Thanks to all of you for the advice and the good thoughts. I can happily report that although I am still not completely well, I do feel better. The ears are still funky and the voice still scratchy, but here I sit behind my counter happily pecking away.
Yesterday morning I was spirited away by camper buddy, Deb. I had considered cancelling my outing with her, but love of my life insisted that I get away from the park. So, it was off to her lake house we went. A quick inspection assured her that everything was in order and we headed to a local eatery for lunch. It was very casual and slow paced and we tried some fried potato salad. It was interesting, but I like mine better. I had some fried grouper. The breading looked like corn flakes, but had a touch of sweetness. Reminded me of the Captain Crunch breaded chicken at Planet Hollywood. My appetite is still a little off from the ear infection...........
After our leisurely lunch we headed to a wonderful outlet center. I got a Bali bra for THREE dollars! I will dig through all the sale racks with the best of them. I love a good clearance! Also got a cute shirt that the stitching was coming loose on at Tommy Hilfiger for five bucks. Socks for love of my life and a trip to the ice cream bar left us both very mellow.
WalMart was happy to see me enter it's sacred portals knowing I would fill my cart to capacity...... and I did. Pool supplies that my nearest WalMart is out of were snatched up shamelessly and we loaded it all in to ready our selves for the long ride home. A couple of bottles of water and some more decongestant pills for me and I was wired. Deb was crashing with fatigue and I drove part of the way home.
I don't particularly like to drive vehicles that I am not familiar with. It takes me awhile to acclimate myself to the sensitivity of the gas and brake pedals and figure out where all the gadgets are. It was okay with Deb as my co-pilot, though. Unlike love of my life she never barked at me if I hit the brake too hard or didn't drive as fast as I could. We had a wonderful day. I got a much needed change of scenery and a rest from my everyday activities.
But, alas, that was yesterday....... Today is here and the pool goers are continuing to arrive. Lots of folks got off early for the holiday weekend ahead and will begin arriving soon. I will no doubt be swamped. And, yes, he is at work! He was originally scheduled for Friday and swapped with someone in order to be off. His boss (and I use that term lightly) has informed him that she will no longer honor his request to be off every Friday. She says that when he applied for the job he did not write this request in, therefore.......... He has worked at least one day of every weekend this year. I have come to the conclusion that she is trying to see just how far she can push him. He is looking for another job that will allow him to work part-time and still receive benefits. She is such a fine example of how not to manage and I think she deserves an award as such. I would love to give her one.......
Instead of dwelling on that, I will now get up off my lovely derriere and sweep the store, do a little merchandising and get everything in order for the coming weekend. Wishing all of you a safe and happy holiday!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
I Ain't Got Time To Bleed!
Remember Jesse Ventura........ wrestler, turned governor of the great sate of Minnesota? He became an author, too. Never read any of his work, just remember the title, "I Ain't Got Time To Bleed". The title did not make me want to read his book and the only reason I mention it is that I feel that way, too.
Yesterday my right ear was giving me a fit. My tonsils have been swollen since I awoke on Saturday morning. No pain, just really hard to swallow. Felt like I had a set of testicles in my throat. I didn't feel good, but I didn't feel bad either; so I did what every self respecting woman does and ignored it. Sunday brought throat pain and no hearing in my right ear. I took a decongestant and kept going. It was just a scratchy throat and the loss of hearing in one ear....... I could still hear out of the other ear--problem solved. I was a little off-balance, but any one who knows me already has that opinion, so I once again ignored it. Felt really crappy yesterday and the ear was achy, but not unbearable. The left ear went out on me, but now I could hear out of the right ear. If you read yesterday's post you will note that I was a little on the surly side.
At about 5;30 this morning the left ear captured my full attention. I could not get in any position that didn't hurt and I got up. I was counting the minutes until the doctor's office opened so I could call. I took some Sudafed and 800 mg of Ibuprofen and downed two cups of coffee. It was bearable when I called the office and got an appointment for this afternoon. So, here I sit after taking the antibiotic, another decongestant, more Ibuprofen and nasal spray. I feel like a walking pharmacy. I have a middle ear infection in both ears. I thought it a little sadistic that he told me that my left eardrum was bulging with blood behind it, because I now have a mental picture of what it looks like to associate with the pain. I think the visual image in my head enhances the pain.
