PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 31

Happy New Year!  Today was another day of relaxation.  I did call the dentist and find out that I am doing the right thing about my tooth.  Yesterday my crown fell off while I was eating.  I did not swallow the crown, thank goodness.  The dentist said that as long as I am not feeling pain, I can wait until Tuesday at 9 am to get it fixed.  I am good with that.

I have been binge watching The Man in the High Castle.  I started watching Season 3 but could not remember Season 2.  I think I watched it when I had meningitis.  I have very little recollection of a lot of important facts.  I finally got through Season 2 this morning and now I am into Season 3.

I decided to make roasted root vegetables.  I used celery root, rutabaga, potatoes, Parisian carrots, and beets.  So delicious.  I have some of the vegetables leftover so I can make some more in a day or so.

I am in for the evening with my tree lit up and my comfy new Sherpa socks on.  (Thanks nephew)

This is the last day of the Photo Challenge.  I actually had fun once I was not sick or dealing with a sick dog and could take interesting photos.   I hope you enjoyed the interesting photos.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 30

Today was a lazy day. I took the dogs for a walk. I took a bath. I watched Man in the High Castle. Not in that order.

I had dinner plans with my friends J, G, and E. We went to my favorite vegan Mexican restaurant. Yum! I got soft tacos with cauliflower, kale, and peanut sauce, rice and beans. Delicious! I have leftovers for tomorrow.

I hung my painting in the hallway to my office.

I think it looks nice and brightens up the hallway.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 29

I went to the movies by myself today for the first time in ages! I went to see Welcome to Marwen. It was so good. I think it will be nominated for awards.

I also walked around this mall for the first time. It is the mall in the city but I have never walked around inside. #1 I hate shopping in malls. #2 I hate shopping. #3 I don't like this mall. I usually only come to this mall to go to the movies or go to the food court.  To get to the movies there is an elevator that goes directly there so I don't have to go into the mall. I go to the food court in the basement sometimes because I have a client across the street and there is a good vegan vendor in the mall.

Today I had time to kill because I got there an hour early because I read the time wrong on the ticket. Luckily, the mall was not super crowded.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 28

This evening my friend S and I went to a place where you get to paint. There is an instructor who teaches everyone to paint the same painting. The room was full since it was Christmas time. Everyone was jovial. S and I had a great time. The painting above is my masterpiece. Not sure where I will hang it yet.

If you have been reading for awhile, you might remember I did this before and have another painting from my last visit.

I think I am getting better!

Anyway it was so much fun and now my friends G, E and J want to do it. I have to see if they have under 21 nights.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 27

Last night I stayed up to wait for my fruit and veggie box. It never came. I checked the schedule the company sent out and it didn't say it was going to be delayed because of Christmas. I didn't think it was stolen.

Tonight it showed up .I didn't have time to take a photo of the fruits and veggies.

I am excited to do some roasted veggies. Roasted celery root is really good.

Today I was walking to my clients office when I saw an Amazon delivery person throw a package from street level up a flight of stairs so it landed at someone's door. Only it didn't and they had to throw it again. So this is the new delivery process?? First, they bring it to your door and ring your doorbell and hand it to you. Then it changes and they bring it to your door and just leave it at your door and take a photo. Now it has deteriorated to throwing it at your door.  Civilization is crumbling.

I got all my thank you notes done this evening. Yay!

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 26

Tonight I went to a flower conservatory where the flowers were lit up.  I took a number of photos of plants and flowers. It was a good time. My lense got fogged up when we went from standing out in the cold in line to the tropical orchid room. I had to put my camera in my coat to warm it up.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 25

Merry Christmas! This is my new Christmas gnome.

After opening packages, I gave the dogs a Christmas walk. Happi seemed disinterested.

The dogs got 4 dog toys and Lucky took all of them to her bed and decided they were all hers.

I then fixed the Lemon Pudding Pie. Seems I missed a step when making the pie. I went back and redid the pudding part and it looked better.

I took this pie to my friends open house. I hung out with friends new and old for a few hours. My family called while I was there and I got to talk to almost everyone. They are having fun on their trip.

