Texas Lady

The theme for the baby shower was a circus.  I made these for the parents since I fell in love with the designs and they fit so well with the theme that I had to have them on something.

Getting ready for bed.  Mimi came through her dental cleaning with flying colors.  She lost one tooth but it hasn’t seemed to faze her. She’s in bed with R right now soaking up the extra attention (I had to shame him into it LOL).  Bandit is on the schedule in two weeks then Zoe will go after him.  Hopefully next year we won’t have to do any dentals at all.  I’m trying to get ahead while they’re all healthy and happy.  The only one remaining on a daily maintenance prescription is Fancy (Benazepril) which she’ll take every night for the rest of her life (she turns 15 in November).  So it’s a good time to play catch up while we have less out-of-pocket expense after down-sizing our pack.

I’ve felt better today even though I’ve spent most of it in the car behind the wheel.  Besides taking Mimi to Friendswood to the vet (then making another trip to Friendswood to pick her up, of course) I got to do a transfer of two cats from Missouri City to Friendswood then come back home.  It got me out of the house for a bit and the weather was mostly sunny so I didn’t mind.  But I do feel it in my leg tonight from too much sitting.  It’s always something.  <smiles>

Today has been one of “those” days.  It started with R sleeping through his alarm—twice—and it woke me up (and I woke him up).  I managed to get back to sleep but then Fancy started barking when R shut the front door to leave for work…and she barked almost continually for at least 15 minutes (the last time) while sitting in the dark in the middle of the living room.  I went in there twice to call her back to the bedroom until daylight.  She’d follow me then return to the living room to bark.  The last time I just decided to let her bark until she got tired of it and stopped, but, of course, she didn’t stop.  I finally went back to her and told her to come to bed…and she did.  Tomorrow R is going to feed her something before he leaves and see if she’s just hungry.  He said he usually gives her a bite of something but didn’t this morning since he was running late, so she was either pissed off or her blood sugar was down and she felt bitchy.  LOL  It may have been separation anxiety since she didn’t start until R left the house but it was sure aggravating.

Then I had another nightmare and woke up shaking.  That’s never a good way to start the day.  After I fed the pooches I got on the laptop for a bit until I started feeling really bad and developed a migraine.  Back to the couch to recover and I never really got free from the couch after that.  I watched some TV, had a coffee, etc., until I felt better (4 PM).  Then I got in the bath tub for a soak.  As I lay there I was thinking how pleasant it was to soak in hot water and have no dogs bothering me for once.  Then when I sat up I saw 3 little female critters looking back at me…and felt so guilty for that thought.

So here I sit in my nightgown and it’s 5:15.  I have no idea what I’m going to do about dinner or if I’ll get out of my nightgown today.  Not one of the better days lately, but I’ve finished the steroids so hope things will get rosier soon.  The only time I’ve left the house in two days was yesterday morning to get blood drawn.  I’m missing Starbucks!  Haven’t been there since Monday.  Today I was going to be so productive (since I wasn’t yesterday) but it didn’t happen.  <sigh>  There’s always tomorrow, right?

Okay, I can check off the time-sensitive sewing projects from my To Do list.  Half was completed and I was unable to do the other project at all because it wouldn’t fit in the hoop to embroider.  I’ll have to come up with a Plan B or just forget it completely (haven’t decided yet).  R was gone all day due to a death in the family so it was quiet here with the dogs.  Finished the laundry, did some sewing and cleaning the sewing room.  Got on the laptop for a bit, worked on some designs and stitched a test, then watched a bunch of TV that R doesn’t care for (home improvement, dancing, Ab/Fab, etc.) until he got home.  Quiet day and I got done what I needed to, not necessarily what could have been done but it was enough to satisfy me.

I’m half way through the pack of steroids and the pain is a little better.  I still have to be careful with it though.  Next week I will have to decide which pain specialist I’m going to but I’m not going to worry about it this week.  I’ll let it cogitate a little longer in my mind.  I’ll have to get some blood drawn next week, too, since I dragged my feet on it this week.  It’ll get done.  No problem.