And I truly do not have time for this. I have a holiday weekend approaching. I have picnic tables to paint, a garden to weed, a house to clean, and grass to mow. All I feel like doing is sleeping and that won't be a possibility for at least 5 more hours. The good news in all this......... they always make me mount the dreaded scales and I have lost 7 lbs.
The pool is at maximum capacity again today. There was a birthday party in progress when I left love of my life in charge to go visit the doc. He said with all confidence that he would have all the end frames of the picnic tables done upon my return. He completed only one and got a good taste of what my life behind this counter is like.
Another tent camper with half a dozen heathen children. I tried to deny her..........my instinct tells me that I am going to have trouble with them. She cried. She is near hysteria. It is her child's birthday and she promised a night in a tent and swimming. I give in. I do warn her that I have strict rules that the children will have to adhere to....... She is not listening to me and I know this will no doubt be a mistake, but my bulging eardrum wants her to leave...right now.
Why, why did I think this would be fun?
Yesterday my right ear was giving me a fit. My tonsils have been swollen since I awoke on Saturday morning. No pain, just really hard to swallow. Felt like I had a set of testicles in my throat. I didn't feel good, but I didn't feel bad either; so I did what every self respecting woman does and ignored it. Sunday brought throat pain and no hearing in my right ear. I took a decongestant and kept going. It was just a scratchy throat and the loss of hearing in one ear....... I could still hear out of the other ear--problem solved. I was a little off-balance, but any one who knows me already has that opinion, so I once again ignored it. Felt really crappy yesterday and the ear was achy, but not unbearable. The left ear went out on me, but now I could hear out of the right ear. If you read yesterday's post you will note that I was a little on the surly side.
At about 5;30 this morning the left ear captured my full attention. I could not get in any position that didn't hurt and I got up. I was counting the minutes until the doctor's office opened so I could call. I took some Sudafed and 800 mg of Ibuprofen and downed two cups of coffee. It was bearable when I called the office and got an appointment for this afternoon. So, here I sit after taking the antibiotic, another decongestant, more Ibuprofen and nasal spray. I feel like a walking pharmacy. I have a middle ear infection in both ears. I thought it a little sadistic that he told me that my left eardrum was bulging with blood behind it, because I now have a mental picture of what it looks like to associate with the pain. I think the visual image in my head enhances the pain.
And I truly do not have time for this. I have a holiday weekend approaching. I have picnic tables to paint, a garden to weed, a house to clean, and grass to mow. All I feel like doing is sleeping and that won't be a possibility for at least 5 more hours. The good news in all this......... they always make me mount the dreaded scales and I have lost 7 lbs.
The pool is at maximum capacity again today. There was a birthday party in progress when I left love of my life in charge to go visit the doc. He said with all confidence that he would have all the end frames of the picnic tables done upon my return. He completed only one and got a good taste of what my life behind this counter is like.
Another tent camper with half a dozen heathen children. I tried to deny her..........my instinct tells me that I am going to have trouble with them. She cried. She is near hysteria. It is her child's birthday and she promised a night in a tent and swimming. I give in. I do warn her that I have strict rules that the children will have to adhere to....... She is not listening to me and I know this will no doubt be a mistake, but my bulging eardrum wants her to leave...right now.
Why, why did I think this would be fun?
Monday, June 29, 2009
I Overslept!
I struggled through the day yesterday with my ear hurting and feeling wretched. I was glad it was a Sunday and I would close at 6:00. Love of my life was at work. He always seems to be absent when I could really use some help.........
Didn't close until 7:30. I waited for a late arrival and did laundry for one of the pipe-liners. He likes a heavy starch in his shirt and I volunteered to take in his laundry. I like the extra money, but I like the whole laundry process. I feel very accomplished when I fold and neatly stack the items. I like the smell of freshly laundered clothes and I especially like to iron. I find the monotony to be relaxing. It makes the day not seem as long if I have a something to do while I cater to the swimming crowd. Enough about my weird fetish.
So, when I finally closed I rummaged through the medicine cabinet and took what I hoped was cold medication that would allow me to sleep. Must not have been, because I was wide awake at 11:30 when the husband came home. It was starting to wear off by then and I watched TV until I finally feel to sleep. I slept until almost 9:30. That is a rare event and I am now paying the price for that sleep.