I came home and watched The Man Who Invented Christmas. It was surprisingly very good. It wasn't at all what I thought it was.  It was interesting to watch after seeing A Christmas Carol last night.

Merry Christmas!

Until tomorrow..

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 24

Late last night I went online and saw a great deal. They were selling iPads at a discount. My iPad is so old, I can't open or download any apps. I can only use it to listen to music and look at photos and download my own movies and watch them. That's it. It is about to be a doorstop. So when I saw the sale, I jumped and bought one. This morning I went and picked it up. Then on my way home, I went to pick up my final packages before Christmas from the post office. I also mailed my Christmas cards.

This afternoon I went to see A Christmas Carol at a local theatre. It was such a good production. The photo above is the dome at the top of the theatre.

Then I came home to bake and bake. I made a pie for the first time in my life. So I decided to make two.  First, I made a pie crust (vegan of course) fully cooked.

After it cooled, I put a lemon pudding filling made with lemons from my lemon tree. 

The second pie crust was cooked but then filled and cooked more. This pie was a pecan pie. 

I haven't tasted either of them but I hope they are good.

For lunch today I had the stew I made yesterday and it was delicious!!

Lucky was barking like crazy while I was cooking. I went to look and my neighbor had dropped of scones for me. Every year since I moved in, my next door neighbor has made me pastry every Christmas morning. I wake up and there is a container of pastries on my doorstep.  Isn't that the most amazing and wonderful thing!?

Happy Christmas Eve!!

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 23

Today I made two soups.  I am trying a new cooking schedule.  If I cook two recipes on Sunday, then I have food for the week.  I am home for lunch many days and I don't have much to eat and I end up grazing or not eating.  If I have two recipes made, I have plenty of food to eat for lunch and dinner.  This week I made two soups.  This one is Lemony Kale, Leek and White Bean Soup.  It is really tasty.  I had it for dinner.

The second soup is Lentil, Kale and Quinoa Stew.  I have not tried it yet but I feel like I have made it before and it was good.  I will let you know.  It looks very hearty.

Today I went out to go food shop and I stopped by the gas station to make an appointment for a smog check.  On the west coast that is what we get yearly or semi yearly.  My car is old so I have to get a special smog check yearly.  The place I have been going for a few years seems to have closed down so I stopped by this place to see if I could get an appointment since I didn't have the paperwork with me.  The guy said if I have a few minutes, he could do it without the paperwork since he could see my VIN number.  Well, this was an unexpected pleasure.  He had it done in about 12 minutes.  All the while he was apologizing.  I was thrilled I got another thing off my to do list.

I also got all my Christmas cards completed.  I was not going to send them this year since I could not get a good photo with the dogs by myself but I found a cute card at the post office and bought them.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 22

I went to a party tonight and there was a drag queen performing.  She was great!  She sang Christmas songs (some traditional and some were altered)  and we sang along.  It was so much fun.

I took my friends son to see Aquaman.  We had been planning this for months.  He was not very impressed with the movie but I really liked it.  The underwater scenes were so colorful.  I finished watching Ironfist this weekend so I had met my quota of watching superheros fighting.  Aquaman put me a little over the top but I still liked it.  I liked the storyline.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 21

I put up decorations in my home.  This year I scaled it back considerably.  With the trip to NC to my brother's wedding and seeing my family, I sort of feel like Christmas already happened.  Plus I am so behind after the trip.  I just decorated the fireplace and my little tree.  It looks festive enough.

Plus if I have to get the Shinrex shot I am not going to be in the mood to take down a bunch of decorations in the beginning of January.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 20

I was invited to my client's holiday party today.  They had a white elephant.  I brought these stupid pens that say silly things on them (they are supposed to dissuade people from stealing them) and some silly temporary tattoos.  I was under the impression from the email that you were supposed to bring funny gifts.  But no, people brought serious gifts.  I kinda looked silly.  Oh, well.  It was fun. 

