Every time you start to feel better...

I'll start off this short note saying I had a great time in Portland last weekend. The puppy party, the trip to Powell Books (I could spend lots of money there but kept it to about 7 books this time) and of course visiting Megan and Josh - 2 of our favorite people. (not to mention that bundle of cutie pie that lives with them).

So I've been feeling slightly better - my thyroid is getting there and the foot swelling is down a bit (for those who missed, my feet swell from a size 9 to a 10.5 during the day, very painful). The leg cramps are also better (whether that's the thyroid, the BP or just my kidneys doing better is tough to say). I've been a medical mess all summer and generally don't feel like doing much. After this weekend I felt re-energized. Anyway...

So yesterday morning I was going out to get in the car for work...You know how you are always supposed to be careful on icey steps?

I lost my balance and came down HARD on our cement steps out front. Hard meaning I heard a distinct crunch pop and screamed and then lay in the snow on the front lawn crying and trying not to vomit.

As I had no more PTO (used it this weekend) I tried to go in to work. This is like half an hour after I fell and it was awful to even sit in the car. I made it as far as the manager's desk and was told to go. I was a mess to say the least...

Long story of painful day and 12 xrays (so far) later - I have a compression and fracture on (I think) T10. Up under my floating ribs. So I can't hardly move and am taking a couple things that pretty much keep my knocked out. I guess at this point it's a "be careful" and let it heal. No bending, twisting, lifting...(glad I didnt bring Rikkii home). Sitting is hard. There isn't an easy way to splint the area and I'll always know now when it's going to rain. I have complete sympathy now for our poor dogs.

Henry and Wally

Group 4, September 30 2007

30% Dog, 70% Cat...

You Are: 30% Dog, 70% Cat

You and cats have a lot in common. You're both smart and in charge - with a good amount of attitude.However, you do have a very playful side that occasionally comes out!

Are You More Cat or Dog?

First Day

Ok I still like it - going to be in training for about 4 MONTHS which is amazing - no wonder they have such a reputation. For an interesting sidebar one of the lead trainers (we have a 5 trainer team for the 13 trainees) has a PHD in Speech Pathology...or something like that...that thing that Traci went to school for. And now in his old age he works for a major insurance company...though he worked in his field in California until Reagan got done with the education system.

Ok that said I'll probably post more tomorrow - I'm exhausted even though all we did was meet a million people, go over employment benes and junk and tour the place.

Woo Hoo!!!

For those who do or don't know - I've been applying for a pretty decent job since mid-APRIL. Not what I want to do with life but pays the bills plus full benefits. Multiple interviews (3 or 4), system testing, mock call testing, then the background BS...

FINALLY got notified that I am being offered a position AND the pay is about 3-4k more a year than they originally said! Not to mention full great benefits from day one, which I really need so I can eventually fix my thumb...luckily my typing doesn't take that thumb much :)

So I'm thrilled and I start on the 11th - had been thinking about camping that weekend but may wait now (the 9th is our 5-year anniversary)...

So here is the website - another insurance personal-care type job but I guess it's what I'm good at... funny as I am not a very nice person if you know me!

Now...once training of 3-4 months is done...I can go to dog shows again! Until training is over there is no days off but at least it's Monday thru Friday and the only show I have planned is local (Still wish I could go to Bandon...sigh...)

Jasmine, a Kimi daughter

from her first litter (aka the unfortunate cosmetic disaster litter). Jasmine had a kink/stubby tail and a half white face. Cute little gal tho...

http://www.dogster.com/dogs/327635

You think YOU got topline problems? Kate is no longer allowed to complain.

I think her favorite thing is water

Natural herding dog!

Dogshow funny?

I don't remember where I found this but it's in my bookmarks. So I have an urge to share it. We really are ridiculous. Really.

http://noevilproductions.com/katalog/bested.html

Busy...busy...bored...

Kate's gone. I slept all afternoon yesterday and am FINALLY feeling more human - I really didn't get to recover from nationals before the weekend. And this weekend was odd - stopping at a local show with nothing too exciting in the ring and nothing to show. Hannah, even bald, might have won - but who wants to show off a totally bald dog? I'd rather finish her in style. And she's putting on some weight again from her sick stint and looks pretty good.