I dragged my near voiceless self into the kitchen and stood watching the coffee drip ever so slowly into the carafe. I poured a cup when there was enough to pour and started to really wake up. Intending to indulge myself in some serious blog reading, I arranged myself and my canine followers upon the couch with the laptop and flipped on the Today show to see even more coverage of the death of the famous child molester........... I really need an hour to gear up for the day ahead. I like to be able to brush my teeth and wash my face before asked to present myself to the world at large. Alas, it was not to be. Two cars of women and children arrive at barely 10:00. I am still sipping my bitter brew, clad in my trusty nite shirt that asks "Y are you such an idiot?". I refuse to respond to the door--I don't open until 11:00 and it is clearly posted on the door. I gather myself reluctantly and throw on some shorts and a shirt.
My early morning intruders chose not to wait and simply went to pool. It should have been locked, but love of my life was so tired last night he didn't look for the key. We let the robot clean while we sleep and pull it out in the morning. It is powered by electricity and by all standards should be safe, but I don't want anyone in the pool while it is still connected to power..... you know for safety. More than that, though, I don't really want kids playing with it and breaking it. And all this is moot, since the pool wasn't officially open and therefore they were trespassers.
Suffice it to say that this did not start my day right and I had to bite my tongue to keep my sarcastic nature under control. I politely told them that I was concerned for the well being of the children with the robot still connected to power and that we have a cleaning process we perform each morning before we open the pool. They seemed to find this amusing and told me that they were early risers and wanted to get the day started. I then apologized for my apparent tardiness and told them that I am normally up and about much earlier, but that due to the fact that I have been ill all weekend I seemed to have over slept. They took my sarcasm as a joke and chastised me for not being up when they wanted to be here. No. I kid you not. I simply walked away before my other personality came forth to slay them.
And so begins another week in paradise. I sit here counting nickels and dimes and telling children who are clearly pubescent how many items of nutritionally valueless food their money will buy. I wonder aloud to one girl (the same one who wanted me to hook up a garden hose for her to play in, because the water in my pool wasn't cold enough) about the grade in school that teaches the children to count money and make change. She proudly informed me that she was "way past" that in her studies. I suggested that she take a refresher course. This comment went "way past" her mental capabilities.
I used to worry about offending these people and losing their business. I have come to realize that it would be impossible to do so while sinking to their level of comprehension. I need to lock up for awhile and go pull weeds or some other menial task and get a grip, so that I can acquire a better attitude with which to finish the day. I read this and think that I sound a little surly....... no, that's not it........... I think the word I am looking for is bitchy.
Didn't close until 7:30. I waited for a late arrival and did laundry for one of the pipe-liners. He likes a heavy starch in his shirt and I volunteered to take in his laundry. I like the extra money, but I like the whole laundry process. I feel very accomplished when I fold and neatly stack the items. I like the smell of freshly laundered clothes and I especially like to iron. I find the monotony to be relaxing. It makes the day not seem as long if I have a something to do while I cater to the swimming crowd. Enough about my weird fetish.
So, when I finally closed I rummaged through the medicine cabinet and took what I hoped was cold medication that would allow me to sleep. Must not have been, because I was wide awake at 11:30 when the husband came home. It was starting to wear off by then and I watched TV until I finally feel to sleep. I slept until almost 9:30. That is a rare event and I am now paying the price for that sleep.
I dragged my near voiceless self into the kitchen and stood watching the coffee drip ever so slowly into the carafe. I poured a cup when there was enough to pour and started to really wake up. Intending to indulge myself in some serious blog reading, I arranged myself and my canine followers upon the couch with the laptop and flipped on the Today show to see even more coverage of the death of the famous child molester........... I really need an hour to gear up for the day ahead. I like to be able to brush my teeth and wash my face before asked to present myself to the world at large. Alas, it was not to be. Two cars of women and children arrive at barely 10:00. I am still sipping my bitter brew, clad in my trusty nite shirt that asks "Y are you such an idiot?". I refuse to respond to the door--I don't open until 11:00 and it is clearly posted on the door. I gather myself reluctantly and throw on some shorts and a shirt.
