The firework season started officially here in my neighborhood on July 2.  Just some light stuff.  Bottle Rockets.  A few Roman Candles.  Luci enjoyed looking at the pretty colors of the Roman Candles and the other stuff didn't seem to bother her too much.  Rocky was taking his cues from Luci and if she wasn't bothered, then he wasn't bothered . . . much.  He couldn't figure out where the noise was coming from but it didn't seem to bother Mommy or Sissy, so it must have been okay.  At one point during the night, they were running laps in the backyard totally oblivious to the noise around them.  I let out a big sigh of relief.  I even told Hubby that it might be the first time in 15 years that we wouldn't have to worry about dogs being upset by the noise of fireworks. 

 

See, Goldie and Blacky (our previous dogs) were both afraid of the noise of fireworks.  Goldie had a mild case of fireworks anxiety and most of the time she was fine if she was in the house and we had the TV on for her.  Blacky had more of a generalized anxiety disorder and he disliked thunderstorms as well as fireworks.  The poor boy got so upset by the storms and fireworks that we had to give him some meds to help calm him down.  Goldie would only bark and carry on if she was outside and could hear the fireworks.  Blacky would bark if he was outside but he would pace and pant if he was in the house. It was very stressful for them and for me and Hubby.  We hated leaving them home alone during the 4th of July.  

 

Neither Luci or Rocky have any thunderstorm anxiety.  Luci had a small amount of firework anxiety but I always felt that it was because Blacky was so anxious about them and she was just reacting to his fears instead of being fearful herself.  This is Rocky's first 4th of July so I had no idea how he was going to react.  Hubby and I kept our fingers crossed that we might finally have a non-stress 4th of July.  

 

The dogs and I went for a walk tonight and there were some mild fireworks going off.  Neither dog seemed very upset, so we continued most of the walk.  I did avoid the area where the majority of the fireworks noise was coming from.  No need to tempt my luck.  We came home and everything seemed fine . . . . until one of the neighbors set off the big guns.  Oh.  My.  Garwsh.  Both of the dogs were running circles in the yard and barking at everything.  It was all I could do to get them in the house and calmed down.  I know it's too late now but, man, I wish I had talked to the vet about meds just in case. 

 

It's going to be a long weekend. 

The house is almost back together.  The living room and dining room have been painted and the furniture is back where it belongs.  Hubby and I have decided that we want to go with the "less is better" scheme of decorating and not all of the knick knacks are going back out.  The problem is deciding which ones stay out and which ones get packed away.

 

He still has to paint the hallway and the stairwell.

 

It looks lovely.  There's a lot more room with the furniture layout.  I really like the new color.

 

It was worth the chaos.

 

Just don't tell him . . . I'll never hear the end of it.

Hubby and I decided it was time for new carpet in the living room and dining room.  Hubby promised that I would only need to take two days of vacation for the installation.  One day to pack up the knick knacks and help him move furniture out of the way.  The installation would only take place the second day and then we could get the furniture back in place.  Everything would be back in place by the time I went back to work.

 

A little background info . . . I have an aversion to clutter.  I'm not full blown OCD about it but I like things to be in place.  I hate it when I've spent the day cleaning the house and then Hubby will come along and clutter it up again.  Makes me crazy.  Needless to say, two days with the house all out of sorts is enough to make me very anxious.  

 

So the time came to pack up stuff and get ready for the carpet installation.  Hubby and I got stuff packed up and moved fairly quickly.  That's when Hubby decided that "since the house is torn up anyway, we might as well paint."  So now we're adding the complete chaos of painting the living room, dining room, stairs and hallway.  Oh, and he wants to rearrange the furniture.  At this point, I'm darn near ready for a nervous breakdown.  "Two day, tops" has now become "four days max".  Meds.  I need some meds.  And chocolate.  Lots and lots of chocolate.  Off we go to the big box hardware store to buy paint.  (Yes, Susan, we went to "your" store.) 

 

Carpet installation day arrives.  Hottest day of the year.  And we have to turn off the AC.  Because the carpet is hard to manuever if it gets cold and stiff.  It's 90 degrees with 100% humidity.  The dogs are hot.  I'm hot.  Hubby and the carpet installer guy are hot.  But the carpet is behaving beautifully.  Guess I shouldn't complain.  I thought about having a pool party for the dogs, but I didn't want to have my brand new carpet smelling like wet dogs.  The dogs and I hung out on the back deck.  Under the awning.  Where the breeze was.  We were all very happy when we could turn the air back on. 

