just 10 more

First, thanks to everyone who expressed concern for my BetsyB.  So far no more seizures.  It’s so upsetting; brings back horrible memories of the long road to Sammydog’s  end.  I had never had a dog growing up, execpt for a beautiful malamute/husky type for about 2 days when I was very little.  My uncle who lived in NYC brought him for me when he came to visit.  This guy, who I totally adored, was known for being the ultimate black sheep of the family.  I couldn’t have been more than four and barely remember Frosty Snowball White Horn (guess I couldn’t decide which I liked best!).  Supposedly, he was stolen from our back yard—something I always wondered about since my parents were NOT dog lovers as far as owning them went and I was only allowed to have cats later on.  Right after I  married I saw a basenji in a pet store window and fell head over heels in love—had never even heard of the breed and bought him on the spot; not bright…young and dumb is my only excuse.  Didn’t know how strange basenjis are or that buying from pet stores is a no-no.  It was a long and rocky relationship until we came to an understanding about our roles.  My husband was gone a lot with his job and Samdog became my best friend.  I got pregnant when he was 10 and everyone said he would never accept a child but he was wonderful with her.  If A. was in her swing, he would be under it; when she learned to walk she would use him to push off and get up.  He was slowing down and had already started having seizures when we moved to S.C.  It was a very painful decision that the time had come to have him put down.  He was 14, almost blind, incontinent almost all the time, and having seizures more frequently.  The vet there was wonderful; I think I made appts. twice and cancelled them before I finally went in.  My husband was gone away and A. was 4 and in pre-school that morning.  The absolute hardest thing I’ve EVER done in my life (by far) was to stand there, holding Samdog in my arms while the vet injected him with the medication to end his life.  He was 14 and being there for him at the end was something I felt he deserved; I’ll never be sorry I did it, no matter how hard it was.  He died quietly, no struggle, in the arms of someone who loved him.   I was DONE with dogs—-never again, hurts too  much!!!!   Then A. started begging for one.  When she was in 2nd grade I answered an ad in the paper for a basenji—can’t imagine having any other breed now.  It was an old ad, I thought it would be gone and sure enough it was. But the first placement didn’t work out and that’s how BetsyB came into our lives.  She was already 5; owners were  divorced, wife didn’t want her and husband worked so many hours she was living in a crate.  He just wanted someone who was basenji-experienced (I told you they are a strange breed) to love her and give her a home.  So that’s how she came into our lives.  I had just brought my mom down to live with us and this dog more than earned her keep sitting with and amusing my mom for the 4 yrs. until her death; even in her dementia when she didn’t know me, she could usually come up with Betsy’s name.   B-girl is 13 now and she’s been a  fine dog so all I can do is be there for her too.

Since this is a diet blog, I suppose I should mention food–it’s been good; enjoyed every bite…..

Hug your doggies, chickadees….

This am I was with my neighbor walking my dog, Betsy the Basenji of previous posts, when she yelped, took off fast–as far as the leash would allow–and ended up in the gutter having a seizure which lasted about 2-3 min.  I sat on the curb, my neighbor sat in the street with her Husky at her side.  We petted, massaged, and talked softly to her for the duration of it and afterward.  At least 50 cars passed and not one person stopped!  Betsy seems OK now; I’ve spoken with her vet.  This is EXACTLY what happened with my last basenji; Sam started having seizures when he was about 10 (Betsy is 13).  I had pre-filled syringes of Valium from our vet that I would hit him with when I caught him in one—A. was only 3 but would come get me saying “doggy seizure, mommy”.  NOT good memories.  Not a good day, chickadees….

Hold your doggies and love them.

Wish I could write that it’s a rainy Monday but not the case; we are to be near 90 through Wed.  Am considering googling “rain dances”!!!  It’s just too hot to seem like fall and the leaves here are nothing like the northeast or Mi., just don’t get the color on these straggly trees.  Gotta go about 3 hrs. west to see mountains and decent color.

Anyway,  A. is home from school; hateful period.  Poor kid, she was due 9/28—been having cramps and backache and headache since then off and on; but no actual period till today.  This am she got me up at 5:15 for her Ponstel which was in my purse.  Thought she was good enough by 6:20 for school so she went, said the bouncing of the bus did her in, I got a call to pick her up at 7:35…..came home, lost her cookies, took a hot bath, and is now sleeping.  I suppose it’s back to the gyn for the pill to get her regulated, much as I hate to put a 15 yr. old on the pill…….she just can’t go on like this……..

