What the Heck?

That's what I said the first time I saw a pile of these on my bedroom floor. I cleaned up the two-inch diameter pile of whatever it was, and hoped I wouldn't see it again. I was in denial, though. I didn't want to admit what I thought it was.

Just two days later another pile was in the same place.

I couldn't continue to deny what I was seeing - what I knew must be causing these piles.

Dry wood termites!

Damn!!!

So, now we have to figure out how best to treat our termite-infested house. Our next-door neighbors recently had their house treated with the orange oil stuff. I like that idea because it's not toxic to people. I need to talk to my neighbors some more before I start calling around.

Any good ideas, readers?

Monday, Monday, Monday

Only fifteen more Mondays until school gets out. I don't usually start the countdown this early, but you know...

I don't like Mondays because my husband isn't home when I get home from work. On Mondays, he spends time with a friend who's battling cancer. I go with him when I can, but I usually don't get home in time to join him. I love that he gives of his time to care for his friend, but I miss him when he's gone.

Buffy had her check up today. I couldn't go because of work, but Michael was a good doggy daddy and took his girl to the vet. Today's x-rays showed that her knee is doing well, however the doctor had to remind us to use a towel as a sling under her belly when she needs to go out. Oops! We weren't doing that. I think her leg is very Frankenstein-ish with all those staples in it, and it gives me the heeby-jeebies! She will see the vet again next Monday and get her staples removed then. Thank goodness! Staples belong in papers - not in pets!

She's Home!

Here she is just moments ago. We've moved her crate into the kitchen, put in a nice, new, faux sheepskin bed, and hung that water dispenser there for her. She really drinks a lot of water!

She whined all the way home in the back of Michael's car, and wouldn't sit down back there. I was so nervous for her. Once we got home, Michael carried her in and put her in her crate. I tried to feed her, but she was not at all interested in her food. I had several medications I needed to give her, so I tried putting her pills in peanut butter but she still wasn't interested. We finally ended up having to shove them down her throat. I've never had to do that with her. She'll usually eat anything!

She was really out of it (she'd been on morphine at the hospital), but couldn't relax in her crate. She just kept whining. So, I opened the door to the crate and just rubbed her head for the longest time until she finally settled down and went into some sort of stupor. You would have thought she was asleep, but her bloodshot eyes were open.

She slept through the night, but I heard her drinking water again around 3:30 am. So I got up and opened the crate, and she came right out and ate all the kibble in her bowl! That's the Buffy I know.

This morning she has eagerly taken her meds in peanut butter, and enjoyed some more kibble. She's curled up in a ball dozing now. I'll be here all day to nurse her.

I'll tell you, it just breaks my heart how much this dog has gone through in her short life. I was thinking about how grateful I am to have strong knees and not have to live my life in pain. She's always such a happy dog, too, despite her pain. She's a survivor.

TPLO Day

Buffy had her knee surgery today. The doctor spoke to my husband after the surgery and said she did really well, but that he had found more arthritis in her knee than he expected to. Apparently that means she will always have stiffness in that joint - the TPLO doesn't cure arthritis. Poor doggy!

We'll get to bring her home tomorrow night, and I'll be home with her on Friday. She'll be mostly confined to one room or her crate for the next two months. Fun times!

Thanks, Stephanie!

Sweet Stephanie over at The Written Word, included me in her list of blogs honored with these:

I first got to know Stephanie through her adoption blog, but have continued to read about her life post-adoption, and read about her love for books through The Written Word. It's a love we share. I'm a voracious reader from way back. Before my trip to NYC was canceled, I was looking forward to meeting Stephanie there in person. I hope we'll get another chance to do so in the future.

My life has been enriched by so many of my fellow bloggers and the friendship we share, so I'd like to pass this along to some of my pals.

2weeks2much - this a a new favorite of mine. We have the infertility 'thang' in common and make a point of encouraging one another through our cycles.

The Baby Journals (password protected) - Paula is a new blogger friend, also. We have a friend in common, Paulette. Paula's been blogging about her marriage and the adoption of her baby lately, and her story is inspiring. She's also a frequent commenter here, and she is a great encouragement to me.