 

The new carpet is beautiful.  The colors that Hubby picked out go nicely with the carpet.  No, I didn't pick out the colors.  I have no design ability.  He does.  That's why he picked the colors.  That's why he does the painting.  

 

So far only the dining room is completed.  He painted it in one day.  It was mostly put back together when I got home from work.  I just need to dust everything and put the knick knacks back where they belong and the china back in the china closet.  Half of the kitchen is a disaster.  He promises that it'll be done by the end of the weekend. 

 

You'd think after 25 years with this man that I'd know better . . .

 

Hubby was helping me find frames for my new glasses last weekend . . .

 

Hubby:  Here, try these.  I think they would look good on you.   

Me:  (I tried them on and was checking them out in the mirror).  Nope, they make me look like somebody’s grandma. 

Hubby just stared at me.

Me: What?!

Hubby:  You are somebody’s grandma.  

Me:  oh, yea, right.  

 

(No, I didn't get the grandma glasses.)

It's not a cold, it's allergies.  Just what I need.  I would have rather had the cold.

 

Got a prednisone shot yesterday morning.  The injection site still hurts 36 hours later. 

 

There's supposed to be a big announcement on Jon & Kate this week.  Does anybody really care at this point?

 

Hubby and I have decided that the "must see" movie of the summer is "G-Force" about the guinea pigs.  The commercials are too cute.

 

I'll never understand why people don't turn off their cell phones when they are in church.  At least one goes off every week during Mass.

 

Hubby got tired of listening to me whine about the electric mower and got an old fashioned gas powered one.  YEAH!

 

The best part of delivering papers on Friday night is listening to music from the 70's on the classic music station.

 

Hubby and I watched VH1 Classics One Hit Wonders today.  Made us feel really old.

 

 

 

 

 

It's June in Ohio.  Hot and muggy.  Beautiful summer weather.

 

And I have a cold.

 

Stuffy/runny nose.  Scratchy throat.  Itchy/watery eyes.

 

No cough yet, but it's still early in the illness. 

 

I'm hoping it's not like the almost pneumonia I had back in February. 

 

All I can say is that Benedryl is my friend.

 

Took the puppies to the do-it-yourself dog wash on Sunday.  Spent an hour on each dog . . . and begged them to stay clean for 24 hours.  Or at least until I went to work on Monday morning.  Yea, that didn't happen.  We were home maybe three hours and they were rolling in the dirt.  At least Luci hasn't pulled Rocky through the mulberry bush yet.  I'm sure it's only a matter of time before she does and he ends up with a pink mullberry stain somewhere. 

 

Rocky has discovered bugs - june bugs, crickets, lightning bugs.  He thinks they are delicious.  He's even discovered earth worms.  He hasn't eaten any of them but they fascinate him when he sees them squirming across the yard.   I swear that boy will eat anything. 

 

He picks the used dryer sheets out of the laundry baskets.  He does it without bothering any of the clothes in the baskets.  If there's a used dryer sheet in the basket he will find it.  How does he do that? 

 

When we go walking at night, Rocky loves to walk through the tall grass.  There are a few abandonded houses and one big empty field on our route.  He runs as fast as he can to the tall grass and then walks through the grass trying to bite at it.  Considering he's still at that awkward puppy running stage it's really pretty funny to watch.

 

He's also still very much mommy's little man.  He fights with Luci to see who can get closest to me when we're walking or when we're sitting on the floor.  When I holler for them, he's always the first one at my side.  He's usually the first one at the door when they hear my car pull up outside at night. 

 

So far he hasn't shown any fear of thunderstorms or firecrackers.  Blacky used to be terrified of storms and fireworks and Luci was starting to pick up on his anxiety.  Rocky isn't showing any fear of anything and Luci seems to be much calmer with the storms.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way.

 

Sometimes I wish he could stay a puppy forever . . .

I called my Dad last night to get the scoop on his visit to the doctor and the latest test results.  He said he was fine, they're going to adjust his meds and then handed the phone to Mom.  Dad's got some serious hearing loss that makes it difficult for him to hear a phone conversation.  Dad's kidney function numbers have spiked again and the docs want to change his meds a little and do the blood tests again in a couple of weeks.  If the numbers go down, then he'll stay on the med regimen for a while and they'll continue the bloodwork to monitor his progress. 

