what's that expression?

Right this very minute Kevin is in the bathroom with our son. It is either going to become very stinky very soon or we are going to have one very pissed off cat from having his booty messed with.

For a little while now Simon has had this aura about him. An aura of stink. He's like a four legged Pig Pen.

The stench has been remarkable.

Well, Kev just came out from "working one of them" for a short time. Simon is not happy and Kev feels a bit weird. I am sure that images are coming to minds and I'm hoping you all are laughing as much as I am...

If Simon continues the Boot Scootin' Boogy, as we call it, we'll have to take him to see the vets. They are not going to like us very much and I have a feeling that the response most vets give us about him (He's so calm and easy to do things to) will not be the same.

We shall see...

e-i-e-i-oooooooo

When we bought this house there was a full organic garden in the back. No grass what-so-ever. This made me happy as I really don't like to mow grass and I wanted a yard for a garden.

We stopped by Dennis' Seven Dees yesterday to check their seeds out. We knew we wanted to plant lettuce, zucchini, pole beans, and tomatoes (we are getting starts for those). But we opted to also get edamame and baby carrots. Lettuce and baby carrots say to plant prior to the last frost. The other seeds we got say to plant after the threat of frost.

So today, the lettuce and carrots went in. I put long and branchy twigs over the plot after planting to try to keep the birds and other creatures out of them. You know, give the seeds a fighting chance.

In about a week or so, we will probably turn over our crimson clover (a green mulch) to start amending the soil in those plots it came up. I've got the garden all plotted out in my mind and in photoshop. I'm not sure what will go in the bed with the garlic we planted in the fall. Only time will tell, I suppose.

Anyone have favorite tomatoes? I know we are going to plant Bessers. No questions there. We also want a larger type for sandwiches and I'm sure Kev will want Romas again.

But suggestions for larger or others? Jenn, I know JWo is the tomato gardener extraordinare, he have any ideas? :)

how do i know she missed me?

I got home yesterday from a trip to Vegas for work. It was a great time, albeit tiring. Much was accomplished and money came home with me. Granted it was the same amount I took, but I still look at that as a win. :)

We walked miles upon miles. My feet were not happy, until I got a free pair of my favorite brand of shoes, El Naturalista. Man o Man! So much happier. Of course my shins already hurt and my calf muscles were aching from all the walking the previous days. I will never make the mistake of not taking my favorite pair of boots again. Never.

Josie has pretty much been by my side since I got home. Licking me every chance she gets. I keep telling her to go back to bed (lucky dog) so I can eat my bagel in peace. She goes to the bedroom, but isn't long there...wait, is she jumping into bed?! Hallelujah! A moment to myself.

I missed her too (them all, really) but the neediness thing is a bit much in the morning. Especially when one hasn't had her morning coffee. Speaking of coffee...normally the other buyer and I are hurting for good coffee in Vegas. Staryucks is everywhere. But I don't drink Yucks. Chas discovered a place at the Venetian that served Illy coffee. Yum! I attempted to be coffee free this trip, since I was still getting over my stomach thing, and I did fairly well. I only had one latte in the morning and that wasn't even every morning.

Of course I get home and am out of coffee. UGH, kill me.

the end of it all

A few weeks ago Kev sold a bunch of games on eBay. His idea was to sell games so he could buy Rock Band for the Xbox 360. Yeah, it will be the end of me.

He's at work now and has no clue I'm practicing my drumming skillz. I'm doing okay, but I get flustered a bit easily at times. I'm starting on easy and hoping to move up and wow him with hard or even expert sometime.

Of course he may end up walking in on me while I'm practicing since I'm not 100% sure when he's coming home.

We actually had friends over on Saturday night (the night before I was down for the count for a few days) and had a full on Rock Band, man! It was rad. I sang and played drums as well as bass a bit. I didn't do as well on bass as I normally do on Guitar Hero, but...

I'm thinking it would be a riot to take it to Ahmed's house when we have the summer bbq with the staff (we spoke of doing this while at our holiday party). It could be a riot, since a few of the girls love the game already. :)

Oh yeah, better get back to the drums.

there's a kind of hush...

