Winter Storm Watch

Everyone is talking about it before it arrives.

It's due to start tomorrow afternoon and really

hit overnight to make Wednesday morning rotten.

Snow day?

Hope hope.

This morning waiting for my bus at Finch Station, the sky was

clear and pink as the sun came up & the streets were clear.

It was cold, but it's supposed to be

cold on Jan 31st in Canada!

7:15am Jan 31'11 looking South East.

My Weekend

I spent the weekend with my folks.

It was rather uneventful because my Mom has an awful cold

and I am just too tired to do anything.

I spent alot of my awake time thinking too much and my asleep time dreaming.

They were dreams both good and bad.

When I woke up I was depressed and sad.

Sad that the good dreams were just that, dreams.

 Sad that the bad dreams were about what is currently real.

It's been a month since I was given my 3 month working notice.

January has gone by so fast and I've tried to block it out during the week

 so I can still function and do my job but March 31st approaches fast.

It's almost made me dread weekends knowing that I have to think about

something that will be life altering no matter the outcome.

I'm in a position that, for lack of a better term, scares the f--k out of me.

I still don't know what to do.

I've done nothing but think and think and think but I just

can't figure out the best way to go about this.

When people say money doesn't buy happiness, I call BS.

Money can't make you happy if you're not already.

Money can't replace family, love, companionship.

Money can't make the sick healthy.

Money I'm sure adds stress but it also eases stress.

Money is security.

It is this security that I seek.

I don't want to be rich.

 I don't want to buy a fancy car or material possessions.

I want to pay my rent & utilities and not

have to do math while I walk up & down the aisles

at the grocery store.

I know there are alot of other couples and families for that matter

in the same situation as Adam & I with only one person working.

I can't even imagine the additional stress I would feel if we had

children to feed and clothe.

The stress is almost too much to bear.

I am doing everything I can to not go mad and be a miserable person.

I am reminding myself daily that I am luckier than many.

It doesn't always make me feel better, but I need to remind myself.

Feeling sorry for myself, rather depressed and not looking forward
to the coming weeks is kind of a drag.

I sat down at my computer, looked up & saw this photograph.

It is of me & my lovely old dear Max.

Seeing him look up at me made me smile for a moment.

My smile turned to tears as always happens when I think about and miss Max.

He really was a sweet dog.

The Airport

I went to Toronto Pearson Airport last night with my Dad

to pick up my brother and his family on their journey

back from California and Disneyland.

As we were waiting at the arrivals gate for the plane from LAX

I was wondering if we'd see any celebrities.

Lo and behold, the sliding doors open and through

them walked Howie Mandel. Too funny.

Canadian game show host celebrity at it's 2nd best.

Alex Trebek is the best.

I just couldn't pull my eyes away from a woman waiting for her beloved

at the gate with us.  It caused great internal struggle for me in regards to fur.

I feel like a bit of a hypocrite.
I don't have any negative thoughts when I see a nice leather jacket, purse or boots.
Why do I have such a different reaction when I see fur?

They weren't literally stuffed rats on strings but it sure looked like it.
I don't know if they were connected to her jacket or if they were
tassels from a sweater.
Fur legwarmers. Fur legwarmers?

Mole (Skin Tag) Be Gone

I had an MD appointment this afternoon.

While there, I mentioned that I have a few moles on my neck and  

one in particular I didn't like the look of.

My doc leaned in, poked about & said they're skin tags,

"Want me to cut them off now? Let's see what I have here."

She pulled out a blade & determined one, the ugly one, was

the only one she cold do right there & then without too much bleeding.

I grabbed Adam's hand & she went to work.

It didn't hurt at all & I think my doc is a rock star.

She's awesome.

Before

After

My Bane

I've said before that one of the negatives of my job is my commute.

I take both a Bus (36) and Subway (Lawrence-Finch)
to and from work.

Based on Google Maps it is 20.6 kms from home;

By car - 22 minutes.

By public transit - not taking schedules into account -  1 hour 6 minutes.

Since last Friday, my commute home has been most painful.

I finish work at 4:00pm.

Friday:
Car accident bus rerouted - construction delay - home at 6:45pm.

Monday:
Construction delay - short turned - home at 6:30pm.

