THURSDAY TA DAHS!

[lucylee]

Waiting on Doctor to read my mammogram....

[CathyS]

Garbage and recycling trucks have both gone by. Recycling box is now back where it belongs.

I have hung 3 fly strips this morning. I have also swept up 4 piles of debris. Looking online to see what colours of paint go best with honey oak cabinets.

I'm going out to do some looking around at paint and décor type stores.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Twins: it may be that you aren't in a mental place that the bullet journal is the tool for you

My tips

- let go of perfection. No pretty pages (although I do have 3 different pens with it so I can choose ink colours that reflect my mood or priority but those are used randomly so pages are not pretty.)

- let go of order - pages of notes will fall in the middle (arghhhh!) of to-do lists. Rely on the index to help you find those notes. Here's an example:

Pages 45/46 are the two page spread for Sept. 26 to Oct 2 (I plan my weeks M-Sun because over the week I prepare for work on Sunday.) On the top left I have a weekly event calendar taking up about 1/3 of the page, and then I list the to-do tasks for each day, under a heading of each day written in normally as I finish the previous day. Page 45 has Mon & Tuesday. Page. 46 has Wed/Th/Fr. I'm so busy this week there was no room for Sat/Sun and they are both busy so I'll need a spot for them.

Pages 47/48 are the monthly calendar page for October. Top left has a printed calendar pasted in and filled in with events. Details are located on the bottom half of 47 and all of 48. So it shows 5th, address of where I'm going, same for 6th. As things fill in, I'll enter descriptions on pages 47/8 and not necessarily in order of date.

Pages 49/50 are the notes from today's cardiology appointment for dh. There's just a few lines used on page 50 so October 1 & 2 daily notes will go there.

Which means, unless something else big happens, on Sunday I'll likely draw in the weekly plan for Oct 3 - 9 on pages 51/52. Yet, you'd expect to find them on pages 49/50.

Let go of order, and rely on the index to help. Since I'm managing multiple projects at once (dd, dh's heart, refugee, residents' association) I just let the index do its work and if I need to flip to a page frequently (i.e. p. 42 with all the phone numbers), I put a post-it-note bookmark there. I also have a post-it-note bookmark for the current weeks' pages.

- I alternate between printing (in the calendar boxes), my upright cursive, fairly large (to do items, quick notes) and my 'good' cursive (calm note taking, things that I'm pondering) So most pages slightly resemble ransom notes with a dog's breakfast of font colours and handwriting.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

First ta-da's from today are done. I'm having an early lunch (french toast, bacon, strawberries, glass of milk; yes, I know that sounds like breakfast...)

Slept better last night and got going reasonably well. Just focused on getting out the door and did so on time. Brought my tea and chocolate to have in the car and my computer to start responding to the dozen emails waiting for me.

Dh's cardiologist's appointment went very well. There is a 50/50 chance he has a slight blockage. They could do a CT scan and confirm or just start statins and bring down his cholesterol. This is unrelated to his valve problem, which isn't worsening at the moment, so that valve replacement is in the future and I'll continue to wear earplugs at night so I don't have to worry about it.

We'll do the statins. When the valve is to be replaced, they'll do a final diagnosis on the blockage while they have dh opened up.

On the plus side, the stress test shows dh in the 80th percentile for his age which is remarkable considering the dodgy valve. Dh likes to be remarkable so he's happy. Also the doc said diet won't make a difference, just do the statins (and prescribed generic lipitor - sp?)

After that I picked up a present from my childhood best friend for dd.

We leave in 30 minutes to take the superintendent and his wife to the hospital for an appointment. Then we'll come home, walk to tai chi, post office to pick up a parcel and drop the prescription at the pharmacy.

This is day is well under control. Woot!

