Been busy this week and it feels GREAT! Tuesday I went to the Main Street Grill in Niantic to attend the Seaside Retirees semi annual lunch. Saw "Dr. Bob" Schneider there, first time I've seen him in ages!

Bob told me that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a year and a half ago. He couldn't sign his name, couldn't walk, etc and I believe he said he ended up at Bridebrook for rehab. But then he did a little dance to show me that he is cured! He attributes it to the medicine and the healing services he attended at church. I attribute it to doctor diagnostic error.

Whatever, he is back up and out and it was fun to see him.

Ellen had arranged for a lady to come speak to us about a variety of issues effecting seniors and once again, I felt like an outsider...there to support "those old people." Later, when Mary Ann noted that my hair is grey I told her to "shut the fuck up!'

You get the picture.

Afterwards I snuck down to Bridebrook to visit Flo Robinson, who broke her foot and is in there for rehab. She's being tube fed because they also noted her difficulty with swallowing. She's going to go somewhere in Hartford and they are going to give her a botox treatment to stretch that area, so she can eat again. Hmmmmmm....wonder if this is something they know about in Tennessee???

Flo looked good considering and we had a nice visit. She has a set of Sennheiser wireless headphones for listening to her TV with her hearing aids. She had me try it and I loved it! GREAT SOUND! We have been looking for good wireless headphones for Sandy to use when she watches the shows that have all the beeps and high pitched noises (like CSI) because Bubbles freaks out when she hears those noises.

I'm going to see if I can find that online to get for Sandy for Christmas.

Today is Sandy's birthday...she is now 47. A mere child. I hope she gets to retire in a few years, so we can travel around and enjoy retirement together. When we first got together I thought about that, but didn't realize just how much of a difference it makes to have both partners retired at the same time. Now I am home to help do the house stuff, so she can focus on work and the dogs. But I am looking forward to when we are both free to travel, have fun and do things together.

Yesterday I got to work outside most of the day, helping "the Js," Janet, Jess and Jeremy put up their new shed. Poor things, they had been laboring over this for days, putting in the floor and then assembling the shed. I helped them get over the hump....they were getting tired of the whole thing.

They got the shed from Sears and of course the directions and diagrams are horribly cryptic or missing. They never include enough screws, washers, etc.

We got the roof on yesterday and I had to leave to feed the dogs. They finished the job after I left.

It felt great to take a nice hot shower, get changed into comfy clothes and relax, after working all day.

I'm looking forward to more and more of those kind of days.

Still waiting for someone, anyone, to call me back about repairing our roof. I called one guy who's name I got from Angie's list and still haven't heard back from him. I'm going to go down the list and call them all....and hope that someone has pity and calls us...and then actually shows up here at the house!

Today I went over to Uncas for the Mortality Review meeting...saw some folks and visited a brief time. I'm supposed to go to Wallingford next week but Russ is coming in the AM to teach me how to use the new Apple MacBook I got. So, I don't think I'll be going to Wally World. I gave my feedback about that meeting to Betty today when I saw her...so I'm off the hook.

I did my cleaning downstairs today for Sandy's birthday. Unfortunately, she has to work until 7:30 tonight...again. This has been happening a lot yesterday and I'm going to have to put my foot down soon. She is getting tired. I try to help--feed the dogs and do the work around here so she doesn't have to, but I'm getting worried about her. She is a delicate flower and when she gets rundown, she gets ill.

I think we'll get Chinese for supper tonight, her favorite.

Later!

Still cautiously optimistic that my big purge the other day cured my bm problems. Last night I didn't get up until 5:30 this morning! YAY! I was so shocked when I checked the time.

Finally broke down and joined "Angie's List" online...for help in getting names of reputable and reliable home improvement guys. We are having the trouble with the roof leaking when we have heavy rain. It did it last year too, but now we want to try again to do something about it. Last year we called someone who said he'd come out the next day and we never heard from him again.

Well, I called a guy the other day...I should have been tipped off when he answered his business phone with "hello?" I had to ask, "is this Wickhams?" He offered to come out the next day and I got all excited. Of course, he was a no show-no call. I called him back and asked him to at least give us a call....nope!

