Ethan’s Journey

 First day back to normalcy. The back was NOT happy today. I was moving at a snails pace and was feeling pretty stiff.  Ethan’s cough doesn’t sound very good. He still has no fever. We did beef up his toolbox for combatting cold symptoms. I told him that I was going to make him a container of “safe” medicine.  His throat is sore from post nasal drip. His head has pressure in it. Tomorrow he is laying low and resting. I am going to drug him up. He is pushing the fluids which is good. I gave Moe his new toy today. It is a heavy duty. It is round and screws together. The middle is hallow but has a lattice type layer over the top of the toy. You can place room temperature treats made by the company OR you can freeze treats in a container that forms it to the shape of the toy. You unscrew the toy, place the treat in and screw it back together. It’s made by a company called Woof. The treats I made consist of Moe’s dog food and water. Boom! Freeze it. This kept him busy for a wh...

  This is leaving the sunshine                               This is arriving home. Last night a terrible tragedy happened with American Airline Flight 5342. The families and friends of all these people. Ugh! I can’t even imagine how terrible this is for them. It didn’t affect how I was feeling about flying. Everytime I fly, I think “would I be happy with my life if it all ended today?” I have gotten the privilege of having a great family, friends that are also family and gotten to see some cool places. I was thinking if it ended today, I can would be satisfied with how things have gone so far. Obviously the ultimate goal is not dying. We had a bit of a turbulent flight back, but not too bad. Heather snored herself awake and that made me laugh.  I was working throughout the day at the airport.  Ethan picked us up. He has a nasty sounding cough. He hasn’t been feeling too good this week. No fever th...

 We wrapped up the conference. I took Heather to walk around the exhibit hall. She got to see the baby goats. There was goat yoga, but the line was so long. We did see a lady that had an armadillo in a stroller. We stopped and pet the armadillo. Now I want a pet armadillo. Just kidding. I did learn when they curl into a ball, if your fingers were on the sides of their body, they can break a finger with their armor. What a cool trick. I did score some cool dog toys. They are pretty heavy duty. I also found the smallest Kong in the world and the Kong lady let me take it for Jiminy. I met up with a previous coworker and chatted. We decided to have dinner. Heather and I went to this fancy restaurant and sat outside to eat. It was a casual and fun dinner. We went back to the room and packed up. I am pretty tired. 

 Oooofffff! I was late this morning. I was a victim of someone setting the clock in our room incorrectly. Jerks! Here I was thinking I had all this time and my coworker was waiting on me. She finally called “what the heck? Are you coming?” I was in fact, ready and bee lined to her car. We worked the show this morning. It has slowed down significantly. We still have steady traffic though. Our booth won “Best in Show” for our booth size. I really think it is solely because of my sparkling personality. Ha ha, kidding. After my shift I came back to the hotel and worked through emails and work, for about 3 hours. I sat outside in 75 degree weather. It was glorious.  I was feeding French fries to the squirrels. They were so happy about it. Heather and I went to dinner with one of the best bosses I have ever had. We had great conversations,  but terrible service. Like super terrible. All and all, it was a great day.

 Wow! Today was long. This morning I woke up and logged into work. I had to check my email, go through my work things. Of course my software was being a turd and I had to hop on with IT TWICE! I worked my shift. We had to immediately jump in a car and get to the dinner event. The dinner event was a few hours long. I did get the privilege to meet some people, that I had only met online. I appreciated that.  Afterward, myself, Heather and another coworker sat outside on the veranda, sharing the days events.  Heather walked over to Seaworld today and enjoyed all their shows.  These conferences are exhausting but exciting at the same time.

I got the report that Jiminy is doing great! Tough little dude! I am so glad he is ok.   Today was long and exhausting but really good. I had some good conversations and met a lot of people.  The conference is shoulder to shoulder people. Yet the faces seem familiar. Maybe vet people have a similar look? Similar bone structure? Maybe I just have facial blindness and everyone starts looking the same? Everyone has their story. How they got into vet medicine. Why they continue to work in vet med and what are things they like and do t like. I do find it interesting. I also talked to some people that had different jobs within the industry. Some seemed so interesting. Things I could eventually see myself graduating into.  Paul shared that Moe went missing for about an hour today. He had his tracking device on. And eventually came back. I shared the map that shows where he went with Paul.  Moe stayed mostly in the field but did venture through the neighbors yard and in...

