It’s most definitely Monday

Posted on February 13, 2024 by suziecreamcheese

Well, it’s better than last Monday, at any rate. LAST Monday night I ended up in the ER, so pretty much anything is better than that.

I got up at my normal time, took Maverick to daycare, did my morning journaling and then went to tell the Bear I was heading up to get a shower and get ready for class at 12:30, but first, what would he like for lunch?  He rejected tuna salad as “too squishy” so off I went to the little grocery store for cold cuts. Also known as “lunch meat” or “cold meat” depending on where you’re from. (The first time I said “cold cuts,” the Bear looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language) (That happened a lot) (Which leads me to the next thing)

(I may digress but there’s usually a reason)

Tormorrow is Fasnacht day.  And what, you may ask, is that? The first year I was here for Lent, Bear asked if I was going for Fasnachts and I asked if I needed a vaccination and if there was a cure. Yes, I’m a smartass. 

Fasnachts are amazing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasnacht_(doughnut)

While I was at the little grocery store getting cold cuts, I noticed the pile of freshly baked fasnachts and yep, 6 of those little cuties came home with me. I should not be trusted around things like that. 

I also got a carob, peanut butter bone for Maverick. Don’t tell him, he’s being a shit and not getting it till later. (Not eating real food, as usual0

And then the fun began. I had class, then the chiropractor, then a meeting. Faculty meetings are always fun but this one actually ended on time. Off to the vet to pick up a scrip for Maverick, then to Walmart to fill it, Petco for a meat roll so I can hide his meds inside the chunks, Hobby Lobby for fabric – caved and bought yarn for a sweater for the soon to arrive newest great grandson. Stopped at CVS, the library, and the beer store. (Snow is predicted, beer is necessary)

And then I went to get Maverick.

I think I’ve done enough for today but nope, I will be working on a training plan after supper and trying to practice “back up” and “circle left and right” with him if he ever manages to eat his darned supper. 

Someday maybe I’ll slow down. It won’t be today. Also, pray for the nasty shit to go North, I’m not really interested in snow tomorrow!

Posted in Uncategorized | 20 Comments

Interstitial Cystitis Syndrome

Posted on February 9, 2024 by suziecreamcheese

Oh lucky me, I get the condition that has no cure and a really weird name. 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/interstitial-cystitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354357https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/interstitial-cystitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354357

Five years ago, I ended up in the ER in intense pain.  The diagnosis was ICS, which I was actually grateful for, one of my cousins died of bladder cancer that was diagnosed too late, so I was relieved it wasn’t that. Mostly I need to avoid acidic foods or drinks and all is well.  Till coffee

I love coffee. I drink a pot of coffee every day. I get cranky without my coffee, and then I get downright mean

Coffee is high in acid content.  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It’s been quite awhile since I had a flare, and this weekend made up for lost time. Monday night I eneded up in the Emergency Room because a kid can only take just so much pain before the tears get to the Bear and he hauls your ass to the car and drives to the hospital. At 1 am. We got home at 10;30 Tuesday morning. 

I’m still sore, and tired, and I still want my damned coffee. I’m taking something called Prelief, and it’s sort of working but seriously, I need my coffee.  A CT scan revealed nothing major wrong, but I’m seeing a urologist anyway and taking massive doses of antibiotics, and Azo for pain (which makes you pee bright orange – it’s one of the only amusing parts of this nonsense)

I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS NONSENSE!

I am a terrible patient, I do not do well on the disabled list.  Pray for Bear. 

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Food

Posted on February 1, 2024 by suziecreamcheese

I love to cook. I’m pretty good at it, although there a few things I can be guaranteed to mess up. Want a tough piece of chicken? Come see me, I got that covered.  But mostly, I’m pretty darned good. 

My mom taught me, without ever saying it out loud, that if you love someone, you feed them. Food is love, no one leaves my house hungry unless they choose to, and they probably won’t be invited back because, sorry, that’s just rude. 

If you won’t eat what I cook (other than chicken, I won’t subject anyone to that) then you’re saying you don’t love me.  I know, that isn’t the truth.  You could just be saying you’re not hungry, or that you just don’t like broccoli, or you’re just not feeling well.