We had a decent week-end; stayed in Fri. night, yeah!!!!  Sat. slept in, went to A’s mowing job which she did and she did some business paperwork for the guy she mows for, then we went to Hallowscream at Busch Gardens, or at least tried to, they were at capacity so we did the historic section of Williamsburg instead—spooky at Halloween, too.  Ended up in Starbucks at Barnes and Noble, then home by 11:00pm.  Had eaten @ Cracker Barrel; I had roast beef dinner.

Sunday, stayed in, made stroganoff per request.

I’m going to try a quiche today using hashbrowns for the crust, directions were in local paper; I’ll let you know how it turns out, gotta be healthier than pie shell.

Didn’t get to the gym; had planned to but they didn’t open till 8am because of the holiday and I was on the road to get A. at that time.  Walked dogs with neighbor—better than nothing, but not much!!!

Onward, chickadees!!!

Hmmmm…let’s try this again….I had a post started and it up and faded away…I am not a computer person, this thing can stop throwing curves at me right now!!!!

Today was my first day back at yoga in what seems like forever AND we had our original instructor who I love to death.  So it was good, hit the gym first for a little under 2 hrs., of that treadmill at incline was 45min.  This week I did my gym visits all 3 times—that’s the first in along time—gold star for me!

Well, now we all know I am not a math wiz….not even close, but this is pathetic, I can’t even subtract the small numbers—I gained 6 pounds, not 7.  I have upped the water, Rubyjean, I think you suggested that, and been fairly strict food wise (except for some hush puppies with butter yesterday, about 4), met my exercise goals (including the work at the stable last night, 3 1/2 hrs.) and this am I’m down 2 of those extra lbs.  Now if I can stay focused, three more by the end of the month might be doable.  I also didn’t get weighed every day like I was, but I really don’t know why people think doing that is bad; what difference could it make?  Your weight is going to be what it is, if you know about it or not.  Right?

I know I haven’t been blogging as much, I do try to read them though.  I’ve been kidnapped by school activities mainly–try to set up  community outreach gigs for the orchestra, getting ready for open house, and helping A. with endless studying—esp. Latin, she’s doing a crunch course this yr. of Latin 2 and 3……why, you may ask; cause she wants 5 yrs. of Latin by the time she graduates……this is where my answers end—-I have NO idea why she thinks she needs 5 yrs. of Latin or what she can possibly do with them.  Don’t get me wrong, I am a big supporter of Latin in the schools, had 2 yrs. of it myself, but 5 years????  Unless you are going to be a classics scholar and move on to Greek, which she isn’t.

It’s drizzling here, very little—we have been SOOOOO dry—one of the tv people said the other day that we would need 18-20 inches by the end of the yr. to bring us up to normal.  Conservation is still voluntary but they’ll be making that mandatory soon.

Gonna post this before I lose it again….ta, ta….Happy Friday!!!

I Will lose 5 of these miserable pounds by the end of this month!!  I can’t believe I’m up 7.  I did not get weighed today, if it’s any worse, I don’t want to know.  Some changes need to be made (AND stuck to); an extra silice of pizza here, 1 visit to Coldstone, even the Skinny Cows (sob,sob) are adding up………I really can look back and not think I’m eating that badly but something is amiss somewhere……

I went to gym this am: 6:40 to 9:40  but to clarify, this isn’t even near 3 solid hrs. of exercise….here’s the breakdown: 6:40–7:00  warm up stretches and exercises         7:00–7:45  weight machines, usually lose a couple min. waiting for a machine to be open        7:45–8:30  treadmill       8:30–8:45  rower      then br. and short drive to lite aerobics  9:00–9:40…….see, I’m not really going at it for 3 solid hrs.

Bfsk: grapenuts w/skim, V8 juice, decaf tea      snack: 1/2 cup ff cottage cheese, 3/4 of a large bosc pear, thin slice of banana bread w/walnuts      lunch will be a mixed greens salad and tomatos w/ ff dsg., chicken, mushroom, and garlic soup

Thinking about adding some exercise on my non gym days; right now all I do is walk the dog and that’s only about 1/2 mile usually

I feel good today…..onward, chickadees…..