Life has been on high speed these last few weeks... I signed at the title company on Friday. Bringing home that big packet of paper was kinda cool. I sat it up on the stairs and glanced at it here and there, reminding myself what it was... Seems crazy. :) The boxes are stacking up all over the house.
The sellers go and do their paperwork tomorrow, so I should get my keys on Tuesday. TUESDAY. Like as in... the day after tomorrow. *happy dance*
I have a couple of awesome friends coming on Tuesday to help me clean the new house. It's been vacant for 10 months, and we've had some serious dust storms come through the valley this summer... I will go over every day after work to finish and will start taking things over. The dogs will begin to go back and forth on Tuesday too! :) I have Two Men and a Truck coming on Saturday to help with the contents of the upstairs, the appliances, the furniture and as many boxes as I can get them to take in the time I have them for... :) Whatever is left, I will transport for the next week. :) I will be coming back to THIS house next week to clean THIS place up.
Just a few more days of carrying the puppies down the stairs. :) HOORAY!
Speaking of the puppies ~ they are awesome. :) All of em. :) Dakota and Chance have had a few nasty little squabbles lately - not sure what's causing them, so I'm watching very carefully. They're good most of the time though, so it's not causing too much stress. Sedona is good - she's noticing something is going on and is being a little more clingy than typical. Mason is getting SO big. He's got a big lions mane already! He knows sit pretty reliably and choses to ignore me when I say "come". He might find himself enrolled in a puppy class. Mia started handling class today - and she was 'push button'. Gaited effortlessly, was happy happy happy, stood tall and proud on the table and stood nicely when I asked her to. She started out looking at me a lot, and by the end, I had her able to look ahead as she gaited next to me. Push. Button. Little. Show. Dog. :)
School started for me this week - it's not nearly as overwhelming as last semester. :) Two semesters of coursework left, and then my internship. I'm ALMOST there! :)
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
*pant pant pant* whew!
I'm in the last two weeks of my last summer session for grad school (can I get an AMEN!?), I have two puppies under 4 months, I have a bitch in season, I started back to work and I'm buying a house. Um. Yea.
So I'm buying a house. Finally. Renting was just getting too confining - despite having a great landlord. The home inspection is today, so wish me luck... it looked great when I saw it Tuesday and I can't wait to see it again today! :)
The puppies are GREAT. It's truly what I imagined having littermates would be like. These two kids play and fight and do everything I would imagine littermates doing. They're getting big. Mason weighed 19.8 pounds and Mia was 13.0 pounds at the vet yesterday. Mia's weight might be a bit off because she ate like a cow yesterday afternoon (remember the posts about Dakota and Piper indulging themselves a few months back?? Yea. I put some kibble down for the two puppies at lunch and she ate ALL of it evidently. LOL).
Work started for me on the 22nd, and the kids started back on the 27th (same day I went under contract on the house). I quickly realized that I had gotten all too used to sitting on the couch doing NOTHING (except school work) all day long. I was TIRED by Friday!!! I love being back though. The kids make me smile. Even the naughty ones! ;-)
School (for me) has been a bear this semester. I managed to squeak out of my Geology class with a C (the bare minimum) and am doing my best to get by my core classes. It's a tough tough semester. Good classes, but HARD. The teachers piled just as many assignments in the last 3 weeks of the semester as they did the whole rest of the semester. Does that make sense? For example: the semester is 12 weeks long. the first 9 weeks we had (hypothetically) 6 assignments and the last three weeks we had 6 assignments. It's insane. It's over next week - thank GOODNESS!! 3 new classes start 8/15. I have the fall and spring semesters left, my 12 week internship over next summer, and then I'M DONE WITH SCHOOL. Well ok, I have a Clinical Fellowship Year after that, but it's not a major school deal. It's basically just a clinical check in time - to make sure you're competent I think. Since I've already been working and have proven myself competent, I can't imagine my CFY being TOO horribly difficult. :)
Sedona is on day 15 today. She should be done soon. Thank goodness. That's all I can muster to say about that - other than I have somehow managed NOT to kill Chance in these last 15 days. I'm proud of myself. :)
Dakota is great - I love my neutered boy. Chance on the other hand makes me want to neuter him by hand right about now.
I thought having been bred might have changed Sedona's cycles some, but it doesn't appear that it has. She came in at 5.5 months after the last time she came in. Normally she's 4.5-5 months, so I got an extra couple of weeks out of it, I guess. ;-)
That's my most recent update. Life with 5 is nuts, but fun. The puppies are easy to live with, and the big dogs would be too, if Sedona weren't in season subsequently making Chance insane. :)
I should close on the house no later than 8/24 provided all goes smoothly (which we see no reason why it wouldn't), so wish me luck. I will keep the blog updated as I can.... :)
The puppies are GREAT. It's truly what I imagined having littermates would be like. These two kids play and fight and do everything I would imagine littermates doing. They're getting big. Mason weighed 19.8 pounds and Mia was 13.0 pounds at the vet yesterday. Mia's weight might be a bit off because she ate like a cow yesterday afternoon (remember the posts about Dakota and Piper indulging themselves a few months back?? Yea. I put some kibble down for the two puppies at lunch and she ate ALL of it evidently. LOL).
Work started for me on the 22nd, and the kids started back on the 27th (same day I went under contract on the house). I quickly realized that I had gotten all too used to sitting on the couch doing NOTHING (except school work) all day long. I was TIRED by Friday!!! I love being back though. The kids make me smile. Even the naughty ones! ;-)
School (for me) has been a bear this semester. I managed to squeak out of my Geology class with a C (the bare minimum) and am doing my best to get by my core classes. It's a tough tough semester. Good classes, but HARD. The teachers piled just as many assignments in the last 3 weeks of the semester as they did the whole rest of the semester. Does that make sense? For example: the semester is 12 weeks long. the first 9 weeks we had (hypothetically) 6 assignments and the last three weeks we had 6 assignments. It's insane. It's over next week - thank GOODNESS!! 3 new classes start 8/15. I have the fall and spring semesters left, my 12 week internship over next summer, and then I'M DONE WITH SCHOOL. Well ok, I have a Clinical Fellowship Year after that, but it's not a major school deal. It's basically just a clinical check in time - to make sure you're competent I think. Since I've already been working and have proven myself competent, I can't imagine my CFY being TOO horribly difficult. :)
Sedona is on day 15 today. She should be done soon. Thank goodness. That's all I can muster to say about that - other than I have somehow managed NOT to kill Chance in these last 15 days. I'm proud of myself. :)
Dakota is great - I love my neutered boy. Chance on the other hand makes me want to neuter him by hand right about now.
I thought having been bred might have changed Sedona's cycles some, but it doesn't appear that it has. She came in at 5.5 months after the last time she came in. Normally she's 4.5-5 months, so I got an extra couple of weeks out of it, I guess. ;-)
That's my most recent update. Life with 5 is nuts, but fun. The puppies are easy to live with, and the big dogs would be too, if Sedona weren't in season subsequently making Chance insane. :)
I should close on the house no later than 8/24 provided all goes smoothly (which we see no reason why it wouldn't), so wish me luck. I will keep the blog updated as I can.... :)
Monday, July 18, 2011
catching up a little
So life has been a little on the crazier side of normal the last few weeks... School has been wolloping me on the side of the head repeatedly AND I have 2 puppies. AND I'm trying to buy a house. Yes. I should be committed. :)
In the mean time, I am taking pictures and I thought maybe the crew's fan club would like to see their antics...
Enjoy!
The beginning of a story....
In the short time that Mia has been here, she has already earned the title "Princess Mia" - always ready for her photoshoot too....
The big dogs are loving her, and Mason thinks she's the best thing ever (most the time).
I choose to think about the dogs more often than not.... school raises my blood pressure and real estate makes me dizzy. Summer semester is almost done, summer break is almost over and I go back to reality on Friday. Where has the time gone???