My brain knows this.  My gut does not.  Reject food and you’re rejecting me. 

I live with a dog who doesn’t eat.  Okay, he does, but only when he has absolutely nothing better to do and suddenly realizes that oh, yeah, that weird feeling in my belly? Maybe I really AM hungry. It’s been a battle since he was a puppy. Most of the time I’m able to ignore it, I just put his food down and walk away.  (I was told to pick it up after 15 minutes, wait, try again. Maverick found that incredibly amusing) (I was also told there must be something wrong with him, all Golden Retrievers love food! Maverick laughed at that one too)

There are times, however, when frustration gets the best of me. Last night, he decided that the actual kibble in his Kong Wobbler was far more interesting than the same kibble that was in his bowl.  Apparently dry is better than mixed with tasty canned food and a few chopped up carrots.  (Broccoli was a big hit for a few months until he decided it was poison)  Okay, seriously? You prefer having to beat a toy around the house to get a couple bits of dry kibble to just walking to your bowl and chowing down? 

I can’t splain it, Lucy. 

Posted in dogs, Maverick | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

I hate Winter

Posted on January 21, 2024 by suziecreamcheese

I know, you already knew that.  It’s currently cold, stupid cold.  Like 4 degrees this morning cold.  Like, any uncovered body part will fall off in 15 minutes cold. Stupid cold

It snowed. Maybe 4 inches. Enough to keep Maverick home from daycare because the driveway from Hell was snowed in and as Bear was plowing it clear, it started snowing again. What the heck, Mother Nature!  So Maverick spent the day wanting to go outside and I spent the day making him come back in because, read above, stupid cold. Bear spent the day plowing and shoveling and using the snow blower. 

It’s meant to snow again – maybe – on Friday.  Another 1-3 inches.  Is it Spring yet? 

People get all kinds of weird about snow. When I was a kid, there was a lady weather forecaster on the local TV station – WNYT, channel 13, Albany, NY – named Betty. The weather report was about 5 minutes long, if that. She had a little white dog named Moo. It seems to me that Betty was always correct because she would simply walk to the window, Moo in her arms, and look outside. (I’ve searched for any existing video but it was before all that jazz) (I was a wee child) 

I miss the days of “it’s gonna rain, take an umbrella” and “it’s gonna snow, probably a few inches, drive carefully” and we’re done. I do not care about the temperature in Texas (I live in PA).  I was watching the “news” the other day and I think the weather segment was 15 minutes long. 

All of this seems to make people get weird. I went for gas today – because the car is on 1/4 tank and my Poppa taught me to never get it below that.  The gas station was already busy. I can understand if you have a truck and you want to fill up to be able to plow, but if it snows that much, where the heck are you going in your little Cavalier that doesn’t have snow tires? 

The people on the weather pages are especially weird. The call of the snow lovers appears to be “BRING IT!” And then the battles erupt! ”If you don’t like it, move! No, YOU move! NO, YOU MOVE!”  Meanwhile one page on Facebook, who happened to hit it right a few years ago when all the others predicted a few inches and we got 3 feet, is highly amusing to read because that went straight to their heads and they’ve become masters of hype ever since.  WE’RE GETTING A BLIZZARD! Ooops, delete that, where did we ever say we were getting a blizzard? The comments are hilarious. 

Tomorrow is my normal grocery day (Friday). If it’s snowing, I won’t go out. People here don’t know how to drive in snow and my driveway – well, I’ve already mentioned that it was designed by a drunken Irishman on a three week binge. (I’m Irish, I can say that kind of thing)  So I will probably get groceries today since we need very little but I don’t want to wait till the weekend.  The gas station is across the parking lot from the grocery store, so I checked out the parking lot. Yup, already nuts. 

So I will get my bread, milk and eggs and make French Toast tomorrow. :)  Maverick will be home from daycare and probably the Bear will also be home, or at least taking the good car to work so he can navigate the driveway when he comes home.  (I would prefer he stay home. Even though he’ll watch MASH all day, he’ll be safe) I’m planning my sewing projects, because Maverick will hang out in the craft room with me and not drive me nuts wanting to go for a walk. 