[Lilac]

Hooray!!!! Yeah!!!! Yippie!!!! I went to the podiatrist yesterday and they did 3 x-rays of different positions of my foot. First he said it looked great. Then he said you could still see a hairline fracture. Then he said that sometimes x-rays are up to 2 weeks behind your progress. Really? Seriously? That doesn't make sense to me. He poked and prodded the toe and I didn't have pain. He said that I could now put weight on it, but to be extra careful for 2 weeks. I really think that is due to my age (62). He also told me to wear hard shoes. He was looking at my sandals as he said this. So I came home and put on lace up, sport type shoes. When I took them off at bedtime, my right ankle looked swollen. When I first started walking while putting weight on those toes, I was still limping. The toe that had been broken felt numb at first, but by evening it felt normal. Dd2 had bought the cutest pair of navy slip on shoes at TJMaxx earlier this summer. The last time I was in there, they still had some. They would be the perfect shoe to wear while protecting this foot so I need to go see if they still have them.

I am so behind here, but have decided to not even try to cuop, just jump in.

My dcousin passed away on Sept. 8. Her memorial service was Sept.16. We were gone 3 days to attend it. Then we were home 3 days before dh left for a 6 day trip. He got home Monday.

While dh was gone, dd2 and her dh left Friday to go to Vegas. I picked the girls up at their bus stop Friday afternoon. Saturday morning was volleyball and of course, pictures. That afternoon dgd20 (their cousin) came over and gave them both manicures. That evening I took the girls to IHOP for supper. Sunday morning was showers and hair washing. They both have almost waist length hair. That afternoon we went to the movies. While we were gone dgd20 (their sister) came over to do her laundry and work on homework. I asked her to stay and eat. Before bedtime we had to pick out clothes for the next day and organize the backpacks. They take a throw, a small thermos of water and leap frog pads for the bus ride. Luckily they both liked the school lunch menu so I didn't have to pack lunches but dgd7 needed a snack. They have to pack a healthy snack daily for her. The girls are former night owls but having to get up at 5:30 am, has turned them into early bird sleepers. Wow, what an eye opener and reminder of what having kids at home, entails. I was on my feet almost constantly. It seemed like all I did was meals and dishes. No reading until they were in bed. The girls were really good, dd2 thought they would be crying messes over her being gone. I am glad they weren't that would have been hard to deal with. I think being with me at their home made all the difference. After I got in bed Sunday night, I started worrying that what if I took fast acting insulin instead of long lasting which is a much higher dose. So I stayed awake reading and waiting. I knew if I took the wrong med and dosage, I would feel the effects of a crash. I felt fine, but then while trying to go to sleep, I was worried I wouldn't hear the alarm. So I didn't get the sleep I needed, but did hear the alarm. They were hard to get awake but once they were, they got around and we made it to the car, to get on the road to the bus stop on time. After I got back to town, I ran by my house to get my vacuum cleaner and mop. I vacuumed the entry way, hallway, living room, dining room and kitchen. Then I mopped the kitchen and dusted. I had washed the sheets to their bed and made it, plus had washed towels. I had stayed on top of the dishes, so the house looked nice for them to come home to. I then had to load all the stuff that I had hauled over there and was then free to go home, unload it and resume my normal life.

I decided to pick the girls up at school at 3:50 and then go to the airport to surprise their parents. I had sent each teacher a note about this and told the girls to tell the bus driver that they wouldn't be riding. Just as we arrived at the airport the plan landed. We went in and waited for them. We were standing where we would see them before they seen us. Dd2 was so glad to see the girls. Dd2 usually picks the girls up at school on Mondays due to gymnastics, but she had sent a text to each teacher and the bus driver saying that she wanted them to ride the bus that day, so that they could surprise the girls at the bus stop. She couldn't figure out why none of them had responded to her text. Luckily I had mentioned the surprise for the parents in my note and they let that over ride dd2s text. Plus, I was there when school let out to pick them up. As it turned out, by the time they got their luggage and we were able to head to town, by the time we got to the bus stop, it was already back on the highway and all the parents were leaving the area. Dd2 hadn't asked me to pick them up because it is a 30 minute drive to the school. I wouldn't want to do it every day but was glad I did it that day.

Wow, the morning has gotten away from me, so I better hit the shower.

[Twins' Mom]

Thanks for the info, Kathryn. I am feeling kind of paralyzed right now,

I emailed the trainer we had worked with - sent her a copy of the report from yesterday. I argue back and forth with myself as to what I can deal with. I've told myself I can't have a dog I can't trust but it seems I'm bringing that into question now. Vet yesterday said we would never be able to trust him in new situations or with strangers.