Re: the sick stint...still no idea what it was. The vet didn't feel she was anemic at all and it was suggested that she may have been shocky from the chill bath I gave her coming back from the rings - especially as she had a fever. Right now I'm inclined to beleive that she was affected by the heat (my bad) after catching some dog-show bug and therefore had a compromised immune system and got sick easy and quick. Either way she seems better (whew) and we went to a new vet who seems nice and much cheaper than the corp vet clinic we were using. I like vets who listen to what I have to say (of course most pet owners don't come in with exact temps/dosages/etc to impress the vet so that may be why they listened!)

While I have found a few fleas since coming home it's only been a couple on Sushi when he got out in the backyard and the occasional one or two on the dogs. No infestation but I am super paraniod about it as Wally still looks like crap. For those who don't know - Wally has severe allergies and drops ALL his hair/gets hotspots/chews raw with only a single flea or two. Kate saw firsthand what I mean by baboon butt! I still need to get the backyard sprayed or something (not sure if it will help with the feral cats and now SQUIRRELS in our yards).

BTW Kate - the singing game works once Henry figured out that he has to use the right game system! (ie he was putting a PS2 game in the Xbox). Next time...

Ready for a week on the road?

Ok, 7:30 AM and should go start another laundry load. Hopeful the the guy will finish cleaning the house while I'm gone so that Kate can visit...

I'm leaving today (Sunday) with Paula and we are driving as far as Tri-Cities or Boardman. Tomorrow will be mostly in Oregon, down to Northern California (maybe Mt Shasta City or Lake Shasta area). Hopefully if all goes as planned we will arrive Tuesday afternoon.

Hannah's bald (but at least the spot she chewed to skin has enough hair that it's not glaringly pink), I'm hopeful that my clothing fits and I screwed up my thumb again yesterday by jamming it BUT I'm very happy and excited. Get to see a couple peeps and talk dogs for a week!

If any ya'all need to reach me I'll have my cell and be checkin' email. Other than that stay safe and we'll miss you if you aren't there!

Kats

My current cats...I think it's important to have cats and corgis at the same time. So I went to get another little female calico and ended up bringing home 2 kittens the day before Thanksgiving. They were born on Sept 11 so today is their 6-month birthday.


Ok, this is Spicy Tuna. She loves me. She loves her friend Wally too. Everyone else can go to hell. Hey, she's a CAT. For all her standoff freakiness I do enjoy her - she snuggles under the covers and sits on my computer if I am on it (playing WoW). She also watched Westminster this year and kept batting at the dog faces in the close ups.



And this is her brother Sushi. He's a manx and as outgoing and loving as Spicy is reserved. He was a bottle baby and when we got her I couldn't resist taking him as he was right "in your face" pushy. When we get home Sushi is going to loose a small portion of his anatomy. This is a cat who thinks and acts like a dog...

Wally dog

Wally needed some pictures too! He is just over 2 1/2 now and while there is still more maturity to come I am very pleased with how he's looking.

Stupid Pet Trick

Intensity (aka Henry standing behind camera)

What I love is that this didn't take a million pictures to find decent ones. And he has NO product in his coat. This is just is how Wally looks. I didn't even realize it until we shot these - he's a big boy now (well big is relative - he's actually only 34 lbs).

On the brighter side....

Tomorrow I get to see the BABY!!! I'm very excited, being as I'm skipping the Albany show (couldn't afford this trip, much less another 8+ hour trip next week).

For the fun part of the trip Spicy Tuna (aka Spicy the crazy calico kitten) has decided to come into heat. She is 6 months old TODAY. We had planned on taking her brother in to have him neutered the week we ended up coming down here. So I have Sushi and Spicy (and the black kitten I'm trying to give someone as she hates the other two) and have only one crate for them and am keeping 2 seperate...looks like the Spicy cat will ride in that crate (300) with Wally dog home, and Sushi will be put in with the screaming devil black kitten (who is VERY sweet to people, just not blending with my two). This should be a fun ride home.