It has been 30 years ago today since my father passed away. Wow! My family and I talk about him and our memories often.   Today was spent relaxing. I slept in, we did an early lunch and hot tub afternoon. We sprinkled in some exercise and walked around exploring.  We met with a co-worker of mine and chatted for a bit. Heather and I went to dinner and I am gearing up for the craziness of tomorrow. It is going to be so busy. I look forward to it but also know it will be quite draining.  I have set goals for myself to achieve. I am looking forward to the satisfaction of achieving those goals. The sunshine was nice to feel on my skin. It felt fairly warm. We even walked back to our room with just our wet bathing suits on and a towel. It was like a 7 minute walk.

 Today was the best day ever! It was chilly but we were comfortable all day long. The sun was warming. I made my own vitamin D today with some help from the sun. We got to see a variety of animals. Wow!!!! We got to feed birds, hold a macaw, touch an armadillo, touch a sloth, watch flamingos, watch otter porn, sharks, and dolphins doing tricks. We did go out of our way to really make the background of people’s photos “interesting” on many more than one occasion. Ha! We giggled about what people would think as they scrolled through their photos and saw what was happening in the background.  What was my favorite part? Hmmmm! All of it. Walking along the path and seeing the tropical trees, feeling the sunshine on my skin, walking in sand, sitting in a peach chair. All you can eat food, beverage and alcoholic beverage…….But all of it was awesome! Here are the highlights!

 I had a bad day. One of my coworker’s was let go. She was my work wife. She is a good lady and it makes me sad for her. I can’t even imagine. I really enjoyed her company and perspective of things. I will miss her dearly.  Luckily I was on my way to the vet conference this evening. I flied out with my friend Heather. We have plans tomorrow and then I am going to be tied up with work things.  I started thinking about my obligations and started to panic that I might not have enough down time. I will have to be a bit protective of my energy this trip. Dinners every night after talking all day. Ooofff!  The flight was good. The hotel is nice they gave me warm cookies when I checked in. That had a spot that sold margaritas in a can, so that is a win! So far, so good. I took some cute pics of Jiminy with the headband that Sarah gifted to him. He is such a perfect dog!

 Today I rotated dogs again. I am getting the hang of this. I keep one or two friends together and then switch it up. Basically they sleep on the same bed together or sniff butts frequently.  Penny and Jiminy are kept together in the morning as they play. But then everyone is rotated around and it doesn’t seem that hard. Everyone got time to nap near the fire.  Jiminy did well today. He seems back to his normal self. He was even play fighting with me this morning. He thinks he is so tough.  Ethan practiced giving Jiminy his meds today. He did well and feels he has a good handle on it. We reward Jiminy with some ham after each medication. He is now tolerating the medication to get the ham. Ethan is able to medicate one handed.  I pampered myself after work today. I painted my toenails, lifted and dyed my eyelashes (it’s a kit) and did a facial mask. Now I am all ready for Florida. I don’t pamper myself a lot, so this was a treat. What else do you do when it is so...

 Today I kept Moe in the den laying by the fire. I rotated friends in so he would t be lonely. Then I locked Jiminy in there and left Moe in with me for a little bit.  This is doable. The low temperature outside was a challenge getting one of the dogs (Penny) to do her business outside. Ferguson is an efficient little guy and gets the job done quickly. Jiminy acted normally throughout the day. He just stumbles here and there which is a side effect from the medication he is on. He is eating well and taking his medications, ok, but only because we bribe him with ham. He thinks that is cool. He is catching onto the ham part. I am so glad he is home. Ethan is learning how to give him his medications one handed. He is going to perfect the technique before I leave. He is wrapping him in a blanket and putting the syringe full of liquid medication in Jiminy’s mouth with the other.  And geez, don’t forget to have that ham ready. The process is a bit clunky. Avery was home and was ...