I'm not sure that he will be allowed to board, which means we can't go away, since dkids can't handle him, and a stranger dog sitting may be out of the question. Vet yesterday says we need real fence, not invisible, to contain him. Newer neighbors to one side of us put in a fence because one of their dogs isn't trustworthy with strangers, but they have friends who can stay in the house and dog sit.

So many people haven't had a problem with him - our cleaning lady who comes here weekly, the neighbor we walk with and her husband, the trainer lady - and it's hard to reconcile his usual sweet demeanor with the Jeckle and Hyde personality that comes out.

I've said that if my dog bit someone (like I was bitten last winter by a neighbor dog) I would put the dog down. I needed 13 stitches, when Chief nipped the other trainer at the training/boarding place it was "only" (in my mind) a little puncture wound. Is is reasonable to put him down at this point?

This morning one of the neighbors out walking was praising him - how well he obeys and walks on the leash - from across the street, of course.

Wishing our vet would call me back, probably waiting until his lunch time tho.

And then there's the chance meds will help...Vet from yesterday hasn't called me back about starting them yet. Wanted to research whether there were any interactions between meds and flea/tick/heartworm meds.

I'm heading out to get the meals and visit dmom - ddog will be in the crate here at home. He's visited my mother and brother numerous times and been fine but dd read the the riot act about what if he bit my mother....

[Nancy]

I am back in from watering. Hot coffee is on now. Dishwaher is going now. Workers are down the way house on the corner at the end of the st. Has sold. On the st. Behind us has tree trimmers at work so lots going on here today. Sun is in and out today.

Feeling better now if I keep moving that helps. Which helped the kitchen look better too.

[lucylee]

TA-DA:
They let me go without doing an ultrasound, said my doctor would receive "official" report, but everything was fine.
* whew *

I treated myself to breakfast... now I'm home (alone, b/c dh is playing golf) and I'm struggling between nap (b/c I had to get up early) or productivity. I think the nap is going to win out, b/c I'm almost falling asleep at the computer.

(((Twins))) I just hate this so much for you, about Chief. It is such a difficult decision.

x-rays are up to 2 weeks behind your progress. Really? Seriously? That doesn't make sense to me.

Well that doesn't make sense to me either, Lilac! How can an x-ray be behind progress? That's like saying a photograph taken New Year's Day is really showing what people looked like on Christmas...
(((Hugs))) for the loss of your cousin...
and Big WTG on all the childcare while your dd was away! I can imagine how different your day was with two children underfoot every day!

Hope all goes well w/Ken, Kathryn. Y'all have enough on your plates without his health becoming a problem!

(((Cathy))) Such a mess. I keep thinking, I wish my ddad could have done this for you, or Mr. Harmony! I'm sure they wouldn't have created such chaos!

(((Nancy))) (for flu shot pain and general yuckiness)

(((Dee))) (for hip pain)

Waving to ALL!!!

[Nancy]

Twins seems you need a fence and out door kennel for when folks come over. Hope after meds. For ddog helps. Our dog is on grain free diet bc of allergies. Wondering about that.

[Ramblinrose]

Morning...

Twins I feel for you too. I know you have a special relationship with Chief like indonwith Willis. Two things to consider, but not sure it will help you any.

First how will keeping Chief effect the relationship when th the rest of your family. You may learn to trust Chief, but will they and will they resent having him in your home.

Second and one you may not have thought of... if your homeowners insurance learns or knows you are keeping a deemed "dangerous dog" in your home, you can loose your insurance.

I know this first hand because of Willis. Although he is NOT a pit, he is what is considered a pit-mix by many homeowner insurance company. We just looked into changing to a company with lower rates, but they wouldn't accept us because of Willis. We got the same response from other companies we looked into. I was totally amazed at the list of dogs insurance companies would not cover.

So... if your insurance company does not known about Chief and he were to attack someone YOU could be personally liable. Know that is not what you want to hear,but you may want to put that in your equation when figuring out what is best for all.