Man, I don't know what happened, but I was down for the count all day yesterday. We had friends over Saturday night to play Rock Band (which totally rocked) and I had some wine, but not enough to make me get sick all day Sunday. I couldn't hold anything down. I'm pretty sure that I picked up a little bug somewhere along the way.

Thankfully I am feeling about 85% today, well enough to go cover one of the stores. I have the newbie with me so I will be fine, making her do everything. :) I'm a little evil that way. I am sure it is going to be a really long day, though. I can just feel it. You know, that first day back after you've not been feeling well...time stands still.

I had spoken with the other manager about covering for me, if I wasn't feeling better today. When I called him to tell him I would make it, he kept saying "you are sure?" It feels nice that he worries. My guess is that if I start feeling funky again part-way through the day, he'll come and close. But I am going to do my best to be there all day. I may take tomorrow to recuperate a bit more since we leave for Vegas on Wednesday. Work, not me and Kev. I couldn't deal with it if I felt like I do today so I am hoping that I am 100% by then.

I couldn't even knit yesterday, that's how funky I was. I could barely sleep. I had to sit with my head higher than my heart, which made for interesting sleep. By the time last night came around I no longer felt as though I was going to vomit when I laid flat so I went to bed around 8:00. Woke up at about 1:42 and then fell back into odd dreams. So odd I really can't even remember them.

Okay, need to go soon so I can get cat food and something for me to sip on all day (sports drink, anyone?).

how many arms and legs?

Well, the appointment went fine. Dr H said that we can probably rule out food allergies as the problem, although dogs can have allergies to more than one kind of food (but we're not figuring her to be allergic to duck or potato). So we can give her her beloved pig sticks again (although not until we get her back into the swing of hiking again).

So, as far as an alternative for phenobarbital goes, we can switch her to bromide, but we'd have to give her both for about three months because it takes that long to get into their systems. It does not have excessive thirst as a side effect. I'm sure we didn't go that route to begin with because we didn't want Josie to have any more seizures. So we had blood drawn and are waiting to see what the lab results look like for her liver activity. We then have a couple of options.

1. Try and lower her phenobarb. and see if it controls them still, but makes her less thirsty.

-or-

2. Add the bromide into the cocktail and hope that we don't lose our sanity while dealing with peep for the three months before we can take her off the phenobarb.

However, for the next week, because her skin condition has worsened (right after it was looking amazing!) we have to give her the following pills:

Am
1 phenobarbital
1.5 PPN
1 antibiotic
3 antihystamines

Pm
1 phenobarbital
1.5 PPN
3 antihystamines

That's going to be one large wet food meat ball for her. Will have to remember to cut her food a bit so she doesn't gain more. And get her booty (and ours) out of doors while we can before the next wave of wet nasty comes back.

So, that's the update. Now, I must go further into the depths of Ravelry (it's like World of Warcraft for knitters).

chin up

We have an appointment today in a couple of hours with Josie's doctor. We've compiled a list of questions to ask. Such as, are there alternatives to phenobarbital? Does she still need to be on the peep medication if she's still leaking? Would it be worse if she wasn't on it? Etc.

Other than that, things are going well. The panties/diaper combo worked fairly well. She kept them on, which Kev felt for sure he'd come home to one destroyed garment. I knew she'd leave them on. She was soaked and there was a bit of moisture on the bed, but just on the peep pad Jill and I made. So I call it a win.

In other news, I am getting ready to go to Vegas baby. Work calls. Yes, it's hard to have to go to Vegas every six months. So so hard. ;) Can you say break?! It's exactly what I need these days! Although I am worried about Kev and Josie (the cats never worry me). I'm not worried that Kev will perish without me around. I'm worried about his frustration level surrounding Josie's issues.

They will survive, though.

Yesterday was the 14th. A day we are told we must show those we love them that we do, in fact, love them. Kev and I don't really "practice" Valentines Day. On a day to day basis we attempt to show our love. Be it something small like Kev unloading the dishes or me putting his lounge pants in the cabinet that is warmed by the heating duct.