 Every minute felt like an hour ticking away today. We missed Jiminy so much.  Waiting for that call to come was torturous. The hospital called to let me know Jiminy was still doing well and on track for going home. I had to wait for the neurologist’s assessment. She finally called around 1:00. I ended up missing one of my meetings to talk to her. Fine by me!  Jiminy is presenting normally. He is a little off balance at times but overall, doing well. He needs three times a day keppra to keep his seizures away. It will be called his seizure repellant. His medication can make him hungry, grumpy and unsteady on his feet…all things better than seizures. We set up a pick up time for 5:15 pm. Man! That time couldn’t come quick enough. Paul was away snowmobiling and returned home to drive us to Buffalo.  The ride took forever. We got there and had to wait a little bit to see him. Paul was looking a bit sad and when asked, he is very worried this is going to happen again. Me...

 I think Moe can sense he is not popular right now. He spent the day in the other room by himself, by his choice.  I do feel mad at him. Maybe I am just angry at the situation. Either way, I am upset. Moe didn’t even come over for his morning pets, which I appreciated. Give me some space. I know there shouldn’t be a favorite dog, but Jiminy is the favorite. Not to minimize the others, we have great love for them. Jiminy is in his own league. Moe came out in the kitchen when the toaster made its ding. No sharing with you anymore. He got ushered quickly to the den (it’s gated and where his crate is) so he was away from the other dogs. The other dogs can properly handle themselves, they get rewarded. Maybe I will graduate to giving him his own chewie when he is separated. We got a few updates from the emergency hospital. Jiminy Cricket didn’t have any seizures last night or today. His cranial pressure has stabilized. His superficial head wound was treated. He was quiet today (but...

 We had a scary incident happed today. It left us all horrified, disappointed and sad. I was doing my meal prep in the kitchen. The door was open to our pantry where we keep the dog food. The food is kept in a bin with a lid on it. I suspect a piece of food was on the floor but it all happened so fast, I don’t even know what the trigger was.  Normally Jiminy and Moe mesh well together. Moe has been known to be protective of food and has snapped at the other dogs over food but never any other reason. Today was Jiminy’s turn. I never did find the piece of food that initiated the incident. Maybe it was eaten? Avery and I were right there and stopped it as soon as it happened. Moe had Jiminy in his mouth for a split second. Then it was over. Jiminy squealed. Avery and I intervened in a split second. Jiminy immediately had swelling over his soft spot which is about 2/3 of his head. His delicate little brain with no protective skull.  I was still in my PJ’s and hadn’t brushed m...

 Yay! It’s Friday! Avery decided the she is moving back to the dorm tomorrow. Boo! It was so nice to have her home. She has been so thoughtful and helpful. Plus I enjoy her company. It is nice to have a little extra estrogen in the house. I decided that I better stock up on snacks and food for Ethan and Paul while I am in Florida. I am looking forward to the warmer weather and seeing grass.  This will be the first time I am away from Moe. Moe will have to spend his day in the crate (not his favorite). The other dogs like their crate and I don’t anticipate an issue as they are more flexible.  I don’t want to leave him out because he gets on the furniture and is not respectful or trustworthy. He has earned a place in his crate for that length of time. Tomorrow I will work on food prep so the boys have healthy meal options. I spoil them. I enjoy it though. They are easy to please and it allows me to cook which I enjoy. Another one of my goals is trying to be better at having...

 I was talking to a wise coworker of mine. I was scoffing at the idea of setting time aside to really think about my goals personally and professionally this year. Ick! Who wants to do this? I have to set up a goal and then actually WORK to try to have that happen? It’s one more thing on my plate. What a negative Nellie! STOP! Reframe that. (I am really loving this as it helps me regain my focus). This was given to me by a psychiatrist in NYC when Ethan was unconscious. It has been a valuable gift. I get caught up in annoyances and it can start to have a negative impact on my mood…and according to Avery, my face too. So I reframed it. I would like to be a better person. What do I want to accomplish this year? Professionally, I would love to measure if I am placing vet med workers in an environment they thrive in. Retention. I have already implemented ways for me to improve my work process and they are definitely helping. I feel good about some of the work goals I set for myself. Pe...