 

It's what happens if the numbers don't go down that has us worried.  If they don't go down, then Dad is looking at the possibility of dialysis.  We've been dealing with his numbers fluctuating for the last couple of years but it doesn't make the waiting any easier.  We're always wondering if this time is when our luck runs out . . .

 

In the meantime, I'm holding my breath and saying lots of prayers. 

 

Nothing in the world prepares you for this kind of stuff.

I've been dealing with all kinds of drama lately . . . most of it doesn't directly affect me . . . but it's still stuff you don't want to happen to your family

 

Bowler Man - married to Little Sister - works for a Cadillac dealership.  He got the news on Wednesday that the dealership is closing.  The official closing date is December 31, 2009, but Bowler Man thinks that he'll be lucky to hang onto his job for another 60 to 90 days.  He works in the parts department and has been with the dealership for 12 years.  It's not going to be an easy transition for him.

 

Goth - the oldest grandson - didn't graduate with his class.  Jr is still in the process of figuring out options for Goth to get his high school diploma.  Hubby and I have tried to explain to Jr that since Goth is 18 and doesn't live with him, Jr can't force Goth to do anything.  It's ultimately Goth's decision and since Goth lives with his mom (JrEx), it's up to JrEx to set some rules.  Not exactly her strong suit and that's what has Jr all fired up. 

 

Princess and her drama . . . not much I can do about this situation.  It's her life, these are her decisions, I just have to make sure that Hubby and I don't get sucked into the drama.  Should be easy for me since she's still not talking to me.  Made her visit on Friday night very interesting. 

 

My mom tells me that I'm a tough cookie and I can handle anything that God throws at me.  Ordinarily, I would agree but I learned something today that makes me doubt my strength.  With all the medical stuff that I've dealt with over the years concerning MIL's and FIL's health, dealing with medical dramas of any sort are a piece of cake.  Step in, be strong, do the research, give advice.  That's what I do.  But it's totally different when the health issues concern your Dad.  Your strong as a horse, never sick a day in his life, former Marine Dad.  It may be nothing.  It may be something.  We have to wait and see.  It might resolve itself like it has over the past couple of years.  Or it might not and we're looking at a long term serious health problem.   

 

I'm just not ready for this.   

I confess that I can't help myself but I love the show Bridezillas on the WE channel.  It's like a train wreck that you can't stop staring at.  The women are annoying and I can't believe they found someone to marry them.  I can't wait for Sunday so I can watch this show. 

 

If you haven't already experienced this guilty pleasure, click below. 

 

 

Tomorrow starts the new season.  Things are looking up!

I just got home from delivering papers with Hubby.  Now that the weather is nicer, there are a lot more people out and about at 2 in the morning.  Some of the things I saw tonight . . .

 

Two girls walking arm and arm down the street away from one of the bars that is a hang out of the kids that attend the college here in Smalltown.  Let's just say that I'm glad they were walking and not driving . . .

 

Kids on bicycles.  Kids that should not be out on bicycles at 2 in the morning.  I wonder if their parents know they are out?

 

An older teen (I'm guessing because it was dark) walking down the street with a couple of his friends.  The kid was wearing a t-shirt and jeans.  I'm not sure, but it looked like he was still in the process of getting dressed.  His pants were below his waist and his boxers were showing and he didn't have his t-shirt all the way on.  He had one arm and his head through the sleeve and neck of his shirt.  The other side of the shirt was bunched up over his arm.  I was driving so I couldn't stare but at least that's what I think I saw.

 

A cop car with his lights flashing outside the bar the college kids hang out at.  

 

The most interesting thing is the number of people up watching TV at 2 a.m.

 

 

 

Princess called Hubby the other day to let him know she'll be in town this weekend.  She'll get here sometime Friday afternoon and will leave early Saturday morning.  She's dropping the kids off at their dad's house (we'll call him Ears).  The kids will stay with Ears while Princess goes back to Virginia to wrap up a few things.  She'll be back in Ohio in three or four weeks.  I know better than to ask for the whole story.  It's better for my mood if I wait for the details to trickle out.