So, Angie's List it is. I have the names of three companies that have gotten good reviews. Let's hope we get lucky.

Yesterday I finally finished the job of cleaning the kitchen floor tile grout. It looks great. Now I keep it up and look for something that will put a good seal on it. And to think I almost hired someone to come do this job for me...now thanks to Google (finding the right solution for me) I have done it myself and saved the $$.

This week is a busy one..."off" Monday, Tuesday is lunch with the Seaside Retirees at Main St. Grill in Niantic; Wednesday I go back to Dr. Ber, the allergist; Thursday I have Mortality Review at Uncas and Friday I'm off again. Saturday Joyce and I are going to Putnam...they are having the Great Pumpkin Festival up there, with lots of crafters booths and pumpkins I guess. We've been talking about going up there for a long time...it's finally going to happen.

Thursday is Sandy's birthday. Thank goodness I already bought her present when I was in Sweden, I'm almost out of $$ and I still have two weeks before the eagle flies again. Cutting it close! HA ha!

I also have just two weeks and one day before this damned hernia gets fixed and I get my tummy tucked. Right now the other hernia is bulging next to it...getting bigger and bigger too. My abdomen looks like I have babies heads in there....one big head and one smaller one next to it. I have to wear oversized tops to hide it...otherwise I look grotesque. A good look for Halloween...too bad I'm not going to be here to use it.

Now...back to the Patriots as they try to win this tie game.

Later!

Made it through the colonoscopy with flying colors! I woke up in the middle of the procedure and got to watch the finish on the big screen TV they have set up for the doctor.

She found a little polyp and she put a clip on it because it was bleeding for some reason. She also did biopsies of various places and I'll get the results at the end of the month. She said she had no problem at all getting the probe through my system, so Dr. McCourt's concerns were unwarranted. There was no scarring, adhesions, etc.

Came home and putzed around for a bit, eating all kinds of junk, just because I could eat and then I took a nap with the Russells...we sacked out for an hour and a half. It felt so good.

I'm knocking wood as I type this next bit, but last night I only got up three times and that was only to pee (the hernia puts pressure on my bladder, making me go frequently) and I blew out a few clouds of gas. No diarrhea, no frequent BMs, no overwhelming sensation that I had to take a dump.

I had one BM today, this AM and I'm hoping that the purge of my system straightened out whatever was wrong with my bowels. Maybe I can finally get a decent night's sleep. I was thinking about it yesterday...I've been waking up to go to the bathroom all night for about a year and a half now.

So you can understand why I'm hoping that tonight brings some peace in the toidy department.

This morning I drove up to Middletown to hand over Lily's kennel to an organization we donated it to. They rescue "high risk dogs" like Pit bulls, Dobies, Rotties, etc. They are in need of kennels like Lil's, escape proof, but they can't afford the price (we paid $1,000), so they were overjoyed to get the donation. I met the guy at the Harbor Restaurant in Middletown, we made the transfer and then I headed home.

It was so pretty along Rte 9, the trees are fabulous and the light was perfect. We're getting rain and high winds tonight, so the leaves might not be there after this weekend. So, i was happy I made that drive.

Now I'm taking a break from house cleaning. Sandy is home early to take Rocky and Truman to their PT appointments and then she will go to Waterford to pick up Lily's ashes.

I think I'll make eggs and home fries for supper. It will probably be raining and that will be a great meal for the weather. We like to have breakfast for supper every once in awhile.

Oh, I was finally able to burn a DVD with my Sweden pictures on it. I'm figuring out this computer little by little. One problem that I'm going to have to call them about...I try to play the installed instructional videos and they keep pausing. Not good.

Okay, break time is over, time to take Bubbles for a walk while the other two are off on their roadtrip.

My new LL Bean Double L jeans (the lined ones....I got fleece lining) should be arriving this afternoon. YAY! Looks like I'm going to be needing them soon! It's getting colder and colder.

Later!

Murphy killed a mouse last night. I heard him crying but I was watching Mad Men and didn't pay attention to what was going on. Thankfully!

I saw the dead thing by my chair when I got up to shut down the house for the night. Yuck!