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 19

I installed my new hard drives in my back up drive today.  Okay my brother helped me.  He talked me through it over the phone.  When I opened up the hard drive box, there was a ton of dust that needed to be blown out.  Then I looked the capacity and the drive was at 95%.  Yeah, it was time to get a larger drive with more capacity.  Plus, I need to put more information on the drive and it won't fit on the current drive.

We also talked about what new laptop I should purchase.  My current laptop is two years old and is getting to that point where it is starting to have speed issues.  I really like this laptop but all good things have to die sometime.

Happi had her new dog food today for the first time.  Hydrolized Protein dog food doesn't sound appetizing and I can tell you it doesn't smell too good.  Happi didn't care.  She gobbled it down and looked for more.  I went downstairs two hours later and she was sound asleep.  She must like it!  

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 18

Well, it seems I have another visitor in my home.  Another rodent has invaded the outside wall of my home.  I called the pest guy and he came right over.  We caught it early this time.  The chickens next door are becoming a problem that I need to deal with.

Happi update:  Happi is doing well.  She is taking the probiotics and I am washing her bottom every other day.  We are waiting for her new food to arrive and that is the last step to the new plan.

Lucky is happy to be going with the dog walker again.  It calms her down to have a lot of activity. 

I am coughing less and felt more like myself for the first time in two weeks today.  I worked for a whole day. 

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 17

Someone wants me to play with her toy and is upset that I won't.

Today was my long awaited RA doctor appointment.  I missed the last one because Happi's emergency appointment.  I had my first Shingles shot and despite the side effects, I am ready to get on a RA medicine.

We talked about what happened with the Shinrex shingles shot and how that effects me going on another medicine.  He thinks I should go on the medicine and then go off when I am going to take the next shot and then start the medicine again.

There are two medicines he is thinking I should go on: Orencia and Xeljanz.  One is an injection or an infusion and the other is a pill.

I researched both of them: side effects, customer reviews, medical notes.  After reading all the material, I decided I am going to go on Orencia. It is older but I saw less side effects. It is a biologic which I didn't want to go on but as it was explained to me, it is different than Enbrel.  Enbrel interferes with tumor necrosis factor by acting as a TNF inhibitor. Orencia works by interfering with the immune activity of T cells. So my chances of getting meningitis is slim to none.

I read the Xeljanz has been banned in other countries. The side effects are (as well as others) migraines, black stools, severe stomach pain, and insomnia. In the customer reviews many people wrote in stating they have the symptoms.  I'll take a hard pass.

Now the current plan is I carve out a weekend over the holidays to get the next Shingles shot so I can go on the meds in the new year.  Looks like New Year's will be spent in bed!! Recovering from the shingles shot. I hear the second shot is worse than the first. Whoopie!!

Until tomorrow

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 16

This was the sunrise before the down pour the rest of the day.  It was such a beautiful morning and such an awful day. 

I ran out to the grocery store for the first time since my brother's wedding.  I was running out of everything.  I got ingredients to make this amazing soup.  Butternut Squash, Kale, Curry soup.  Yum!  Perfect when you don't feel well.  Cleared up my runny nose.

Happy birthday to my brother.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 15

I got out today for a bit to go to the post office, bank, pharmacy.  The loop as I call it.  I deposited my returned deductible.  I am not sure I wrote about this.  Since the guy who hit my car had no insurance, I got my deductible back!  Silver lining. 

I picked up some packages that were in my post office box.  I mailed one package.  I then came home and sat on the couch the rest of the day.  I was exhausted. 

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 14

Still sick.  I was coughing at 12:30am, 2:30am, 4:30am, and 6:30am.  I was keeping the dogs up for a change.

I had to go out today to mail my one Christmas package and to get the dogs some chicken.  I found out Happi's special dog food was not ordered at the vet's office so I found a place to order it online.  Since it is prescription food (read: more expensive) the online store has to call the vet's office for permission before they can ship it.

My cough is a tiny bit better during the day but at night it is still horrible.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 13

Despite being quite ill, I took Happi to her vet check up today.  I was a bit out of it during the appointment so I will write what I remember.