In the mean time, I am taking pictures and I thought maybe the crew's fan club would like to see their antics...
Enjoy!
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| "You called?" |
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| Mia watches her BFF (Mason) in the distance |
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| "HI!!" |
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| "Oh hey, Mom!!" -Mason |
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| Mia just trying to win Sedona over. |
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| too much cute |
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| high centered Mason |
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| couch baby |
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| Really? is that comfy? |
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| One fine day, Princess Mia was thoroughly enjoying the puppy sized ball when suddenly and unbeknownst to her, her evil brother was sneaking in behind her.... |
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| Princess Mia, always one to share |
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| "Ah yes, that IS a fine ball" said Mason, as he told his little sister of the history of the puppy sized ball... all the while plotting and planning against her.... |
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| "I'm really enjoying this puppy sized ball, Mason!" "yea, I bet you are, my dearest sister" thought Mason. |
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| "Nom nom nom" |
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| And the siblings begin to play wildly on the ground with the ball |
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| Mia: "Hey! I lost my ball!!" Mason: "It's mine... at last!!!" |
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| "I got my toy.. I got my toy!" |
I choose to think about the dogs more often than not.... school raises my blood pressure and real estate makes me dizzy. Summer semester is almost done, summer break is almost over and I go back to reality on Friday. Where has the time gone???
Thursday, November 11, 2010
a little bit of this... a little bit of that....
STILL waiting for Sedona's CH photo.... I wrote a "where the hell is my picture" email to Dan Pearson. We'll see if I get a reply as to where the HELL my picture is. It's almost been a month.... really? Come on!!!
Chancey is blowing his coat all over the place without regard.... good thing he's not showing again till January! ;-)
Kota is Kota.. I'm going to take him in for a cleaning sometime soon - his teeth are an ugly mess. They always have been. I don't want him laughed out of the Veteran's ring because of it though, so we'll get em cleaned before January! :)
Pie2 is Pie2... as sweet and bossy as possible. I call her my Gumby-dog... loving, sweet, affectionate on one side, and bossy, bitchy and annoying as all hell on the other. She's such a riot. Still a little thing, but she's finally getting some coat again (hooray). If I ever feel like I'm not drowning with too much to do, I'd like to get her back into agility training. I feel like thats where her calling is. Seriously. Tom and Carolyn Cannon can attest to the springs in this dogs feet! :)
As for me, I am good. I went through a bit of a challenging week this last week. Some work hiccups and a family issue (ok, more than an issue, but i won't go there). It's Veteran's Day, I have the day off, and all is well. Our fall weather that has finally settled in... we haven't even hit 70 degrees the last few days! HOORAY! I'm breaking out with the PJ pants (rather than shorts) and slippers... it's nice. :)
Still as single as ever, which is ok most of the time. I've finally closed the book on a chapter of my life that I had some unresolved issues with. It feels GREAT to be free of that weight on my shoulders. :) Maybe now I can begin to move forward and seek out happiness again! :) One has to be emotionally ready for moving forward, and while I may have SAID I was for all these years, I can see now that I really wasn't.... :( I am now though, so watch out world! :)
The fall semester for school is almost over (less than a month to go!) and that leaves me with 4 semesters left (4 down, 4 to go + my medical internship). There's a teeny tiny little glimmer of light at the end of my tunnel. I can't believe I've managed to make it this far and do fairly well in most of my classes. :) Before I know it, I'll be putting awesome initials after my name in my signature line at work! :) Hooray! :)
Dog plans are coming along nicely... I'm still planning to breed Sedona in February when she comes into season (yes, I know it will be February because this dog is like CLOCK WORK). In the meantime, we're waiting for a girl to come into season and Chance will be bred as soon as that happens. I'm so darned excited about the idea of him producing - now to see HOW he does.... His sisters have produced nicely, so fingers are crossed for some awesome little black and blue puppies out of him soon! :) This all means my dog numbers are going to rise.... *sigh* I'll be getting a puppy back from Chance, and of course, I will plan to keep one of Sedona's puppies too... Whew. Looking for just the right place for Pie2 to go once I know that Chance's girl friend is expecting ;-) We're going to start working on Pie2's resume soon... stay tuned, it should be funny! :)
Well, I guess that's life as I know it right now...
Chancey is blowing his coat all over the place without regard.... good thing he's not showing again till January! ;-)
Kota is Kota.. I'm going to take him in for a cleaning sometime soon - his teeth are an ugly mess. They always have been. I don't want him laughed out of the Veteran's ring because of it though, so we'll get em cleaned before January! :)
Pie2 is Pie2... as sweet and bossy as possible. I call her my Gumby-dog... loving, sweet, affectionate on one side, and bossy, bitchy and annoying as all hell on the other. She's such a riot. Still a little thing, but she's finally getting some coat again (hooray). If I ever feel like I'm not drowning with too much to do, I'd like to get her back into agility training. I feel like thats where her calling is. Seriously. Tom and Carolyn Cannon can attest to the springs in this dogs feet! :)
As for me, I am good. I went through a bit of a challenging week this last week. Some work hiccups and a family issue (ok, more than an issue, but i won't go there). It's Veteran's Day, I have the day off, and all is well. Our fall weather that has finally settled in... we haven't even hit 70 degrees the last few days! HOORAY! I'm breaking out with the PJ pants (rather than shorts) and slippers... it's nice. :)
Still as single as ever, which is ok most of the time. I've finally closed the book on a chapter of my life that I had some unresolved issues with. It feels GREAT to be free of that weight on my shoulders. :) Maybe now I can begin to move forward and seek out happiness again! :) One has to be emotionally ready for moving forward, and while I may have SAID I was for all these years, I can see now that I really wasn't.... :( I am now though, so watch out world! :)
The fall semester for school is almost over (less than a month to go!) and that leaves me with 4 semesters left (4 down, 4 to go + my medical internship). There's a teeny tiny little glimmer of light at the end of my tunnel. I can't believe I've managed to make it this far and do fairly well in most of my classes. :) Before I know it, I'll be putting awesome initials after my name in my signature line at work! :) Hooray! :)
Dog plans are coming along nicely... I'm still planning to breed Sedona in February when she comes into season (yes, I know it will be February because this dog is like CLOCK WORK). In the meantime, we're waiting for a girl to come into season and Chance will be bred as soon as that happens. I'm so darned excited about the idea of him producing - now to see HOW he does.... His sisters have produced nicely, so fingers are crossed for some awesome little black and blue puppies out of him soon! :) This all means my dog numbers are going to rise.... *sigh* I'll be getting a puppy back from Chance, and of course, I will plan to keep one of Sedona's puppies too... Whew. Looking for just the right place for Pie2 to go once I know that Chance's girl friend is expecting ;-) We're going to start working on Pie2's resume soon... stay tuned, it should be funny! :)
Well, I guess that's life as I know it right now...
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Goings On....
Not much outside of the 'norm' has been going on for me and the 'kids'.
