- We said goodbye to Tru on Monday. She was ready to go. We thought she might have passed on her own over the weekend. She went very peacefully. I am pretty sure she lived for an extra 3 months because she liked it here. Rest in peace Tru, you were a very good dog.
- The last 2 days have been so warm! Uggh. I dread the annual arrival of summer. I just don’t cope in the heat. We are mostly ready though. We need to buy a new air conditioner for the kitchen. I also think the house may be warmer now that the big tree is gone out front.
- Given that summer appears to have arrived, I am trying to break my feet in to where my Birkenstocks this year. I have spoiled by the plush Naots with orthotics. I really missed wearing the Birks last year so they are on my feet today.
- Deb and I went to a fundraiser last night. It was a dance and the music was bluegrass and swing. I thought my ears were going to bleed. We lasted a grand total of 2 hours. I donated the dragon I made in filet crochet but it didn’t even get one bid! Deb thinks it was just the wrong crowd. However, the pug umbrella we donated sparked a bidding war. Who knew?
- All of the dogs are doing really well. We have such a nice group right now. They all get along very well. We are taking Ruby and Zoe to the vet on Monday. Ruby has a heart condition and needs a refill on meds. Zoe seems to cough a couple of times a day. It is not getting worse and it does not happen when she is active. I am thinking collapsing trachea but just want to be sure. We have had her for almost 3 years now, which means she is likely 12. Other than that she is totally fine being her princess, entitled little self.
- I am in my new office!!! This makes me very happy. We have tons of storage space in here. I have room for all my craft stuff and furniture. Plus it is purple!!!!
Dispatches from the Swamp – the ‘crap, summer seems to have arrived’ edition
Dispatches from the Swamp – the ‘rough week’ edition
- I had a horrible week. Last Sunday, I decided to clean the wax out of my ears and succeeded in only blocking the left ear. I have oddly shaped ears with small canals and I have a problem about every 10 years. I kept thinking it would clear. I thought there was just some water in there. We tried everything, warm olive oil, syringing all to no avail. On Wednesday, I had a ulcerative colitis attack and that combined with my ear I was really sick. I ended up going home because I couldn’t stand to be at work. We have some really loud people and all I could hear was them and nothing else. Plus I had a fever and the chills. Thursday, I finally went to a walk-in clinic[1] and he put some noxious smelling stuff in my ear. Then he got this big-ass syringe thing and flushed it out. When it cleared, I felt so much better! Note to self: never, ever fuck with your ears again.
- Tru is really getting close to the end now. She is fading more each day. She is not in distress or pain. We have decided we will take her to the vet on Monday to say goodbye. She has done really well. She lived two months more here just on sheer pleasure. We thought she wasn’t going to make it past the first week but love and good food really helped her rally.
- We also just found out that our favourite vet has left for Edmonton! We had just broken her in and now she is gone!
Dispatches from the Swamp –the ‘don’t eat the Chinese food’ edition
- We have lived in Maple Ridge for almost 6 years. We tried most of the Chinese food restaurants in town and gave up as they were all uniformly bad. Yesterday, when we checked the mail, we got a menu for one we had tried before and saw it had been voted the best Asian food restaurant in MR for 8 years in a row. I am not sure where they find these people or who voted for them because the food was terrible. Our honey garlic ribs seemed to just have some V-H sauce poured over them. The green beans with beef in black bean sauce had been frozen. The beef was seriously mystery meat. The chow mein noodles looked like Mr. Noodles. You get the idea. A word of caution, don’t ever order Chinese food in Maple Ridge and especially don’t order from King’s Kitchen. It was so bad.
- We seriously have the world’s worst neighbours. They blasted music all Friday and Saturday night. Then, this morning, they are up at the crack of dawn yelling at the dogs outside. They seem to spend a lot of time in their front yard where they yell at the dogs when they bark.[1] Their reaction to a barking dog is about the same as ours to potential aggression. I am not sure why they think this is ok. We hear them all the time. They are loud and obnoxious. At least once it gets hot we will have an air conditioner in that window and we will hear them less.
- Tru is the strangest dog I have ever met. Her food choices are bizarre. She also does this other really strange thing – she chatters her teeth. The other day she was doing it and it seemed like she wanted to play – so Deb played with her. We also think she has been sent her by Madison to finish off the job of killing us. Tru is always in the way. And as you approach her and try to go around her she just gets more in your way.