 

Not to be outdone in the drama department, Jr. called this morning with news about Goth - his son, my oldest grandson.  Goth turned 18 in February.  He's a senior in high school and we were expecting him to graduate this year.  Goth lives with Jr's Ex in a town about 10 minutes up the road.  All year JrEx has assured Jr that Goth was going to graduate with his class.  She said Goth had the grades, the credits, and all the necessary stuff to graduate.  Tonight is graduation.  Jr got a call yesterday that Goth was short on the graduation requirements and would not be graduating.  About 12 credits short.  Two whole years worth of credits and a state required proficiency test short of meeting his graduation requirements.  Again, I know better than to ask for the whole story.  

 

So much for a nice quiet summer. . . . 

 

 

When you grow up in Ohio, the one thing you learn early in life is how to be prepared for severe thunderstorms.  We learn about Tornado Drills in elementary school.  We occasionally have Tornado Drills at work.  The news guys let us know when there will be a statewide test of the tornado sirens so you don't freak out when you hear them in the middle of the day.  You know that when the sky gets a strange shade of green that you need to stick close to home.  I've even got a plan on how to get the dogs into the basement if a tornado comes through Smalltown.  

 

Today has been one of those days. We had some severe thunderstorms pop out of nowhere this morning while I was at work.  One minute it was beautiful and sunny.  The next minute it was dark and stormy.  When the rain quit, it was beautiful and sunny again . . . but it was very humid.  Of course that just means that there will be more storms later in the day.  And it did storm. . . err rather it is storming.  Blew out of nowhere.  Thunder.  Lightning.  Strong winds.  Had to take down the hanging basket and umbrella on the picnic table. 

 

But do you think the goofy dogs wanted to be inside where it's dry?  Heck, no.  They wanted to be outside in this stuff.  That's all I need for one of them to be struck by lightning while they're wrestling on the deck.  Or sniffing for possums under the metal shed beside the garage.  I did finally make them come in, but they both gave me that sad puppy look like I had just grounded them for two weeks.  They had to settle for sitting at the front door to watch the storm pass by.

 

I think they're just waiting for it to stop raining so they can go play in the mud puddle in the back yard. 

 

Goofy dogs . . . .

 

We had a pool party

 

 

Luci had the pool party.  Rocky still isn't interested in the pool.

 

 

He thinks the pool is a giant water dish.  He'll drink out of it but he won't get in.

 

I started reading my new book.

 

 

I worked on my cross stitch

 

 

We lounged on the deck.

 

 

 

It was a good day.

 

 

 

 

 

I can't remember the last time I had a "Do Nothing" Sunday.  No errands with MIL.  No birthday parties.  No housework.  I have laundry to do, but then there's always laundry to do. 

 

I think it might be time for a pool party with the puppies.

 

Or maybe reading the book I bought last weekend but still haven't started.

 

Wonder where my cross stitch is?  I might drag that out.

 

Maybe all of the above. . . .

 

All spring, I've been wondering how Rocky would react to a serious thunderstorm.  Luci takes them in stride - loves to be out in the rain unless the wind is blowing in her face.  Blacky, however, was a different story.  He was always horribly afraid of thunderstorms.  He would start pacing and panting sometimes up to an hour or two before the storm hit.  If it was a particularly bad storm, he'd either stick to our sides like he was attached with Velcro or he would go upstairs and hide his head under the bed.  He was a little to big to get his whole body under the bed.  I always thought he figured if he couldn't see the lightning, then it couldn't hurt him.  If I knew it was going to rain while I was at work, I'd turn the TV on for him to give him some background noise and distract him from the storm.  It was nice to have the advance notice that the storms were coming, but it always bothered me that Blacky would get so upset about the storms. 

 

Rocky has a lot of Blacky's personality traits.  Rocky is loving, very smart, obedient, and a bit of a tenderheart.  Even though he tries to boss Luci around and he acts like a big bad boy dog, he's got a very loving personality.  I've wondered if that loving personality included an anxiety disorder and a fear of loud noises (thunder and lightning).  We've had a couple of thunderstorms so far this spring, but they've usually hit while I'm at work so I haven't seen how Rocky reacts to a storm.  Tonight I got a first hand look.  Except for trying to figure out where the loud noise was coming from and wanting to go outside to splash in the mud puddles in the back yard, Rocky didn't pay any attention to the thunderstorm.  In fact, both he and Luci slept through the worst part of the storm.  It was a pleasent surprise. 

 

It was also a little bittersweet, too.  When I was debating whether to go for the walk or not, I knew that if Blacky were here I'd be able to tell if it was going to rain.  Then when it did finally start raining, I kept expecting to trip over Blacky every time I turned around.  It's been four months since Blacky left and I'm still surprised at the things that will get me teary eyed.   