First, Happi is okay.  No cancer.  Nothing horrible is wrong.  That is the best part.  The results of her biopsies came back and here are the results:

1. Stomach - The biopsies showed that she has e-coli in her stomach.  She has probably had it for a long time.  It is bacteria resistant so antibiotics won't work.  We are going to have to use probiotics.  There are two kinds to try.  If that doesn't work then we have to go to a fecal transplant.  I am not sure how they do it with dogs but it must be something close.  I continue to give her the Suculfrate 3 times a day after she eats and at bedtime. 
2. Vaginal area - Her surgery has healed very well and she will be able to take the cone off in a few days.  Her vaginal area also has e-coli.  The same e-coli as her stomach.  So she has been licking her vaginal area and transferring the e-coli from her stomach.  Who knows how long this has been going on?  For more than one year.  That other doctor told me there was nothing wrong with her.  I sent her for x-rays and tests and this is what was wrong the whole time.  I feel so bad.  Anyway, she needs to not lick her area.  I need to start washing her vagina area with a special soap every other day to keep it clean.  
3. Intestines - the biopsies came back that her intestines show that she has a severe allergic reaction to her food.  I need to take her off the current food and put her on a special food.  The food is called Canine Hydrolized Protein Diet.  It is made from hydrolyzed soy protein, composed of low molecular weight peptides, is highly digestible and supports gastrointestinal and dermatological health.  It has a specific nutrient blend to help regulate intestinal transit and to help support the digestive flora. This should get her intestines back on track.  Oh, she also will be getting no treats while she is on this diet.  I will no longer be making chicken and rice.  I will not miss that at all.

That is the plan for about 4-6 weeks.  Hopefully this will make her feel better.  Taking her off almost all the medicine makes me happy. 

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 12

I am still sick but I needed to run out to get some chicken and rice for the dogs and check the mailbox.  My new used Echo Show arrived.  I can't wait to try it out.

Tomorrow is Happi's check up and I find out her results.  I have my fingers crossed it is all good news.

Last night someone stole a package off my stairs. The Amazon delivery guy left it on my stairs without ringing the doorbell and I, being sick, didn't go outside and didn't know it was there. My security camera caught the guy stealing the package at 1:10am.  I found the ripped open box down the street. It was a gift from a friend. I called Amazon to complain. My friend called and they are sending another for free to my mailbox.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 11

I didn't think my cough could get worse but it has.  I finally heard from the doctor.  By now I can't talk at all without coughing.  He decided that I may be close to getting pneumonia so he gave me antibiotics and cough medicine.  Hopefully I will feel better.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 10

I didn't think I could feel worse but my cough is worse.  I can't talk without coughing.  My nose is just running all the time.  I called the doctor to see about getting something for the cough but I have not heard back yet.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 9

I am sicker.  Sicker.  Sicker.  I am spending the day in bed and on the couch.  My cough has gotten worse.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 8

I am quite ill.  I was supposed to go to a party at my neighbor's house today but I was too sick to go.  I really wanted to go but I felt crummy.  I have a stuffed head and am starting to cough.  I am off to bed.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 7

Photo Challenge Part II picture of the day:

My photo today is two photos.  I haven't left the house today because I am home with two sick dogs.  Lucky is just about finished being sick.  Her foot seems better but she is still chewing on it so she has to stay in the cone. 

Happit is recovering from her surgery.  She had a horrible night last night.  Or should I say I had a horrible night.  Happi didn't want to sleep, she wanted to go outside to stand in the backyard.  Why?  I have no idea.  2 am, 3 am, 4 am, 5am.  At 5:30 am I sent her upstairs to sleep in the living room by herself.  The sedation had worn off enough by then that I felt she could be left alone.  She could not go up and down stairs when she was coming off sedation so I had to carry her. 

By then daylight happened and we all woke up.  Happi ate a good sized breakfast and took a nap.  She rested all day until 2pm when she got hungry again.  Then she got clingy and whiny.  I can't feed her that early because then she will wake me at 4 am to eat. 

Overall she seems full of energy and able to move around and is peeing but not on the floor or on beds.  She is barking to go outside.  All great things. 