We have no idea how they are getting in here. We were hopeful that the path had been discovered and closed off when Sandy and Jean pulled all of the ivy out of the siding on the garage....it had grown crazy in there! We figured maybe that's where the mice were coming in...the ivy had bored right through the wall and was growing in the garage. I guess we were wrong.

Of course I don't blame the mice for wanting to get in. The house is a very nice abode after all...and when it gets cold out there, it's understandable that they would seek warmer conditions. Maybe I can organize a bus trip for them to Florida.

In the meantime, we can expect to have to rely on Murph and Bubbles, the mice killers, to take care of matters for us. I'll try not to step on any carcasses when I make my way upstairs at night.

Today is our 26th anniversary and I'm spending the day on the throne. I have been spending most of my nights on the throne for the past year and a half, but today I get to sit there during the day as well. It's colonoscopy prep day and it's a moving experience.

I'm hoping that the doctor's theory of "bacterial overload" is correct and I get rid of my poop problems for once and for all by doing this colon cleanse that you have to do before a colonoscopy. It would be wonderful to be able to sleep a few hours in a row at night. I don't think that's asking too much. And I would be very appreciative.

Took Maria home yesterday. We ate a huge potato pancake, stuffed with ham, cheese and onions and topped with a fried egg--well...we split that dish and neither one of us finished our portion. This was at the Cafe Polonia...I love that place.

What beautiful weather we have been having. It continues....it rained last night--good, we need rain--and then the sun is out and all bright and shiny today. The dogs love it....they stay out in the yard for hours, especially Rocky.

Bubble and Rocky have been playing more since Lily passed away. Rocky used to play with Lily and attempt to play with Bub, but she would freak out after a minute or so and he would stop. The other night they played "dodge and feint" for about five minutes on my lap in the recliner. Sandy and I watched and were very happy for both of them.

Today I spotted them playing a bit on the deck. I really hope Bub gives Rocky a chance...I think it would be so good for her and for him.

Rocky is doing better and better on the weave poles out in the back yard. Sandy worked with him a bit on Sunday out there and is very pleased with how he's doing. He may be our best agility dog yet.

Ugh...this chicken broth reminds me of when I had to be on the special diet for my gastric bypass...to prove to them I could stick to a diet...I could only eat chicken/beef broth for a week.....I got so sick of that stuff I haven't had it since. And now that's all I can have today.....bad memories coming back....

Oh well, tomorrow I get the good drugs and then it's all over. And maybe....maybe....the doctor will have an answer for all my nightly excursions to the toilet...now THAT makes all this worth the aggravation!

Later!

Where to begin? Busy week.

Monday I went to the gastroenterologist. She moved up my colonoscopy....wants to find out what the hell is making me crap my brains out for so long. I was supposed to go Dec 1st, she moved it up this coming Wednesday. She was asking about my diet and fiber intake. I told her I eat a banana a day. She said, "bananas don't have much fiber." I said, "but I eat the peel." She looks at me and says, "you don't eat the peel! What are you, a monkey?" Then she says, "even monkeys don't eat the peels." Ha ha....a sense of humor.

Kathleen also put me back on Lexapro...which I was hoping for. I did really good on Lexapro before...it smoothed things out for me and I actually started laughing again. I worry about the fact that I don't laugh anymore....haven't for a few years. Things are funny and I should be laughing, but I rarely do. Just being honest.

So, I'm hoping the Lexapro deals with the level of depression I always seem to be experiencing and helps me do better, as it did before.

Went to see Kathleen, my nurse practitioner, on Tuesday. She said that my hernia is the biggest one she's ever seen, and "I've seen a lot of hernias." I told her, bah humbug...I'm sure she exaggerates. Anyway, it gets fixed in a couple of weeks.

After the Kathleen appointment I went up to Farmington for work. Easy gig, just had to sit there and answer questions about my "social history." Did that job again on Thursday afternoon.

Wednesday morning it was up and out early to Colchester to get the mirror fixed. It cost $300 damned dollars for that damned mirror. I could have punched the steering wheel again I was so disgusted. I still don't understand why I had to order the mirror myself and why I had to go all the way up there to pay for it before they would schedule me to get it installed. When I asked about having to pay for the part first the guy said it was because they don't ordinarily carry that part and "sometimes people order them and then don't come in for the repair."