 I had today off. Yay! I did do a little work, but it was to help me feel better about heading into tomorrow.  Avery and I worked on getting her on the waiting list for a few apartments. We filled out some forms, made some calls, and figured out what we needed to do. Avery is really spearheading this and I am just along to be the co-signer. I don’t mind this role. It is fun to watch and I remember the excitement of having my own apartment. I am excited for her. It seems so far away, but I know it will be here before I know it. I cleaned and organized my house. I had to do some filing, pay bills and really boring adult things.  I do like a clean house. After mopping I don’t want the dogs to move…because they will mess it all up. They will shed on things or drool water somewhere.  I will still love them despite that. These two bozos napped the majority of the day. FREE LOADERS! Ethan had an appointment with his therapist today at lunch. I have not been part of those ap...

 I did a lot of socializing today. I started my morning at physical therapy. My PT lady really pushed me. My sciatic was sore for the rest of the day. Compared to the back pain I was having, it didn’t seem all that bad. More of an annoyance. One thing that I noticed was that it was painfully cold out this morning. Walking to my car felt like the cold was biting me. It felt like the bite of 1000 feral cats. I may seem dramatic but my skin has gotten used to staying home in the wood burning stove temperature. Afterwork I went to the dentist. I had a routine cleaning. My dental hygienist is the best! I look forward to going to the dentist to visit with her.  After the dentist Avery, her friend, her friend’s mom and I went to dinner at the best restaurant on earth, Margaritas. We had the expected experience. No wait, quick, efficient and friendly service, delicious food with no mistakes and great company. Oh yeah, the margaritas was soooo yummy! It was nice to visit with these 3 o...

 Avery continued her zest for knowledge by taking apart a late 1970’s model fan that Ethan found cleaning out an old house. Avery loves this fan despite it being so damn loud. It vibrates the house when in use.  It does move some significant air for being just a small fan. She took the whole thing apart to trouble shoot the starter on it. She was texting Paul about whet next steps are to get it working the way she would like. They were having needed out electrical conversations and I loved it for them both. Paul LOVES it. After work I ran some errands. Paul and I went to a surprise birthday party. It was really fun. The best part was that Paul and I ducked the birthday boy’s house.  I put ducks all over. One in the rum bottle, ice cube try, candle, furniture, pill bottle, hidden on shelves behind things. Even Paul helped hide them around. Stupid silly fun. We hope it makes them smile everytime they find one. We also may have left a very inappropriate and unmarked gift for...

 Today was a chore day. I didn’t even get half of my normal amount done. I got the things most important to me done. The rest will be there for a different day. What we did get to do is spend time with friends watching the Bills win. We also had yummy food! We spent the afternoon visiting. When we got home, I prepared for all my meetings tomorrow. Ew! A necessary task to be an adult. I got through it. I snuggled Jiminy while doing so. He was my support animal for that task. Paul spent some time showing Avery how to rewire her new lamps she purchased. He got the one all lit up and let her work through the other one. She was trying to strip the wires and solder things together. It was fun to watch Avery doing these things. I didn’t have the opportunity to learn stuff like this. He passed away before I was Avery’s age. Avery really loves these vintage lamps. She is such an old soul.

 We had a fun afternoon today. Paul and I took my Mom and Gene to the casino to meet up with Brian and Kristen for lunch and a gambling session.  We sat overlooking the horse track. There weren’t any races going on, but there were jockey’s running their horses. It was neat to see, however, it looked pretty chilly. After eating, we received $10 of free cash. I put in $20 for myself and for Paul. I didn’t win a stitch of money. Paul won $50! I was so excited for him. He will have some extra spending cash when he goes snowmobiling! Kristen won big. She won well over $100. I would have passed out if I won that much. Lifeless on the floor. After we arrived home I resembled a bump on a log. I did minimal chores between mid afternoon and bed time. I even laid down at one point to be alone and comfy. It was glorious.  Avery is thinking she may go back to school next week. She wants to spend thoughtful time applying to her different summer research opportunities. She will use her ...