I stayed home and worked while monitoring dogs.

Oh, the other day I found out the guy that hit my car and caused the accident that helped find Happi's tumor, had no car insurance.  What a shock that the guy who left the scene of an accident had no car insurance!  So that sucks but because I have uninsured car insurance coverage, I get my deductible back!  Once again a silver lining.  That will go toward the Happi surgery fund.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 6

Photo Challenge Part II picture of the day

I have only been at home or going to the vets office lately so it has been hard to be too creative with pictures.

I was awake very early to take Happi to the vets office.  I dropped her off with a sniffle and a heartfelt I love you.  The doctor came out and spoke to me to give me the plan once again.  I asked him to also x-ray Happi's front leg while he had her under anesthesia.  Why not?  She needs to have it done and no need to sedate her in a few months to do it.  Do it now.

The plan is to scope her vulva and that area to make sure a foxtail has not gotten up there.  Scope her stomach to biopsy and check it out.  Then depending on what happens, do the surgery to fix her vulva.  That is the part I call the doggie plastic surgery.  Vaginal rejuvenation.

I went off to work and tried to keep my mind off the fact that my doggie was in surgery.

I got a call in the afternoon from the doctor saying the first part was done.  She had no foxtail.  They finished scoping everything and got biopsies of her vulva, bladder wall, duodenum, esophogus, and stomach wall.  He was now going to do the surgery of her vulva.  I heard later the surgery took 4 hours.

He called me at 5:30pm to tell me she was doing fine and I could pick her up at 6:30.  He said:

1. x-ray of leg: her shoulder, spine, elbow look good.  Her wrist has arthritis and when the other issues are handled we need to talk about that.
2. stomach: the biopsies will be back in a week but there is no cancer!  He suspects she has IBS or something like that but we shall see.
3. Vulva: no cancer!  There was plenty of bacteria and it was resistant to antibiotics.  He did the surgery to bring out her vulva to where it is supposed to be.  Right now it looks swollen but he said it would look better once the swelling decreased.

She got an antibiotic shot and a 3 day local anesthetic.  I have pills to give her for pain/swelling and her stomach.  We return in a week for a follow up.

Unfortunately she is not reacting to the anesthesia and pain very well.  I think mostly it is the anesthesia.  She won't sit still for more than 10 minutes.  She keeps wanting to go outside but then she gets out in the cold, she stands in the backyard in the dark. She has to wear a cone but she is not interested in licking yet so I am holding off on that now.  I will have two dogs in cones! 

The prognosis is good.  I am super happy but I am super tired.  I don't see much sleep in my future.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 5

Photo Challenge Part II picture of the day.

This is an advent calendar of teas.  Each day has a different tea.  It is very cool.

Today was a day of catching up on work.  That is all I did.  Work.

I took Lucky's cone off since her foot seemed better.  She was so happy and joyful.  Then tonight I caught her chewing the foot that was infected.  I had to put the cone back on to keep her from chewing her foot. 

Tomorrow is Happi's procedure so no food after 10 pm.  

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 4

Photo Challenge Part II  picture of the day.

An art instillation at the airport.

First thing this morning I took Happi to the vets office.  She was supposed to get her antibiotic shot that was going to tide her over until her vaginal rejuvenation.  I joke.  When I got to the office, they took Happi in the back and the doctor came to speak to me.  He got the lab results back and Happi has no bacteria in her urine.  So now the question is does she have a UTI?

The lab results showed that around her vulva she has an area that has a bacteria-resistent infection.  So now there is a question about doing the procedure at all.  Then there is some other stuff we discussed including whether there is a possibility that Happi has a foxtail in her vulva area.  So the specialist is bringing a special instrument to check for that.  So at the moment, there is no specific plan but more of a he is going to see once he checks for the foxtail.

Then Happi will get an endoscopy to check her stomach.  He thinks there is practically no chance there is cancer since she has been ultrasounded a number of times and is not showing symptoms but that is in the back of my mind since my other Shiba Inu died of stomach cancer.

