Friday, May 15, 2009

Pick up the pieces!

Wow, my last post garnered five responses!

To follow-up on some of them...Marieps...what can I say, Sandhead the Nurse calls it "pink eye" and the doctor called it "pink eye"....I know it's conjunctivitis...but "pink eye" is what everyone knows it as and it's far more descriptive!

Her eye is fine now, thank you.

Carol, sorry you didn't like the bitches on Real Housewives...as I said, sometimes it's like watching a train wreck...in this case it's like watching the Sopranos...still my all-time favorite tv show!

Jim, yes it is the place you said...it's Buster's now...used to be Jason's. The food there is really good, in the nice weather it's great to sit at the outside picnic tables and enjoy your meal. It can get really crowded there...the place is very popular.

Sue, tell Joanie to tell her son to not put the "whateverthehellitwas" on MY ribs. Maybe other people love the stuff...I really didn't...so I'll let them know the next time that I don't want it. It really seemed though as if someone got their hands on the wrong stuff just as my plate was leaving the kitchen! I think they wanted to put extra barbecue sauce on it and got the something else! I should have said something then, but I didn't want my father's wife getting "into it" with the waitress.....

I will definitely go back to Busters....and I really recommend it to everyone. The meat was even juicy and great tasting a couple of days later when I reheated my leftovers for lunch.

I think I'll go back with Lynne and David...when they go for the Monday night special!

Last night the gang from Dempsey came down for supper. My fellow retirees, Mark Ballard, Al Berger and Janine Miles joined them--Tina, Maureen, Russ and Roberta. We had a great time...too bad that it wasn't nice weather--we were stuck inside. I was hoping we could go out on the deck for dinner. We had lots of food...too much. I have two tubs of fresh fruit in my fridge along with Marko's famous chicken wings that were left-over....and I wrapped a boat load of pizza slices--they are tucked away in the freezer. I'm all set for lunch and supper for about a week!

It was so good to see all of them....haven't seen them all together in a long time. Mark looks good with his new knee--he has one of those SPECIAL replacement knees...it is one of only about 200 in the US (I think he said 200)...Dr. Joyce did it...and the knee is designed especially for Mark. This is what they are doing now---they take images of your existing knee and design one to be just like it....except that it isn't all damaged! This makes so much sense...everyone's knees sit in their legs different from everyone else's. Forcing you to adapt to a "one-size-fits-all" knee just invites pain and discomfort.

Mark said that the operation and immediate aftermath were a piece of cake....physical therapy is another story...but those of us who have gone to PT know what that means! No pain, no gain. UGH!

Rocky continues to adjust to his new home---not! He adjusted on DAY ONE...no further adjustment necessary! He and Bubbles are so cute together, lying on my lap, lying on the deck in the sun, snuggled up together. He is doing so much better on his leg and now he is trying to get Bub and Truman to play with him. Truman gets all excited and then it can turn ugly....but Bubbles is looking like she will play with him...soon.

I got my first dates for work---starting August 3rd, which happens to be my birthday! I got quite a few dates in August--doing a dental program. I used to hate doing those, but the dental students have improved and I won't mind working it now. I'm hoping they find a few things for me before that...I need the money!

Tomorrow and Sunday Sandy and I will be taking the three Russells to the Jack Russell Trials in Hebron at the fairgrounds. We've never been there--it's always been at the Elks Club in Glastonbury. Oh well...this is even closer for us. It will be Rocky's first JRT event...but he'll have to remain a spectator...no participation for him until his leg is healed. Truman and Bub love going to this event....they love going in the tunnel after the rat; finding the rat in the barn; following the scent through the woods and locating the "hidden guinea pig", etc. I don't know if Truman will do lure coursing this year...probably not, due to the problems he's had with his shouder.

We will be seeing Gina tomorrow...she's a friend we made through agility. She lives in Maine and has JRTs. We were thinking of getting a pup from her someday down the road...but now Rocky has come along..... Anyway, it will be great to see Gina and her dogs, Gem and Moby.

I'm typing this as I sit on the deck, the air balmy and quiet...not like yesterday when it was so windy and bitter. I felt for Sandy and Frank as they worked installing the new slate walkway out back. It was really trying weather conditions for them...but they perservered and the result is beautiful! A classy addition to our already classy house!