Tuesday:
Construction delay - subway shut down for 1 hour - home at 6:45pm.

Today:
Construction delay - short turned - home at 6:00pm.

That is 10 hours.
My time is valuable and there are so many

other ways I'd like to spend 10 hours.

As it's the way home, I'm too tired to read for more than 30 minutes.

I don't like loud music through headphones, but I should

go to the Library and try books on tape/cd.
That might work.

Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time

 Adam rented me this film;

Source

I really enjoyed it.

I had no preconceptions or expectations.

It is based on a video game that I've not played.

It's a Disney Film but with a Jerry Bruckheimer

lets make another franchise feel to it.

It was a what it should be; 2 hours of fun, fantasy,

entertainment with good looking people, some great sword fights,

a Villain, a Jester, a King, Princes and a Princess.

Of course, the Disney Happily Ever After.

I actually like Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role of Prince Dastan.

As it was a cast filled with Brits, he had a dialect coach

to master the British accent.

He had the same coach as Renee for Bridget Jones

and Gwyneth for Sliding Doors.

I think he aced it. Well done.

Throw in the great Ben Kingsley

and Alfred Molina for some star power.

Characters that added spice were the Hassansins.

Once the King's personal Assassins, now a secret tool for the bad guy.

I also like how they worked in Twirling Dervishes/Sand Dervishes.

Plus, to tell the truth, if I was 14 years old, I'm quite sure I'd have

a picture of Jake hanging in my locker ;)

Yesterday's Walk

Yesterday Crockett and I went for our Sunday walk after lunch.

Being that it was the coldest day of the year so far it took

a while for me to get motivated to face the cold.

By the time I'd layered & wrapped up I

was so hot it made me nauseous.

There was a really beautiful clear blue sky.

It was cold out in the open where the wind could get to you.

Luckily, the park is surrounded by hedges and trees and bushes.

 Pug on a path.



Little tracks in the snow.

Crockett repeatedly raised his front left paw and stood still.
Too cold on his toes.

He didn't walk at his usual pace.
He turned around and headed for home
where he cuddled up & slept in his bed all afternoon.

Knitting & Math

I have really enjoyed knitting this winter but I fear I

will never get past the basic stitch.

These are my 2 scarves I am currently working on for my nieces
along with a really pretty one my Mom made for me for Christmas.

 Click on the photo to enlarge and see my comments.

 I was browsing some patterns for hats and

they seem so much like Math.

Math shuts me down.

Business/Accounting, debit/credit - I'm good. It's logical.

Anything else, I lose interest & shut down.

See # 8 on this list as to why I think this has happened  - here.

It took me years to want to try Sudoku.

My Mom explained how it had nothing to do with

Math and that I could replace 1-9 with A-I.

I got it, now I enjoy it.

But I digress.

This is the pattern I want to be able to knit.

I just love this.

Source

I'll keep on with my scarves and work my way up to this Jumper one day.

Rice

I really like Rice.

I could eat it with every meal.

My favorite is Basmati.

One of my favorite desserts is home made Rice Pudding.

I have a rice cooker, but it's just a basic one.

It's perfect for making Rice for myself.

Adam is more a potato/pasta guy.

I like to throw it in, push the button & not have to think

about it while I prepare & cook my veggies.

This was my dinner.



Do you see the Ninja Pug Eyes?

No matter what I do, I am always being watched!

My Bucket List Evolution

As I regularly write down ideas as

they come to me for  My Bucket List, I have decided
to change its name and by doing so, it's meaning.

The first definition of a Bucket List on the Urban Dictionary is;
A list of things to do before you die. Comes from the term "kicked the bucket".

I've decided to move away from the "before I die" mentality and call it
My Life List.

I will post it when I've got 20 items on it.
I always thought once it was written, that was it, no edits.
I've gotten over that train of thought & realize that like life, it can change.

My First Face Plant of Winter

So it was 10:40pm and Crockett needed to go

out for his last tinkle before bed.



I bundled up warm with my kick ass boots

but I didn't wear my mittens.

It was actually wasn't cold. It was almost foggy.

Just cool enough for all the rain to start to freeze.

The sidewalks were okay as long as they were navigated with caution.