My early morning intruders chose not to wait and simply went to pool. It should have been locked, but love of my life was so tired last night he didn't look for the key. We let the robot clean while we sleep and pull it out in the morning. It is powered by electricity and by all standards should be safe, but I don't want anyone in the pool while it is still connected to power..... you know for safety. More than that, though, I don't really want kids playing with it and breaking it. And all this is moot, since the pool wasn't officially open and therefore they were trespassers.
Suffice it to say that this did not start my day right and I had to bite my tongue to keep my sarcastic nature under control. I politely told them that I was concerned for the well being of the children with the robot still connected to power and that we have a cleaning process we perform each morning before we open the pool. They seemed to find this amusing and told me that they were early risers and wanted to get the day started. I then apologized for my apparent tardiness and told them that I am normally up and about much earlier, but that due to the fact that I have been ill all weekend I seemed to have over slept. They took my sarcasm as a joke and chastised me for not being up when they wanted to be here. No. I kid you not. I simply walked away before my other personality came forth to slay them.
And so begins another week in paradise. I sit here counting nickels and dimes and telling children who are clearly pubescent how many items of nutritionally valueless food their money will buy. I wonder aloud to one girl (the same one who wanted me to hook up a garden hose for her to play in, because the water in my pool wasn't cold enough) about the grade in school that teaches the children to count money and make change. She proudly informed me that she was "way past" that in her studies. I suggested that she take a refresher course. This comment went "way past" her mental capabilities.
I used to worry about offending these people and losing their business. I have come to realize that it would be impossible to do so while sinking to their level of comprehension. I need to lock up for awhile and go pull weeds or some other menial task and get a grip, so that I can acquire a better attitude with which to finish the day. I read this and think that I sound a little surly....... no, that's not it........... I think the word I am looking for is bitchy.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Heat Wave
It is hot outside. It is hot inside. As the temperature rises, the pool goers increase. Such a shame that they leave their intelligence at home (that is if they had any to start with). I cringe to think what kind of mess I will encounter at the pool this evening........
The woman enters the store with a toddler in her arms and she has a look of total panic on her face. We make eye contact and I wait to see what atrocity she is about to report. Nothing. She just gazes at me, so I ask if I can help her. Same look of panic when she says they want to swim. I ask how many people. Four. I tell her the total is $10. She gives me a 20 and 2 ones. I hand the ones back to her and give her a ten. Expression has not changed. She still looks panic stricken and now she appears to be confused about the money. This is the kind of clientele this day is bringing. I prefer to stay in here and not even look at the pool. I hear a banging noise and go out to investigate. A child of maybe 8 years is systematically beating the cold drink vending machine with a huge bottle of water. Not a parent in sight of this little dear to monitor his activities. "What are you doing?" I ask. He keeps hitting the machine and just gazes at me as I tell him to stop, then yell at him to stop. The yelling got his attention.
I feel like I am starring in a bad sci-fi movie and there is something in the water that is turning people stupid. It has been this way all week. A young girl comes into the store yesterday to tell me that it is too hot at our pool. She wants to hook up a hose and play in the water. She apparently thinks this a reasonable request and cannot believe it when I say no. One of the campers tells me that last weekend she had to leave the pool area with her children because a couple was having sex in the pool! Don't tell me this after the fact when there is nothing I can do. Tell me when it happens so that I can publicly humiliate the two and kick them out of the park. She goes on to tell me that the were tossing their baby around like a beach ball. I can't fix it if I don't know about it. Really, I am in a bad movie.
So I am sitting here in my prison, hiding from the reality of my world, counting the hours left in this day. I am looking forward to having all the pipeline workers living here in the park. It will be nice to have a sense of community and see the same faces every day. I think I have camp host burn-out. Little things annoy me greatly and the constant destruction of property is getting to me. I feel like I never catch up on any project. I am working on new picnic tables currently. WE bought 10 kits of pre-cut, pre-drilled 2x6 lumber. We assembled the first one and I decided that they would be easier to paint in pieces. We have to replace tables frequently, as some folks will actually set a grill on the table top and end up setting it on fire. They will also take a hatchet and chop wood and end up chopping the table. I am not kidding, you can't make this stuff up!
Fifty one swimmers today and a full campground. The door to the store is open more than it is closed. It is only 3:15! How can that be? I feel like I have been here for at least 12 hours! Guess I should at least run a broom through the bathrooms and stock the toilet paper. My throat is still sore and I am not having fun!