 Paul and I were having coffee this morning. I heard some noise in the kitchen. I wondered out loud “I wonder what kind of recyclable Moe is going to redecorate with?” Sure enough, Moe had rummaged through our recyclables and chosen a yogurt container. He is always fairly gentle with them. He tries to tip toe by un noticed. I noticed. I took the container away. He was briefly devastated. He then went and grabbed another container. We repeated this scenario three times “Paul! Why do you put the recyclables on Moe level?” Every time, Paul tries to clean the counter, the recyclables become fair game to redecorate the house. Silly dog. I am glad it is Friday. I went to visit my friend that is getting her cancer treatments. We shared a few laughs. She really likes her nurses and doctors. This evening our little family watched game shows from 1973 on Buzzer. We enjoyed hairstyles, the seedy questions and the overly touchy/feely nature of  the hosts. It was so appreciated to have all...

 I woke up early and got a head start on catching up with work things. I like working before anyone else is, because I can actually focus. I pretty much spent the day absorbed in work and keeping the fire going to stay warm and cozy Avery and her friend, Kendall, were hanging out. I like to listen to their banter and giggles. It was a low key, uneventful day. My gift for today was capturing the rare moment of all 4 dogs together. They were all melted on the bed in front of the fire. Even Ferguson.

 I had today off. Yay! I did do a little work but only a little.  Avery, Kendall (Avery’s suite mate) and I went off to gather information about apartments for next year.  We drove to two different places. On our way to one, we saw an antique store that was going out of business. Everything was 50% off.  I found this cool little lantern for $2.50. Avery fount these lead lamps that she has been seeking for several months. She has never considered buying them because they are always well over $40 a piece and usually damaged. She score 2 of them for $12.50/ lamp. They appear that they need to be rewired. Avery asked Paul to show her how to rewire them. She said “that seems like a skill that is handy to have.” We went to another apartment complex and asked a bunch of questions. Avery and Kendall really liked this place. It is close to campus. The apartments have a good layout and decent square-footage.  I remember how exciting it was to move into my new apartment. I...

 I went to the doctor for my annual check up. We are going to recheck my cholesterol in March. December is not the most appropriate time to have bloodwork that is representative of my lifestyle. Did you know that cholesterol has a 6 week “look back” period? The number is representative of your intake from the previous 6 weeks. Cool! My cholesterol terrible, just a little elevated.  My kidney values are kicking butt. My solo kidney is blazing trails for me. It’s showing all the other kidney’s how it is done. Tomorrow is apartment hunting day for Avery. We have a few places to go, lots of questions to ask and in the process of setting up visits for next week. Avery is excited and a little overwhelmed. We are going out to dinner tomorrow night. Yay!

 Happy Birthday to my friend Melissa! We have been friends since the sixth grade! Avery tells me I sound angry ALL the time. I am paying attention more and she is right. I am used to barking orders at the dogs all day. “Get off the couch!” “Drop it!” “No biting our friends!”  I think it has carried over into my everyday communication style.  I try to be a patient person. Avery and I had to run into Walmart today. That is NOT the right venue to exercise patience. I have the nose of a bloodhound. I can smell smells from across the room. Sometimes if the smells are too over bearing, it gets confusing to figure out what the smell actually is. One lady had rotten egg breath.  There were a couple traveling together that smelled like stale butt hole funk.  Eww! Gross! Avery said that it was more like stale cigarettes. So, my nose was confused on that one. I just knew it smelled bad. At one point I had a woman park her cart in the middle of the aisle while her friend, w...

 Here is a quote I read today. “You can’t add days to your life. You CAN add life to your days.”  I sat with it for a minute and asked myself how I rated myself at accomplishing this. Do I feel like I have added the appropriate amount of life to my days? Most of the time, yes! It is a delicate balance. I can’t do too much because then I become drained. I like the balance I have created for myself at the current state. I did some cleaning today. I mopped and got the house organized. I enjoy the ability to doao. I stopped and watched the birds at the bird feeder. There are so many birds there right now. They appreciate all the available seed on these cold days. Avery helped me with some things around the house. I was thankful for that. Paul was off snowmobiling. He is living the dream! While the day was uneventful, I appreciated the day for me to recharge.