Instead of going to the park at night, that also has many stairs, I

decided to go the other way & let Crockett run around in the

snow next to the Church across the street.

He had fun, but I made a bad choice coming back.  I didn't cross

the street at the light.

I slipped and fell flat on my face in the middle of Yonge Street.

I had Crockett on the leash so my right arm was extended and

- this may be too much information - 

but my right boob took the hardest hit.

It's like I landed right on it.

Both my knees hurt and the palms of both hands

are still burning.

The thing that freaked me out was that, as I said, I didn't cross at the lights.

A CAR WAS COMING!!!

I feared that it'd run over my head & Crockett.

Thank goodness I was wearing my pink hat!

He saw me in his lights & stopped to ask if I was ok.

I think I'm sore now because of how fast I jumped back up off balance.

I learned a lesson tonight.....

Don't be stupid!

Face Plant - a visual aid.

Click on it for a bigger look.

My burning sore red hand.

 

POST UPDATE Jan 19'11

I have really hurt myself with that fall last night.

When I got into bed my hands were still burning.

My right wrist, elbow & shoulder were just screaming.

I had a very uncomfortable night and

woke up with a shoulder that just isn't working and very very sore.

Getting dressed was not fun.

Typing is actually painful too.

I can't extend my arm out.

So today, it sucks to be me.

User Guides vs. Assembly Instructions

Slowly I am learning the features of my new camera.

Very slowly.

It is a Canon Power Shot SX130 IS

with 12X Optical Zoom.

The User Guide is 180 pages.

I have always been very adept with assembly instructions.

I can pretty much always figure out how to fix things and build things.

My Dad & I work really well together with Ikea furniture.

My Mom & I work really well together with Wall Paper.

I'm logical and patient.

Where my skill is lacking is understanding User Guides and PS3 controls.

I'm a visual learner.

I can watch a How To Video once or twice and it sticks.

My learning style is like the Chinese proverb:

“Tell me and I'll forget;

show me and I may remember;

involve me and I'll understand.”

Today I figured out the Fish Eye effect feature.

Hilarious.

I took loads of photos of Adam & I looking completely wrong

and goofy and bug-eyed and I just couldn't stop laughing.

Crockett was interesting because as a Pug,

he already has a bug-eyed face with wide apart eyes

so they just looked like close ups.

He wasn't thrilled with me sticking the camera in his face today.

PUG BUG EYES!

He's just too cute.

Dog Boots - Part Trois

Last night, I was exhausted.

After having so much time off at Christmas (NOT complaining)

it has been tough to get back into the work routine.

I also had a task to complete this past week

that was very data entry intensive which in itself

makes me mentally tired.

Upon arrival home last night, I put on my flannel jammies

and laid down on the bed under a comfy blanket for a nap.

That was at about 6:30pm.

I woke up this morning at 10:30am.

Well rested.

The kind of over sleep where I have lots of dreams.

I can only half remember them now a mere 90 minutes later.

We had a nice snow fall overnight and I was really looking forward to

my Saturday morning walk with Crockett.

I pulled out the box of ridiculous balloon Dog Boots

and as soon as he saw the color orange he sat straight up

in a defensive position and gave me the stink eye.

As soon as I moved closer to him, he bolted to

the living room and hid under the table.

I wrapped myself up nice and off we went.

Here is our walk in pictures.

The sidewalks are good. Not slippery and no salt.

The streets are not in good shape for driving.

They haven't been plowed.

If Yonge St. hasn't been plowed I fear for the side streets.

When I came inside, the radio news announced that the OPP are

getting accident notifications every minute.

He likes the snow. He just looks confused when trying to decide where to *go*.



This photo is a good measure of the snow fall.

Good thing I tucked my jammies into my boots.

As we were walking I heard birds singing. It was really nice.

I looked around and caught sight of 2 Cardinals.

I didn't want to move to and scare them away.

I put my camera on the Landscape setting and used the zoom feature.

I didn't think they'd come out  clear as I didn't let go

of Crockett's leash for fear he'd spook them.

They came out ok.  If you click on them & look at them

larger you can see the detail better.

There are two birds.

There is another one further back in the tree.

If you look left you can see a bit of red.

I pass this everyday.

Crockett frequently tinkles on it.

With snow on it, it looks like a face.