So I hope everyone had a day where they felt loved by those around them. But I hope for that all year round.

these are the days of my life

I had resigned myself to the fact that I would have a mess to clean up yesterday when I got home. Kev and I both had been out of the house for far too long so I knew there would be a puddle.

Comforter in washer, peep pad waiting on deck. I let Josie out to peep (yes, she still had to go) and I headed to dinner with some girlfriends.

I was not sure when Kev had gotten home, but when I walked into our room I was pleasantly surprised. NO PEEP! And, Kev had switched the laundry so the comforter was in the dryer (needing its second cycle).

Midnight and I head to bed, letting Josie out one more time (late night for me). At 2:45 Kev comes to bed. Josie'd been sleeping at the foot of his side of the bed.

I don't think I need to tell you what happened. More laundry. Thankfully by that time the comforter was dry and we had the duvet cover dried from a few days prior (it was cold in this house last night).

We go on Friday to talk with our vet about everything. I need to know if there are alternatives to phenobarbital. We will also be getting her diapers if this continues. I can not take it anymore. Mainly I can't take the frustration having to clean everything up all the time. Kev doesn't want to do diapers, I'm sick of the tantrums when she's leaked.

So there you have it.

Dinner with the girlfriends was a blast, though! Alia says Hi Mom and Dad. ;)

you don't want to even know

This morning I woke to a soundless house, no rain falling. I fed the critters, gave Josie her pills, and attempted to lay back down. I started thinking about how pretty it was when I let Josie out to peep.

That did it, I was up. Made myself some coffee and came down to check email and such. Josie joined me. We both heard the sound of someone stirring above us. Kev had gotten up early.

We ate breakfast and took Josie to Forest Park. We hiked about the muck and mire and had a great time. Josie was smiling ear to ear. We felt great.

We hit our favorite sandwich place and I ran in to get us lunch. Man, soooo good. After we got done eating we got cleaned up and headed to CostCo. Don't worry, I won't bore you with those details.

We had just all snuggled in on the sofa to watch some tv (and knit). Kev and Josie had been sitting with each other for about 30 minutes when:

"JOSIE! DID YOU PEE?!"

Yep. Wide awake. Sitting half on Kev, half on the sofa. The peep pad, in the washer already.

She's been relegated to the floor.

seriously?

We join the girls as they are in the kitchen. One is sitting with a fat cat on her lap, the other is making lasagna for the three of them (they are waiting for their friend to show up).

Cook (as she is turning the recipe over and clipping it to the hood with a magnetic clip): I really don't know why I am turning this over. I mean, I know the recipe.

*the card, not quite clipped securely, twists and dances, falling gracefully behind the stove*

Cook: CRAP! I don't really know the recipe...I mean, I know the ingredients, but the time and the heat...Let's at least write down the quantities while we have everything still out...

Friend (laughing hysterically): Okay.

end scene

such is life

Rats, the brain went dead as soon as the page opened. I'd had a thought for a post. Then *poOf* it was gone.

I'm waiting for Kev to get home (in about an hour) so we can load our booties up into the car and go to our friends house for the SUPER BOWL. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled during the half-time show!

The corn dip was made this morning before Kev went to work. I was going to do it when I got home from opening the store downtown, but he said he didn't want to make me have to be bothered by it. I think he just prefers the way he makes it. I don't think it's different than how he does, but hell, if it gets me out of making dip...thanks! :)

I've gotten Diggity out for a walk since she doesn't get to go with us today. The three big (all hovering around 70lbs) dogs are a bit too much (when they are not in the same pack). And she's not a huge fan of football.

Although I am reminded of a Super Bowl party about three years ago that she got to attend. She was really pretty fantastic, but there were a bunch of rowdy drunk people so at half time I ran her home. I missed the boob incident that year.

This year is a bit different than that. We are hanging out with two new sets of parents. Both of the boys are just over a year old. I'm pretty jazzed! I get double the babies to squish. :)

Well, if I can think of that thing I was going to write about, I'll post something else. If not...such is life.