I started back to classes this past Monday... I'm taking 4 courses this semester... Advanced Diagnostics in Speech Language Pathology, Practicum in Audiology, Practicum in Speech Pathology: Intermediate, and Language Disorders. At least the two book courses are interesting to me this time around! Hopefully that bodes well for good grades to boost the weakening GPA :)
The kids are well - Sedona is due in season any day so chaos will ensue shortly... Dakota has been on glucosamine for a while now and it's been a wonder drug in terms of his limpy rear! I started giving Sedona glucosamine also - and will have her hips re-x-rayed in a few months... for one last shot at a passing grade from the OFA. Chance is going in on the 11th and 12th for his next series of health clearance testing.. On the 11th he's having his Thyroid tested (to be submitted to the OFA) and on the 12th he's having his CERF done (finally). More feathers in his cap. I'm hoping he might have his first romantic interlude in the next year... we shall see :) Piper is still Piper... barking and snarfing other dogs bones.... growing up, but not really... LOL She's a clown, a love, a pig, a bossy little.... I love her. LOL
School/work is going well... I have 69 kids on my caseload right now, but yet my load still seems lighter than last year did. I am enjoying my kids and my work... I am still SO excited and proud of my work. :) I work at the same school I worked at last year, and I have THE BEST co-workers! :)
The weight thing is still going well - I am at a total of 48 pounds lost right now. I am still on the course to lose 40+ more. I am finding that I am weedling down my wardrobe day by day. Clothes are getting bigger and bigger, which is great. I am due soon for a new wardrobe. :) I'm afraid that by the time the show season starts, I won't be able to wear the two pretty new show outfits I got! Oh well, I guess there are worse things that could happen.... ;-)
I started back to classes this past Monday... I'm taking 4 courses this semester... Advanced Diagnostics in Speech Language Pathology, Practicum in Audiology, Practicum in Speech Pathology: Intermediate, and Language Disorders. At least the two book courses are interesting to me this time around! Hopefully that bodes well for good grades to boost the weakening GPA :)
The kids are well - Sedona is due in season any day so chaos will ensue shortly... Dakota has been on glucosamine for a while now and it's been a wonder drug in terms of his limpy rear! I started giving Sedona glucosamine also - and will have her hips re-x-rayed in a few months... for one last shot at a passing grade from the OFA. Chance is going in on the 11th and 12th for his next series of health clearance testing.. On the 11th he's having his Thyroid tested (to be submitted to the OFA) and on the 12th he's having his CERF done (finally). More feathers in his cap. I'm hoping he might have his first romantic interlude in the next year... we shall see :) Piper is still Piper... barking and snarfing other dogs bones.... growing up, but not really... LOL She's a clown, a love, a pig, a bossy little.... I love her. LOL
School/work is going well... I have 69 kids on my caseload right now, but yet my load still seems lighter than last year did. I am enjoying my kids and my work... I am still SO excited and proud of my work. :) I work at the same school I worked at last year, and I have THE BEST co-workers! :)
The weight thing is still going well - I am at a total of 48 pounds lost right now. I am still on the course to lose 40+ more. I am finding that I am weedling down my wardrobe day by day. Clothes are getting bigger and bigger, which is great. I am due soon for a new wardrobe. :) I'm afraid that by the time the show season starts, I won't be able to wear the two pretty new show outfits I got! Oh well, I guess there are worse things that could happen.... ;-)
Saturday, August 07, 2010
some of this and that...
I've been home from CO for a few weeks now, and have since started back to work... I see the most amazing kids and staff every day at work. I have to remind myself how fortunate I am to do what I love doing every day.
I am also on a "break" from school - classes start on 8/23, and I fully intend on relaxing my brain muscles until classes start again. I am officially a 2nd year grad student! Eek! :) 5 more semesters ahead and I will be a Masters Degree holder (finally - Geez!!)
Not sure if anyone has seen my tracker at the bottom of this blog, but it's time for me to brag on my accomplishments... I started a new "resolution" for 2010 in January. I really wanted to get my weight (which had spiraled out of control) under control for 2010. So far, I have lost 41 pounds, and have a good chunk left. I am pretty proud of having lost an entire big bag of dog food worth of weight!! :)
Dogs are well - 2 are losing every little hair on their body, so my house looks a mess all the time right now. Still major hunting for Sedona - here's hoping she can get that last major in the fall.... (please o please).
I'm enjoying the monsoon season this year, even thought I missed some while I was in CO. I love waking up on the weekends to gray skies and windy weather in August... it's a nice change from the stifling heat of Arizona in the summer. Wish it got a little cooler, but beggars can't be choosers, right?? ;-)
I am also on a "break" from school - classes start on 8/23, and I fully intend on relaxing my brain muscles until classes start again. I am officially a 2nd year grad student! Eek! :) 5 more semesters ahead and I will be a Masters Degree holder (finally - Geez!!)
Not sure if anyone has seen my tracker at the bottom of this blog, but it's time for me to brag on my accomplishments... I started a new "resolution" for 2010 in January. I really wanted to get my weight (which had spiraled out of control) under control for 2010. So far, I have lost 41 pounds, and have a good chunk left. I am pretty proud of having lost an entire big bag of dog food worth of weight!! :)
Dogs are well - 2 are losing every little hair on their body, so my house looks a mess all the time right now. Still major hunting for Sedona - here's hoping she can get that last major in the fall.... (please o please).
I'm enjoying the monsoon season this year, even thought I missed some while I was in CO. I love waking up on the weekends to gray skies and windy weather in August... it's a nice change from the stifling heat of Arizona in the summer. Wish it got a little cooler, but beggars can't be choosers, right?? ;-)
Saturday, July 31, 2010
University of Northern Colorado - and the ride home
I SO enjoyed my time in Colorado. People had said that Greeley wasn't a nice town. Now that I've been, I'm not horribly impressed with the town of Greeley (or what I saw), but the part of campus I was on every day was STUNNING. Meet Grizz. He is a bronze (?) statue at the University Center.
From across the street... You can see Grizz on the left, but the flowers are an outline of a bear profile... it's hard to tell from the picture - sorry! :(
This is one of the residence halls on campus... I thought it was pretty...
This was the first sign I saw when I got onto Campus...
The Visitor Center was an old house - beautiful old house..
This tree was next to Gunter Hall... It had these HUGE leaves and bean like things.... anyone know what it might be??
The flowers and sign for Gunter...
These "chimes" were always going off.. every hour... every half hour? shoot I dunno, but I heard them ALL the time.
Gunter Hall was named for Julius C. Gunter - the Governor of the state of Colorado at the time it was built (in the 20's). The building was originally the school gym. There are lots of pictures of old athlete's in the hallways and there is even still the half court circle part of the original gym floor still exposed in one part of the building. It's kinda cool.
One day at lunch I snapped this as we sat at a picnic table out in the lawn...
This was taken from my car during another lunch time. The building in the distance is Gunter. The Visitor center is to my right in this picture...
This was taken the last day from the 3rd floor conference room where we met for our "wrap up" meeting.
The view out of the Motel 6 window in Bernalillo, NM the night of the 23rd.
and the bug on the window. :)
Chancey looking as innocent as humanly possible....
Kota... :)
Awww, P-Piper....
This is a picture of one of my classmates Karen, and I. She's insisted I visit if I find myself dog showing in the PNW again :)
and my classmate, Brande, who lives in Colorado. Us out celebrating that we were done Thursday night. :)
Welcome to New Mexico? It rained. Quite a bit.
At a rest stop in NM...
We were all SO happy to get home.... and now, as you all know, we've resumed our "normal" schedule... :)
This is one of the residence halls on campus... I thought it was pretty...
This was the first sign I saw when I got onto Campus...
The Visitor Center was an old house - beautiful old house..
This tree was next to Gunter Hall... It had these HUGE leaves and bean like things.... anyone know what it might be??
The flowers and sign for Gunter...
These "chimes" were always going off.. every hour... every half hour? shoot I dunno, but I heard them ALL the time.
Gunter Hall was named for Julius C. Gunter - the Governor of the state of Colorado at the time it was built (in the 20's). The building was originally the school gym. There are lots of pictures of old athlete's in the hallways and there is even still the half court circle part of the original gym floor still exposed in one part of the building. It's kinda cool.
One day at lunch I snapped this as we sat at a picnic table out in the lawn...
This was taken from my car during another lunch time. The building in the distance is Gunter. The Visitor center is to my right in this picture...
This was taken the last day from the 3rd floor conference room where we met for our "wrap up" meeting.