So, I said, "so charge their credit card then. And why did I have to come all the way up here to sign for the purchase? Why can't they take my info over the phone like other places do?" He told me that was a policy of the parts dept. Of course the Parts Dept hadn't been able to shed any light on it when I had complained to them. So I guess I wait for the survey that they send every time I bring the car up there. Interesting, they haven't sent it to me yet...usually they are calling, etc., the next day!

Thursday I worked in the afternoon and went to Trader Joe's on the way home. Picked up some great meats and cheeses for Bob's birthday picnic...and some great bread. I love Trader Joe's. I wish we had one around here...I'd be there all the time. Came home and my new MacBook Pro had arrived. It's BEAUTIFUL!

Friday morning I got up early again and called into WINY and the "Remember When" show that Steve Bousquet and Gary O do. I had written to Gary and told him I wanted to call in and talk about Bob Miller. Gary announced that it was Bob's 90th birthday and the fun began. I talked about Bob and the scouts and being selectman, town historian, etc. Then several folks called in, recalling when he was their Boy Scout leader and telling stories.

Friday night I downloaded my Sweden pictures and tried to make a slide show and burn it to DVD....I did it about three times and couldn't figure it out. I think I need Russ here to show me how to use it.

It was fun and we went over time...but they didn't seem to mind. Afterwards I called Bob, who had been listening and was thrilled.

Gary spilled the beans that we were having a picnic for Bob on Sunday, something we had hoped to keep small. He actually encouraged people to drop by the park to say hi to Bob, which I was praying they wouldn't, because it can throw Bob for a tizz.

Saturday I drove up to Worcester to get Maria at the train station. We snuck over to Coney Island and had "the works"...delicious. Saturday night Roxie came over and we cooked steaks and had a wonderful supper and visit. I showed them my Sweden pictures, still on the DVD from Cooper's...not the stripped down, enhanced, cropped photos that I will finally have on a DVD once I get Russ here, or I figure out how to do it myself.

Roxie stayed over and left early Sunday morning to get to work on time. Maria and I had breakfast and then packed up the picnic basket and cooler and headed to Putnam. We stopped at Stop and Shop up there en route to Bob's house and picked up a few more items.

Bob and Wini were all ready to picnic, so we loaded them into the car and went down to Miller park. We sat on the bench and made sandwiches with pickles and a cup of coffee. The weather was gorgeous. So sunny and warm! The air was crisp and clear. Soon we were removing our jackets and sweaters and just enjoying the sun. Phil came down on his motorcycle later and we all took a short walk down the river trail. On the way back we stopped in the shade at the Button Shop, sat on the picnic benches and rested. Maria and I ran across the street and got coffees and donuts for Bob and ourselves.

Then Bob, Wini, Maria and I headed out for a foliage ride. Took them to a lot of "old memory" places...the shop where Bob worked his whole life; down where Bob used to keep his boat; Roseland Park; North Woodstock; St Mary's camp and then down to buy apples; mums and other goodies at the orchard store. Then we took the happy birthday boy and his bride home.

It was a great day. I hope Bob remembers some of it. I really do. He doesn't remember much. Like today in church people who heard the show on Friday and who had heard Gary O announcing Bob's birthday, came up to Bob after mass to wish him happy birthday...Wini said Bob was thrilled...but by the time we saw him a few hours later, he didn't remember it.

Oh well...such is life. We know we had a great day with our Dad and we know he loved it while it was happening. That's all that matters.

Tomorrow I take Maria back up to Boston. Maybe we'll get to roam around a bit. Maybe go to the Cafe Polonia.....maybe....


Nighty night!

Lily left us Sunday morning in the wee hours. Not the way we always thought she would, hit by car on a dark, rainy night...no, she did it the right way....asleep in her bed.

We came home from a great afternoon at Deanna's birthday party. We got home a bit late..8pm and Sandy and I had already discussed that she would feed Lily the wet food, not kibble...since she would probably have been in a tizz about us being gone. She took the dogs out to potty and then had Lil walk around and calm down before she fed her. She didn't let her drink alot of water and then she fed her.