Paulette, I'm passing this one on to you, too. You are such a good friend. You have overcome so much, and you are going to be an amazing mom.

A Grade 'A' Uterus - I recently met Tori through my friendship with Shelley and Kristin, and she's doing a remarkable thing for her sister.

Shelley and Kristin, consider yourself awarded, too. I appreciate your friendship, and your blog posts are thoughtful and oftentimes hilarious.

I could go on and on. There are so many interesting and amazing women out there sharing their stories with us. I've recently expanded my blog reading to included blogs about decorating, cooking, Christian life, and infertility. I always learn something new and get a glimpse into the lives of others whom I may never even meet.

Small World

I was flipping channels this morning before the sun came up, and I came across a show on one of the Discovery channels about a family with quadruplets.

I paused to watch a moment, and saw that the family's reproductive endocrinologist was one of the partners in the practice we've been going to.

Then, I see that the quads' father is a guy I went to high school with! Darian Dahl! I had the biggest crush on him when I was a senior in high school. I think I asked him to go to prom with me, but he turned me down.

Anyway, it was so cool to see him and his family. I'll bet they do a lot of laundry!

When the Going Gets Tough...

...I get in a funk.

I hate that about me.

Instead of using my time yesterday to exercise and work in my garden, I sat around in my bathrobe dwelling on what went on at work on Friday. I thought of all the things I wish I had said. All the things I wish I could say the next time I have to see those people.

I allowed it to zap my joy and my desire to do anything. Then I felt sorry for myself because Michael's not here. I don't think I got dressed until after 2 p.m., and then I finally did some grocery shopping, laundry, and I pruned a rose bush - there are several that still need to be pruned. In the evening, I should have gone to church, but I didn't. I did eat a healthy dinner and organized my paperwork for our taxes. But all those wasted hours of grief over what?

So, this morning things started out much the same. I should have got up and got ready for church, but I allowed my funk to get the best of me.

That is until I did my daily Bible study. I have resumed Beth Moore's David as my study over Lent. I had started it last year, but never kept up with it. Shame on me...

Today's lesson really helped me get a grip! At this point in David's story, he's living as a political refugee in the land of the Philistines. Remember Goliath? He was a Philistine. Strange place to seek refuge, huh?

Anyway, David does somethings while living there that are not Godly. He begins to lead his men on raids, and they murder and steal from their victims. He feels like Saul is eventually going to get him anyway, and he's feeling like God has abandoned him. So, I guess he feels justified, or something.

But Beth Moore's analysis of this helped me with what I'm going through now. She writes:

At this point David serves as an example of what happens when we focus more on our battles than on God. Our enemy appears bigger, we appear weaker, and our God appears smaller. Beware! Long-term battle can cause vision impairment if eyes focus anywhere but up!

She continues:

So the next time you battle an enemy so hard and so long that you feel like giving up or doing something rash, remember David. When you feel powerless over your real enemy and lash out at someone who is innocent, remember Psalm 10. God has not forgotten. He has seen your battles. He has gathered your tears and blotted your brow. He know those who have treated you unfairly. He knows when you're almost ready to give up or give in. Keep telling Him. Stay in His Word. Keep claiming His promises.

And she concludes the lesson by leading prayer:

You, Lord, have declared that You know the plans You have for me. Your plans are to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Praise God for being bigger than any of my problems. Now I'm going to live this day in the joy of the Lord!

Labrador Retriever Puppy - Siesta

Oh, these babies just warm my heart. It's like looking at six little Buffies. Sigh...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Heart Day readers! My first Valentine's Day as a married lady, and my husband isn't even home to share it with me. And he could have been! Well, not actually. But the show he was supposed to do tonight was just canceled due to a broken gas line at the venue. At least he's getting paid - show, or no show.

