Feel Like Complaining

When we want to get away, we look for places we've never been, and activities where we can get out in nature and walk. This past weekend we went to Richland, WA and thought trying to hike Badger Mountain might be fun. All the reading doesn't really prepare you for the reality of it though.  It was cold and windy and Tony has a walker. Maybe once upon a time we could have done it, but not anymore. We chose the moderate trail without steps and made it about a mile up but being all gravel, it was hard for Tony. This was at the bottom and it doesn't look like much, but in that little circle is a dot of a person on the top. The view from where we were was great, so I know it would have been much better on the top. And this little circle is Tony sitting on his walker waiting for Faith and I, as we walked up to the next corner. We had a good laugh anyway and headed back to the room for a nap. The next morning before we left town, we stopped by a park and had a nice walk along the ...

Tony had an MRI recently to see if he's a candidate for Cortisone shots in his low back. In reading the report afterwards it sounds really grim and confusing. I think the next step is to be referred to an Orthopedic surgeon. Time will tell what the recommendation is. I bought something recently that has helped my hands so much! Compression gloves. I thought they were only for carpel tunnel surgery recovery but they help with arthritis pain too. I wear them under my gardening gloves which helps me not feel the pain as much after pulling weeds. I wear them while using my tablet which is the cause of most of my pain. Then I also sleep in them to wake up without pain and stiffness. I originally started with 2 pair but just ordered another. There are 100's of brands out there and I couldn't recommend one over the other. I don't think expensive and fancy is even necessary, just pay attention to the sizing so you get a good tight fit.  Faith found this super smooth rock in our...

These two, Bella (10 y/o Boston Terrier) and Mimi (5 y/o French Bulldog) stayed with us for 6 nights, just leaving yesterday. It's our first time for watching either breed.  They were a lot of fun and loved their walks. For a puny little thing, Mimi can sure pull like a Mack truck! They love to follow the sun patches in the morning and evening. They live in an apartment so it was fun watching them run around the back yard. Bella is a poop eater, so we have the keep things picked up. Mimi is the first dog that actually wants hugs. She will climb up on our chest and put her arms over our shoulders and go cheek to cheek. If you can dodge her tongue, it's pretty sweet. Her owner asked if we could hear her purr; I said if you mean snort, then yes. One night right before Faith let them out for the last time, Mimi had drank a lot of water and then unloaded it on the couch, right on the memory foam cushion she sits on. At first she thought it was pee but the quantity was way too much. ...

Mr. Benny came back to see us for 4 nights. He wasn't as timid this time and just walked in like a boss and made himself at home. He loves his little crate and sleeps there at night. During the day he would sleep there or on the couch. Walking him is not necessary and since he sleeps 90% of the day, it's a pretty easy gig. Although we don't usually leave dogs alone, we had to spend several hours downtown and I don't think he even noticed we were gone. I made the mistake of feeding our squirrel in the front yard and he barked for a good half-hour. If you can get his attention once, he'll stop for awhile. From then on, he puts us on full ignore. Faith finally had to put up a baby gate so he couldn't get into the living room. But that's really the worst he ever is, so we can handle it. He even had us roaring one night when Faith had got up off the couch and he was on the floor. She has a very soft cushion where she sits and as she was coming back to sit down, h...

Recently we started thinking about getting a newer car. The Chrysler was going to be needing some big work done and our mechanic suggested it might be worth looking around. When we got the Chrysler it was so hard because we felt kind of rushed being down one car. But now we could take our time. Thing is, it took less time, ha. We really missed having a van so that was the only way to go. I saw this 2011 Honda Odyssey EX-L advertised at a dealership downtown to Tony called to make an appointment to see it. We looked, we drove, we bought....all in one day. It's only had 3 owners and is fully loaded. I think Tony has studied the manual more than he's studied anything else in his life! It's the nicest care I've ever had and can't wait to get it on the road. We've already got the third row of seats stowed so we can fill it up. Can you tell Faith likes it?

Cooper (2) and Mia (10) belong to this really nice guy that was turning 70 and wanted to go to Vegas with friends. He was so nervous because neither of them had stayed with anybody--never ever! The dogs were pretty anxious during the meet and greet so sometimes I suggest for them to come back and have the owner leave for an hour. A week before their stay he brought them back and they were still pretty stressed out which made me nervous about them being here for 5 nights. I was really not looking forward to it. They arrived at 4:30 and paced/whined for 3 hours before settling down. They didn't sleep great but by the next day they were doing a lot better. He usually walks them but Cooper would have been too much for me so we settled for playing in the back yard. Even Mia came around and is such a sweetie. When she wants to go out or have a treat, her whine sounds just like Chewbacca. They play tug-o-war together and neatly tore many of our toys in half. But at least it wore them out....