Adam says it looks like the Iron Giant.

I'm back indoors, eating a hearty warm porridge with a cup of tea,

but outside playing is I think, the place to be today.

As long as you're nowhere near cars or the road.

Adam was a dear and did all the house cleaning chores last night

while I was in an deep slumber so on my to do list today is NOTHING.

Perfect.

New Look and a New Book

I thought I'd go for a warmer look on screen since it is so cold outside.

The previous pink template, while pretty, is best suited for summertime.

I really like the color orange especially when paired

with brown. Along with the books in the border - perfect!

Also, it's time to start reading my Christmas book

from Ma & Pa :

Jane Austen's Mansfield Park

I've not read it before nor have I seen the movie.

I will rent the movie after I finish the book.

What I did do was check out the cast list for the film on IMDB.

I was thinking that Maggie Smith was in it, but I was wrong. 

I was thinking it was the Gosford Park cast.

Mansfield Park - Gosford Park.....I was close.

The Gosford Park cast is awesome so I just might

have to rent that too one Sunday afternoon whilst

Adam is otherwise occupied.

I'd say it would not be his cup of tea.

Again, photos of Crockett are good for the soul.

Plus, I'm still trying to figure out all the settings on my new camera.

I still haven't figure out how to use the fisheye effect.

In this shot, I think Crockett looks like an Ewok!

Cold and Tired

I had some work to do tonight.

It is one of the advantages of dealing with folks in China - it's

10am tomorrow morning there!

Our bedroom is a bit cool and
I don't want to turn up the heat cause then we'll wake up

in the middle of the night hot and sweaty like it's  a

mid-August humid heat wave.

We still haven't found a setting on the radiator

that is perfect.

So, I'm sitting here wrapped in a blanket & wearing a hat.

I'm tired.

Eyes of a Stranger

Hungry Eyes

Green Eyes

Eye of the Beholder

Eye of the Tiger

In Your Eyes

Eye in the Sky

Nope.

My song tonight would be;

TIRED EYES



Winter Wonderland

One of the things I miss about Quebec -

The Winter Carnival

and the Bonnehomme Carnavale.

Quebec Winter Carnival

Back in my youth, I was the Winter Carnival Queen for the City of Dorval one year.

I had tiara and everything.

I got to sit in a convertible in the parade

and drop the puck at a Friday night Junior B Hockey Game.

It was loads of fun and in no way was it a talent or beauty contest.

I got my name picked out of a hat to represent our Figure Skating Club.

There were a dozen other girls who were representing their sport or club.

The first girl to have her name pulled out of the

festive winter barrel 3 times won.

I won!

I am happy with the weather and happy that it is snowing.

It makes it not so sad when you see the Christmas Trees

stuffed in body bags on the side of the road.

It started to snow this evening so I logged onto The Weather Network
because I'm a nerd and that's how I roll.

This is how the next 24 hours will look here in Toronto.

These are the beautiful sparkly snowflakes on our kitchen windowsill.

Finally, the view tonight from our kitchen window.
I feel like having a nice foamy hot chocolate with mini marshmallows.

What Is It All About?

That is the question that keeps on repeating itself

when my mind is quiet.

What is it all about?

There have been struggles, worries, stresses.

It's been difficult with Adam not working, but we get by.

Those months with the extra paycheck give us a date night,

a dinner out, an opportunity to feel normal.

Buy the fancy mustard and cheese ;)

I've started equating everything with how many hours

I had to work to acquire it.

My Dad has done this for years and I am sure he will be happy

to find out that it's finally rubbed off on me.

By the current economic measurements, I don't know what we'd be

categorized as; Middle Class? Lower Class? Working Poor?

I don't read The Globe and Mail or The Economist.

I should, but it causes me to worry.

I'm not ignorant, right now, I'm fragile.

I watched a Documentary about a group of

Volunteers who went into a remote - hike access only - village

in Haiti to provide medical care and Cholera medication.

I spent the whole hour with tears streaming down my face,

emotions ranging from sadness to guilt to anger.

What contribution do I make?  How am I making the

world a better place?

We recycle.

We use public transit.

We have a small carbon footprint.

What gives me right to whine about anything?

I have a roof over my head.

I have clean accessible free water.