Since all this occurred the vet decided that giving her an antibiotic shot was not the best course of action right now.  In fact I have to take her off almost all her medications until surgery.  It may be tough but we can do it.

Then I went to pick up the bird from boarding.  They misplaced or lost his cage.  It is a travel cage that I use to take him back and forth from the shop.   But finally we are all home again.

I have a big project to finish that I didn't get to do during the wedding weekend.  I may be up real late.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 3

 Photo Challenge Part II picture of the day.

That is a photo of the two seats next to me during my flight back from North Carolina.  When is the last time you flew on an airplane and you had the whole three seats to yourself?  On the flight to NC the middle seat was vacant.  On both flights I was SO comfortable.  I think I am spoiled now.

I checked out of the hotel after a fairly sleepless night.  I went to the supermarket to buy something to eat for dinner on the plane.  I stopped for gas but I could not figure out how to open the gas tank.  Later my sister-in-law Googled it for me.

I went to my brother's house and hung out with them until it was time to leave for the airport.  They were so nice to entertain me.  I ate leftover pasta from Friday night's party and my brother assisted me in buying some electronics.

My flight left on time and was uneventful.  When I got home Lucky went ballistic with excitement.  Happi was happy but sleepy.  It was late and we all went to sleep.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 2

Photo Challenge II picture of the day.

We used to have this plant in our yard when we were kids.

Happy Birthday Brother E!

This morning was the Post-Wedding Brunch. I took lots of photos to document the event.

I think I am going to return to my place as the person with the camera; the family documenter. Even my step-sister said you used to always have a camera in your hand. I am happy to see you doing it again.

The brunch was beautifully decorated and there was lots of food.

After brunch, my one set of parents and I went to see my other parents new home. It is a lovely home.  We stayed for a few hours.

I got back to the hotel in time for a call from my friend B who wanted to have dinner with a group of people. While iiwas waiting for them, I packed my bags.  W went to PFChangs. Yum!!

I came home and finished packing my bags. It was a long day.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE PARTIE DEUX- DAY 1

I am starting the Photo Challenge over again. Doing a photo challenge while one is stuck in one's home due to fire and smoke is just not interesting. Nor is it fun. It was a challenge but only because I could not find anything to take a photo of that was interesting in my house. You all have seen photos of my dogs!

Now that I am free to walk around again, I am starting over.

Today was The Wedding. My brother is a married man.

I lounged around this morning and then went to lunch with my parents. We went back to the mall to eat at Panera Bread. I used my gift card from my Aunt. She gave it to me in 2015. I don't have a Panera Bread near me so I use it when I travel. The last time I used it was in Arizona .

After lunch I had to come back and get ready so I could make it to the venue for family photos. It was super important to me to get new family photos so the photos with my ex will go away and I don't have to see them anymore. It is quite upsetting for me to see those photos. We were together for a long time but that chapter ended with violence and needs to stay closed.

The wedding was beautiful. It was moving. My niece and nephew were the ring bearers and they were adorable. The groom's were hansome. My sister-in-law did a wonderful job with the reading.

After the wedding we all went downstairs for the reception. It was very nicely decorated. The food was delicious. I sat with my parents, my aunt and my sister-in-law.

After the wedding I went to the hotel lounge and my step-sister was there with her boyfriend. We hung out a bit and had a drink. It was good to catch up with her.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE DAY 30

Photo Challenge picture of the day.

I spent the day with my long time friend B. We had the best time! We picked up where we left off back in 2001. The last time I saw him was the day before the 9/11 attacks when I flew back to the West Coast.

We went with my parents to a half and half vegan/non-vegan restaurant. The food was good.

Then we went shopping. We got a bit lost with the crazy GPS on my phone. It took us back to the airport for some reason. B thinks it misses the airport!

We went to Target and I bought a new headset for my iPod. It still didn't work. We decided to go to the Apple Genius Bar and see if they can fix it before my flight back.  Off we went to the mall. What a mall!! The geniuses at the Genius Bar fixed my iPod in 10 minutes. There was something stuck in the headphone jack. I am super happy. Music on the way home.

Then we walked around the mall.  We laughed and laughed.