The woman enters the store with a toddler in her arms and she has a look of total panic on her face. We make eye contact and I wait to see what atrocity she is about to report. Nothing. She just gazes at me, so I ask if I can help her. Same look of panic when she says they want to swim. I ask how many people. Four. I tell her the total is $10. She gives me a 20 and 2 ones. I hand the ones back to her and give her a ten. Expression has not changed. She still looks panic stricken and now she appears to be confused about the money. This is the kind of clientele this day is bringing. I prefer to stay in here and not even look at the pool. I hear a banging noise and go out to investigate. A child of maybe 8 years is systematically beating the cold drink vending machine with a huge bottle of water. Not a parent in sight of this little dear to monitor his activities. "What are you doing?" I ask. He keeps hitting the machine and just gazes at me as I tell him to stop, then yell at him to stop. The yelling got his attention.
I feel like I am starring in a bad sci-fi movie and there is something in the water that is turning people stupid. It has been this way all week. A young girl comes into the store yesterday to tell me that it is too hot at our pool. She wants to hook up a hose and play in the water. She apparently thinks this a reasonable request and cannot believe it when I say no. One of the campers tells me that last weekend she had to leave the pool area with her children because a couple was having sex in the pool! Don't tell me this after the fact when there is nothing I can do. Tell me when it happens so that I can publicly humiliate the two and kick them out of the park. She goes on to tell me that the were tossing their baby around like a beach ball. I can't fix it if I don't know about it. Really, I am in a bad movie.
So I am sitting here in my prison, hiding from the reality of my world, counting the hours left in this day. I am looking forward to having all the pipeline workers living here in the park. It will be nice to have a sense of community and see the same faces every day. I think I have camp host burn-out. Little things annoy me greatly and the constant destruction of property is getting to me. I feel like I never catch up on any project. I am working on new picnic tables currently. WE bought 10 kits of pre-cut, pre-drilled 2x6 lumber. We assembled the first one and I decided that they would be easier to paint in pieces. We have to replace tables frequently, as some folks will actually set a grill on the table top and end up setting it on fire. They will also take a hatchet and chop wood and end up chopping the table. I am not kidding, you can't make this stuff up!
Fifty one swimmers today and a full campground. The door to the store is open more than it is closed. It is only 3:15! How can that be? I feel like I have been here for at least 12 hours! Guess I should at least run a broom through the bathrooms and stock the toilet paper. My throat is still sore and I am not having fun!
Friday, June 26, 2009
So Sorry, Louise..........
This is a copy of the letter I sent to the animal hospital the day after Louise was euthanized..........
June 27, 2008
To Whom It May Concern,
I am a pet lover. My pets are part of my family and enrich my life immensely. I take good care of my pets and they lead a very pampered life.
Earlier this year we were faced with that awful decision that comes at the end of a pet's life. Our Collie, Sarge, was almost 14 years old. He was going blind and having trouble making it out the door in time to relieve himself. We knew the day was coming soon, but didn't dwell on it. We continued to love our old pal and clean up his messes. He wasn't in pain and we were just happy to have him with us for as long as we could. All this changed on April 12th. Sarge apparently had a stroke. His brother dog, Oscar, brought his plight to my attention and we spent our last weekend giving Sarge all the love we could. On Monday we called your facility and made the dreaded appointment to euthanize our beloved pet.
I don't remember the name of the vet that day. This was my first experience and I was understandably emotional. What I do remember is how sensitive and compassionate she was. She explained the entire procedure before she began, allowing us to say goodbye to him and tell her when we were ready to proceed. The entire staff was wonderful, allowing him to die in our presence with the dignity he deserved.
Our 11 year old Saint Bernard began refusing food and water in late June. She had been mourning the death of her brother, Sarge, and never really returned to her old playful self. She was whimpering in pain from her arthritis and this made our decision. I once again made that dreaded appointment. My husband couldn't accompany this time, but after my first experience I felt I could handle it. My good friends, who also loved Louise, insisted on going with me.