The view out of the Motel 6 window in Bernalillo, NM the night of the 23rd.
and the bug on the window. :)
Chancey looking as innocent as humanly possible....
Kota... :)
Awww, P-Piper....
This is a picture of one of my classmates Karen, and I. She's insisted I visit if I find myself dog showing in the PNW again :)
and my classmate, Brande, who lives in Colorado. Us out celebrating that we were done Thursday night. :)
Welcome to New Mexico? It rained. Quite a bit.
At a rest stop in NM...
We were all SO happy to get home.... and now, as you all know, we've resumed our "normal" schedule... :)
Friday, February 26, 2010
the same, but very different
Life has been pretty much the same as always....
except for the fact that Sedona has been with a handler since Tuesday and I'm missing her presence in the house. It's been nice to only have to feed 3 dogs, but I miss my pretty girl.
I decided to finally go for the handler route after much debate... I figure if a handler can't finish her, she's not going to finish. We'll see how she does in the shows she's entered in and we'll re-evaluate after that.
Fortunately for me, she's only with the handler "part time". I dropped her off on Tuesday, and I can pick her up on Monday. I'll have to drop her off again on Thursday so she can show Friday-Monday. After that we'll figure out what our next step is going to be.
Piper shows next weekend... she's been having fun being a show dog... but she REALLY loves Agility. It might be her calling after doing the show dog thing ;-)
She and Chance are going for photos soon. My friend Amy is going to take pictures of Chance in movement, and she asked me to bring the puppy... she is the one who took the lovely pictures of us last year for her photography class... :) I can't wait to see what she comes up with.
Kota is busy dropping every hair on his body... it's a miracle these guys never go bald with all the hair they lose! He's been doing better since I put him on glucosamine daily.. I'm really glad.
Me, well... I've been crazy busy at work, but Spring Break is just around the corner and before I know it, school will be over! :) I helped a kid figure out how to make the /r/ sound this week and he did it for the first time with complete success! It made my day! Maybe even my WEEK! I love my job, but when awesome things like this happen, it makes me love it even more! :)
School is keeping me equally as busy.... classes are giving me a run for my money. I'm doing the best I can - managing work and school, but let me tell you, it's a challenge most days. I'm looking forward to this semester being over... I'm NOT loving my classes this time around. I go to Greeley, CO this summer for school. I'm looking forward to it in some respects, but not in others. It's a LONG drive, which will be.... LONG... but on the flip side, I've never been to Colorado and when better to be forced to go, but July! :) I probably wouldn't go unless I was being forced. :) Better yet, I'll be able to take the dogs, and we can spend the weekend at Rocky Mountain National Park. :)
Well, it's Wineday, er, Friday... so I'm going to go and indulge in some wine in celebration of the fact that I survived another week :)
except for the fact that Sedona has been with a handler since Tuesday and I'm missing her presence in the house. It's been nice to only have to feed 3 dogs, but I miss my pretty girl.
I decided to finally go for the handler route after much debate... I figure if a handler can't finish her, she's not going to finish. We'll see how she does in the shows she's entered in and we'll re-evaluate after that.
Fortunately for me, she's only with the handler "part time". I dropped her off on Tuesday, and I can pick her up on Monday. I'll have to drop her off again on Thursday so she can show Friday-Monday. After that we'll figure out what our next step is going to be.
Piper shows next weekend... she's been having fun being a show dog... but she REALLY loves Agility. It might be her calling after doing the show dog thing ;-)
She and Chance are going for photos soon. My friend Amy is going to take pictures of Chance in movement, and she asked me to bring the puppy... she is the one who took the lovely pictures of us last year for her photography class... :) I can't wait to see what she comes up with.
Kota is busy dropping every hair on his body... it's a miracle these guys never go bald with all the hair they lose! He's been doing better since I put him on glucosamine daily.. I'm really glad.
Me, well... I've been crazy busy at work, but Spring Break is just around the corner and before I know it, school will be over! :) I helped a kid figure out how to make the /r/ sound this week and he did it for the first time with complete success! It made my day! Maybe even my WEEK! I love my job, but when awesome things like this happen, it makes me love it even more! :)
School is keeping me equally as busy.... classes are giving me a run for my money. I'm doing the best I can - managing work and school, but let me tell you, it's a challenge most days. I'm looking forward to this semester being over... I'm NOT loving my classes this time around. I go to Greeley, CO this summer for school. I'm looking forward to it in some respects, but not in others. It's a LONG drive, which will be.... LONG... but on the flip side, I've never been to Colorado and when better to be forced to go, but July! :) I probably wouldn't go unless I was being forced. :) Better yet, I'll be able to take the dogs, and we can spend the weekend at Rocky Mountain National Park. :)
Well, it's Wineday, er, Friday... so I'm going to go and indulge in some wine in celebration of the fact that I survived another week :)
Sunday, December 13, 2009
grades are in...
149/155 = 96%
68/70 = 97%
517/560 = 92%
HOT DOG!!!! 3 A's in my first semester of grad school!
I'm not looking for "atta-girl" from anyone, but I am tickled beyond recognition that I a) survived, and b) got all A's! :)
Wish I got this news Friday night so I could celebrate, rather than Sunday night when I can't! :P
Birthday review to come - it's been a good/emotional birthday... but I am SO lucky to have such great friends who have all left me such nice messages... :) Let's hope that my 34th year is as good, or better than my 33rd year... :)
**EDIT: I have been corrected - it should read that I hope that my 35th (gulp) year is as good or better than my 34th (gulp) year.... when did I manage to get this old?
68/70 = 97%
517/560 = 92%
HOT DOG!!!! 3 A's in my first semester of grad school!
I'm not looking for "atta-girl" from anyone, but I am tickled beyond recognition that I a) survived, and b) got all A's! :)
Wish I got this news Friday night so I could celebrate, rather than Sunday night when I can't! :P
Birthday review to come - it's been a good/emotional birthday... but I am SO lucky to have such great friends who have all left me such nice messages... :) Let's hope that my 34th year is as good, or better than my 33rd year... :)
**EDIT: I have been corrected - it should read that I hope that my 35th (gulp) year is as good or better than my 34th (gulp) year.... when did I manage to get this old?
Sunday, August 23, 2009
where'd the weekend go???
I went paint shopping with my friend/landlord, Karen, today... we got the two shades of green from the living room matched, and picked out a nice shade of brown for the bedroom. I'll paint one wall and decide whether I want blue or green to compliment the brown. I guess I know what I'm doing next weekend!! :)
I just did dog toes, which is always a chore. Chance swears I'm killing him, Sedona pretends I'm killing her, and Kota... well he's easy in comparison.
I still have a TON of stuff to bring in from the garage, and the shelves to put up in there to help me organize what I have going on... There are still things that are missing in action, which I can only assume are buried in the garage somewhere.... I would have more motivation to unpack the garage if it weren't so bloomin' hot!
I met the neighbors across the street the other day.... they of course spotted the Cardigans first. They have a Corgi-mix, so they knew mine were Cardigans :) They seem nice.
The neighborhood seems pretty quiet, with the exception of the train that goes by in the middle of the night sometimes. I'm already fearing decorating for Christmas... LOL
After 12 years of waiting, grad school starts tomorrow. I have a nice healthy mix of terror and excitement.... I'm sure the next three years will fly by.... the last three have flown! ;-) Wish me luck! :)
Off to go and enjoy the rest of my last totally free Sunday... :) Wish the dogs would learn how to cook! ;-)
I just did dog toes, which is always a chore. Chance swears I'm killing him, Sedona pretends I'm killing her, and Kota... well he's easy in comparison.
I still have a TON of stuff to bring in from the garage, and the shelves to put up in there to help me organize what I have going on... There are still things that are missing in action, which I can only assume are buried in the garage somewhere.... I would have more motivation to unpack the garage if it weren't so bloomin' hot!