Much to do today, with less time to do it. Have to go visit cousin at the bar she tends (I didn't even know bars were open Sundays...), go see grandparents again...pack...uselessly watch hubby finish fence...wash dogs...

Obits

A few short paragraphs to sum up someone's life. It doesn't even begin to capture the essence or reality of the person we all knew.

And then it's all over. We go back to our own worries and lives.

Every now and then we might remember grandma Ginny fondly...the most grandmotherly-grandmother I have (if that makes sense!). Kisses on the cheek will fade to a mere memory.

The best and worst memory for me will always be that last time I saw her and she called me her "Golden Girl". Now I haven't been a blonde since about 5 years old...but grandma still always called me that. We had a special bond.

I don't know how to feel. Even though I knew last time I saw her it was probably goodbye, I wasn't ready for it to be goodbye...

I'm still in Oregon - got here last Monday and am staying until Sunday or Monday so that Henry and dad can build fence. I went to the viewing and family service and plan to go to the church memorial in a couple of days. Today I'm supposed to go to her house and get some tools for Henry. :( Anyway it's a sad reason to have a visit.

Virginia McIlroy

Virginia McIlroy departed this life Sunday morning, February 25, 2007 while in Hospice care at Three Fountains. Virginia was born August 14, 1914 in Bumpus Mills, Tenn. the daughter of Robert and Rose Elizabeth Jeffress. Virginia, known to her friends as Ginny, attended schools in both Tennessee and Kentucky until they family moved to southern California in 1928. In 1930 she met and married Harold McIlroy. They stayed in the Anaheim area until after the birth of their daughter, Patricia Rose in May of 1933. Harold was an engineer in the fledgling aircraft industry. In the mid-30's they moved to Glendale, and in 1939 built a home in Burbank where they remained until 1956. During the second World War, Harold was an engineer for Hughes Aircraft, and afterward formed Roylyn Inc. to manufacture and market the Roylyn Quick coupling used in air to air refueling. After the sale of the company and early retirement in the late 50's, Ginny and Harold, always known as Mack, moved to Lakeport on Clear Lake in Northern California to be close to their daughter and two granddaughters, Carolyn and Tammy.

Ginny was an accomplished seamstress, and also studied design and pattern drafting. She made literally hundreds of garments for her family, all with an artist's eye for detail. They remained in Lakeport for 20 years and then moved to Palm Desert so Ginny could study and pursue her interest in art. She was a member of the Shadow Mountain Palette Club while there, and after moving to Medford in 1985 continued to study with Carl Seyboldt for several years. Harold passed away in May of 1988 at the age of 77.

Mack and Ginny loved to travel; they made two trips to Alaska and toured the United States from coast to coast in the VW camper bus. Mack and Ginny had over 30 years of retirement to enjoy together.

Virginia is survived by daughter, Patricia Harris and her husband, Cal of Medford; granddaughters, Carolyn Cannon of Gold Hill and Tammy Kirkpatrick of White City; five great-grandchildren (Mandy Katasse, Jamie Cannon, Mari Jeffries, Carl Kirkpatrick, Jr. & Kari Kirkpatrick) and seven great-great-grandchildren (Emily, Steven and Ashley Jeffries, Tyler, Kimberly & Samantha Kirkpatrick and Kai Kirkpatrick). Her sister, Gay Cawthorne of Medford also survives. She was preceded in death by her parents and four brothers.

Major #2

Banana Hannah picked up her 2nd major the last day in Portland. She also was reserve to Crystal another day. The other 2 days Cathy O's lovely little brindle girl Gabby got the major. I need to train my dog better!

And her rear could have been a little further back - she's not that strait in the stifle, but as she wanted to go see her friend Wally and was in full heat we are lucky she stood still this long.

Not much else to say - when getting up from this shot I slipped and dislocated my left thumb. It's still almost unusable - I possibly damaged a ligament. Nothing really to do but give time and it's in a splint/brace most of the time now. Can't open doors or bottles or grab things basically. Typical dumb move. Good thing it happened Monday as that is my leash hand.