The thing is...Lily still got bloated. Her tummy puffed up and was hard. She had dry heaves...something new. She huffed and puffed. She lay on the floor. Sandy walked her around in the yard and then she came back in, more dry heaves, more huffing and puffing and then she relaxed, laid down on the floor and fell asleep.

Sandy told me that she didn't think Lil looked good. Her gums weren't white, so she wasn't bleeding internally; she had bowel sounds, so it didn't seem like she had bloat in the bad sense--we doubted her stomach had flipped, she wasn't in obvious pain and if she had a torsion she would be in wicked bad pain.

Sandy made the statement, "I wouldn't be surprised if Lily didn't make it through the night." I panicked...and wanted to take her to Ocean State. Sandy asked why? What will we do? If they want to operate are we going to put her through that? I had to answer "no." Then I realized that we had already had this discussion some time ago. And we had decided that we would not take her to the vets unnecessarily--she hated the vets...it made her so anxious. We wouldn't subject her to surgery for the same reason and because she was so old.

Sandy carried her up to bed--how the hell she did it I don't know and neither does she. We all went to bed a bit after 11...Lil was laying on her bed, no dry heaves, no huffing and puffing.

I went over and hugged her, kissed her on the head and told her that everything was okay...she could let go.

A couple of hours later Lily got up and was walking around by my side of the bed. Sandy got up and took her downstairs. I noted that her hind leg on the right was sliding out from under her. Sandy said that Lil didn't poop or pee outside, she walked around and tried to get under the bushes. Sandy told her, "oh no you don't, you are not going to die under a bush, you will die in your own bed."

Sandy carried her back up the stairs. A while later we heard her making another dry heave sound, only it was weirder. We turned on the lights and sat up and looked at her. She sat up too and looked at us. We told her she was all right and urged her to sleep. She laid back down.

In the morning Sandy woke up, looked over and said, "Lily passed away last night."

Yes she did.

We had the Russells come and see for themselves. They needed to know. Truman sniffed her body and walked away, then came back...a couple of times. He had known her the longest...she was his Mommy for a long time. Then Bubbles sniffed Lil's head and her ears dropped, her tail wagged nervously and she immediately went over to Truman and kissed his ear. Rocky took his time sniffing her body from head to tail and then he blissfully cantered off and got a toy.

We kissed her, wrapped her up. Sandy carried her downstairs and then couldn't lift her without help, so I took ahold and helped get her into the back of Sandy's car.

I had called the Emergency Vet to see if they could help us with the cremation arrangements. They were happy to do so.

We have almost all of our deceased pets cremains. The only ones we don't have is Angel who ran off to the woods when she knew she was dying and we never found her body and Jasmine who ran off in Massachusettes (probably because her cancer was back) and we never found her. Otherwise we have them all in jars or cans....waiting to be joined with our ashes when we die. Then we all go on the compost heap somewhere, so we can help grow flowers or some vegetable garden.

We will miss Lily but I would be lying if I said that we aren't relieved. Relieved that she went peacefully as she did. Relieved that we were able to keep her safe and secure, despite all her anxieties. Relieved that we no longer have to constantly work around her needs whenever we wanted/needed to leave the house.

Lily had a great time last week. She went to the agility trial in Wrentham and had fun...she was so relaxed..the most we've ever seen her relax at a trial. She and I went for short walks a few times at the trial. She came with me to see Bob and Wini on Tuesday, with me to Colchester Toyota on Wednesday, to Jean's on Friday to see Taylor and Ryan and Nami. In between we had fun on the deck, relaxing. Walking around the yard, visiting with Taylor and Lynne who came over on Wednesday. A great week.

I was beside myself trying to figure out what I was going to do with her this week. I had a MD appointment in New Britain today, my physical exam and then work in Farmington tomorrow; car appointment on Wednesday; work again on Thursday.

We won't have to worry about that stuff any more. It just makes me so angry thinking about the damage that was done by whoever her first family was...the ones who let her go from their lives. She was never right after being in the pound...she was always so anxious about being left. People need to think about how harmful it can be to their pet when they give them up. People are so selfish.

