If I may be allowed one more post about the saga of LadyBug. (Well, ok, I will probably do more. But I thought I should apologize for being a bit "Motherly" on the subject)
As per doctor's instructions, we kept LadyBug lightly sedated for about 48 hours so she wouldn't be so freaked out about the world spinning. Try to remember your first drunk and then imagine that you didn't know you really existed and all that you knew was that what you knew wasn't there anymore. In other words, think like a dog who is really seasick and drunk.
Anyway, we had to give her water and food through a feeding syringe because she 1) didn't want to put anything in her stomach (she was seasick, 'member?) and 2) she couldn't figure out how to lick when the world was spinning cuz she didn't know what to aim her tongue at.
But yesterday she started lapping water if you put the bowl right under her nose. And she started walking (staggering, sorta) in a straight (more or less) line. Last night she licked peanut butter off my finger.
I was ecstatic!
So this morning I put some soft dog food on a plate and put it under her nose. She took a lick and then another. She waited a bit and then she licked some more. She ate about a quarter of a little can.
I was really excited!
Then tonight Mel reported that she scarfed down half a can and wanted more!
We are on are way to a full recovery.
Her head tilts to the right and she hates to have anything on her left but she is beginning to run and she can make it up stairs.
Tomorrow we will try for down the stairs.
She may be 15 years old (that's somewhere between 76 and 96 depending on what doggy year calculator you use) but she has some tricks up her sleeves!
The biggest one is NEVER GIVE UP!
Oh, did I mention that the first lick she gave, even before the water, was to my nose?
Some dog!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
LadyBug
She came into our lives when she was 8 weeks old. She was the runt of the litter and came with all the other puppies that had already been purchased by loving homes. She came with the one that we had purchased. Mohawk was 8 weeks old, too. Well, to be honest, he was 9 1/2 weeks old. He was born on August 1. Lady Bug was born on August 10.
They aren't related. Well, there is a great-great grandfather in common. But they hadn't met until the trip to California. He was big and husky for a Cocker Spaniel. She was tiny and spry.
They all stopped at our house for a backyard break. Fourteen cocker spaniel puppies running loose. Most ran for the water bowl. She ran to my feet. Then to Mel's feet.
But we already had a dog. There was Mohawk.
So she went off to Lancaster with the 12 other puppies. Still hoping for a home.
I left for Lancaster the next morning. She ate her way out of the box on the way back to Bakersfield.
I let her out in the backyard with some food. She started to eat. Mohawk came wandering up.
Who knew that such a little thing could make such a big noise. Without moving. From deep in her throat.
Yup. We knew who was boss in that group!
That was 15 years ago.
Then yesterday happened.
We woke up at 5am to find her walking in circles (to the right), her eyes wild, her face twitching, and her back legs giving out. We knew she was having a stroke. And we knew that old dogs don't recover from strokes.
So I took her into the vet as soon as they opened. Only her regular vet would do in this case.
I cried all the way there. We had all said our goodbyes. We were as ready as we could get.
In walks the vet, takes one look at her, has me put her on the floor to watch her walk and says,
"Geriatric vestibular syndrom. She will be fine in about 4 to 6 weeks."
I didn't know I could cry that hard, again.
She still walks like a drunken sailor and always to the right. Her head is tilted to the right and her eyes are still a bit glazed. But she is going to be fine.
If you have ever had a dog......well, you don't need me to explain it to you.
They aren't related. Well, there is a great-great grandfather in common. But they hadn't met until the trip to California. He was big and husky for a Cocker Spaniel. She was tiny and spry.
They all stopped at our house for a backyard break. Fourteen cocker spaniel puppies running loose. Most ran for the water bowl. She ran to my feet. Then to Mel's feet.
But we already had a dog. There was Mohawk.
So she went off to Lancaster with the 12 other puppies. Still hoping for a home.
I left for Lancaster the next morning. She ate her way out of the box on the way back to Bakersfield.
I let her out in the backyard with some food. She started to eat. Mohawk came wandering up.
Who knew that such a little thing could make such a big noise. Without moving. From deep in her throat.
Yup. We knew who was boss in that group!
That was 15 years ago.
Then yesterday happened.
We woke up at 5am to find her walking in circles (to the right), her eyes wild, her face twitching, and her back legs giving out. We knew she was having a stroke. And we knew that old dogs don't recover from strokes.
So I took her into the vet as soon as they opened. Only her regular vet would do in this case.
I cried all the way there. We had all said our goodbyes. We were as ready as we could get.