I met the neighbors across the street the other day.... they of course spotted the Cardigans first. They have a Corgi-mix, so they knew mine were Cardigans :) They seem nice.
The neighborhood seems pretty quiet, with the exception of the train that goes by in the middle of the night sometimes. I'm already fearing decorating for Christmas... LOL
After 12 years of waiting, grad school starts tomorrow. I have a nice healthy mix of terror and excitement.... I'm sure the next three years will fly by.... the last three have flown! ;-) Wish me luck! :)
Off to go and enjoy the rest of my last totally free Sunday... :) Wish the dogs would learn how to cook! ;-)
Saturday, August 22, 2009
some catching up...
it's been a week since "moving day", and we're getting settled in slowly, but surely. I handed over the keys to the old house on Shawnee on Wednesday and have been enjoying the weight off of my shoulders from that. This house has a lot to do yet before I call it 'done', but we're making progress. I shouldn't say 'we', as the dogs are just putting dog hair everywhere, but it's getting there. I have a TON of work in the garage yet, but I'm taking it a little bit at a time .
I bought a new laptop recently too. My old one was given to me in 04 when I went to UO for the year... it was time to get a new one. The old had been on it's way out for a while now... I'm happy for the new "toy". I'll be using it mainly for my grad school classes, which start on MONDAY!!!! EEK!
On that thread, I can hardly believe that classes start on Monday. I don't have my texts yet, but have started shopping for them. Better late than never! :) I have three classes this semester. Wish me luck! :)
Have you ever had an experience that totally blew your mind? Totally made you step back and think about things and question what you knew as reality? I'm experiencing that currently, and boy let me tell you... it really makes me reflect back and question a lot of things. I won't go into details to spare the innocent, (or not so innocent I guess) but suffice it to say, I'm now questioning a lot of things that happened in a certain time period in my life.
I have taken some pictures but haven't had a chance to put them up yet, since the computer is not really set up yet how I'd like it to be. The laptop is making it easier to put that chore off tho ;-)
Gonna go relax a bit with the dogs and then back to the grind of unpacking and hauling not so light boxes upstairs ;-)
I bought a new laptop recently too. My old one was given to me in 04 when I went to UO for the year... it was time to get a new one. The old had been on it's way out for a while now... I'm happy for the new "toy". I'll be using it mainly for my grad school classes, which start on MONDAY!!!! EEK!
On that thread, I can hardly believe that classes start on Monday. I don't have my texts yet, but have started shopping for them. Better late than never! :) I have three classes this semester. Wish me luck! :)
Have you ever had an experience that totally blew your mind? Totally made you step back and think about things and question what you knew as reality? I'm experiencing that currently, and boy let me tell you... it really makes me reflect back and question a lot of things. I won't go into details to spare the innocent, (or not so innocent I guess) but suffice it to say, I'm now questioning a lot of things that happened in a certain time period in my life.
I have taken some pictures but haven't had a chance to put them up yet, since the computer is not really set up yet how I'd like it to be. The laptop is making it easier to put that chore off tho ;-)
Gonna go relax a bit with the dogs and then back to the grind of unpacking and hauling not so light boxes upstairs ;-)
Saturday, June 27, 2009
a little bit of this... a little bit of that...
Having had the last month off has really allowed me to do things I've never been able to do as an adult... :)
I have learned things about my dogs -
-Dakota is STILL having intermittent lameness on his right rear leg... I think we'll need to get that checked out soon...
-Affection has to be on Sedona's terms - not the other way around. No questions.
-Chance loves to play with toys! He loves to fetch and squeak toys!
Spending every day all day with them has been a lot of fun, honestly. There have been SO many times I wish I had my camera right near me... and there have been many times where I just sat and took pictures of them laying on the couch (yea, they leave after a while, once I annoy them).
Chance has declared himself MY dog - without question. I thought he might have been Sedona's dog, but this time at home has really allowed me to see he wants ME to love his every little motion. he's SO eager to please.
Having this time off has also allowed me to get ALL THE SLEEP I WANT (most days). I start to lose track of days when I'm not working, but I'm enjoying it for all it's worth... just one more month! :)
I received my course list for Grad School... Kind of daunting, but exciting all at the same time. :) My first class will start 8/24.
I guess I really haven't posted lately because there really is NOT MUCH going on in my life! Being on summer vacation is pretty boring here! ;-)
I have learned things about my dogs -
-Dakota is STILL having intermittent lameness on his right rear leg... I think we'll need to get that checked out soon...
-Affection has to be on Sedona's terms - not the other way around. No questions.
-Chance loves to play with toys! He loves to fetch and squeak toys!
Spending every day all day with them has been a lot of fun, honestly. There have been SO many times I wish I had my camera right near me... and there have been many times where I just sat and took pictures of them laying on the couch (yea, they leave after a while, once I annoy them).
Chance has declared himself MY dog - without question. I thought he might have been Sedona's dog, but this time at home has really allowed me to see he wants ME to love his every little motion. he's SO eager to please.
Having this time off has also allowed me to get ALL THE SLEEP I WANT (most days). I start to lose track of days when I'm not working, but I'm enjoying it for all it's worth... just one more month! :)
I received my course list for Grad School... Kind of daunting, but exciting all at the same time. :) My first class will start 8/24.
I guess I really haven't posted lately because there really is NOT MUCH going on in my life! Being on summer vacation is pretty boring here! ;-)
Monday, May 18, 2009
*squeeeeel*
Go ahead. Say it. I'm a big gigantic DORK. I don't care. I GOT INTO GRAD SCHOOL! I got the paperwork that made it officially official today and have been going through, getting things set up online. I even got this nifty little mini-CD that has the 2008-2009 course catalog on it (not sure why they'd send me this one and not the 2009-2010 catalog..).
I had almost given up! Good thing I didn't! :) I'm going to enjoy the summer and play as much as I can, because once school starts for me in the fall, there will be NO MORE FUN for 3 years! Gotta live it up! :)
Yippee!!! :)
Thursday, May 07, 2009
raise a glass.....
"We are delighted to inform you that you have been admitted to the Speech-Language Pathology graduate online program at the University of Northern Colorado to begin Fall Semester, 2009."
I swear you guys could have heard from all over the US, the way I was carrying on in excitement this afternoon! I was honestly convinced that I wouldn't get in, so this is the BEST news I could have received.
So in honor of this wonderful news, I hope you all raise a glass tonight, and wish me the best on my next educational endeavor!!! :) It'll be a three year process, but one that has been a long time coming and one that has been MUCH anticipated!! :)
Hooray!!
I swear you guys could have heard from all over the US, the way I was carrying on in excitement this afternoon! I was honestly convinced that I wouldn't get in, so this is the BEST news I could have received.
So in honor of this wonderful news, I hope you all raise a glass tonight, and wish me the best on my next educational endeavor!!! :) It'll be a three year process, but one that has been a long time coming and one that has been MUCH anticipated!! :)
Hooray!!
Monday, April 06, 2009
not the news I was hoping for....
I'm two for two...
"We are pleased to inform you that you are an alternate for admission....."
AGAIN?! What makes me "good, but not good enough"?????????????
I was *really* hoping for good news....
Dang it.
I have to return a postcard to them to let them know that I'd like them to retain my application and that I would like to remain on the alternate list... "your application will be reconsidered as openings become available between now and the end of August."
Gotta love being good, but not quite good enough....
"We are pleased to inform you that you are an alternate for admission....."
AGAIN?! What makes me "good, but not good enough"?????????????
I was *really* hoping for good news....
Dang it.
I have to return a postcard to them to let them know that I'd like them to retain my application and that I would like to remain on the alternate list... "your application will be reconsidered as openings become available between now and the end of August."
Gotta love being good, but not quite good enough....
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
updates on this and that...