Now I'm off to fill the birdfeeders and then loaf around for awhile!

Life is GREAT!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

The Day After Monday

Lynne came up yesterday and went with me to Putnam to get Bob Miller and Wini to take them out for lunch. I was also going up to collect a good-sized donation Bob was making in support of my Relay for Life team.

We got up there before Wini got home from church (her Perpertual Adoration gig for the week) and we sat outside on the deck, enjoying the warm sun.

When Wini got home, we immediately left for Buster's for the barbecue. Mike Waters had raved about this place and I had wanted to try it ever since I heard about it from him. Buster's is where Jason's used to be...at Cunningham's Four Corners, hard by the beautiful French River.

I ordered the whole rack of pork ribs, Lynne had the pulled pork sandwich and of course Wini and Bob kept up the trend by ordering.....scallops.

I was a bit disappointed in the ribs. I think someone made a mistake and spread some kind of salsa or red pepper relish over the top of my ribs by mistake. The ribs themselves were very good...nice and crispy and had a great smoky, spicy taste. The damned relish/salsa crap detracted from the flavor. It wasn't until we were leaving the table that I spied the extra bowl of barbecue sauce the waitress had brought to the table.

Lynne fell in love with pulled pork---first time she's ever had it. She spotted a notice for a Monday night special they run with all-you-can-eat pulled pork, ribs and chicken for $10.99 and immediately started planning a return trip! I mean she REALLY LOVED the pulled pork!

On our way out the door, we stopped and checked out the free local newspaper they had in a rack, and then Lynne was checking the rack of tourist attraction brochures. She said "Roseland Cottage.....I've been there." Wini, who was standing behind her asked, "and who gave you your tour?" Lynne froze for half a second and then whirled around, crying "YOU DID!"

It was hysterical....Wini, nodding, knowingly.....Lynne wide-eyed and incredulous! I had to laugh.

Wini had indeed led the tour of Roseland that Lynne had been on, she was/is a docent there and has been for years.

The look on Lynne's face was priceless. It was like "It was YOU....in the LIBRARY....with the LEAD PIPE!!!"

We headed home after lunch as Lynne had to go to yoga and I had Janet and Jessica coming up for supper.

They arrived around 6pm and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Jeremy had come along with them. I rewarded him by making him come with me to Joe DiMaggio's Pizza place to pick up the pizzas we ordered. I wanted him to see all the religious artifacts that they have around the place and all the Narca-Non literature. Jeremy noted what no one had noted before....the bible that they have spread open for people to read...while they wait for their pizza...sits on a garbage can! Good spotting, Jer! It is well worth the trip into that place to get the chance to look around.

And the pizza is pretty good too.

Not much happening today. Rocky, Lily and I lazed around in the AM....Rocky fell asleep on my lap and that got me drowsy...next thing I know I'm waking up to the sound of Sandy's footsteps upstairs...she had gotten up from bed--and it was 1pm! She had come home from work around 4am...scaring the you-know-what out of me...she has pink eye and was sent home due to the fact it's so contagious. Anyway...I was supposed to go to the pharmacy to bring her RX for the eye ointment and I hadn't done it! I flew down to Stop and Shop and now I'm back and getting ready to make a nice Chicken Ceasar Salad for supper.

Sox play later tonight...I dunno if I'll make it to stay up...but then again, "Real Housewives of New Jersey" starts tonight at 11pm so I think I will stay up. That looks like an even bigger trainwreck than all of the Housewives combined! Now we will always have a Housewives playing....New York, then New Jersey, then the Atlanta gals will be back and after them--the California crew. We watch these shows, horrified by the things they say and do....we can't believe they can be so stupid! It really makes us feel superior.

Nighty night!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Little puppy

I have a little Sweetie Pie on my lap...he is asleep and dreaming about something...he's twitching every few seconds. I hope he isn't dreaming about getting hit by that car! If he seems upset, I'll quietly wake him up.

He spent the morning on my lap...and Bubbles was willing to join him up there. We all dozed in the recliner. I wasn't feeling good at all...every day it seems I feel sick after I have breakfast. I don't know what is causing it...but it seems to be getting worse every day. It doesn't matter what I eat for breakfast, today it was my protein shake with the glutamine in it.

