration, ended up going with a handsaw. My late great-uncle Marcel (who was extremely handy, unlike me) had a big skill saw, and fairly regularly zipped off bits of fingers. A couple times he even cut off a whole finger (fortunately the digits were able to be reattached. I never asked for more details because I was too horrified). So, I'm a little leery of working with power saws. The handsaw worked fine and I got the job done with only minor injuries- dropped a log on my thumb and cut up my legs on all the branches.

Overall, a bit of a lame weekend....but productive.


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Unlucky undies and ditch-me pants

You know how most people have a pair of "lucky underwear?" Well, I have the opposite. It's uncanny- every time I wear this one pair of drawers, bad stuff goes down. After tonight I think I'm throwing them out, which is really a shame, because they're cute and comfortable.

I used to have a pair of pants my BFF nicknamed my "ditch-me pants." Because every time I wore them...I got ditched. Again- a shame. They were really cute (and comfy, because that's number one priority for me) white drawstring waist pants. But after being ditched more times than I care to recall, I had no choice but to pitch 'em. I may have very bad taste in men (BFF doesn't call me "shit magnet" for nothing...I've earned that nickname) but I've been stood up more than any girl should. It's a really good thing I have a sense of humor, because otherwise I'd be really bummed out.

Anyway...the unlucky undies. I wore them tonight, knowing I was taking a risk. I even silently told them "this is your chance to turn things around." Nope. Looks like I've got another pair of ditch-me pants, 'cause guess who got ditched tonight...this girl.

There's a guy I've known forever. On paper, we're perfect for each other. But for whatever reason, it's never gone there. Recently he asked me if I wanted to try taking things to the next level. After some hesitation, I said ok. We go out to dinner every so often anyway, and as it happens, we had dinner scheduled for this evening.

When I hadn't heard from him this afternoon, I texted him to see what was up. (Against my better judgement- usually I'm a stubborn jerk and won't contact a guy unless he contacts me. So if we have plans and he doesn't confirm sufficiently ahead of time, I make other plans. I believe it's called cutting off the nose to spite the face.) He said he wasn't feeling well and would have to cancel. And continued to text flirty banter. So by this evening he made a sudden recovery and wanted to do dinner, after all. I was at the mall (nursing my wounds- no better cure for a rough day than a shopping trip). I raced home to clean the house (which was a disaster) and get gussied up. I was out of the shower and about to start doing my makeup when the phone rang: he was having second thoughts.

To be honest, I felt a mixture of annoyance....and relief. I don't think I'm ready to go down that road, and clearly neither is he. But it added a lot of unnecessary aggravation. And the worst part was that I wasn't done shopping.


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Buggy blogging

I'm having some technical issues....I'm blogging from my iPad and my blogging app isn't working so great. So, to the two people reading this, sorry! I'm working on it.


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Close encounter...of the squirrel kind

To get to where I park my car every day, I have to climb up and down a steep, rickety flight of stairs. This week, I had company.

My former college roommate is afraid of squirrels, which I've always found wildly amusing. So, for birthdays, holidays, etc, I send her cards with squirrels on them, I post squirrel pics on her Facebook wall...you catch my drift.

Growing up in the boondocks, I should have known better. There's a reason squirrels are scary- they're MEAN! When I was in high school, we had squirrels in our garage. A mama squirrel built a nest and had babies up in the loft of the garage. One day mama squirrel got shut out of the garage, and the babies were stuck inside. That squirrel nearly chewed through the garage door. Of course my dad was out of town that week, so my mom called her brother to come take care of the situation. Uncle Ronnie chased the squirrels out of the loft with a hockey stick. One of them got left behind and made a flying leap to try to catch up with its siblings....and it landed on Uncle Ronnie's head.

This is what was going through my head during my trek up the staircase. The stairs scale a hill that's about 3-4 stories high, and the whole way this guy was staying just a few paces ahead of me:






When we reached the top of the stairs he had nowhere else to go, and I was nervous. I had to go through that trellis, and I was not going to risk having a squirrel jump on my head. I finally talked him down off the trellis...yes, literally- I talked to a squirrel.

When I got home, two guys were having a verbal altercation in the street in front of my house (driving related- I think one cut the other off?). As one guy was cursing at the other, I realized he had two little kids in the backseat. Klassy.

Then I went upstairs, and my kitchen looked and smelled like a barnyard animal had taken up residence...thanks Mac.

I may or may not have had chocolate cake for dinner.


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Here goes nothin'....

Slow day in the 'hood today...I stayed home sick from work. Mac of course was thrilled. He's been VERY good for the past couple days - just lounging near me, not getting into anything. Yesterday was a holiday in RI (formerly know as Victory Over Japan Day, now the more politically correct Victory Day) so a sick day today extended an already long weekend.