One design I didn’t get to use today

I woke up at 4 AM…and couldn’t go back to sleep.  Since my alarm was set for 8 I got up and actually felt decent for a change (considering I didn’t go to bed until 1:30 AM that was a miracle).  But after going to the drugstore to pick up prescriptions and then to Texas City for a dental appointment then to my mom’s house to drop off dog food, I found that someone had pulled the rug out from under me.  Now I’m back in my nightgown and going to go take a nap very soon.

My dental appointment was to get fitted for a sleep apnea mouthpiece so they had to take impressions…no problem, been there before since I’ve had braces and wear retainers at night anyway.  However, the girl put the top tray in my mouth (ewww factor coming!) and immediately the excess pink goo went to the back of my throat.  Momentarily I couldn’t breathe and then it gagged me and my coffee and the goo ended up all over me and my clothes.  So when I got home the clothes had to come off anyway and I just went straight to nightgown-mode.  Being retired is cool sometimes!  Who am I kidding?  Being retired is cool all the time!!!!!!!!!!

Doctor’s appointment was yesterday.  Got steroids for my back, info on treatment (got to find a new pain management doctor to do injections), flu shot, and pain pills for when it’s really bad.  She was in a good mood and I actually enjoyed the visit.  Laughing with your physician is a good thing; it makes the rest bearable.  Still have to have some fasting blood work done but won’t be free for that until Friday.  Have nothing planned for next week (yet) but will have to go get premeds for Mimi’s dental and whatever else comes up.  Tomorrow my housekeeper comes and I’m still trying to get in the sewing room.  I have some time-sensitive projects I’ve got to get done or not do at all.  I fully intended to start them when I got home today but that was before I got no sleep, so I guess it’ll be tomorrow now.

I think my brain is just about shut down now.  Off to my nappy-poo!

I’m feeling a little less “end of the world” now.  I have a doctor’s appointment and will probably have to go in for more injections in my back in order to get rid of the pain again.  The injections did wonders last fall but my pain management doctor is no longer in his practice so I’ll have to find out how to proceed.  I never got out of my nightgown yesterday, not that I sat on my butt either…I did 5 loads of laundry, a bit of housecleaning and changed out the fish tank water.  In between I sat with my foot on the ottoman and played on my phone.  Not as productive as I’d like to be but the pain was not as bad either until I got on the computer late last night because sitting in certain chairs seems to aggravate the muscle spasms.  When I go to the nail or hair salon and sit in “normal” chairs it seems to be the worst.  My office chair is the same except that it will recline and swivel when necessary, but if I sit in it too long I have to put ice packs on my spine.  Needless to say, I try to not sit anywhere for long periods anymore.

My back was doing fairly well and the muscle spasms were gone until I sat on the hard tile floor helping R put together the new crate for Daisy.  Evidently sitting on a hard surface for long periods is a no-no for sciatica; I’ve added that to my mental file.  I think I have to get it stopped again and then take better care of it…Earth to Cheri!!!!!  Are you listening?

I called this morning and set up a dental for Mimi then Bandit will be next on the list.  Neither of them have ever had dental cleanings.  We’ve had Bandit since he was 4 months old so I’m sure he’s never had one but we’ve only had Mimi 4 of her 11 years so her previous owner may have had her in at some point.  They’re beginning to look dingy so it’s time to get them thoroughly checked and cleaned in case problems lurk.  It’s hard for the vet to check her mouth since Mimi is the biter and is usually put in a muzzle when she goes in for care.  This way, she’ll be sedated and the vet can get a good look at her choppers and oral health.

I’m waiting on the yard people to do the grass so I can get out of the house for a bit (I may not wait much longer).  They usually come on Friday but the yard was a swamp due to recent torrential rains.  Now the grass has grown so high that when Zoe goes to potty it looks like she’s venturing into a jungle.  I told R she needed a machete to go pee.  It’s admirable that she still goes out in it when she can’t see much in front of her (love that babydoll!).  The whole pack will be happy when they can run in their grass again.