We arrived 10 minutes early, knowing I would need help getting her out of the car and into the building. I had given Louise some Benadryl, along with her pain medication. I went in to let the receptionist know that we were there and would need assistance and was told that someone would be out soon. After 20 minutes I asked again for some help and was told it was coming "soon". After 40 minutes I decided to simply leave. This decision was hard enough to make without having it prolonged. It was then that the vet, Dr. Sherry, appeared with her assistant and a back board. Fearing that they would drop my big dog and cause her even more pain, I eased her down out of the car to walk her in. She was disoriented and I was gently nudging her along when the vet decided to lasso her with a leash and try to drag her into the building. She was in pain and I could see no reason for the sudden hurry, so I removed the lead and continued our slow progress. After waiting 40 minutes, I felt that they could wait for her to walk as slowly as she needed to. We were escorted to a room and I sat down on the floor to ease her down. I ended up with her back end half in, half out of my lap. With no communication to me at all, they shaved her arm and injected her and pronounced her "gone". The assistant who had been holding my dogs head away from the vet, stood to leave and simply let her head fall to the floor. I will never forget the sound as it echoed in the room. We were told to leave when ever we were ready.
I cannot express to you how horrible this experience was. I own my own business and know that feedback--whether positive or not-- is important. I hope that you will consider my experience when dealing with grieving pet owners in the future.
As of today I have received no response to my letter. I found it harder to grieve given the circumstance. I carried guilt that I let my sweet old girl be put down in such a matter. Nothing I can do about it. I keep a copy of this letter at my desk and if asked for a recommendation for a vet, I will hand it to the person and tell them that I can tell them where not to go..............
June 27, 2008
To Whom It May Concern,
I am a pet lover. My pets are part of my family and enrich my life immensely. I take good care of my pets and they lead a very pampered life.
Earlier this year we were faced with that awful decision that comes at the end of a pet's life. Our Collie, Sarge, was almost 14 years old. He was going blind and having trouble making it out the door in time to relieve himself. We knew the day was coming soon, but didn't dwell on it. We continued to love our old pal and clean up his messes. He wasn't in pain and we were just happy to have him with us for as long as we could. All this changed on April 12th. Sarge apparently had a stroke. His brother dog, Oscar, brought his plight to my attention and we spent our last weekend giving Sarge all the love we could. On Monday we called your facility and made the dreaded appointment to euthanize our beloved pet.
I don't remember the name of the vet that day. This was my first experience and I was understandably emotional. What I do remember is how sensitive and compassionate she was. She explained the entire procedure before she began, allowing us to say goodbye to him and tell her when we were ready to proceed. The entire staff was wonderful, allowing him to die in our presence with the dignity he deserved.
Our 11 year old Saint Bernard began refusing food and water in late June. She had been mourning the death of her brother, Sarge, and never really returned to her old playful self. She was whimpering in pain from her arthritis and this made our decision. I once again made that dreaded appointment. My husband couldn't accompany this time, but after my first experience I felt I could handle it. My good friends, who also loved Louise, insisted on going with me.
We arrived 10 minutes early, knowing I would need help getting her out of the car and into the building. I had given Louise some Benadryl, along with her pain medication. I went in to let the receptionist know that we were there and would need assistance and was told that someone would be out soon. After 20 minutes I asked again for some help and was told it was coming "soon". After 40 minutes I decided to simply leave. This decision was hard enough to make without having it prolonged. It was then that the vet, Dr. Sherry, appeared with her assistant and a back board. Fearing that they would drop my big dog and cause her even more pain, I eased her down out of the car to walk her in. She was disoriented and I was gently nudging her along when the vet decided to lasso her with a leash and try to drag her into the building. She was in pain and I could see no reason for the sudden hurry, so I removed the lead and continued our slow progress. After waiting 40 minutes, I felt that they could wait for her to walk as slowly as she needed to. We were escorted to a room and I sat down on the floor to ease her down. I ended up with her back end half in, half out of my lap. With no communication to me at all, they shaved her arm and injected her and pronounced her "gone". The assistant who had been holding my dogs head away from the vet, stood to leave and simply let her head fall to the floor. I will never forget the sound as it echoed in the room. We were told to leave when ever we were ready.
I cannot express to you how horrible this experience was. I own my own business and know that feedback--whether positive or not-- is important. I hope that you will consider my experience when dealing with grieving pet owners in the future.