And it’s only 62 days till Spring. 

And after I wrote this, we got another four inches of snow, Bear went to work on Friday afternoon, didn’t like the look of the roads so came home and slid off the driveway.  He spent yesterday plowing again, and we called a friend to help pull the car up to the garage. No damage done to Bear or car, just a whole lot of stress and annoyance.  (He didn’t realize there was ice under the coating of snow we got AFTER he plowed three times) 

It’s still january and I’m ready for this crap to be over. One person tells me February is meant to be worse and I may just curl up in a ball and come out in April.

Posted in Uncategorized | 15 Comments

Is it Spring yet?

Posted on January 11, 2024 by suziecreamcheese

If you’ve followed along on my journey through the years, you know I hate snow. I don’t just hate snow. I despise snow with every fiber of my being.  I see no valid reason for it and no one will convince me that we “need” snow. 

So for a few months every year, I bitch and complain and piss and moan and am generally a pain in the ass.  Yeah, I am, I admit it. (More so than my usual bitchy self, if you can imagine that) (or maybe you’d rather not, could give nightmares) (I’m really very nice if you don’t piss me off)

And here we are in January. I hate January almost as much as I hate February, and March just needs to go away, it’s the month that promises Spring and then says “HA! Have a snowstorm!” 

All kidding aside (I was kidding? Who knew?) I have what’s known as “snow anxiety.” In other words, the mere mention of a snowstorm within the next week or so sends me frantically scouring weather sites for any information in the hopes that I’ll find one that says, “nope, all rain, fooled you weenies!”  (It happens)  Last weekend it snowed all day Saturday. I was surprisingly calm, perhaps due to my talking back to myself and reminding myself of how many snowstorms I’ve survived. (That’s not entirely due to age, I grew up in Upstate NY – the big part that’s attached to the The CIty – and went to college in Oswego, NY, where Spring is that one day between snowstorms and Summer is a fantasy. I’ve lived through blizzards both there and here in PA, an epic two in a row about 10 years ago. I know snow) It may sound silly but it worked to calm my nerves.

So here’s the thing. Maverick is a Golden Retriever. He freakin loves snow.  See the dilemma? I don’t drive in snow, not so much from fear of the snow as from fear of other drivers. People in PA do NOT know how to drive in snow. Basic rules – slow down, get off my ass, get your foot off the brake – are apparently never taught.  Yes, I’m that little old lady who is going 10 (or more) miles BELOW the speed limit when the roads are covered with snow, and is barely moving when there’s ice.  Sue me. 

Maverick does not like to poop at home. (TMI? Sorry, not sorry) This is a problem when Mommah is not going to take his little butt to the park on a Saturday. (Normally he goes at daycare, for which I apologize frequently but the owner knows I seriously don’t mean it.) He spent Saturday trying to convince me that I needed to take him to the park and I spent Saturday sewing, because he doesn’t enjoy the craft room – it puts him to sleep – and I dont enjoy the “Let me out so I can come back in every fifteen minutes” game.  (Eventually he gave in and managed to go in the yard)

I would dearly love to let him off leash and let him run in the snow, which disappeared the next day (thank you Sweet Baby Jesus). However, I’m not nearly as interesting as a deer and should one appear in his field of vision, that high prey drive would kick in and Lord only knows where we’d find him. While I sincerely believe that God is looking out for both of us, I try not to test His patience too much. 

We are now learning to work with a clicker. I have purchased a Clik StiK and we’re working on disappearing treats because someone is very much focused on my hand and not on what he should be doing.  https://a.co/d/dHj8LW9 (link to above mentioned Clik Stik) 

He seems to be catching on pretty quickly, although he thinks I spend too much time reading about clicker training and not enough time practicing. He’s very opinionated. I would like to try Rally classes in the Spring and we have a lot of work to do to be prepared for that.  Wish us luck! 

Posted in dogs, learning, Maverick, snow, training | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

We need a what?

