The Dackel Princess

Pucker Up!!!

I have never been one to tell stories about myself that I find incredibly mortifying, but since things around here have been very serious and a tad depressing lately, I thought, what the heck, I’ll confess to everyone what happened to me today. So, sit back, grab a cup of coffee and prepare to laugh hard.

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I needed to go out today to get supplies from the grocery store. I had a list. I was fairly organized. I wanted to go out, do my errands and get back as quickly as I could.
Hubby decided to go. He is working out with his crutches now each day to gain strength in his upper arms and going to the stores with me was a great way to practice and get some things done.
So off we went. We got to Wal-Mart and Hubby stopped at the service desk to get a money order for an Ebay purchase. I wandered into the household goods section for a few items and then headed over to the dog food, where I met up with Hubby. I selected a dozen cans of food which Hubby questioned me on.
“I thought they liked the chunky food?” Hubby asked.
“No, Fritz is picky, he likes the ground food.”
“Didn’t he used to eat the chunky food?”
“Yes, but then he decided to he didn’t like it.” I answered. “Besides I think he gets more out of the ground food cans than the chunky ones.”
I then started walking and talking. This is a dangerous thing for me to do.
“I can’t believe how picky Fritz is, but at least after the first year I have finally gotten him settled on his food and there are no surprises.” I looked around a little thinking about Valentines Day. “I wonder if they have the pads for your crutches here. You poor thing. I hate to think of you on those crutches.”
And then I did it. I turned puckered up to give Hubby a nice sympathetic kiss and ran smack into a strange man! Hubby was about 10 paces behind me struggling with the crutches and there was this man, right in my puckered up face!
I could feel my face burn! I tried as quickly as I could to unpucker and just weakly smile, but I think for a moment I must have looked like a giant Trout!
The man smiled, and his eyes twinkled and I wished I could have just crawled into the display case and hidden! I stood waiting for Hubby, and the strange man moved past me.
Hubby caught up to me, none the wiser and all I could think of was getting out of the store.
We finished up our shopping, checked out and once I was in the car I confessed all to Hubby who laughed heartily.
I can still feel my face get hot when I recall what happened. I don’t often accost strange men in Wal-Mart. Well, maybe only at Christmas!

Thank You, Mother Nature!

I will now get down on my knees and thank Mother Nature for depositing all the snow south of me!

Yesterday’s snow storm didn’t amount to very much up here in central New Hampshire. In fact when I woke up on Sunday morning it wasn’t snowing at all (big smile)!!!
It did start to snow after 9 in the morning, and I was prepared to go out and do battle with the snow shovel, but then it just stopped.
I went out, looked up into the sky and saw, well, nothing coming down from it! This lasted for a couple of hours and then it did start up again, but the snow was just that teasing sort of snow. Looks pretty, but doesn’t amount to anything much.
By the time all was said and done we had one inch. Yes, you heard me right, one inch! After I started breathing again (with relief), I realized that sometimes wishes do come true!

Shubi did well yesterday. I did have to give her more fluids, but she did well with it and a short while after that she ate some lean pork. Later she ate some more. I can see where the fluids really perk her up, so yes, it made it a lot easier for me to do it again.

It was bath day for little Greta. She is not a fan, but was very good in the shower. Once she was done and I took her out to dry her off, she slipped through my fingers and off she ran! Down the hall, into the office to where Hubby was seated at his computer. She jumped up on the bed, then down on the rug, rubbing her fur onto anything and everything that she could!

I don’t know what it is about the commercials on TV right now, but so many of them have nice music on them. Maybe it’s because people my age are the senior advertising executives now and they all remember 70’s music as being some of the best! So, rock on commercials!

If you haven’t caught the USA Women’s Ice Hockey Team playing yet, mark your calendars. These ladies are hot, hot, hot! I haven’t seen play like this in a long time. They are really good!

Daydream Believer

I’ve been enjoying the IT commercials for Ebay during the Olympics. Why, you might ask? Well, because they have Davy Jones singing, “Daydream Believer”
First, I have always liked that song and second, it makes me think back to New Years 1990 when I was in Athens, Greece sitting in the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel waiting for Hubby to fly in (He was working a flight). I was sitting there waiting when I see a group of people walk into the lobby. Yep, you guessed it, it was Davy Jones and his family!
He looked great, and I thought how he had hardly aged at all since his days with the Monkee’s. I hated to bother him, but I couldn’t let the moment pass.
I went over and introduced myself, telling him that I have always enjoyed his music (gush, gush!!), and that I was really thrilled to meet him.
He was just the nicest person, as were his wife and kids I stood speaking with him for a while before their room was ready and they departed.
Yes, I got an autograph!
So when Hubby came in a while later and expected me to greet him with excitement, all I could talk about was Davy Jones! LOL!!
So listening to the IT commercials for Ebay brings that time quite happily back to me.