R took the three big dogs out to the boat storage twice this weekend.  They love to go with Daddy and explore while he works on the boat.  Inside the fenced storage yard is the only place that Bandit can just run and run to his heart’s content.  He runs until he’s exhausted then when home drinks lots of water and falls asleep, completely worn out.  He doesn’t do that when we go to the dog park (why we don’t go anymore).  At the dog park he is very reserved and nervous around the other dogs, but I guess he’s afraid they will attack him just like Maximus did so he’s afraid to get too close to them.  Poor baby!  He’s such a good boy, too!

Not feeling my best right now.  I’m still having issues with the muscle spasms in my left calf caused from my back but beginning to feel like I’m beating my head into the wall.  Nothing is helping it, really.  Chiropractic helps temporarily but after an hour the pain is back.  I’ve already spent a small fortune paying for visits and have nothing to show for it.  Massage helps it but is also a temporary fix.  This week I’ve started wearing my back brace again.  Wore it two days in a row then decided not to today…and have paid for it royally!  My leg is giving me fits!!!!!  I think I’m going back to square one and calling my PCP for an appointment to start over.  It has been 18 months since I hurt my back and I can’t see living my life in pain and limitations if there’s a chance someone or something can fix it.

Went to the pulmonologist this week for results from my sleep study and, of course, I have apnea (original diagnosis was 2008) and they recommend a CPAP.  I had a CPAP that didn’t help and there was no improvement in the quality of my sleep; I told the doctor that so we’re going to try a mouthpiece instead.  Hope it helps; I’m so tired of being tired!  I wake up exhausted and spend the entire day trying to keep moving.  I don’t know if it’s exhaustion or depression that’s got its hold on me right now but I’m ready for it to stop.

Other than that I’m managing just fine.  It has been rainy the past couple of days but our plants need it so I can’t complain.  Everything is green and colorful.  The house is cleaner than it has been for a while.  I’ve been trying to do everything I can without the housekeeper.  Not that there’s a problem but just to see if I could do it without help.  I can’t mop or sweep (doctor’s orders because of my back) but I vacuum so R can mop for me.  However, our housekeeper is coming next week to take it over again.  I’ll be glad to have her back.  I thought perhaps she’d gotten too busy for us but found out we’d just fallen off her calendar and never got put back on.  We’re firmly family again now.

This week I did the nails appointment and hair appointment thing but have yet to sew anything.  However, I did buy myself a couple more Craftsy classes on machine embroidery so I can get started with the projects I’ve been planning.  Wish me luck!

This is probably what my heart looks like inside

Where does the time go anymore?  It seems like August was just beginning and here is September right in my face.  Time flies when you’re having fun, huh?  August was a good month for us.  We got a lot accomplished around the house, had a financial upturn, the dogs are happy, we’re all healthy and my To Do list is almost empty.  What’s not to love?

Dusty came through his dental cleaning like a champ (spoiled but fine after a little pouting and being babied for 24 hours).  The pack is reaching a happy medium now and coast through the day.  R took the 3 big ones for a walk tonight and they are peacefully asleep in their crates at this point.  It’s funny how sometimes we communicate non-verbally with the dogs.  With just a look we know what they want or what they’re asking for.  Fancy tells me when it’s time to eat just like Jolie used to.  Bandit tells me when he is missing something (tonight he was looking for a tennis ball and couldn’t find any—I opened a new pack and made him a happy man).  The four small Chis have taken to playing together…for the first time ever.  It’s so good to see them happy and relaxed.  It’s also good to be relaxed with them and enjoying the happiness as a family.

I haven’t gotten the sewing bug yet because I’ve been so distracted by the freedom I suddenly found in my life.  Smaller pack, less stress, more money to do some redecorating around the house, etc.  It’s opened up some new vistas for me that I hadn’t explored for some time.  I’ve bought some embroidery designs I so want to do but I’m like a pinball machine right now bouncing off new ideas and activities and have yet to settle down.  I don’t know how long it will take to be able to concentrate again.  Maybe it’s the time of year because Mom and I discussed this very thing yesterday and she feels the same way.  Sometimes it just seems like there’s too many other things that need to be tidied up.  I must be in Tidy Mode then; whatever you want to call it, I’m enjoying the experience.