Posted on December 28, 2023 by suziecreamcheese

A couple of weeks ago, I was merrily doing laundry – yes, laundry makes me happy – till I have to drag it upstairs to put it away, that is. There’s something very satisfying about taking a pile of dirty clothes and turning it into a neat stack of fresh and clean clothing. (Turning chaos into order is one of my super powers, by the way. ) (Creating chaos in the first place is also one of my super powers.) (I’m multi-talented) 

I digress.

While doing the above mentioned laundry, I noticed that the twahlette was gurgling. (We’re uppity round here, we called it the “twahlette” or sometimes just the “toidy.”) I thought it rather rude that it should gurgle at me and went merrily along with my day. 

Bear was home, with his seasonal bronchitis. He did not find said gurgle to be amusing. I looked out the craft room window, where I had gone to do some sewing while the clothes happily lost their patina of yuckiness, and saw him heading for the field. Concerned that the bronchitis had affected his brain, I watched from the safety of the jeep.* He stopped at the septic tank cover and then I stopped watching because, seriously, who wants to see that mess?

He came inside and informed me that said tank needed to be pumped out. Don’t look at me, Dear, I don’t do septic tanks. 

 

Paperwork was found (by me, that man never knows where things are filed), a phone call was made and the septic guys (oh, that sounds awful, they were very nice, not at all septic) came the next day. Apparently things like septic tanks need to be pumped out every so often – who knew? (Bear knew. I don’t keep him around just cuz he’s cute, you know, he’s very smart about stuff like this!) 

However. There’s apparently a pump thingie that makes this whole “flush the toidy and the stuff goes to the tank” or “do the laundry and the soapy water goes away” thing.  Who knew? (Again, Bear knew) Well. Our pump was 17 years old and had died a slow and lingering death. (Momentary pause to send thoughts and prayers, please)  The septic guys broke the news gently. They also broke the news that said pump was not something they carry in stock – leave it to us to have a “special” pump.  A new one was ordered and would be installed as soon as it came in. 

Meanwhile, don’t use any more water than necessary. Well, the laundry was done, so that was all good! A few days passed and the new pump arrived and was installed, and the cost of this little adventure? Well, we’re saying “Merry Christmas!” every time we flush and being grateful that while presents weren’t purchased (except for a few little things) we can pay for that sort of repair without flinching and also, we can flush! 

And somehow Christmas managed to be peaceful, and joyful, and filled with love – for each other and for our differences that make us crazy at times and yet able to work together and make a great team. 

On to next year. May it be better in every way than the one we’re about to call done. 

*”from the safety of the jeep” is a reference to an old TV show in which one man would go into the wild to film animals in their natural habitat while his partner would wait “from the safety of the jeep.” It’s been a running joke with my friends and family for years. 

Posted in Christmas, family, my life | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

It’s Christmas, dammit!

Posted on December 5, 2023 by suziecreamcheese

I admit it. I love Christmas. My mom loved decorating the tree and the house – it was never fancy but there were things that came out every year – like the elf that hung from the door between the dining room and the living room and now appears in my house each year, and the ornaments that had a special place on the tree. She was allergic to the pine and it didn’t stop her for a second, she would just scratch her arms and keep going. Yes, she loved it that much. From a very early age, we were taught the old maxim that t’is better to give than receive. My parents both spent hours making gifts, because home made are the best. My father worked with wood – I still have little cars and trucks he made, and one beautiful rocking chair for a child that I claimed when we cleaned out my parents’ house – mostly to keep the other sisters from fighting over it.

We did gifts on Christmas – we did gifts like a boss. We started in the summer, and actually didn’t buy that much, most of the gifts were handmade. I was the queen of mittens and scarves, placemats, napkins, doll clothes and stuffed toys. My mom made cowboy shirts – the kind with a different color yoke and snaps instead of buttons, because my nephew requested one just like “Uncle M’s” who wasn’t his uncle but old enough for that designation. (He drove the fire truck, which put him on the right hand of God in A’s mind)

Oh, we shopped too We bought fun things and we created fun things. One year my father made a wooden box with a hinged top that we covered with fabric and stuffing, and then we filled the box with craft supplies. My niece was 8, she loved it. I made a lot of plastic canvas things for the kids – a wickedly painful pink castle jewelry box for one kid that took so many hours – and which my brother in law threw away after my sister died.