As of today I have received no response to my letter. I found it harder to grieve given the circumstance. I carried guilt that I let my sweet old girl be put down in such a matter. Nothing I can do about it. I keep a copy of this letter at my desk and if asked for a recommendation for a vet, I will hand it to the person and tell them that I can tell them where not to go..............
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Missing Louise
This is the only picture I could find on the computer of my sweet old girl. This is right after we moved here to the campground. Louise never minded change in her life, she just went with the flow. She was sweet and affectionate, if a bit slobbery. I remember the first time I saw her. She already weighed 55 lbs and was no longer what you would think of as a puppy. I never intended to get a dog that day. I was on a mission to get a St. Bernard puppy for my grandson. My kids grew up with a St. Bernard named Saint Nicholas. They are wonderful dogs for children. We drove to a house out in the country in Wisconsin to claim our puppy for Gage. My daughter, Jill, had already decided that the dog should be male and there were three puppies.... two boys and a girl. All Gage had to do was choose his puppy.
"Look, Mommy, a horsey!" cried Gage as he spied the father of the pups. We were led to a makeshift pen in the back yard where the pups were contained. Gage chose his puppy right away and he was named Crash. I was enchanted with the female pup. I kept petting her and asking Gage if he was sure about his choice........ "Go on, Mom, you know you want her." My daughter urged me to indulge myself and I did.
We piled into my sedan with a two year old in carseat, a seven year old , me, my daughter, and two 55 lb puppies. It was a long wet ride home with lots of slobber landing everywhere. These dogs had never been inside and I knew that the first order of business would be a bath for my dog. Jill named her dog Crash because she had a cat that Gage had named Burn. I was given a choice to name my dog Thelma or Louise.
Louise settled nicely into our family. It was hard not to love her. She was so affectionate that one would tend to overlook the chaos she created. She love to chew wood. She ate my coffee table, she ate the firewood. Once she ate what remained of a BBQ dinner, plastic butter tubs and all. She hated storms and would crawl into my lap for comfort. She was sneaky and loved to gain her freedom to socialize with the neighborhood.
I had only had her for a couple of months when she developed a pronounced limp. I checked her toe pads, thinking to find a thorn. We ended up at the vet and discovered that she had osteochondrosis, a genetic disorder. She had a piece of cartiledge free floating in her shoulder joint and had her first surgery when she was less than 8 months old. I was told to put her down....that her life would be filled with pain and misery. I cried all the way home with her in a goofy sedated state. She recovered and thrived. She lived to be a happy 11 years old and never complained even when I knew her joints hurt. She was a sweet, loving old girl to the end.
Tomorrow will mark the first anniversary of her death. She mourned the loss of our Collie, Sarge, who had died in April. She went downhill fast after he died. She would simple lay on the sofa all day. She began to have trouble getting up and down. She still loved to cuddle with Emmy and Emmy groomed Louise's face daily. She thought Emmy was her baby and Emmy enjoyed that role. She would often hide in Louise's neck if she thought she was in trouble.
I am missing my old girl. She was a wonderful pet and made my life all the richer for having had her in it. Losing two dogs in such a short period of time was almost more than I could bear and Louise's euthanization was a horrible experience. I had expected a similar experience to the one I had when we chose to have Sarge euthanized. It could not have been more different. I mourned for Sarge, but I felt that I had somehow failed Louise. It made her death even more difficult to accept. But I know that she forgave me with her sweet generous spirit.
Thursday, The Weekend Cometh
Still have the sore throat. I sound like a smoker when I cough and talk. I got up at 5 am and let the dogs out. I toyed with thought of putting on the coffee and starting the day, but my longing for sleep won out and I crawled back in bed. The ringing of the phone awakened me less than an hour later. I made it to the office in time to hear the message.............
One of the campers is calling to report that the person occupying the site next to them hit the power supply and water when they left and their is a geyser spewing. Wonderful. The sleeping one is awakened to investigate. He gets the water stopped and is now waiting for the campers of last night to leave so that he can shut down the water to the park and rebuild the mangled water. They did indeed run over the whole shebang, flattening all to the ground and tripping the breaker.