- Edith seems to be doing ok without Archie. She is louder and more demanding. She goes through a helluva a lot of greens for one guinea pig!
Dispatches from the Swamp – the ‘I think we fixed Ruby’ edition
- I have to say, I thought it would take much longer to fix Ruby. A couple of evenings of ‘puppy massage’ and she is now rolling over on to her back for belly rubs. She is wiggling around and trying to scratch her back. She has become way more engaged. Now when we move, she follows us, ever hopeful some morsel will fall into her perpetually open little maw. She still chooses to sleep in her door less crate but she is pretty tuned in to what is going on. She does the best little dance when she comes in wanting her treat. Now, if she would just learn her name.
- Tru is holding her own. She has never met a carb she didn’t like. This is a dog who will eat fried potatoes over bacon; cookies over steak; and pasta over roast chicken. We have never come across a dog who has such strange tastes in food. We are not sure if she was starved or if she survived on garbage. I think she ate whatever her people ate and maybe they were vegetarian.
- Tru and Ruby are now official members of The Swamp pack. They have been adopted. They have fit in quite well.
- Everyone else is doing really well. We think Zoe may not be as old as we were told. She has not changed at all in the almost 3 years she has been here. Piper is losing some weight so she doesn’t have difficulty breathing in the heat this year.
- It has been so nice since we hooked up to the city sewer a couple of months ago. We have no more stench that migrates into the house. This time last year when we decide opening a window might be great we no longer have to listen to the noisy neighbours because we can open one up on the quiet side of the house. In the past, there was no way we could open those windows as the smell was overpowering. Sadly the backyard is still a swamp.
- The frogs have been singing for weeks now. The ribbits are definitely the sound of spring at The Swamp.
Dispatches from The Swamp – ‘the senior dog’ edition
Things at The Swamp have been quite good lately. I had the week before Easter off and I spent it doing self-care. I listened to music and played computer games for a couple of hours a day. This always makes me very happy. I find when I am listening to music and singing my mind completely empties. I am one of those people whose mind never, ever stops. I am always thinking about something or trying to solve a problem. Even at night, if I wake up I have a hard time turning my mind off again.
All of the dogs are doing well. Tru is an amazing dog. We thought she wouldn’t last the week when she first got here. We are not complacent though. She clearly has something wrong with her – likely some kind of cancer. She doesn’t eat much and she is quite thin. Tru has an odd diet. She loves carbs like chocolate and cake. The only meat she will eat right now is ham. We expect that will end eventually. I think Tru is enjoying her life right now and doesn’t want to go anywhere quite yet.
Ruby[1] is doing fabulously. She is slowly coming out of her shell. She is spending much less time in her crate. She really turned a corner last week when she suddenly became more confident. She is still on the periphery of the dogs as she appears to be scared of the pack. Although, Ruby was able to muscle her way in to the group to get some roast beef. She is sleeping on the bed with us at night. She is certainly becoming much more interactive.
Tuber is such a sweetie!
I really wish more people would consider adopting senior dogs. It is such a rewarding experience to take in a dog who has had a less than stellar life and introduce them to all the pleasures of life. Watching a dog have roast beef for the first time is so rewarding. When you have a dog who has been forced to live outside her/his entire life begin to enjoy the comforts of living indoors is amazing. It takes very little to provide for a senior dog. Yes there may be some ongoing medications and things like that but most vets will not be too intrusive with seniors. When you aim for quality of life, feed good quality food, and provide symptom relief, seniors are an amazing addition to any home. Please consider giving a good home to a senior dog. It will change your life. Check out SAINTS for adoptable seniors. You can also check out Boo who is up for adoption through Bully Buddies.
[1] AKA: Tuber, Tater Tot
Dispatches from the Swamp – the ‘I am on vacation’ edition
- The last 3 months seem to have just flown by. I have been super-busy at work with grant applications and reports. I have been feeling remarkably well which has made the workload manageable. I always seem to see getting to Easter as a major accomplishment. I hate that there are no statutory holidays between January and April.
- Ruby is fitting in well. She is such a sweet dog. She is completely addicted to ‘beggin strips.’ Her little body positively vibrates when she knows one is coming her way. I love watching dogs who have had nothing or very little their entire lives begin to embrace life at The Swamp. Every meal is an opportunity to let them know that they are loved. Yesterday she had cooked turkey and her tail never stopped wagging the entire time she was eating it. She is going to see the groomer on Monday. We are hoping they can get her clean. Her belly seems to have embedded dirt in the skin. I will post pictures once she comes back!