My oldest sister was a joyless woman. She hated Christmas. I have no idea why except that she was pretty much a miserable person on a good day and she hated spending money. One year she put their Christmas tree in the spare bedroom so when there were no guests,she could close the door and forget it was there. Every year she would manage to do something to suck the joy out of Christmas for everyone else. Every year I would pray it would be different, and every year she would strike.

I am currently surrounded by joy suckers. At first I decided that i was totally skipping Christmas this year. My friends didn’t wan to exchange gifts, my “family” likes the receiving part but screw the giving, and my Bear has never had a lot of interest in decorating and all that jazz. After a week of feeling awful whenever I saw a Christmas commercial, I decided – and excuse my language, my mother would slap me, but it’s how I feel – Fuck them all.

People keep saying “I’m doing what makes ME happy this year, ” as if not doing a damned thing to spread joy deserves a medal or at least a “way to go! You do you!” Well, screw them. I’m also doing what makes ME happy. I’m putting up the tree, and decorating like Christmas threw up in this house, and baking cookies and making candy and if no one wants to do gifts, fine, I’m going to buy lottery tickets and give them to random strangers. Maybe someone will get lucky and win a bunch of money, or at least I’ll get to spread smiles.

I do, however, draw the line at Hallmark movies. 🙂

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It’s Thanksgiving

Posted on November 23, 2023 by suziecreamcheese

I have a huge family. When I was growing up, dinner was at my parents’ house, multiple aunts and uncles, sisters and their families, grandchildren and kids. As I got older, the aunts and uncles fell away and the nieces and nephews (grandchildren to my parents) multiplied. Everyone brought food but my mother did most of the cooking. We put the leaves in the dining room table and everyone sat close together, which was not a problem, made it easier to sample from each others’ plates that way.

As time went on, the nieces and nephews married and had their own families, and we started going to different homes for the big meal, but most of the time, everyone managed to show up at my parents’ house at some point for leftovers. There were always a couple of people at the dining room table, picking at the turkey carcass, eating cookies, having one more slice of pumpkin pie – the best excuse for whipped cream ever!

When my father died, my mom and I went to my sister’s house, the one who lived closest. Still, we had a small turkey the night before and there were drop-ins for leftovers later on Thanksgiving night.

Then my mom died in October. That was the first year I had Thanksgiving in PA with Bear. His son and daughter in law, and two small children came for dinner. We had a huge turkey and ran out of gas for the oven, so we ended up cooking it on the grill. No one cared, it was a fun meal and we still laugh about that turkey on the grill.

Each year, the family grew and each year, they came to us for dinner. This year, there have been changes, the kids are with partners and have other places to go, and the grandparents are very low on the list of priorities. So it’s just me and the Bear. We decided not to have a big dinner just for us. We pulled a turkey out of the freezer and it’s in the oven, we’ll have a vegetable and maybe smashed potatoes and eat at our normal time. That’s 8 pm for me, and around 11 for him, since he works second shift he isn’t used to eating at “normal” times.

It’s a very different day than the ones I remember. I’m sad – for the memories his family won’t have. But times change, life goes on. I’m grateful for the family I still have. I’m grateful for friends who laugh with me when we get lost and call it an adventure (midnight in Baltimore is something I never thought I’d experience.) I’m grateful for the parts of my body that don’t hurt, although there aren’t many of those today. I’m grateful for the soaking tub that made those parts that hurt a little less painful. I’m grateful for Maverick, as much as he challenges me. (But if he wakes me up by jumping on me one more time……………………..) I’m grateful for my life, with all the ups and downs. And I’m extremely grateful that I live in the best country in the world, no matter what anyone says.

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Well

Posted on November 9, 2023 by suziecreamcheese

We did it. On Monday night, Maverick completed the last two of ten tricks needed to earn his AKC Intermediate Trick Dog title. It was touch and go for the last couple of weeks. On Saturday he had six out of ten accepted. I had taught him to ring bells and turn on a tap light, and just needed to get them on video. He wouldn’t co-operate. He actually walked away when I asked him to do it. (Little rat) I told him I knew it was stupid and he didn’t care about it, but it was important to me, and could he please just do it once? Within a few minutes, he walked to the bells hanging on the pantry door and hit them with his nose.