Kota's ear is doing well... *I* still feel fluid in it, but it's not getting any worse and it's not bothering him, so I'm leaving well enough alone. his ear is standing, tho a bit weird looking at the top (to my discriminating eye). I'm going to let it do what it's going to do... no sense in putting him through the stress of the vets office and needles if he doesn't need to. Poor kid. On a good note though, he's REALLY come into his own in agility, and now that our BC friend has moved up, he's one of the best dogs in the class - without a doubt. He LOVES it. I wish I could get him on video for everyone to see... He's not super speedy (like Zoey!), but he's clean and accurate, and he wears a grin from big ole ear to big ole ear while doing it.... that's what's important to me :) I actually had to *run* to keep up with him last week, which was something new! :)
The house is still a weird pain in the butt subject... According to what I can find online, it looks like the owners "sold" the house to a company called Cal-Western Reconveyance Corp, and THEY are managing the "Trustee Sale". My property manager tells me that until I'm notified otherwise, that I am obligated to stay in the house as per the terms of my lease. *sigh* So I sit. I wait. I hope that whoever buys the house doesn't kick me out (but they likely will). Fun times are ahead.
No word on Grad School - they're probably just filing through the gazillion applications they received to find the 25 they want to accept for this cohort... Keep your fingers and toes and paws crossed that it's my time.... this is attempt number 2 to get into Grad School, and if I don't get in this time, I'll have to take the stupid GRE again (which will just stink!). I'm due for something to go my way, and for something good in general dang it. :) Think positive thinks please :)
Work is getting back to normal again - it was a little weird coming back after being out for 3 weeks... I came in to see the notes that I had taken on my Dad's medical condition when I got "the phone call"... they were sitting right on top of my desk. I had to turn them over and just look past it - but I did have to clean my desk later that day.... Today was honestly the first day that it felt GOOD to be back at work. The kids all missed me so, and the feeling was VERY mutual :) I love those little rug rats! :)
I was going to save up for Chance's OFA x-rays, but now with the stinky house situation, it looks like I'll have to put that on the back burner again... He's sitting pretty at 10 points now, and I'm being VERY selective about where I'm entering him. If there's not a guaranteed major it REALLY is not worth my time to enter. He's really grown into himself in the last few months, and his latest win photo is evidence of that, I think. Finally. Whew. He's a handsome big goober of a dog... speaking of which, Carolyn has a FABULOUS picture that I HAVE to post to the blog as soon as she sends it (hint hint Carolyn!!) :)
And now that it's certain that Jeri is going to "test drive" Pilot, I feel comfortable saying that I will "test drive" Sterling... based on how Pilot produces with the beautimuss Lizzie, I might want use him for a 2nd litter out of Sedona, if Pilots moms agree. There are many things about both boys that I really like, so this will give me the opportunity to see what Pilot produces with Lizzie, and what Sterling produces with Sedona. Plus, I like me the blues. ;-)
I need to get Sedona's CERF test done, and aside from that, I think I'm good to go...Sterling's Penn-hip x-rays looked really good per Kim S., so I feel comfortable if she does...
I'll start consulting with folks to see what I need on hand, and who I can import to sit by my side and tell me all is ok.... ;-) After watching Kate, I'm a little scared, but seeing those little baby puppies makes me think it's all worth it in the end when the stress of the whelping is over...
In American Idol news, I LOVE Danny Gokey - HATE Megan Joy whatever-her-name-is. She's got to go. Adam did well tonight... really well. Danny is my favorite... almost as much as David Cook was my favorite last year. Yes. I did my part. I voted :)
Well, I think I will go to bed early tonight.... I had dinner with some friends from High School last night that ran a lot later than I was expecting - but I had a great time, so it was well worth staying up late (and having a hard time waking up). I can't believe the week is almost over!
The house is still a weird pain in the butt subject... According to what I can find online, it looks like the owners "sold" the house to a company called Cal-Western Reconveyance Corp, and THEY are managing the "Trustee Sale". My property manager tells me that until I'm notified otherwise, that I am obligated to stay in the house as per the terms of my lease. *sigh* So I sit. I wait. I hope that whoever buys the house doesn't kick me out (but they likely will). Fun times are ahead.
No word on Grad School - they're probably just filing through the gazillion applications they received to find the 25 they want to accept for this cohort... Keep your fingers and toes and paws crossed that it's my time.... this is attempt number 2 to get into Grad School, and if I don't get in this time, I'll have to take the stupid GRE again (which will just stink!). I'm due for something to go my way, and for something good in general dang it. :) Think positive thinks please :)
Work is getting back to normal again - it was a little weird coming back after being out for 3 weeks... I came in to see the notes that I had taken on my Dad's medical condition when I got "the phone call"... they were sitting right on top of my desk. I had to turn them over and just look past it - but I did have to clean my desk later that day.... Today was honestly the first day that it felt GOOD to be back at work. The kids all missed me so, and the feeling was VERY mutual :) I love those little rug rats! :)
I was going to save up for Chance's OFA x-rays, but now with the stinky house situation, it looks like I'll have to put that on the back burner again... He's sitting pretty at 10 points now, and I'm being VERY selective about where I'm entering him. If there's not a guaranteed major it REALLY is not worth my time to enter. He's really grown into himself in the last few months, and his latest win photo is evidence of that, I think. Finally. Whew. He's a handsome big goober of a dog... speaking of which, Carolyn has a FABULOUS picture that I HAVE to post to the blog as soon as she sends it (hint hint Carolyn!!) :)
And now that it's certain that Jeri is going to "test drive" Pilot, I feel comfortable saying that I will "test drive" Sterling... based on how Pilot produces with the beautimuss Lizzie, I might want use him for a 2nd litter out of Sedona, if Pilots moms agree. There are many things about both boys that I really like, so this will give me the opportunity to see what Pilot produces with Lizzie, and what Sterling produces with Sedona. Plus, I like me the blues. ;-)
I need to get Sedona's CERF test done, and aside from that, I think I'm good to go...Sterling's Penn-hip x-rays looked really good per Kim S., so I feel comfortable if she does...
I'll start consulting with folks to see what I need on hand, and who I can import to sit by my side and tell me all is ok.... ;-) After watching Kate, I'm a little scared, but seeing those little baby puppies makes me think it's all worth it in the end when the stress of the whelping is over...
In American Idol news, I LOVE Danny Gokey - HATE Megan Joy whatever-her-name-is. She's got to go. Adam did well tonight... really well. Danny is my favorite... almost as much as David Cook was my favorite last year. Yes. I did my part. I voted :)
Well, I think I will go to bed early tonight.... I had dinner with some friends from High School last night that ran a lot later than I was expecting - but I had a great time, so it was well worth staying up late (and having a hard time waking up). I can't believe the week is almost over!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
getting things done...
When I spoke to my Dad, I told him about applying to Grad School and about being in the beginning processes of buying a house... so now let me fill my blog in on those things too....
Grad School - If I get my Masters degree, my pay will increase dramatically... :) While that is a huge plus, it's also a plus that I'd be able to work in ANY state I so chose :) THAT is also a big plus :) After much deliberation, I decided to apply to the University of Northern Colorado. They have a completely online program for my Masters Program. It will take 3 years instead of 2, but in the end it will be OH so worth it for me. I know that after work I would not want to drive into town and go to school until 10pm. I know me. I just wouldn't want to do it. So I searched for online programs and it came down to UNC and UC Northridge. In the end UNC won out for 2 reasons... less externships requiring time off of work, and COST. The application deadline is 3/15 - I got my stuff mailed out Thursday for a Monday delivery. I checked with the department and since 3/15 is a Sunday, Monday delivery is FINE. :) Let's hope all goes well... Keep your fingers crossed for me!
