Sunday, May 24, 2009

How I Became the Crazy Dog Lady (the rest of the story)







So here I am just living life & I finally decide to buy a house. Well, what I mean is I finally can buy a house (this means I got an inheritance...no way I could save money). Anyway, when you live in a house there are no more pet deposits (still vet bills though).



One Sunday on the way to church, there are people on the side of the road selling puppies. They are little balls of white fluff & my friend Pat (you remember Pat) is looking for another Maltese. We decide to stop on the way home from church (seriously, I was checking it out for Pat). They weren't Maltese puppies but something else I can't remember. They had a mama dog in the truck they wanted to sell as well. Her name was Gabby (#3) & she's a mini wire haired Dachshund. OK so yeah.....I bought her. I get her home & find out she potties in her crate. Dogs aren't supposed to do that....right? The vet says she was probably left in a crate so long with the other people, she had no choice. We're going on 3 years & she is still not totally potty trained. Thank goodness there is no carpet in my house!



Lucy (#4) really wasn't my fault! K2 found her in our neighborhood. Just wandering around.....wet & hungry! What was I going to do? Send her away? She was such a tiny chihuahua & seemed so defenseless! Who knew that when we took her to the vet to see if she was micro-chipped (she wasn't), she would vomit like the exorcist??? It was horrible! I have never had a dog get motion sickness like that! Every time we go to the vet or out of town, I have to give her medicine 2 hours before we leave. She's no longer scrawny (10 lbs now) & she's really cute.



I started hanging out with my friend JS from church. The more we got to know each other, I found out she had a dog (that's 1 dog) too. She brought him over for a play date (really I swear I had no ulterior motives) & Spot (that's his name) (#5) got along great with my 4 dogs. JS indicated that he pooped in the house but he didn't do it at my house. I loved him right away! He is always so happy & playful! I don't know if that's just him or all Jack Russell Terriers are like that. I emailed JS the next week & told her "I love Spot!" She said OK, you can have him......what???? Huh....sure???



So that's how I became the crazy dog lady....totally understandable......right???

Sunday, May 17, 2009

How I Became the Crazy Dog Lady




I know this question has been haunting everyone....right?


I really hadn't wanted any pets for a while. In fact, my mother had abandoned a precious, tiny Maltese with me & I let my friend Pat have her. I just wasn't ready for more responsibility & a pet deposit.


A couple of years later, I was feeling the baby fever......totally inexplicable really....my youngest child was in junior high & who in their right mind would want more after experiencing junior high as a parent? Remember Pat (she figures prominently in this tale)??? Her son & his girlfriend had a puppy given to them & being in a 3rd floor apartment was not conducive to potty training. They brought over this adorable little black & white puppy (Toy Fox Terrier). She was just precious! They thought she could possibly be deaf but I didn't care. This was the baby I wanted! Turns out she was deaf so me changing her name from Maddie to Bella made no difference to her. This also means since she can't hear....she barks a lot! She also doesn't whine....she screams! We've worked through vet visits, pet deposits, walking in the rain & of course, potty training (turns out the be the best potty trained dog I have). She is now going on 6 years old & I am still crazy about the one that started it all!


Almost exactly a year later after much turmoil in my life with kids & ex moving in & out & moving to a 1 bedroom apartment with just me & Bella....I felt the need to share my love some more. The kids didn't want to live with me....that's OK....I'm getting another dog!


My friend Pat & I went to some shelters & believe it or not did not come home with a dog. We finally went to the Humane Society to check things out. We looked at the few small dogs they had & I got 1 scrawny brown dog out of her cage. Pat assumed it was like before & said to come on. Then I said "I love her!" Turns out Sophie is 1 year younger than Bella. I took her home & my mom came over & I convinced her to drive me, Bella & Sophie over to pick up K2 from his dad's. Sophie cried almost the whole way. She still gets a little nervous in the car. Sophie has turned out to be the sweetest dog ever! Everyone (including dogs) LOVES her! I'm not sure what kind of dog she is....could be dachshund & whippet???


So far it's still understandable why I have these 2 dogs...right???


More to come on the other 3 but the Survivor finale is on & it's time to go.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Mama. Living. With. Me


Well, Mother's Day has come & gone.....flowers were sent & received (thanks K1).....days were spent in bed (horrendous headache)....tears were shed. It has made me think about when my mother came to live with me.

I was just coming off of juggling Mama being in the hospital in another state, running out of PTO days at work & a business trip looming around the corner. The plan was for her to stay with me after getting released from the hospital. My aunt brought her over & we got her set up in my sweet little guest room. Several days later I left for my trip.

I was going up north to teach co-workers how to do something they didn't want to do! Boy, was that fun! My second night in the hotel, I call home to check on everyone & Mama tells me she loves staying at my house, the guest room is so pleasant, she's going to keep on staying, she loves the house..........BRAKES ON!!! She's staying???

What could I say but OK......she prattles on for a while & we hang up. I am hyperventilating......thinking about what all of this involves.....she has a ton of stuff!

She moved in & initially it was like having another teenager in the house. She is on the phone all the time, she's out 'til all hours & her room is a disaster (no more precious little guest room). She leaves a trail of messiness behind her & I can't get on to her like I do K2 since she's not technically my child.

It was a good thing she did move in because a few months later The Big One happened (heart attack that is)......no matter that I was out of town & Sue (my ex-mother in law) had to call the ambulance. She said they had a really hard time getting the gurney close enough to lift her on it because there is no clear path in her room. She could have died while they were trying to get to her but this info is lost on her.

She is all better now but it actually slowed her down a bit so she has time to tell me things she would like me to talk to K2 about. No matter that his room is right next to hers & it would be easier for her to tell him directly.

We are all adjusting. I am medicated & it's working for now. She truly can't live alone & being an only child (for the record, I begged for siblings), it falls to me. I sure don't want her in nursing home.

Now for the fun stuff....I am going to Jen Lancaster's book signing later......she is hilarious......look into it!


Saturday, May 2, 2009

Dream Job Part 3







I've been gone for over a week & no one calls, emails, facebooks to see if I'm OK???



Show me some love people!



The last thing I want to say about my dream job is this: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is a wonderful place! I would looooove to work there! I would love for everyone to include them as one of the charities you contribute to! And here's why....they are truly a no kill animal shelter! They do not put animals who are aggressive or sick down just for that reason! If a dog can't be adopted out because it's aggressive (& can't be rehabilitated), it just gets to live it's life out at the sanctuary! Any sick animals are treated & only euthanized if there is nothing that can be done to help & they will only be in pain.



Jumping off soapbox....back to me (favorite subject)....I've had a rather busy week. It all started off with my air conditioner not working. I live in TX (it's HOT here) & anyone who knows me knows that with the slightest bit of movement, I sweat like pig! It's not pretty!



Must! Have! Air!



All I can think is how do people afford getting a new air conditioner? What if I had been laid off a couple of months ago like my friend??? It cost me $7,000!!! Luckily there was a credit card I hadn't gotten my grubby shopping hands on yet & I could charge it! I now have a huge, top of the line air conditioner that works great! I am still happy because I haven't had to make a payment on that card yet!



The rest of the week I have been babysitting my friends 2 dogs (Bandit & Watson). I have 5 of my own & thought.....pffft.....what's 2 more??? A lot more apparently but they are settling in......of course they are since she picks them up tomorrow. I would post pictures but neither of them will be still long enough. They are both so cute but this shows me (if I didn't know already)....Can't! Have! More! Dogs!