LET ME GET THE CAMERA!

I got it on video, and then he decided he could tap a light and turn it on, and he did it while I still h ad the camera ready. Thank you, sweet Baby Jesus!

Sent off, approved, eight down, two to go. I thought there might be a glimmer of hope that we could actually pull this off. On Monday evening, my friend came up and helped me with the last two tricks. One involved her hiding and him finding her – something I couldn’t manage to video and get done alone. The other involved putting down three cups, one hiding a treat, and asking him to find the hot cup – the one with the treat. Again, I couldn’t do it alone because by the time I got the second cup down, he had knocked over the first.

We got them done. Sent the videos off and waited. And waited. At 9:15, I decided we weren’t going to make it after all. Oh, well, we had fun trying. And then my phone dinged. Both videos approved, meaning we had ten and that’s all we needed.

I know it may seem silly to be so freakin excited and happy about a Trick Dog title, but when you have a dog who challenges you in so many ways, to be able to work together with him and accomplish something like this is pretty fucking major.

I’m currently waiting, impatiently, for the paperwork so I can send it in and get our official certificate. Then there will be pictures and perhaps a party.

Maverick, being Maverick, has been an absolute jerk the last couple of nights But he’s a champion jerk with two titles. 🙂

Posted in dogs, learning, Maverick, training | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

When a walk becomes a blessing

Posted on October 29, 2023 by suziecreamcheese

Today’s weather is rotten. Damp, raw, gloomy, a presage of things to come, and a day that doesn’t make my summer loving soul happy.

Maverick doesn’t care. He loves outside, no matter what the weather – well, thunderstorms are the sole exception, he hates them.

It’s Sunday. Sunday means we get to walk at the park because daycare is closed on weekends, in spite of my best efforts to convince the owner that she really should be open every day. Yesterday I badly wanted to sleep in, I haven’t been sleeping well – I rarely have nightmares but when I do, they make up for all the nights they missed. I woke Bear up twice screaming. (It was bad enough that I was afraid to go back to sleep – and I didn’t get the title “Queen of Sleep” for nothing!)

Maverick had other plans. He got up with Bear at 8, after doing his usual sneak attack on Mommah’s hugging pillow – he steals it every morning, and I usually don’t even know till I actually wake up. Bear let him out to do his morning business, apparently there was an uninvited deer in the field and Maverick decided to bark for a solid 15 minutes. Under our bedroom window.

After that little episode, Bear brought him inside, whereupon Maverick ran upstairs and flung himself onto me, rolling around madly and then licking me. I refused to get up. He went downstairs. About 1/2 hour later, we repeated this. I gave in and got up, annoyed and tired and crabby.

I took him for his walk, he pulled like a tank and this didn’t improve my mood. When we got home, I put him outside, where he promptly decided to increase the size of the bomb crater he’s been working on all summer.

Bear had gone out for something and as I was bringing Maverick in, he came home, took one look and said, “what’s wrong?” I probably sounded like a 2 year old in need of a nap – “I’m exhausted, I wanted to sleep in, he’s digging a hole again, I’m just exhausted!” Bear said, “take a nap.”

So I slept all afternoon.

This morning, when the Bear got up, I closed the bedroom door behind him and slept till 11:30. As soon as I got up, the relentless dance to go to the park began. After my coffee, because I don’t do anything till after my coffee, we went to the park. In the cold, damp, dreary nastiness – Maverick dragged me around. I was heading into grumpiness when we got to the pavilion, and Maverick pulled me over to the young man who was sitting there, playing Pokemon on his phone. I gave Maverick a drink and the young man started talking to us. He told me about his college classes, I mentioned that I teach accounting and we talked about how awful tax class is.

It was a random chat with a young gentleman – and he’ll never know how he lifted my spirits and made me smile. My heart is lighter – sometimes all it takes is a random encounter to make you remember the world isn’t such a bad place after all.

Posted in blessings, dogs, Maverick, weather | Tagged , | 7 Comments