Maybe it's the glutamine that is doing it...whatever it is...I don't like it, not one little bit. I even had to take one of my anti-nausea pills this morning...haven't had one of those in weeks! Now I'm thinking it would be a smart thing to get the refill prescription made up. If it's going to be like this every morning I'm going to need help.

Anway, we all reclined quietly this morning and fell asleep. It was so nice and snuggly (after my stomach settled down) and it felt SO RIGHT! That's how I know that Rocky is here to stay.

He is no trouble whatsoever...except when you put him in his kennel--then he barks and makes all kinds of weird crying sounds--very pathetic actually. Fortunately he's only got to be in there for another couple of weeks.

Last night he went into his kennel in the bedroom and didn't make a peep until about 5:45 this morning...even when I got up in the middle of the night to use the facilities...he was quiet. He also quieted right down after I brought him back upstairs from going out to pee. He ate his biscuit and went back to sleep like the rest of them.

Truman rolled him bad today...on Sandy's watch. Sandy was afraid that Rocky hurt his leg again...the pins could bend, he could knock his pelvis out of line again...so many bad things could happen. And Truman slammed him....nasty little dog he is.

I was able to make it to Mystic this afternoon to Gram's wake. Saw Annette, her mother and her aunts. Seems the only time we see each other is at wakes lately. I hope Anna and Annette can come up here sometime and see the place when everything is blooming. They would really like it...and the bird watching off the back deck is really good!

Speaking of birds, we had a pair of Northern Orioles in one of the dogwoods the other day. Then the hummingbirds showed up. I hope the orioles find the grape jelly we put out for them. We also have to get that martin house put up, if we want to have any chance of attracting some this year. Otherwise, we'll have to wait until next year. I want to get some wren houses too and put them up in the fruit trees out back...to keep the wrens out of the bluebird houses! Maybe we could get some bluebirds to nest!

Birgitta and Mats bought a new house. They had the closing yesterday and sent pictures today...it is BEAUTIFUL! The kitchen is awesome...really big with a nice island and great countertop space. The patio area is huge and looks so peaceful! I can't wait to see it next year when we go to Sweden.

Tomorrow Lynne is coming up when she gets off work. We'll travel up to Putnam and get Bob and Wini...to go out to Buster's for some barbecue. I haven't got the barbecue urge out of my system yet. I hope Buster's is open on Mondays. If it isn't there are plenty of places in Putnam and the surrounding towns we can go to for lunch.

Thursday the folks from Dempsey are coming for dinner. They are bringing food and I'm going to provide some stuff too. It will be the first time I see Janine, Al and Julie and Mark Ballard in a long time...they are coming--along with Roberta, Maureen, Tina, Russ and Richard. We are going to have a GREAT time! I may even get out the Rock band and make them play/sing along!

Still no symptoms that make me think I'm getting the Avastin. See...what did I say? I won't get it during this part of the trial....I'll be getting a placebo every three weeks for the next year. Watch, now that I said that, I'll start having the side effects.

One side effect that is still with me and will be for awhile is the neuropathy. It happens intermittently as I said before and at weird times. Like today...I didn't feel it at all, until I was getting ready for the wake and all the way over to Mystic and back---the numbness started at the bottom of my left foot...just a section of it. It is so weird.

Oh HELP ME PLEASE!!! That damned Joe Morgan is making an idiot of himself again broadcasting the Red Sox game. JUST SHOOT ME!!! We have to listen to this jackass? He repeats every point three times! He can't say something once and leave it be....he has to go on and on about it...makes me want to retch!

Rocky is stirring, stretching out to get more comfy. I think I will too.

Nighty night!

This is the photo I mentioned at the end of yesterday's post, that I couldn't get the computer to download last night. This is the guy's business card and there is my little girl, Bubbles, strutting herself across the dog walk! Doesn't she look all muscular and athletic? YOU GO GIRLFRIEND!
I have GOT to get out walking with her again....

Anyway, Bubbles is now "FAMOUS" as we say in my family. I'm so proud of her...she has come a long way from that little dog who would run off the agility course and hide in the tent!