Buffy seems to be fine. I didn't have to make a run to the animal hospital in the middle of the night. She seems to understand that she can't come in the house. She's just been hanging out in the patio room in her crate, and she doesn't bark to complain. I'm taking her to her grooming appointment in a little while. She's absolutely filthy. I hope they can get her clean. We bathed her last weekend because we wanted her to be clean before her surgery next week. She's going to be spending a lot of time indoors while she recuperates, and we don't need her stinking up the house. She has the oiliest skin, and her fur gets sort of greasy after just a couple weeks and then she smells just like... a dog! P.U. Then she likes to rub herself up against the furniture and the walls and that leaves a greasy, dirty stain. She's incorrigible! Thank goodness for those Mr. Cle@n Magic Eraser thing-ees.

All my dogs have been scamps and thieves and troublemakers,

and I've adored them all.

Helen Hayes

Amen, to that!

Now, go tell someone (or some doggy) you love them.

Should I Kill the Dog or My Husband?

It's just one of those nights!

I came home to a very dirty dog. I noticed this after she'd been in the house a little while and left gunk on her new, clean bed, and all over the walls. At first I thought she'd just been digging (I still think she did some of that), but then I noticed that her rear-end and her tail looked wet. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be oily with a greenish cast.

Hmm...

Michael had moved his car today from where it had been parked on the back driveway. He left a pan of oil and power steering fluid there on the driveway. I noticed it before I went to work, but I didn't think she'd get into it.

Well, it looks like she sat in it.

Then she must have licked herself, because she threw up in her crate a little while ago. That was fun to clean up in the dark...

I called Michael, but he's working tonight, so this is my problem. He did apologize. That only helps a little.

I called Petsm@art to see if I could get a grooming appointment for her this evening, but they're booked. She can't get in for a bath until tomorrow night. If I put her in the bath here, the fur will fly everywhere, and I'll be cleaning it up for hours, no, days to come.

Michael suggested I try to wash off the fluid with a wet cloth and some dish soap. I had only marginal success with that. She wasn't very cooperative. Every time she was able to, she ran away from me and ran circles around the yard.

I'm hoping she hasn't poisoned herself. She's having a very expensive knee surgery next week. I don't need an ER bill on top of that!

Grrr...

Three Months

Sweet!

Sweet is having a three-day weekend. Thank you, Mr. Lincoln!

Sweet is spending time with my 12 year-old niece on Saturday.

Sweet is seeing a Christian artist I loved in my youth perform at my sister's church yesterday morning.

Randy Stonehill

Sweet is a trip to the Frosted Cupcakery for some Valentine's treats like these (especially the Red Velvet ones with cream cheese frosting):


Sweet is having my husband home for a few days.

Sweet is having a clean doggy thanks to a half hour spent at Tidy Dog. Wow! You should have seen the fur flying! But now we have a sweet smelling Buffy Girl.

And, sweet is celebrating Valentine's with my honey a few days early. We dined at Mahe. My cioppino was amazingly delicious, and so were the pineapple infused martinis - not a great complement to the cioppino, but I just had to try one!

I hope life is sweet for you, too!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Happy Chinese New Year! Just coincidentally, I had Chinese food for lunch - shrimp with vegetables - delicious and healthy.

May the Year of the Rat be full of good fortune for you and yours!

Ash Wednesday

I'm happy to report that today's meeting (mentioned in last night's post) was very productive. Mr. Dad was on time (that's huge in my book!!!), very polite, non-confrontational, and he obviously had his child's best interest at heart. There was no finger pointing at me. He wanted to know how he could better help his child prepare for tests. He did take more time than I think was necessary - 45 minutes - but the outcome was worth it. I think he now knows that I'm not unkind or unreasonable (regardless of what his wife might think of me), and that his son has some work habits he needs to change in order to improve his grades. Whew! I'm happy that's done and over with.

I'm also happy because I booked our reservation in Waimanalo last night. Here's a general view of the street on which our rental is located.

Our place will be across the street from the beach front properties. Not bad! There's easy beach access nearby and five miles of uncrowded, sandy beach to enjoy. Oh, I can hardly wait! I'm all about VRBO now. I found that great house on Kauai where I stayed with my family last summer, and I'm hopeful that this place will be a good one too. You can rent vacation homes, condos, and apartments all over the world through that site. Very cool!