House - Probably about a month ago now, I got 4 (yes FOUR) certified letters sent to my house in the name of the home owner. I was not here to sign for them, so they went to the Post Office. I called the property manager and let them know. These certified letters got me to thinking, "are they foreclosing on this house?". I've been through that once, and I honestly don't care to do it again. I was talking to my friend Nicole and she kept telling me to just look around and see what homes were going for... to see if I would qualify for a mortgage. So I finally did. Houses are going for DIRT CHEAP out here - in my area. So today I scanned in all of the necessary documents (W2's, bank statements, pay stubs, etc) to get the mortgage stuff finalized. I should be able to start physically looking at houses in the next couple of weeks. I'm not getting my hopes too high yet, since the paperwork isn't finalized, but I don't see any thing that would stand in my way, and neither does the Mortgage guy (whose name is Jeremy, by the way... I'm sure I'll be mentioning him and Randy - the real estate guy, a lot in coming months).
The idea of moving again really sucks, but knowing that I'll be moving into a house that I OWN is a big motivator. I can do whatever I want to the house... I can plant a frickin flower garden if I want to without asking permission. :) Ahhh the freedom. And yes, that freedom comes with it's prices - paying out of pocket for things that break, etc, but it'll be nice to be putting money towards something instead of renting, where my money goes nowhere.
So I'm finally getting things done that need to get done... and now that those things are done, I can officially be a couch bum ;-) Oh wait, I've been that lately too ;-) Back to TiVo ;-)
Grad School - If I get my Masters degree, my pay will increase dramatically... :) While that is a huge plus, it's also a plus that I'd be able to work in ANY state I so chose :) THAT is also a big plus :) After much deliberation, I decided to apply to the University of Northern Colorado. They have a completely online program for my Masters Program. It will take 3 years instead of 2, but in the end it will be OH so worth it for me. I know that after work I would not want to drive into town and go to school until 10pm. I know me. I just wouldn't want to do it. So I searched for online programs and it came down to UNC and UC Northridge. In the end UNC won out for 2 reasons... less externships requiring time off of work, and COST. The application deadline is 3/15 - I got my stuff mailed out Thursday for a Monday delivery. I checked with the department and since 3/15 is a Sunday, Monday delivery is FINE. :) Let's hope all goes well... Keep your fingers crossed for me!
House - Probably about a month ago now, I got 4 (yes FOUR) certified letters sent to my house in the name of the home owner. I was not here to sign for them, so they went to the Post Office. I called the property manager and let them know. These certified letters got me to thinking, "are they foreclosing on this house?". I've been through that once, and I honestly don't care to do it again. I was talking to my friend Nicole and she kept telling me to just look around and see what homes were going for... to see if I would qualify for a mortgage. So I finally did. Houses are going for DIRT CHEAP out here - in my area. So today I scanned in all of the necessary documents (W2's, bank statements, pay stubs, etc) to get the mortgage stuff finalized. I should be able to start physically looking at houses in the next couple of weeks. I'm not getting my hopes too high yet, since the paperwork isn't finalized, but I don't see any thing that would stand in my way, and neither does the Mortgage guy (whose name is Jeremy, by the way... I'm sure I'll be mentioning him and Randy - the real estate guy, a lot in coming months).
The idea of moving again really sucks, but knowing that I'll be moving into a house that I OWN is a big motivator. I can do whatever I want to the house... I can plant a frickin flower garden if I want to without asking permission. :) Ahhh the freedom. And yes, that freedom comes with it's prices - paying out of pocket for things that break, etc, but it'll be nice to be putting money towards something instead of renting, where my money goes nowhere.
So I'm finally getting things done that need to get done... and now that those things are done, I can officially be a couch bum ;-) Oh wait, I've been that lately too ;-) Back to TiVo ;-)
Friday, March 13, 2009
the inevitable end, and the beginning
On Wednesday March 4th I flew out to Virginia to be with my family as we saw the end of the road for my Dad. The doctors told us he would not come off of the ventilator, so the family needed to come, as he was nearing the end of the allotted time he would be allowed to be on the ventilator without having a trach put in. The night I got in, my sister Brandi took me to the hospital first, to see Marqus... my sister Sharla's baby boy who was born 8 weeks early and who was still in the NICU in Charlottesville. As expected, he was teeny, but so incredibly perfect.
Before heading home, we went to Rockingham Memorial Hospital, where Dad was. Brandi went in first and woke Dad up, telling him I was there. He got really agitated and it was obvious he knew I was there. I moved over to his right side so he could see me and I just sat and talked to him. All while I was talking to him, his left eye was open just staring at me, listening. As I told him that I loved him, he tried to tell me too. He couldn't speak, obviously, since he had tubes down his throat. I told him about everything that was going on.... about applying to Grad School, and starting the process of buying a house (have I mentioned these things? another post I guess..). He listened intently. I told him these things because that's what I knew he'd want to hear. After a while I let him rest, but I think he felt better knowing that I was there. I was told later that he hadn't opened his eyes that day.... that convinced me more than ever that he knew i was there and that he was aware.
Thursday we all were in and out of the CCU (Critical Care Unit) spending our time with Dad. He was pretty sedated, and I never got a reaction like I did Wednesday night, but he knew we were all there for him.
Friday we had everyone there, and we had the doctors extubate him. The doctors told us that he would not survive off of the ventilator, and that we should all be present. Just in typical Dad fashion, he proved the doctors wrong again. Dad was extubated at noon on Friday and by 9:30pm we were starting to trickle out of the hospital needing rest ourselves. We knew it was just a matter of time, since dad couldn't go on like he was forever. I went back to the house with my step-mom Kim, and we went to sleep. We got "the call" at 2:33am. Dad passed 3 minutes prior - at 2:30am 3/7/09. It was peaceful and he had loved ones by his side.
Saturday morning Kim and I went down to the funeral home to begin making arrangements for the services. We were to have a viewing and a memorial service. I was there to help pick out the casket, and to help write the obituary, and to ask all the questions I needed to ask of the funeral home staff. I'm so thankful I was allowed to be part of the process - I think it helped me in many ways.
When we went back later that day to take Dad's clothes to them, this was already posted:
It was weird seeing it in print.....
There are two ironies about the day that Dad died... ok, well more than that, but let's take it one step at a time. Back many many years ago, dad used to play pool with a guy named "Shorty". Several years ago, Shorty died in an accident. The irony? He died March 7th. He and Dad used to play Pool on Saturday nights. Dad died 3/7 - Saturday morning.
The next irony was that my sister had Marqus 8 weeks early - but her baby shower had already been planned. Yep - you guessed it. For 3/7.
Since there was nothing else we could do that day, we headed over to the baby shower. She got some very nice things....
And I, of course, had to theme my gifts - Dogs :)
The last irony was that while in the baby shower, my mom called to tell me about the flowers she was sending. In order for me to hear her voicemail, I had to listen to and resave or delete a message that had been previously saved. My messages save for 21 days. The message I had to listen to? Yep. Dad - on Christmas. And right after that, I heard this song come on the radio....(for years and years Dad was an over the road truck driver and the old country stuff always reminds me of him)
Here, Dakota and Paige are playing on the Playstation together. They are both Paul's kids...
Outside of the apartment... from left to right: Marne in the pink, Gus sitting on the steps, Lyn in the back, and Tina on the right...
Kim has had this photo frame sitting in her guest bedroom for a while and Marne decided she needed to do something with it. Didn't it turn out great? We took it to Dad's services, even.
Part of the spray of flowers that were on the casket... I thought they were beautiful.
The night of the funeral - Gus, Kim's brother, and Lyn, my cousin, enjoying beers together.
4 year old Paige, finally smiles for pictures!!!! :)
Marne, Paul and I hanging out together the afternoon of the memorial service.
Me and Tina (Paul's wife, Paige's mom)
me and Marne
Bill, Kim and Marne
My cousins, Lyn and Pam
me and the best step mother anyone could ever ask for! :)
Brandi's daughter, Angel
Such a great picture of such a wonderful woman...