I have boots that keep my feet dry.

Clothes that keep me warm.

I flick a switch and a light comes on.

Another switch and I can cook a meal.

I only have to walk 1 block and within 20 minutes any time of the day

a bus or subway will pick me up and take me where ever I need to go in the GTA.

My husband requires daily medication and

we get it just by making a phone call and a quick trip up to the pharmacy.

I live in a city with over 20 Hospitals.

PERSPECTIVE.

I have never been one to buy things.

Adam has accused me of not knowing how to spend money.

By that, he means if I won 1 Million Dollars, I would still

buy practical items. Things we need. Not extravagances.

It's true.

We have what we need.

Nothing too fancy or flash.

I'd rather buy 1 quality item than have a lot of cheap items.

For instance, why buy a matching couch, love seat, chair and ottoman

for $799 that are pieces of crap when you

can spend the same amount on one well made couch that will

last forever?  We don't need seating for 12 in our apartment.

There are so many things that are backwards.

Why is it every commercial, magazine, bill board

is telling me that I need to spend money I don't have on crap I don't need?

No money down, 0% financing, don't pay 'til 2015.

If someone in a time machine came here from only as far back as the late 60's, early 70's

we'd be fancy as we have a TV in our bedroom AND our living room.

We are not wealthy by any means. Nowhere near it, but I feel we are rich.

But I digress.

I am doing what loads of Canadians do every day.

I get up, go to work, come home, sleep.

I get up, go to work, come home, sleep.

I get up, go to work, come home, sleep.

I get up, go to work, come home, sleep.

I get up, go to work, come home, sleep.

Then for 2 days I get to do what I want, when I want

and get in some grocery shopping and laundry.

How lucky am I?

What is it all about?

It wouldn't be worth it without the people I have in my life.

My loving Adam.

and of course Crockett

My parents.

Those I consider family.

Friends.

Along with the struggle, worry and stress, I have

love, joy, peace, laughter and gratitude.

I honestly need to find a way to remind myself of this.

It's easy to feel blue. It's easy to feel boohoo, poor me.

It's ok to feel these things.

To know when it's good, you need to be able to compare it to the bad.

Gayle wrote me that Wendy says, "Negativity attracts itself twofold."

This is also a good thing to remember.

Inability To Concentrate

Today, I've not been able to concentrate on anything.

I made the 3 batches of Christmas Cookies

that were sitting at the bottom of my fridge - reminding

me that my Christmas didn't turn out as planned.

I don't know if I will ever be successful at making

them like Adam's Mother made, but I will

keep trying.

Other than making the cookies, I've been completely useless today.

I tried to have a good think, but my mind is a jumbled mess.

I'll just have to put my thinking off for another week.

I made a promise to myself that no matter how

difficult and challenging the next few months are, I cannot

forget to take care of myself.

I will have Oatmeal for Breakfast.

I won't skip lunch or rush through it based

on the # of e-mails in my Inbox.

I will walk on the treadmill daily to get my blood moving.

I will sleep between 7-8 hours a night - EVERY night.

That being said, time for bed.

Dog Boots - Part Deux

Cool Dog Boots with Velcro fasteners and rubber soles

with treads are not made small enough for Pugs.

It is funny that I even thought Dog Boots like these would

be possible for our Crockett.

This is a dog that is so squirmy, I had to take him daily

to the Vet just to put in ear drops.

I've NEVER been able to clip his nails.

He even resisted to be trained to give me a paw.

He likes to cuddle.

He gives kisses.

He lets me clean his eyes - but that's about it.

I can't get anywhere close to his nose.

That little dry bit of skin that he gets sometimes on the top

of his nose in his Pug wrinkly face begs to be removed.

Can't can't can't get near enough to it.

The folks at the Dog Boutique told Adam that for a Pug, these

are the only option.

I say Dog Boutique because only a Boutique can get away with charging

$25.00 for a dozen freaking balloons!

I've seen dogs with little orange booties on before but never close

enough to see that they are balloons.

Today we woke up to a snow covered world, which means

a salt covered sidewalk.

As soon as I grabbed Crockett's leg, he bolted.

I asked Adam for some help, got him to pick him up

and was able to get one balloon on a back paw.