In walks the vet, takes one look at her, has me put her on the floor to watch her walk and says,
"Geriatric vestibular syndrom. She will be fine in about 4 to 6 weeks."
I didn't know I could cry that hard, again.
She still walks like a drunken sailor and always to the right. Her head is tilted to the right and her eyes are still a bit glazed. But she is going to be fine.
If you have ever had a dog......well, you don't need me to explain it to you.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Messin' around
One of my methods of distraction are jigsaw puzzles.
This year I gave up on anything over 1000 pieces because I just didn't have the time to do them AND those are usually really tough to sort by color or size or little lines or however you want to do it.
And to be honest, I don't have a big enough table.
But I have found that there is still some challenges out there. Some real nasty ones.
This one took me about 3 weeks.
Please note that the pumpkins are the same color as the corn and the walls are all the same color. Oh, the tomatoes are the same color as the apples and the potatoes match the yellow part of the field. And just to add interest, the pieces do not interlock.
I really think I am nuts. I relax by concentrating as hard if not harder than I do at work.
There is a lesson there but I am not listening right now. I am opening a new puzzle.
This year I gave up on anything over 1000 pieces because I just didn't have the time to do them AND those are usually really tough to sort by color or size or little lines or however you want to do it.
And to be honest, I don't have a big enough table.
But I have found that there is still some challenges out there. Some real nasty ones.
This one took me about 3 weeks.
Please note that the pumpkins are the same color as the corn and the walls are all the same color. Oh, the tomatoes are the same color as the apples and the potatoes match the yellow part of the field. And just to add interest, the pieces do not interlock.
I really think I am nuts. I relax by concentrating as hard if not harder than I do at work.
There is a lesson there but I am not listening right now. I am opening a new puzzle.
Mother's Day
From the first day that I thought she could understand, I told Melodie not to get me anything for Mother's Day. I did not want to celebrate that day.
I told her to start with that I celebrated being her mom every day.
Later I let her know that I really was pissed that Hallmark was making a fortune by making up a holiday and selling it.
For years she respected that. So did Melvin.
Then, as I got older......well, as I realized I was getting OLD, I got a little conservative (AUGH!!!!I SAID THAT WORD!!!!) and I told her that a little card wouldn't be out of line.
We were sitting in a restaurant in Las Vegas (I think). She was laughing so hard that tears were running down her face. I left for the necessary room and when I came back there was a paper napkin on my plate.I opened it up and it said:
Per your request
Happy Mother's Day
Love,
Melodie and Jed
I still haven't quit laughing.
She still doesn't send me a card. (Thank, the spirits!)
But Melvin, occasionally breaks the rules. He says it is just cuz I like things like this.
And this
And I really do.
And it is such a privilege to be in the lives of my Mel's. I don't need Hallmark to tell me that.
I told her to start with that I celebrated being her mom every day.
Later I let her know that I really was pissed that Hallmark was making a fortune by making up a holiday and selling it.
For years she respected that. So did Melvin.
Then, as I got older......well, as I realized I was getting OLD, I got a little conservative (AUGH!!!!I SAID THAT WORD!!!!) and I told her that a little card wouldn't be out of line.
We were sitting in a restaurant in Las Vegas (I think). She was laughing so hard that tears were running down her face. I left for the necessary room and when I came back there was a paper napkin on my plate.I opened it up and it said:
Per your request
Happy Mother's Day
Love,
Melodie and Jed
I still haven't quit laughing.
She still doesn't send me a card. (Thank, the spirits!)
But Melvin, occasionally breaks the rules. He says it is just cuz I like things like this.
And it is such a privilege to be in the lives of my Mel's. I don't need Hallmark to tell me that.
Friday, May 6, 2011
New Offices and Such
In our old office, Melodie was right outside my door.
The door was usually open and we could hear everything that the other one was saying.
If the door was closed (like I had a client or something nefarious like that) I would "bellow" for her if I needed her.
It was very convenient but a bit close for comfort at times.
But the new office is VERY different.
We are separated into different offices on different floors.
This makes BELLOWING really BELLOWING and most embarrassing for the receiving party. Thus, alternative methods had to be developed.
Well, it turns out that there is a thing called "Talk" on Google that creates a private chat. It works better than bellowing and it has a little chime that lets me know that Melodie has sent me a message.
So today, she BELLOWS at me, "Turn down the volume. I can hear your computer down here."
I threatened to turn the chime into a duck call. She threatened to quit.
I turned down the volume.
Yeah, I run my own office..............
The door was usually open and we could hear everything that the other one was saying.
If the door was closed (like I had a client or something nefarious like that) I would "bellow" for her if I needed her.