Being A Doggie Nurse

I can add a new item to my resume. I’m now a full fledged needle wielding doggie nurse to Shubi! I set up Shubi’s fluid bag on the door of our bedroom. Hubby sat in his chair and held Shubi in his lap. I took a deep breath and I placed the needle under Shubi’s skin and gave her 250 cc’s of fluid. At one point the fluid stopped running and I had to take the needle out and put it in another spot. But I did it and she got all her fluid. It didn’t seem to bother her at all.
I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to do it, that I would chicken out, but when I thought of my girl and what she needed I just pulled myself together and did it!
She slept for a while and I thought that perhaps my tender ministrations hadn’t done anything. But at dinner time tonight she perked up and ate some dog food, and then actually ate some of Hubby’s very lean pork. Now she is happily asleep again on the sofa curled up with Greta.
I’ll need to do this again tomorrow, as the Vet wants her to have this every day now. I know I can do it, and I also know that it really helped my girl. I hope next time will be a bit easier (for me).

Shubi…

Friday was a strange day. Most of the morning I spent at the Vets Office with Shubi. She went in for blood work and because she is still not doing well, they taught me how to give her subcutaneous fluids. She will need me to give this to her daily now.
Yes, her kidneys are failing, and she doesn’t want to eat much. Yet, she runs and plays with the other dogs, and follows me from room to room. I don’t think she is ready to leave us yet. I’ve been trying to ask myself, how I will know when it is time? And then I hear a voice on the wind that says, “you will just know”.
So I have to have faith that I can care for her and give her all that she needs until her time here on earth is up. Still it breaks my heart knowing that my dearest friend will soon leave me.
I’m not ready for that! The truth is, I’ll never really be ready for that, will I?

Memories of Murdock Street

When I was a little girl my grandparents lived in Brighton, Massachusetts. They lived there until I was 10 years old, and then moved down to Cape Cod to be near us.
In my mind I can still see my grandparents house in Brighton. It was large with a down stairs apartment and then their part of the house on the second floor and then on the third floor another apartment. In the down stairs apartment lived my grandfather’s sister Hedwig and her husband Albert. What I remember most about them was Hedwig’s fabulous cooking. It seemed she always had cookies and hot cocoa when I would sneak down the back stairway to visit her.
The middle floor was my grandparents part of the house. It was very large with a screened porch in the front, a phone on a table in the hallway, and then a big living room which led into a large dining room with a bay window, I often sat there looking out of the windows. This led into a kitchen with an old fashioned pantry. I loved this little room because I could climb up on the counter and find cookies. (yes, I admit, I am a cookie monster!)
Off the kitchen was a hallway that led to a big bathroom, and then my grandparent’s bedroom next to that. I remember going into their bedroom in the early morning and climbing into bed with them for cuddles. Papa Fred and Grandma Honey really loved their grandchildren.
Upstairs was where my uncle, his wife and their two kids lived. Originally this was where my mother and uncle had their rooms when they were kids. When we stayed there I would sleep in my cousin’s room.
Being the baby of the family (both of my first cousins were 8 and 10 years older than me, and my brother was 7 years older and Mel is 5 years older), I was always the first one sent to bed. I hated that until I learned that if I snuck quietly into my aunt and uncles room I could open the floor grate and listen to the adults below.
My memories of Brighton are good ones. My grandparents were both still in good health and family parties were always a lot of fun. Back then when they had the parties for the family, everyone would come and I got to see my grandfather’s brother’s and their families. I remember once telling Papa’s brother how much he looked like my Papa and he laughed heartily.
Grandma’s older sister Tilly was always there too. She was my Godmother. She was always quick with a smile and often would play ragtime songs on the piano.
Tilly’s son was George and his wife my “Uncle Betty” (that I have written so much about), and their kids,
Janet and Larry.
Janet and I have always been close. She is just a year older than me and we were always inseparable at these family events. Larry was a year younger and I was grateful to him because I wasn’t the baby when he was around.
Funny how you can remember things from so long ago and find much that pleasures the mind and soul. So many of those people are gone now, and yet, in my mind I can walk through that house and they all come to life again.
Wonderful, warm memories for a Friday.