Even though puppy class is over, I'm still working with Rocky to make sure he doesn't forget everything we spent 8 weeks teaching him.  During our nightly walks, I reinforce all the things we learned.  

 

Since Luci goes with us on the evening walk, she is getting a refresher course on her obedience commands.  That's a good thing because I didn't follow up with her training after we finished her puppy class.  I can't tell if the problem with Luci is just a stubborn cuss or if she has doggie ADD.  She sees what Rocky is doing and she wants to do it too.  Sometimes it's a competition to see who can obey the command the fastest.  It really warms my heart to see him teaching his big sister. 

 

She's returning the favor by teaching him some of her favorite tricks.  Her lesson for Rocky tonight was Digging 101.  I caught the two of them digging in a hole by the service door to the garage.  They haven't figured out that I can see them from the window in the dining room.  They're always surprised when I tap on the window to get their attention.  You should see the contrite little faces when they come up to the back door.  

 

She's also teaching him how to knock and run.  They'll scratch at the back door to be let in and when I go to the door, they run out into the back yard.  They want me to play with them.  I do get annoyed when they do it, but I have to admite that it's pretty smart of them to figure out a way to get me out there to play with them. 

 

Of course they make up for all of their mischief when they fall asleep in my lap.  How can you be mad at sleeping puppies? 

 

See this happy couple?

 

 

They are celebrating 25 years of wedded bliss.

 

In case you haven't figured it out . . . that's Hubby and me.  We actually celebrated our anniversary last month, but the official announcement was in the local paper this weekend.  Yes, that's the picture I put in the paper.  Hubby would have gladly posed for a formal portrait, but we're not really posed formal portrait people.  This is us.  This is the picture that will be in the silver 25th anniversary photo frame. 

 

And to think his ex said that we wouldn't last 6 months. 

Hubby and I were channel surfing yesterday and it became very apparent to me that I need a hobby. 

 

Something other than watching TV.

 

I can recite the entire history of The Young and The Restless from the beginning of time.  Except for a few years when the whole Mac, JT, Kevin, Sharon, Nick, Colleen, Lilly, Daniel era started.  Some of the characters from that era are back on the show and I'm a little lost trying to figure out who everyone is and what their story line is. 

 

For some odd reason, the old Nair commercial was on the other day.  You know the one.  "Who wears short shorts?  We wear short shorts.  If you dare wear short shorts, Nair for short shorts."  Yes, I know the dance steps too. 

 

VH1 is having an 80's marathon this weekend.  They are showing classic videos from the early days of MTV.  I just recited the entire lyrics to "Parents Just Don't Understand" by the Fresh Prince.  Luci and Rocky loved it but I think I freaked Hubby out. 

 

In my defense, the noise of the TV is a comfort thing for me.  I remember either the TV or the radio being on at home when I was growing up.  When Hubby was an over the road truck driver, I kept the TV on so that I didn't notice how quiet the house was all the time.  I've even corrupted the dogs.  I would leave the TV on for Blacky when we were gone during the day if I knew it was going to storm.  The noise of the TV drowned out the noise of the storm and kept Blacky from being so nervous.  Then Luci came along and she watches TV with me.  When she was a puppy she started watching football and NASCAR with me.  Rocky doesn't pay much attention to the action on the screen, but he'll perk his ears up if he hears a doorbell or a dog barking.   

 

Yes, I realize it might be a bit odd that I know the days of the week by what TV show is on.  I look forward to certain things throughout the year.  Big Brother in the summer.  American Idol. So You Think You Can Dance.  Hell's Kitchen.  Bridezillas.  Football.  Drag Racing on ESPN.  Twilight Zone Marathon on the Sci Fi Channel on New Years Day. 

 

Hubby said maybe it might be time for me to get back to working on my cross stitch or my knitting . . .

That rhymes with "G"

 

and that stands for . . . Golf

 

Hubby has taken up golf.  He bought a used set of clubs on a whim - and I must admit they were a heck of a bargain!  He's never touched a set of clubs before in his life except for the occasional game of putt putt.  He appears to be a natural at it.  Went to the driving range yesterday and was knocking the balls out of the park. 

 

His buddy was so impressed that he invited Hubby to join their foursome on Monday morning.

 

Bowling, fishing, darts, golf. . . . I guess that makes me an offical all season sports widow.