It was very convenient but a bit close for comfort at times.
But the new office is VERY different.
We are separated into different offices on different floors.
This makes BELLOWING really BELLOWING and most embarrassing for the receiving party. Thus, alternative methods had to be developed.
Well, it turns out that there is a thing called "Talk" on Google that creates a private chat. It works better than bellowing and it has a little chime that lets me know that Melodie has sent me a message.
So today, she BELLOWS at me, "Turn down the volume. I can hear your computer down here."
I threatened to turn the chime into a duck call. She threatened to quit.
I turned down the volume.
Yeah, I run my own office..............
Monday, May 2, 2011
Bigger Fish to Fry
Yup. It has been one of those days.
I read with fascination about the death of a terrorist.
I go to work at the courthouse and do my usual thing. I got a case dismissed. I got a guy into a mental health system that he really needed. The usual.
And I come back to my NEW office.
Now we are talking BIG stuff here. Less than a week ago my office looked like this:
I read with fascination about the death of a terrorist.
I go to work at the courthouse and do my usual thing. I got a case dismissed. I got a guy into a mental health system that he really needed. The usual.
And I come back to my NEW office.
Now we are talking BIG stuff here. Less than a week ago my office looked like this:
One short week later. (And one hellish weekend) resulted in the following:
Now you have to admit that looks a tad bit better. Minor problem. No phone yet. Problem fixed--we have INTERNET!!! Minor problem. No network. Still can't do much work. But as Maynard G. Crebs said---
"WORK!!!"
A little paint. A little elbow grease. A real live window. Makes all the difference in the world.
I think I got bigger fish to fry today.
Sorry, Osama, I just can't worry about you today.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Moving: Reprise
Moving an office is a ROYAL PAIN. I do believe I repeat myself.
Moving is a pain in the ***.
What is really bad about the whole thing is not the packing. Although that has its major drawbacks. Nor is it the actual loading of the truck by others (I shall explain in a bit)
It is the unpacking and getting the office up and running as if nothing happened over a weekend when no one else is working so when the internet doesn't connect and the phone doesn't work you are.......well, you get the picture.
Other than no internet and no phone-which means new clients can't reach me and old clients think I ran out on them. (No Mrs. Smith-Jones-Harry, we just had a few technical difficulties during our move. Remember, I told you about the move. I realize you didn't think it would affect you but unfortunately.....)
But back to the others loading the truck. We have a company in SLO called Meathead Movers. I always loved the name and the business model. They are former jocks from the local university and they hire jocks. They train them and demand that they stay in shape. So they grab boxes take them to the truck and jog back to grab the next thing. All day. Running. Young, cute, personable and built like .......well, I digress.
The point is they had three (count them, 3) law offices transferred to the new digs in 5 hours. Files, desks, computers, everything. Oh, the new digs are upstairs. And so were the old digs. Those guys were moving. (Like that pun?)
All that was left was the unpacking. Melodie and I are still at it. By 5 today it was beginning to look like a real live law office. Empty banker boxes were disappearing into the home garage and I actually got some research done. Using a book, for god's sake! A book!
Where's my internet?
Stay tuned for the further adventures of moving at law!
Moving is a pain in the ***.
What is really bad about the whole thing is not the packing. Although that has its major drawbacks. Nor is it the actual loading of the truck by others (I shall explain in a bit)
It is the unpacking and getting the office up and running as if nothing happened over a weekend when no one else is working so when the internet doesn't connect and the phone doesn't work you are.......well, you get the picture.
Other than no internet and no phone-which means new clients can't reach me and old clients think I ran out on them. (No Mrs. Smith-Jones-Harry, we just had a few technical difficulties during our move. Remember, I told you about the move. I realize you didn't think it would affect you but unfortunately.....)
But back to the others loading the truck. We have a company in SLO called Meathead Movers. I always loved the name and the business model. They are former jocks from the local university and they hire jocks. They train them and demand that they stay in shape. So they grab boxes take them to the truck and jog back to grab the next thing. All day. Running. Young, cute, personable and built like .......well, I digress.
The point is they had three (count them, 3) law offices transferred to the new digs in 5 hours. Files, desks, computers, everything. Oh, the new digs are upstairs. And so were the old digs. Those guys were moving. (Like that pun?)
All that was left was the unpacking. Melodie and I are still at it. By 5 today it was beginning to look like a real live law office. Empty banker boxes were disappearing into the home garage and I actually got some research done. Using a book, for god's sake! A book!
Where's my internet?
Stay tuned for the further adventures of moving at law!
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