Programming

So what did I do all day yesterday? Yep, you guessed it…I spent all day programming my new laptop. Things were going pretty well, when McCaffee Anti-Virus and I had a little trouble understanding what the other one wanted.
This resulted in my having to go back in time on the machine (isn’t time travel wonderful?), and then start the programming all over again.
I was a bit frustrated for a while, but after this one glitch, the rest of the entries went well. The machine is now programmed and meeting my needs. Just a few more minor things to tweak and it’ll be completely done.
One thing that is different is the scroll bar on the laptop. It’s quite a bit different from my other computer. I think I like the other one better, but in time I will get the hang of this one.
I love the ultra bright screen! You really can see things much better with this. And the color is so rich.
I think Hubby is probably a bit sick of me spending all this time on the machine, but he is relieved that he doesn’t have to schlep out to Wal-mart and get me a card and a box of candy for Valentines Day next week!

It’s Here!!!

My new laptop arrived right on schedule this morning! I have been spending every moment since, setting it up and getting it all laid out with my preferances!

I have to say, this one is not only faster than my last laptop, but also is smarter! The program automatically set up into our network, and it has really been easy to set everything else up. Best of all, the built in Network card works like a charm and I am getting high mbps sitting all the way at the other end of the house from the router! Something that wasn’t possible with the old laptop.
I told Hubby that he is off the hook for having to buy me a Valentines present this year!

This and That

It was a banner day in our house! I had gotten a coupon in the mail from “Jockey” for $20.00! Now Hubby is not one to scoff at a twenty dollar bill, so off we went to the local “Jockey Outlet”. I had a good idea what I wanted. Yes, what most girls want and almost always need. New underwear! I looked around, found the best sale ones I could find, that just happened to be covered with a pink rose pattern, two ladies T-shirts, and Hubby got his tall mans v-neck T-shirts. The total price of this was $5.25 after we used the coupon! Not too bad.
I needed to get canned dog food and a few other items at Wal-mart, and after assembling my order I saw the 20 items or less isle and headed for that. I was putting my items up on the counter when this man behind me began talking loudly about this being a 20 item or less isle and how “some people don’t follow the rules”! I ticked the items off in my head again and saw I had exactly 20 items! So I turned and smiled at this mathematical midget and finished my order!
We stopped and got gas at $2.22 a gallon at BJ’s Warehouse. Not bad as everywhere else seemed to be $2.33 or more.
Shubi is eating pretty well. I’m still giving her chicken and rice, but I also cooked an egg and she ate that right up. Still, she does not want any dry food or her dog cookies, and she mostly lies around sleeping.

I still have a fever. But it is only 99.6 (f). I feel pretty lousy but as I have no plans for today I will just hang out.
As I mentioned yesterday I’ve been following my laptop from China. I saw on the FedEx tracker that it is on it’s way to New Hampshire, and supposed to be delivered later today! Once it arrives I’ll be busy getting it all set up. What fun!!

Cough, Cough

I woke up yesterday and my throat was feeling sore. All I could think was, No Way! I simply can’t be sick. I took my temperature, 100. (F) and so I planned to take some aspirin and just lay low. It was not to be. Just as I settled down to watch Regis and Kelly, Hubby starts looking for some paperwork, convinced I have somehow misplaced it.
Now in all fairness, I have previously been guilty of such crimes, but in this case, I knew quite certainly, that I hadn’t touched the papers in question. Of course, this did not get me off the hook. As Hubby is laid up with his knee, I was the chief searcher for his mission of “find the papers”. I looked in all the usual places that one stashes papers, but they weren’t there. After over half an hour of searching, I asked if he could have put them away? Of course not!
Still, I figured it was time to go into the closet and see if they were in the document binders. He was so sure they were not there. Imagine his shock when the papers were located there?
I was hoping this would end my duties, but no. Hubby was not going to let me rest. It was then that the issue of my poor filing system came into play.
Now I admit, I hate to file. I put off this task until the file box is so full that the papers are falling on the floor and I need to do some penance for some other sin. But I really didn’t feel like doing it yesterday.
After much ~~arguing~~ discussion, I started filing at 1 o’clock and didn’t finish until nearly three. All I wanted was a hot cup of tea and to sit.
I checked e-mail, answered a phone call and then wham, time to cook dinner.
By the time dinner ended I was having chills. I wrapped up in an afghan, which didn’t work. I broke out the heavy comforter and wrapped up in that, two pairs of socks, my pajamas, a sweatshirt and bathrobe, and sat doing nothing while I watched tv.
This morning my temperature is down to 99.6 (F) but I still feel crummy. I can’t lie around today either as I need to go to the grocery store and resupply.
One piece of really good news is, that I got a message from FedEx that my laptop is en-route. I got a tracking number and I have been following it from Shanghai, China, to Anchorage Alaska, to Indianapolis, IN. I expect it to be here in another two days.
Hubby is gifting me with a new machine since my current laptop is slowly dying of incurable memory failure! So despite the fact that he made me file yesterday when I was feverish, I still think he is wonderful! lol!