Crockett then rolled in Adam's arms like a Crocodile and had

to be put down so he wouldn't get dropped.

I equate the effort to get this one balloon on a Crockett paw 

as trying to get into Spanx.

Brutal.

Crockett retreated to his safe place under the table

and gave me the stink eye so that I would leave him alone.

I don't think he even knew he had it on.  He didn't try to shake it

off or even look at his paw.

I did keep the one paw covered when I took him out.

 Unless the salt gets completely unbearable, Crockett
will go out with naked paws and be dropped
in a shallow tub of luke warm water upon arrival
home to get the salt off.

I'm Too Tired To Sleep

I'm pleased that this week is over and I'll

get to sleep in tomorrow.

Tonight I am the kind of tired where I look it

and Adam comments on it.

I feel so tired that my lazy eye is creeping inward.

Cross-eyed....not a good look for me.

I had a short cuddle nap with Crockett but it's

almost as if I'm too tired to fall asleep.

Tomorrow, as planned, I am having a quiet day.

I am going to be very still and very quiet.

Maybe stay in my jammies all day, do some knitting,

listen to some music, nap and contemplate

about all things that need contemplating about.

I will also have to throw in a few batches of
Christmas Cookies into the oven as I still have
3 balls of cookie dough wrapped up in the bottom of my fridge.

Crockett pictures are good for the soul.



24 Hours Later and a Crockett Update

My Dad called and said,

 " I read your blog yesterday and also read it aloud to Mom.

So........what's going on?"

Gayle also let me know she'd worry with me.
So very kind.

I'm sorry if I worried anyone with my pity party.

I'm am still perturbed, but not suicidal or

crying non-stop.

In fact, I slept like a baby last night.

I woke up with really sore bones.

Sore knees, sore back.

Physical manifestation of mental pain?

Oh well, tomorrow is FriYAY

and I'm going to keep on keeping on

and breathe!

If we can find a good movie playing we'll use the
Cineplex Gift Certificate we got for Christmas.
Movie =  2 hours of escapism.

I will be taking some quiet time this weekend to think.

Really think.

I can take a scary situation and learn from it.

Take the positive from it.

Become stronger.

Que sera sera.

As for Crockett.....

He has taken to his medication & has not had any

more coughing fits.

He still has 10 days of rest, no walks and no

contact with other dogs.

Times like this I wish I'd trained

him to jump up on & use the loo.

Right now, he is keeping me company. On a warm, comfy blanket.

Dogs are awesome.



Good Grief! No.....BAD Grief!!

Today was not such a good day.

My brain hasn't stopped since I was given a bit of news at work.

The only way to describe what has been going on in my head

for the last 9 hours is;

Woe

Chaos

Dread

Fear

Trepidation

Agitation

Worry

Angst

Distress

Apprehension

and Uneasiness 

I'm in a position where I have to make a decision.

As much as I dislike the Canadian Rock Institution that is RUSH,

Geddy Lee hit the nail on the head with the lyric,

" If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice."

It's almost like I need to pray or to meditate or to sit in a quiet

distraction free room and just really think. 

I need a really really big piece of paper, a pencil, a pencil sharpener and an eraser.

I need to write everything down as it comes, without worrying

that my writing is neat, I'm using correct grammar
or that what I am writing makes any sense. 

Then I have to listen and really hear the response I get from the Universe.

I wish I could ask advice from;

Gandalf 

Yoda

Kuato

Glenda the Good Witch

Dumbledore

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Galadriel

Aslan

The Man with the Yellow Hat

The Friendly Giant

Some fictional character that would magically provide me with the perfect

solution and all would just work out perfectly.

I consider myself an intelligent person.

I am logical.

I know who I am.

I have a healthy sense of self.

I am honest with myself.

I know what I like, I know what I don't like.

I know my strengths and my weaknesses.

One of my weaknesses that will be tested

is my lack of hearing my inner voice.

I tend to question my intuition.

During my commute home, I feared that I would not be

good company tonight.

I made an effort before I walked int he door to breathe, smile

and not be a Debbie Downer.

Adam did what Adam does.  He made me smile.

He made me laugh and he made me forget,

even for a few moments,

all the crap that is bumping around in my brain.

The trick will be getting to sleep tonight.