Kim and her oldest son (my idiot brother) JR, and his wife Cyndi
Kim and her youngest son (my other idiot brother) Paul and his wife Tina
Lyn, me and Pam
Gus and Kim - brother and sister
me, Lyn and Brandi
Brandi and her mama :)
Pam, Lyn, Kim and I
JR, KaLeanna, me, Brandi, Marne and Paul
me and my darling niece, Autumn (Paul's oldest)
Sharla and Chase (Marqus's mom and dad)
Paul's kids : Autumn (9), Dakota (9), and Paige (4)
and the teeny beautiful baby boy, Marqus Evan.... (who has his feeding tube out now! yay!!)
Marqus and his mama on 3/11/09
Paul being a dork
I took a walk on one of my last days and spied some signs of spring....
The tower was intriguing me for some reason, so I took a few shots looking up at it... not sure what it was used for, but I thought it was interesting...
This building is just down the street from Dad and Kim's house... the police are there, and who knows what else... but it's a cool looking building :)
More signs of spring....
Tina pushing Paige on the swings at the park down the street
Kim relaxing on the slides at the park....
And finally, the urn Kim chose for Dad to rest in... sitting right at the table looking out the window just as he did every day he lived there :) (ok, so he probably won't always sit at the table, but he was at this time, and I thought it was fitting).
It's still a little strange to think that he's gone... not as strange for me though, I'm sure, as it is for my siblings who were there all the time and saw him. Never-the-less, he's my father, and he's not around anymore. That qualifies for "strange" in my book. I'm just glad he's at rest and isn't having to struggle for each breath....
Now the task is picking up and resuming life as normal. I promised him I'd get my Grad School application in, and I did that yesterday. Now I have to get the documents together for the Mortgage guy so I can get rolling on the whole house buying thing... I promised my Dad I would follow through with these things, and I will...
Thank you to everyone who was so supportive during this trip - to all who sent messages of encouragement, and support and love - your notes were SO appreciated... more than I could begin to say. Thank you!!
Before heading home, we went to Rockingham Memorial Hospital, where Dad was. Brandi went in first and woke Dad up, telling him I was there. He got really agitated and it was obvious he knew I was there. I moved over to his right side so he could see me and I just sat and talked to him. All while I was talking to him, his left eye was open just staring at me, listening. As I told him that I loved him, he tried to tell me too. He couldn't speak, obviously, since he had tubes down his throat. I told him about everything that was going on.... about applying to Grad School, and starting the process of buying a house (have I mentioned these things? another post I guess..). He listened intently. I told him these things because that's what I knew he'd want to hear. After a while I let him rest, but I think he felt better knowing that I was there. I was told later that he hadn't opened his eyes that day.... that convinced me more than ever that he knew i was there and that he was aware.
Thursday we all were in and out of the CCU (Critical Care Unit) spending our time with Dad. He was pretty sedated, and I never got a reaction like I did Wednesday night, but he knew we were all there for him.
Friday we had everyone there, and we had the doctors extubate him. The doctors told us that he would not survive off of the ventilator, and that we should all be present. Just in typical Dad fashion, he proved the doctors wrong again. Dad was extubated at noon on Friday and by 9:30pm we were starting to trickle out of the hospital needing rest ourselves. We knew it was just a matter of time, since dad couldn't go on like he was forever. I went back to the house with my step-mom Kim, and we went to sleep. We got "the call" at 2:33am. Dad passed 3 minutes prior - at 2:30am 3/7/09. It was peaceful and he had loved ones by his side.
Saturday morning Kim and I went down to the funeral home to begin making arrangements for the services. We were to have a viewing and a memorial service. I was there to help pick out the casket, and to help write the obituary, and to ask all the questions I needed to ask of the funeral home staff. I'm so thankful I was allowed to be part of the process - I think it helped me in many ways.
When we went back later that day to take Dad's clothes to them, this was already posted:
It was weird seeing it in print.....
There are two ironies about the day that Dad died... ok, well more than that, but let's take it one step at a time. Back many many years ago, dad used to play pool with a guy named "Shorty". Several years ago, Shorty died in an accident. The irony? He died March 7th. He and Dad used to play Pool on Saturday nights. Dad died 3/7 - Saturday morning.
The next irony was that my sister had Marqus 8 weeks early - but her baby shower had already been planned. Yep - you guessed it. For 3/7.
Since there was nothing else we could do that day, we headed over to the baby shower. She got some very nice things....
And I, of course, had to theme my gifts - Dogs :)
The last irony was that while in the baby shower, my mom called to tell me about the flowers she was sending. In order for me to hear her voicemail, I had to listen to and resave or delete a message that had been previously saved. My messages save for 21 days. The message I had to listen to? Yep. Dad - on Christmas. And right after that, I heard this song come on the radio....(for years and years Dad was an over the road truck driver and the old country stuff always reminds me of him)
Here, Dakota and Paige are playing on the Playstation together. They are both Paul's kids...
Outside of the apartment... from left to right: Marne in the pink, Gus sitting on the steps, Lyn in the back, and Tina on the right...
Kim has had this photo frame sitting in her guest bedroom for a while and Marne decided she needed to do something with it. Didn't it turn out great? We took it to Dad's services, even.
Part of the spray of flowers that were on the casket... I thought they were beautiful.
The night of the funeral - Gus, Kim's brother, and Lyn, my cousin, enjoying beers together.
4 year old Paige, finally smiles for pictures!!!! :)
Marne, Paul and I hanging out together the afternoon of the memorial service.
Me and Tina (Paul's wife, Paige's mom)
me and Marne
Bill, Kim and Marne
My cousins, Lyn and Pam
me and the best step mother anyone could ever ask for! :)
Brandi's daughter, Angel
Such a great picture of such a wonderful woman...
Kim and her oldest son (my idiot brother) JR, and his wife Cyndi
Kim and her youngest son (my other idiot brother) Paul and his wife Tina
Lyn, me and Pam
Gus and Kim - brother and sister
me, Lyn and Brandi
Brandi and her mama :)
Pam, Lyn, Kim and I
JR, KaLeanna, me, Brandi, Marne and Paul
me and my darling niece, Autumn (Paul's oldest)
Sharla and Chase (Marqus's mom and dad)
Paul's kids : Autumn (9), Dakota (9), and Paige (4)
and the teeny beautiful baby boy, Marqus Evan.... (who has his feeding tube out now! yay!!)
Marqus and his mama on 3/11/09
Paul being a dork
I took a walk on one of my last days and spied some signs of spring....
The tower was intriguing me for some reason, so I took a few shots looking up at it... not sure what it was used for, but I thought it was interesting...
This building is just down the street from Dad and Kim's house... the police are there, and who knows what else... but it's a cool looking building :)
More signs of spring....
Tina pushing Paige on the swings at the park down the street
Kim relaxing on the slides at the park....
And finally, the urn Kim chose for Dad to rest in... sitting right at the table looking out the window just as he did every day he lived there :) (ok, so he probably won't always sit at the table, but he was at this time, and I thought it was fitting).
It's still a little strange to think that he's gone... not as strange for me though, I'm sure, as it is for my siblings who were there all the time and saw him. Never-the-less, he's my father, and he's not around anymore. That qualifies for "strange" in my book. I'm just glad he's at rest and isn't having to struggle for each breath....Now the task is picking up and resuming life as normal. I promised him I'd get my Grad School application in, and I did that yesterday. Now I have to get the documents together for the Mortgage guy so I can get rolling on the whole house buying thing... I promised my Dad I would follow through with these things, and I will...
Thank you to everyone who was so supportive during this trip - to all who sent messages of encouragement, and support and love - your notes were SO appreciated... more than I could begin to say. Thank you!!
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