When I came downstairs this morning, I expected to see her on her bed at the foot of the stairs. When I came home today I expected to hear her tail thumping in the kennel when I came through the door.

It's going to take time....I have twelve years of Lily habit built into my routine.

She was so in love with me which is strange because Sandy was the one who took her from the pound. Sandy was the one who was so patient with her while I was the one who would get irritated and frustrated with her. But Lily worshipped me. I didn't deserve her adoration. I am going to work harder to be more patient with the others now...that's how I'm going to honor Lil.

Hug your doggies and kitties...give them lots of love.

Nighty night.

Well...I read an article today that described the latest Ovarian Cancer research. The new study revealed that women who started taking chemo again as soon as their CA125 went over the limit fared no better than women who waited until they had symptoms to show that they had relapsed.

This gives me an answer. If the cancer comes back within the next year, according to the CA 125, I think I will defer treatment until I have symptoms. This may give me time to recuperate from the last wave of chemo. I'm still having troubles with being tired and I know I couldn't take it if I had to undergo chemo again in the beginning of the new year. Or even if it started in the spring. I need more time to come back.

That said, I'm not planning on having a relapse...just keeping this option in the back of my mind...I am a Girl Scout after all, Be Prepared.

I have just about finished my project of cleaning the grout in the kitchen tile floor. I don't think anyone every cleaned that floor the way it should be cleaned, judging from the color of the grout when I started and what it looks like now.

I had looked up on the internet what to use that would be the easiest for me and found out about the magic of Oxi-clean. I did one treatment on half the floor (the worst half) a week or so ago and I finished it up with scrubbing on hands and knees today. It looks great! Now I have done the first treatment on the second half of the floor and will finish that next week, I guess. It won't be as bad as the first half of the floor, I bet I won't have to scrub.

While I was letting the floor soak the stuff up, I took a break and went online to the Apple store and picked out a new MacbookPro....and then, in another break I chose the options I wanted....photo and video programs, etc. Then on my last break, I went ahead and ordered it! YAY!

I am SO SICK of PCs. This laptop that I'm using now is getting stuck again, taking forever to load, I can only hear sound if I plug in headphones (who knows why?!) and I'm just sick sick sick of it.

Now I can't wait until it gets here.

Joycie (Migneault) Kuusela is featured in today's Norwich Bulletin...the story about her breast cancer battle. They have a great picture of her on the website, I hope it's in the paper too. I have Sandy picking up a copy for me and I posted the online story to my Facebook page.

Joyce and I have been friends since high school. We "lost" each other and then a few years back, found out we lived really close to each other. She lives in Lisbon. We have gotten back together again and she and Bill and Sandy and I have enjoyed each other's company.

Joyce and I say: we went thru high school together and now we are going thru cancer together...and we are. And quite successfully too, I might add!

Right now I'm hoping to hear from Mark Russell...another old school chum. Hoping we can get together this weekend, when he comes up for the Marianpolis Bd of Directors meeting. Haven't seen him in ages.

Next week I'm going to see some other old chums...Janine is coming down from New Hampshire and the old office gang, Maureen, Russ, Richard, Tina and I (and who knows who else?) are getting together at Chuck's in Storrs.

It's old chum time! Wonderful! I wonder what other old chums I'll hear from?

Oh, I got an email from Barb at work, checking on dates in Jan and Feb for the phyical exam series for the Yale 2nd year students. I checked off that I was available for every date but one and sent it back to her IMMEDIATELY! I can't wait to get back to work on a regular basis.

I'm paying for endulging in the "luxury" of leaving the deck door open so I wouldn't have to let the Russells in and out a billion times a day. I did that two mornings this week. Well, now the flies are in the house, and Sandy can't understand where they are coming from...shhhhhhh....don't tell her.

I ask the dogs to catch the flies and one would think this was right up their alley...jobwise, but they aren't too interested. Oh, Rocky has mild interest, but it passes quickly. I have dragged the fly swatters out and got one a few minutes ago, but there are more...I know there are.

Off to feed the pups and then take a shower. Jean's house for dinner tonight, with Taylor and Andrew in attendance.

Later!