We had to get back for the pre-wedding dinner. I needed to dress and get my camera. I was not going to let this occassion go by without photos .

There was plenty of food and many friends and family to talk to. There were fancy desserts that were like show pieces.

I thing everyone had a good time.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE DAY 29

Photo Challenge picture of the day.

Today I flew to Raleigh, North Carolina to attend my brother's wedding.  It was a long trip getting ready in the morning and getting across the country.  Actually it was a long week getting ready.  Since I had a dog sitter staying at my home, I had to make the house presentable.  I had to get the dog's food ready.  I made pouches of chicken and rice and pouches of broth and froze them.  The dog sitter just has to take them out of the freezer and feed the dogs.  It just took a lot of work.

The flight went well.  There was an empty middle seat. Not something you see every day on a flight.  I could not get my GPS to see that I was in NC.  It kept thinking I was in the west coast.  It said it would take 4 days to get to my hotel from the airport.  I got lost going to the hotel.  I finally found it.

I am here and happy in my hotel room.  I have been in contact with the dog sitter and gotten happy dog photos. The heater in my room didn't work at first and I had to call maintenance.  It kind of works now.  I have it set to 75 degrees and I am still cold.  The maintenance man told me I need more amino acids because I am getting sick.  Okay.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE DAY 28

Photo Challenge picture of the day

The city inspector came today to inspect the work on my electrical work completed about two months ago. I was worried that my contractor had not pulled a permit (one that I paid for) and was giving me the run around.  My contractor knew the inspector very well and the inspection took all of two minutes. I got my sticker and the guys chatted for another 15 minutes. Then the inspection was over.

Now I have to wait for the electric company to contact me to come out and inspect it then this months long process is complete.

Happi seemed better today. Much more energy and more demanding like herself.

Lucky is limping on her bad foot. She definitely needs another antibiotic shot on Friday. My friend M is going to take her since I can't take her Friday.

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE DAY 27

Photo Challenge picture of the day.

Happi is feeling much better today.  Like her old self!  The antibiotic shot the doctor gave her is working.  The doctor called and said it will only last about 5-7 days so she may need another shot on Sunday or Monday.  It can't wait until her surgery on Thursday.

I had my mammogram today. Always such a pleasure.  Someone needs to find a better way to get this accomplished.  The tech was joking that you always here about who invented the Slinky or the Monopoly game but no one has come forward to say they invented the mammogram machine.  I don't think they would be so popular.  Yes it finds breast cancer but, gosh, it is not the most pleasant experience!

Until tomorrow...

PHOTO CHALLENGE DAY 26

Photo Challenge picture of the day.

What a day! 

Last night after I wrote my post, I called the vet on the emergency line to see what I should do about this situation.  She peed in the house 6 times and once on my bed.  The poor girl was in a bad way.  The doctor said to bring her in first thing in the morning and he would run a test on her.

I brought her in at 7 am and they did an ultrasound on her belly.  They checked her kidneys and stomach.  They also ran tests and she has no kidney infection.  That is the good news.

At this point if you are squeamish, stop reading!  I'm going to talk about women's stuff.

It turns out that her vulva is not protruding as it should.  It also has scar tissue probably from her licking it when she has had these UTIs.  To fix this, they have to do a bit of doggie plastic surgery.  It is a little surgery to fix her female bits that way the urine will not get trapped and then get infected.

Squeamish folks can start reading again.

While she is under anesthesia, they are also going to finally do an endoscopy and see what is wrong with her tummy.  The current thought is that she has some bacteria that is trapped in her tummy and the current antibiotic is not killing it.  Until they know what bacteria it is, she will not get better.  So they will go in and take some samples and culture them.

The poor dog has such a bad time with sedation.  She was so out of it.  She peed all over because she could not walk.

This evening the new dog sitter came by to do a check in.  Lucky is in love with her.  Or maybe it is her treats.

In all the confusion, I forgot my RA doctor appointment.  I remembered it in the morning but in the afternoon while caring for Happi, I totally forgot.  I hope the doctor's office is okay with it.

Until tomorrow...