- As the years go by, I have to say that I really dislike our neighbours. They are always imposing some sort of noise on us. This weekend it was parties with very loud music on both Friday and Saturday night. Then there is the almost never-ending barking of their dog. Even weekday evenings we are not immune as they sit outside and talk very loudly. I can’t imagine going through life and being that entitled. I can’t wait for another summer of pool parties…
Dispatches from the Swamp – the ‘I hate daylight savings time’ edition
- I really don’t understand why we are still doing this whole daylight savings time thing. When it was first introduced in 1895 and really took hold during World War I. The idea was to save electricity by reducing the use of incandescent bulbs to light evening activities. Surely this is no longer necessary now. Plus since George Bush had the bright idea[1] to stretch out the amount of time we spend in DST, it now starts earlier and ends later. I hate it. It messes with my routine.
- I had the last of my sedation dental work done on Thursday. This time I seemed to remember way less of that day than before. It also took much longer for me to shed the effects of the medication. I wonder if the medication becomes more effective each time you use it. Anyway, I get the last of my new crowns on Friday. Yippy for me!
- I have to say that the longer I live with Zoe the more impressed I have become at how she gets her own way by making your life so freaking miserable that you can’t even consider not giving in to her. Case in point – last night we had pizza. Zoe barked and scratched at my chair and me for a good 40 minutes. Finally I gave her some. Then one of the pieces I gave her went under the chair and she would not rest until she got it. She tormented me by almost upsetting my laptop until I got up and flipped the chair up so she could get her damn pizza! There is no hope of ever training this dog. The only reason she will humour us and pee outside is because she gets a treat when she is done. She tries to play us with this as well by going out on the step and coming back in without doing anything. I think we have convinced her that we are all pretty stupid.
- We have been involved in transporting Miss Pickles between Chilliwack animal control and her foster home in Vancouver. As a surprise, Pickles’ foster mother made some liver cakes for the dogs! Nummy! They really enjoyed them. Here are some pictures of the layered liver cake!
L is for liver. A is for apple. T is for Tru! Tru got her very own cake.
[1] No pun intended.
Dispatches from The Swamp – the ‘Bella’ edition
Bella with her Lion Cut - which she loved!
- We lost Bella this past week. She had a hyper-thyroid and cancer. She had been doing really well – eating, using her litter box, being very affectionate until last Monday when she just stopped everything. We took her to the vet right away. I thought perhaps her thyroid meds were suppressing her thyroid too much but I was wrong. Her abdominal mass was huge and she was done having fun. We let her go right there and then. She was a great cat. It took a great cat to live with up to 11 dogs at a time. She ruled the roost from wherever she chose to hang out. She used to love to whack the dogs as they went by. She was 16 and had been with us for 11 years. We will miss you Bells. You were definitely a one of a kind cat.
- It is no secret that I am not a fan of the robocall. I once tweeted that I would not vote for any of the leadership candidates who robocalled me and got into with a Thomas Mulcair supporter. Ironically, I think that is the one campaign I have not had a robocall from. Now, it would seem, that it is actually the Conservatives who have figured out the best use for robocalls by using them to divert voters who didn’t support them in the last election to phony polling stations. All I can say is that there best be a serious investigation into this scandal. Maybe we should call it ‘robogate’ or ‘callgate’. Here is Rick Mercer’s take on it:
- Now that I have some genetic information from finding my biological parents my doctor has put me on medication for high blood pressure. I had been avoiding this but not anymore.
- This week I am having the last of my dental work done. I will no longer have any amalgam fillings! Plus my teeth have never looked or felt better. I have no pain anywhere. I love my new dentist along with the sedation option for major work. I could not have had my bottom teeth fixed without it. What a difference it makes to your self-esteem when your teeth look good!
- Deb and I are going out with Kasandra for dinner next week. I finally called after waiting about 3 weeks. When she answered the phone she said she had planned to call me that evening. I am still unsure where this will end up. I hope we end up having a great relationship – one that I thought would be there by virtue of the fact that she is my biological mother. I was wrong, apparently. I have not seen Gary since our first meeting and his wife, Martha, keeps putting me off via email. Oh well. I don’t think I have a lot in common with them anyway. I really want to meet the brothers at some point but I am happy to wait.
- I have been feeling pretty good the last couple of weeks. Although I do have an issue when I have to work 5 days in a row. I also seem to really suffer if I don’t have 3 days in a row at home. This week will be short and I am happy for that.
