Feel Like Complaining

This month we've had two new doggies to smell all the smells around here. Luna is a 4 year old Lab, Pit mix and a mix of who knows. So basically she's a mutt, a very beautiful one at that. My camera does not do her justice on her colors, she almost looked like a deer. She had never stayed with strangers and did some whining but it wasn't as bad as we had expected. She was very affectionate and just wanted to be around people. She was only with us for one night so I didn't get a lot of pictures but I swear every dog loves to kiss Faith. I hope she gets to come back some day because she really was a good girl. Trig came next for a few days to start and then came back just a few days ago too. His family is moving to Indiana and they're in the process looking for a house. He's a 4 year old Lab mix and his eyes are to-die-for!   He has never been away from his family but he did really good. Everyday he got more comfortable and began having fun destroying toys. We pro...

Faith and I use the Life 360 tracking app so we know where each other is. I like to know when she's arrived at her destinations and visa versa. One morning I picked her up so we could go grocery shopping and she asked if I had gone anywhere about 4 am. She showed me the map and it appears that I crossed through an old creek bed on the edge of my mom's lot, down the street and back again in about 15 minutes. It really cracked me up and mystified me at the same time. A few days later she sent me this map and said that I apparently took another trip. I was clearly in my Mom's kitchen making dinner but the app said I crossed the street through her neighbor's yard, went down a hill and across a road and onto someone's property. Then I dashed back up again, all in about the same time frame as before. Sometimes when Faith is at the clinic and moving around, it will tell me that she has left and arrived in a matter of minutes but this is the first time I've ever been on...

Oli left last week after spending 6 nights with us, and we enjoyed every second of his stay. During our meet and greet beforehand, he was so energetic and playful we were kind of worried that he would have too much energy for us tired, old folks. We were pleasantly surprised that for a young dog, he has bursts of energy but also likes his naps, which is very much appreciated by us tired, old folks. I swear his parents said he was a cross between a Golden Retriever and Chihuahua. He has the softest golden fur. His personality reminded us a lot of Chico and we fell in love with him immediately. Good dogs like this make it feel like we're not working at all. This month we will have two new ones joining us; one just for a day and the other for 6 days. We're picking up a little bit but just the right amount. With me at Mom's so much it's best not to be so busy, but it sure is nice to come home to a good pupper.

I picked my Mom up a week and-a-half ago. I can't believe it had been 3 weeks since I'd seen her! She was in great spirits and as we drove to her house, our place is on the way so I drove through the alley and she got to see Tony and Faith for a sec. She was so worried that she wouldn't be able to get up the back steps and the brothers and I had spent hours deciding on whether or not to get a ramp. I got the car in place and she used a walker to the bottom of the stairs and just flew up. She was at the door before my brother even knew we were there. She said "Piece of cake, I don't need any damn ramp!" Then she collapsed into her wheelchair. If it wasn't for her COPD she could get a lot further; it always slows down her every day activities. I spent the first 24 hours and my sis-in-law took the next. We will alternate until we figure out what the next step will be. I got a baby monitor so we can hear her from where we sleep. The things we take for granted ...

Although my dentist did a great job with all of my crowns, etc. I just didn't like him very much. I always felt a tenseness in the air every time I was there. He would push treatments I wasn't ready for and argued with me. He was also snappy at his assistants in my presence. I had an appointment in April that I happily cancelled. I figured that would be a great time to look for another one. There is one just 3 blocks from my house and I'm able to walk there. In July I had my first appointment and liked him a lot. About a month ago I got his lump on my gum that just wasn't going away. It didn't hurt which was strange, especially when x-rays showed an infection in the roots of a crowned tooth. He said it would need a root canal......but he doesn't do them on molars because they're more complicated so he referred me to an Endodontist. They were hella expensive so I found another dentist close by who could do it on Tuesday.  He took an x-ray, confirmed it needed...