I'll have to put in The Lord of the Rings on DVD

and let Howard Shore's awesome score

assist me in getting to the REM stage of sleep.

Our Crockett

 There were no 2nd, 3rd or 4th batch of Christmas Cookies baked today.

Last night was the second night that Crockett kept us up with a scary cough.

Saturday night, he woke up about 5 times throughout the night with this

awful cough.  It was completely different from the Pug Reverse Sneeze.

It would last 30 seconds and then he'd be fine.

Sunday during the day, he did it a few times - after physical exertion.

Last night at around 1:00am, he had another coughing fit.

This one freaked me out as it wasn't a 30 second cough cough spit.

This lasted about 5 minutes.

I panicked after 3 minutes, grabbed the camera & shot this:

It took everything in me not to load him into a cab & go to the

Emergency Vet Clinic.

It was very shortly after I pressed stop on the camera that he stopped.

I took him out into the living room where it's cooler, sat with him

by his water bowl & slept on the couch next to him in his dog basket.

He had one more episode around 3am that thankfully didn't last very long.

As soon as the Vet opened this morning our appointment was booked.

Based on what Crockett was doing, I figured it was Kennel Cough.

Our apartment building does not have any green space at all.

No Courtyard, nothing.  Crockett gets walked to the

grass across the street, the parkette or next door to the big park.

He doesn't play with alot of dogs off leash, but he does

give a sniff and a *hi* to multiple dogs daily as we live in

a high dog populated area.

The Vet said that Kennel Cough is going around and that

she's seen quite a few cases.

Crockett with his, "I know I'm at the Vet" look.

They sent Crockett for a Chest X-Ray.

One thing about Crockett is that he is squirmy.

Not just squirmy, really really difficult to handle squirmy.

When he had an ear infection a while back, I had to take nightly trips

after work to the vet just to get drops put in his ears.

As he was being X-Ray'd, I could hear him coughing from where I was

sitting in the exam room.  It was heartbreaking.

He came back into the exam room after the X-Ray and the coughing continued.

When he finally stopped, the poor little monkey was exhausted.

I also uploaded these 2 videos of the experience so my folks could see exactly

what I was talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO0R3TxRgxc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfXc_mb3M8Y

When he was back to breathing normally & had a few gulps

of water, we left the Vet's office and headed for home

to get his medication in him.

Waiting for the bus - fogging up the glass.

We were given the instruction to keep him away from other dogs for 14 days, to
 let him rest and that one of his 2 medications will make him sleepy.

He has been comfortable & cough free all afternoon.
Thank DOG!

I, on the other hand am still dealing with my lack of sleep, stress headache. 
It's been a brutal 36 hours.

I am hoping to get a good nights sleep tonight as tomorrow,
I go back to work!

Cookies Like Adam's Mother Used To Make?

As this is the second day since Sunday Dec 19'10

that I finally feel that my cold isn't ruling my world, I decided to

tackle some baking that I'd put off.

These are cookies that Adam enjoyed in childhood that I

am desperately trying to replicate.



Ingredients



Everything but the Flour

Flour added & mixed

Divide into 4 balls

Wrap in Wax Paper - Refrigerate for min. 2 hours.

After taking a short nap - at 9:00pm at night (crazy) I have taken 1 batch

from the fridge and am ready for my 1st attempt.

Feedback from past years/attempts has been that I don't make them thin enough.

Rolling them out thin is the easy part.  Getting them up off the counter and onto the

cookie sheet intact is the tough part.

That is why they are basic circles and not fancy Christmas cut out shapes.

Thin enough?

 

The direction said 350 for 10-12 mins.  I put them in for 10 mins.
Some are still too well done.
And too thick.



The last half of the batch were so thin, my metal spatula almost scratched
my counter.  They are super thin.
I only put them in at 350 for 7 mins.


The feedback from Adam is that they are thin, but not orangey enough.
I know he is appreciative, but as the baker, I just want him to
take a bite, make yummy noises and smile.


The recipe called for 1 tbsp of orange rind.
I still have 3 batches in the fridge. I'll experiment with the next batch.
try to add some orange extract or additional rind.


Tomorrow, I will complete the final 3 batches and
what will be will hopefully be cookies that make Adam happy.