While he is ranting about the damage I quickly go through my registration forms to see if I can determine who the faulty driver is............ I didn't assign anyone to that site, but........... All my registrations are accounted for and did not create the damage. This means that not only did someone steal a site for the night, but created quite a bit of damage in their haste to leave. Short of staying up all night to monitor the comings and goings I don't know what else to do. We do have surveillance cameras on the night check-in and one directed towards the parking lot to try to see a licence plate; but we lack the big screen and all the equipment used by CSI. Not only that, I doubt that the law enforcement would pull out all the stops and aggressively pursue the thief. Maybe we should get up every few hours all night and patrol the park. Those parked without registering could be awakened and made to pay............. or we could slash their tires and wait until morning. Those held captive by vandalism would then find it necessary to pay while they ask for assistance.
Awwww fantasy. Since I am feeling less than chipper I find myself listening to the Today show. It seems that the governor of South Carolina has lied!!!!!!! What did they expect? He was having an affair. They seem to be emphasizing the lying and telling his staff that he would be one place, while he was not in that place. Did they think he would confide to them that he was leaving the country to carry on with a woman not his wife? More to the point, why is this the forefront on the news broadcast? Yes, it is high profile because he governs a state, but I am sure that in his absence the state did not falter. The caption under the image of the governor reads "Why do men cheat?" What? Are we going to be treated to the answer this morning? Wouldn't you think that the answer to that question would be as unique as the person who does the deed? The woman speaker is expounding on the ego and thrill aspect, while the man who happens to be black is saying that although men are created equal, that some men (like the governor?) think that they are created a little more equal. Blah, blah, blah, yadayadayada. On and on they go, analyzing the confession and taking this man's life apart, dragging his family through the mud. Health care, a war, unemployment. We have other issues that need attention in this country. I do not condone what the man did, not at all. If his absence created a problem for his state, then his constituents should show their displeasure and impeach him. His wife should handle all the rest. Perhaps we should all let her handle this privately and stop the voyeurism.
Enough of this I must go and paint the picnic tables, pull the robot out of the pool, clean the bathrooms............and make the donuts?
One of the campers is calling to report that the person occupying the site next to them hit the power supply and water when they left and their is a geyser spewing. Wonderful. The sleeping one is awakened to investigate. He gets the water stopped and is now waiting for the campers of last night to leave so that he can shut down the water to the park and rebuild the mangled water. They did indeed run over the whole shebang, flattening all to the ground and tripping the breaker.
While he is ranting about the damage I quickly go through my registration forms to see if I can determine who the faulty driver is............ I didn't assign anyone to that site, but........... All my registrations are accounted for and did not create the damage. This means that not only did someone steal a site for the night, but created quite a bit of damage in their haste to leave. Short of staying up all night to monitor the comings and goings I don't know what else to do. We do have surveillance cameras on the night check-in and one directed towards the parking lot to try to see a licence plate; but we lack the big screen and all the equipment used by CSI. Not only that, I doubt that the law enforcement would pull out all the stops and aggressively pursue the thief. Maybe we should get up every few hours all night and patrol the park. Those parked without registering could be awakened and made to pay............. or we could slash their tires and wait until morning. Those held captive by vandalism would then find it necessary to pay while they ask for assistance.
Awwww fantasy. Since I am feeling less than chipper I find myself listening to the Today show. It seems that the governor of South Carolina has lied!!!!!!! What did they expect? He was having an affair. They seem to be emphasizing the lying and telling his staff that he would be one place, while he was not in that place. Did they think he would confide to them that he was leaving the country to carry on with a woman not his wife? More to the point, why is this the forefront on the news broadcast? Yes, it is high profile because he governs a state, but I am sure that in his absence the state did not falter. The caption under the image of the governor reads "Why do men cheat?" What? Are we going to be treated to the answer this morning? Wouldn't you think that the answer to that question would be as unique as the person who does the deed? The woman speaker is expounding on the ego and thrill aspect, while the man who happens to be black is saying that although men are created equal, that some men (like the governor?) think that they are created a little more equal. Blah, blah, blah, yadayadayada. On and on they go, analyzing the confession and taking this man's life apart, dragging his family through the mud. Health care, a war, unemployment. We have other issues that need attention in this country. I do not condone what the man did, not at all. If his absence created a problem for his state, then his constituents should show their displeasure and impeach him. His wife should handle all the rest. Perhaps we should all let her handle this privately and stop the voyeurism.
Enough of this I must go and paint the picnic tables, pull the robot out of the pool, clean the bathrooms............and make the donuts?
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