- We started watching Downton Abbey yesterday. It is great! I recommend watching it with the Wikipedia article open so that you can figure out who’s who in the zoo! I have to say that Maggie Smith is one of the best actors I have ever seen. She can convey so much with just a look on her face. Amazing.
Dispatches from the Swamp – The ‘is it Easter yet?’ Edition
I hate this time of the year. There are no holidays to look forward to until Easter. I wonder how many people checked Google for the 2012 date.[1] I bet many office workers spent most of today trying to figure out how the hell they were going to get through the next 3 months without burning a lot of vacation time. Me? I chose to take it easy. I did some tasks I needed to get done and then I began to prepare for the year ahead. I archived files and generally cleaned up my electronic system. Tomorrow I will try to get rid of the stack of paper I still have on my desk from when things were crazy busy. I have a major report to finish in the next couple of weeks. Then I have another huge report and grant application due by April 1. All before Easter you will note.
I had 2 ‘great’ conversations with my mother tonight. Here it is:
Conversation #1
Mom: You and Deb really hurt our little feelings when you were here.[2]
Me: Oh, what did we do.
Mom: You didn’t say how nice the house looked. Your sister worked really hard on it.
Me: Mother, why are you inventing things to have hurt feelings over? I distinctly remember saying how nice the house looked.
Conversation #2
My mother was discussing my sister’s temper tantrum yesterday when she put away the Christmas decorations. The way my mother tells it, my sister was stomping around the house and throwing the decorations away. My mother was very upset and I could hear my sister yelling and screaming when I called yesterday.[3]
Mom: Your sister says that she put things away neatly.
Me: That is good.
Mom: I don’t believe it though. I heard her throwing stuff around. Some of it is really old and sentimental. She is lucky I didn’t have the strength to go down their and cuff her upside the head and tell her to be more careful.
Me: That was probably a good thing because she probably would have cuffed you back.
Mom: No she wouldn’t have. Well maybe she would…Anyways, I would have hit her back.
All of the dogs are good. The cat is continuing to improve. She has found her litter box and is using it! She has re-discovered the other side of the house. Deb has finally foiled in her attempt to get through the gate and take out the other cat upstairs. She is not acting as desperate as she was so we think her thyroid is more under control now. She still has cancer but things are much better!
Dispatches from the Swamp – the ‘revelations’ edition
- I have been quite absent from my blog as of late. It all started because I decided to crochet some presents for holiday season. I have made an intricate crochet piece and 13 very long scarves! I have also tried my hand at 2 afghans neither of which worked out yet. What I have discovered is that I find crocheting very relaxing. I have been crocheting while watching TV and I find it is almost meditative for me. I am feeling so much less stressed. The other thing I really like is that I can be productive while relaxing. I am now spending about 2-3 hours less per day on the computer.
- We have been entertaining Maya the Maltese for the last month. She is going to my mother at Christmas. She decided she really wanted another dog. We have found her the perfect dog – she is a young adult, female who likes to play. She came already house broken. We had her spayed, microchipped and vaccinated. She will be great for my mother. She is also a great watchdog! She is making all of us mental though. She barks indiscrimantely, particularly in the middle of the night. She is hyper and omnipresent. She seems to try to walk on the backs of my calves. She does have her cute moments though!
- We have been having some struggles with Bella. She has a hyper thyroid which, in spite being on a high dose of tapezol. We did blood work, which showed that she has cancer as well. She is 16 years old so we decided not to do any further investigation. The biggest problem was that she was not using her litterbox. With a little thought, we moved it into the living room. I took the lid off and I put her in there. She then used it and there was much rejoicing. She has continued to use it now for almost 2 weeks. At this point we are focusing on her quality of life. She is doing quite well right now.
- Everyone else is doing well. There was some concern about Sienna as she developed a lump. We were all pretty sure it was a fatty lipoma and after 2 fine-needle aspirations it was confirmed that it was a fatty lump.
- In political observations, I have to say that I hate the sound of Christy Clark’s voice as much as I hated Gordo’s. The face may have changed but the message is still the same and it is all lies if you ask me. Clark is every bit as mean-spirited as Gordon. Her call for cameras to be in the courtrooms when alleged rioters are prosecuted is cruel. It is not only going to humiliate the alleged suspects but also witnesses who may not want their names and faces broadcasted to the larger community. Her comments about CLBC are lame and there is no way she is going to fix anything. I really had dared to hope for more.
