Texas Lady

This shift of Days about killed me.  I haven’t slept enough any of the three nights so I’ve been sleep-walking all day each day.  Then I’ve been having problems with my eyes dry and hurting, headaches and sinus pressure.  And I started my diet over again Friday so that hasn’t helped give me any energy to cope with no sleep.  My body is out of the habit of shift work, I think, since I was off work so long with my total hip replacement.  At my age, it doesn’t adjust as quickly as when I was younger. 
I have a life now that I didn’t have when my body was young enough to actually enjoy all the things I’m trying to do now.  And I still have 18 months before I retire so I have no choice but to keep going.  If I could retire today I think I’d feel just fine living the life I have, volunteering where/when/how I do.  I have more than enough to keep me happy and occupied.  But at least I have something to look forward to; I never have had before.  There was never a rosy future to dream about; just more work after more work until I couldn’t work any longer.  Now I have a life and a dream to look forward to…….way to go, Ronnie Lindsey!

This was the week that we both worked days, so the dogs were left alone for 12 hours a day for four days.  I think they tried to destroy the house in retribution.  They’ve tracked in things that I can’t identify.  They’ve pulled all the little dog blankets into the backyard.  They’ve disemboweled most of the stuffed toys, chewed up the doggie pads and peed in the house.  And Maximus thinks the sheetrock tastes good.  What is it about puppies that they try to eat the walls?  This is the third dog I’ve had that has chewed into the sheetrock.  I’ve already purchased the spackle to repair it.  Now I just have to get some bitter lemon to get him to stop chewing on it.  Puppies!!!!!  It was a pleasure on the days that Ronnie got home before me because I didn’t have to clean it up.  Ronnie got here one day before me.   

Today I slept in, then I stayed in bed an extra hour not wanting to get up.  Can you say exhaustion?  Once I did get up things were progressing just fine; I even got a bath.  But when I locked them out of the bedroom while I blow-dried my hair and brushed my teeth they destroyed another pee pad in the living room.  I would cry but I don’t have the energy.  Luckily my housekeeper comes today (she is running late, too) so at least I’ll have a clean house before the day is done.  I have about 25 loads of laundry to do after she leaves.  Good thing I’ll be off for a few days; it may take me some time.  At least I’ll be here to supervise the thugs (I mean dogs) closer and try to bring some order back to our house…..and take some more pictures………..

Just heard this afternoon that SheShe, the mother of Maximus, has been put to sleep at the kennel because she wasn’t adopted.  So sad and so sad for all the other 4-legged babies that die in the shelters because of over-crowding.  She hit my heart especially hard though because without her we wouldn’t have Max.  And he’s such a good baby, even at 25 pounds and 11 weeks of age.  It’s hard to believe sometimes that he’s only a puppy because he’s as big as Bandit now, but this puppy wouldn’t exist if not for the mother who died from lack of love….no one (including us) adopted her because they didn’t care enough to make room for her.  Sad, but I can’t do a thing to help at this point.  Since I just went back to work I hadn’t been getting the daily notices from the shelter lately.  I didn’t know she was up for EU until it was all over.  She was only a year old and 52 pounds.  That’s a pound per week that she grew up.  She shouldn’t have even been bred yet, much less dead.  I wish I could save them all.  Don’t we all?

We also have gotten Jilly adopted by a family who loved her immediately, so that’s a happy ending we can hold close to our hearts.  Maybe that will help to make up for the sadness at losing SheShe.

Today we also got Mimi back.  Since Jilly is gone we had room for her again.  Ronnie and I talked about it last night wondering how she would be when she came home, if she would remember us or if we’d have to get bitten again while she adjusted again.  But she knew me immediately and came to me so excited and giving me kisses.  Gypsy’s not too happy to see her but to everyone else it’s as if she’s never been gone.  She’s been loving, quiet and gentle so far.  Hope it stays this way.  She will need a bath, however.  She definitely has that “smells like a dog” aroma about her.

Back to my doggie life……..

Well, my baby turned 9 weeks old yesterday, and 19 pounds.  Still growing, still learning, still precious.  We also still have Jilly but think she will go to her permanent home May 1st.  Got our fingers crossed for her.
Yesterday, I tried something different that worked.  I took some Aleve instead of the narcotic for pain…and within 30 minutes I didn’t hurt.  I’m hooked on Aleve now.  Evidently it was inflammation that was causing the pain.  I couldn’t figure out why the Vicodin wasn’t cutting the pain.  I spent the past week in my nightgown on the couch because it hurt too badly to try to do anything else.  Go figure!  So if I can find some energy hopefully life will be better for me.

What a beautiful face you might say.  I might say so, too!  Poor, beautiful little girl just showed up locally and is not micro-chipped and has no means of identification.  I didn’t find her but a friend of a friend passed her to me in exchange for Mimi.  She could not handle the bigger dog since she doesn’t have a fenced yard and does have 3 children, one of whom is special-needs.  So, Jilly had no where to go.  Carol traded her with Mimi, knowing that Mimi snaps/bites when she is frightened/startled, so no punches were pulled on either side. 

We have had Jilly vaccinated and checked for micro-chip, but none existed.  She was heartworm negative and parasite free so someone was taking good care of her before she got lost.  She has been groomed even though it has grown out some but some one loves this girl somewhere and I’m sure has shed tears at her loss.  So, now she is on HW and flea prevention, up to date on vaccinations, and had her picture professionally made.  She is now a part of our vet’s adoption program, will be groomed on Thursday and spayed and micro-chipped on Friday.

I have a friend at work who is a “cocker spaniel man” and I’m hoping that he will take her.  He wants her, is trying to convince his wife to add to their brood of three, and is planning to take her on a trial when he gets his long change.  We’re hoping there’s a happy ending there for Miss Jilly.

She is so beautiful and if we didn’t already have 6 dogs of our own she would go nowhere.  She has not been disciplined and is a hard-headed little girl.  She walks us on a leash instead of vice versa, but we are working on all those things, too.  And she’s showing improvement, believe it or not.  I just hope he comes riding in on his white horse and sweeps her away to forever and forever.  She, and he, deserve it.

When he walks the ground shakes!  Yesterday he weighed 10.5 pounds; he is 5 weeks old.  Where will he stop?  What kind of dog was his daddy; we know his mom was a pointer mix who was petite.  This baby is NOT petite.  We’re looking at pictures of St. Bernards.  He looks EXACTLY like one. 

He’s beginning to use the puppy pads and to go potty outside.  If the door is left open he will just walk out with the other dogs (or alone) and he’s trying to get through the dog door, too.  He’s growing up too fast!  He’s good though; he sleeps all night in a dog bed beside the bed.  He plays with the other dogs with a preference for Bandit, of course, since Bandit plays with him ALL the time.  Bandit is a bigger baby than Maximus is, and he’s 6 months old. 

I’m loving raising this puppy.  Can you tell?