And, today is Ash Wednesday. I'm not Catholic, but I think the tradition of observing Lent is a great idea. I've been thinking on how I could observe Lent in my own Protestant way this year, and I've decided that instead of giving something up like a lot of people seem to do, that I would commit myself to a daily time of Bible study and prayer. As much as I know I need to do those things on a daily basis, I find that I let the busyness of life get in the way. So, I'm committing to this on a daily basis from now until Easter.

Do you observe Lent? And, if so, how will you observe it this year?

Super Tuesday

I voted after work, and I've got my fingers crossed for my candidate.

My husband is on the road again and enjoying balmy weather in Florida for the next few days. I miss him already. Thankfully, this is a short run. He'll be home in just a few days.

The cleaning lady came today. We are only having her come once a month right now. I like saving the money, but I miss having the house thoroughly cleaned more frequently. I'm really happy that the hardwoods are clean. She does that. I don't. She also cleans the blinds in all the rooms. I don't. She's so good. I'm not.

Buffy's surgery is two weeks from tomorrow. I need to get a baby gate for the kitchen doorway, a water dispenser for her crate, and a pad for her crate. She will be confined to the kitchen or her crate for 6-8 weeks while she recovers. Poor Buffy!

Tomorrow, I have to meet with the husband of the woman who yelled at me in my classroom in December. Do you think she ever apologized to me. Of course not! She thinks I'm the evil teacher out to destroy her son's life. Bwahahahah!

It's a crappy situation. Such a nice kid, too.

Anyway, ever since his wife flipped out on me, I get a phone call or a note from them on nearly a weekly basis questioning how I graded one of their child's tests. Now the father wants to have a conference with me to discuss the recent social studies test. My principal told me I never have to meet with either of them by myself again, so she'll be there. I hope we can put their nitpicking to rest after tomorrow's meeting. It's getting really old, and I'm feeling bitter about it. My principal is awesome in situations like this. So, I'm hoping she'll help me resolve the issue(s) once and for all tomorrow. It's time to move on.

Have a good one!

And Then It Was February!

And, I'm full of random thoughts.

Okay, I just finished watching my Tivo'd episode of the L O S T season premier. Wish I could say that I've got it all figured out, but I really don't. It just gets weirder all the time. That's all right. I like that it keeps me guessing.

Because of the writer's strike, Michael and I have been watching WAY TOO MUCH reality television. My favorite is Jon & K@te + Eight, but I must admit that we've been watching Celebrity Reh@b with Dr. Drew, and Scott B@io is 46 and Pregn@nt. I love Jon & K@te and all their little ones. The "babies" are really growing up and revealing their unique personalities. I just marvel at how healthy they are considering they were premature multiples. I do cringe sometimes at the way K@ate talks to Jon, but Lord knows she's got her hands full. I don't think she has time to sugarcoat anything. Celebrity Reh@b is kind of painful to watch, and Scott B@io just cracks me up. In fact, his fears about responsibility and marriage remind me of what Michael went through before we decided to get married. So there. I've confessed to my trashy tv habits. What are you watching these days?

On another note...

We have found a rental property on Oahu for our summer vacation. We will be staying in Waimanalo. We're renting a cute little cottage just across the street from this:

Isn't it beautiful? (Imagine me jumping up and down with glee.) I don't want to wish my life away, but I can hardly wait to get there at the end of July! I have never been to Oahu before, and I'm looking forward to seeing Pearl Harbor and some of the other sites on the island. I'm glad we agreed to rent a home instead of a hotel room because we can then do a lot of the cooking at "home" and save some dinero.

Our other plans to travel to New York City next month have been canceled. The gig Michael was going there for has been postponed indefinitely. I was really looking forward to seeing the Big Apple again. Sigh... Oh, well. The year is still young. Maybe there will be some other great place for me to meet up with Michael when he's on the road and I've got some time off later on.

My cold has turned out to be rather minor. It's nothing more than a nuisance. Thank you, Lord!

That's it for my random thoughts tonight.