 This morning I spent some time on the phone with one of of our friends we are visiting St. Lucia with. We did some planning and sharing of information. I have a 9 page document of notes, tips, destinations I want to see and do, etc. I love the planning phase.  However, the trip I am doing next May I am letting someone else plan. I am ok with that. Traveling overseas is a bit scary for me. The long flight alone has me nervous. We have had Moe for 6 months. He had a spa day. Today I clipped his toes by myself with little effort (used bribes). Man he has come a long way.  Moe also got a bath today. I washed his head with no issues. Scrubbed him down, really tried to get out all the dead hair. Scrubbed his ears, sprayed his head. He just sits while I do it. He got all clean bedding too.  After his bath he got to lay in front of the fire to dry off. It was toasty and warm there. He looks like a million bucks. It has been a few weeks since his last bath. He was getting ga...

 Avery cooked up her ravioli today. She sautéed some Italian sausage and made her home made cheese ravioli and boy it was good. She had a few ideas on how she would tweak her recipe the next time. I really love that she enjoys cooking. This weekend I am helping Avery fill out Fafsa, Ethan is deep cleaning his room. He is even washing the curtains. We are going to finish taking down our tree and putting away Christmas things. I have the next 2 Wednesdays off and we are dedicated to finding housing for Avery for the fall semester. She wants to live off campus and has a comparable room mate. She is excited to be in charge of her own meal plan. Paul is in snowmobiling mode. We don’t see him much this time of year. He is either working in the garage on his snowmobile, his friend’s snowmobiles, working or staying late at work to work on projects. This is not new for us. This is how Paul relaxes. He needs projects to keep his mind busy.  We thrive this way. We are independent people....

 My physical therapist was a little mean today. She had me doing all sorts of hard things. I straight up said “I will not be doing that at home.” If it hurts or it sucks, I am not as excited about doing it. She has me working with weights now. I still have pain but it is more annoying pain than drop me to my knees pain. Ethan and I went to the ATM today. I didn’t realize he has never used an ATM. I was really there for moral support. He just has never had the need for an ATM. His card was expired, it turned into a whole thing. He had to talk to someone at the bank to get a new card. Avery made ravioli from scratch with Nana and Papa. She really enjoyed it. I think it is great that she is making memories like this. I think they enjoy it too! Look at those beautiful ravioli!  I am glad tomorrow is Friday. 

 Today was a nice quiet day. Avery’s friend spent the night and they did some baking today.  I removed most of Christmas from the house, but we left up the tree. 🌲  Paul took down some decorations before it got really cold out.  We just got organized today. I organized our home calendar, work calendar and made sure my days off were appropriately planned for. I did work on some vacation planning, I typed up all my notes and over the next few weeks will finalize plans with the group to make sure everyone’s bucket list items are included. We are organizing summer plans and weekends we will be home. Properly documenting appointments , which I spent yesterday rescheduling due to a few work trips. I am approaching 2025 with an open mind and feeling organized. Who knows what this year will have in store for us. I expect some sort of rollercoaster, because that seems to be what life is all about. I just have to decide if I am going to have a white knuckle grip or throw my h...

 Last day of 2024. Then the struggle begins to have to remember to write the correct year on everything. I worked the whole day. Ugh. It was a quiet day. We then went to my aunt and uncle’s house for pizza, snacks and games. Avery and her friend were there. Ethan came over a little later. We brought Penny so she could play with her dog friends. She partied hard. We played a few card games. We had lots of yummy food. We made some bad jokes about perhaps someone digging up Dick Clark. We did watch some music performances on TV. Most were good with a few mediocre ones. Everyone has their preferences. They all are more talented than I am (except when I am alone in the car.) We rang in the new year. Happy 2025!  We came home and I went right to bed. Staying up that late is hard. Happy New Year!