It is Friday once again.
Really, nothing at all new to report here. Just the typical work wrap-up stuff from this week and some prep work for next week since I am starting a review on Monday instead of my normal Tuesday.
I have no real weekend plans. The lawn guy is supposed to be here today to finally cut the grass. It has reached the point where it is too humid and warm outside for me to have any desire to do heavy yard work. Or at least not as much as mowing the lawn takes in one session anyway. The patio stuff and the planting bed stuff I can do in small increments and eventually it will all get done.
The dogs are good. Marly finished her antibiotics for her urinary infection last night. I am supposed to take a sample into the vet to have it retested, but that is going to have to wait a bit since my finances are all a mess (yet again).
Family news: My BIL, Nick, blew out his knee a couple weeks ago playing soccer. (He and my sister both play in an indoor league and are both excellent players who are still in very decent shape.) It was a very late night game - my sister got the call that she needed to come pick him up. She said when she got there, he could barely walk on it and it was blown up like a balloon. Both of them (and all of their friends) have been around their fair share of knee injuries and everyone who witnessed it happen (including Nick) were pretty sure that he had torn his ACL. Their insurance requires them to see a PCP to get a referral to a specialist. The PCP that he went to see didn't think there were any tears and would only refer Nick to the physical therapist. He went to a couple visits...each time his knee would swell up and be worse looking when he left than when he got there. The therapist finally did a could movement tests and told him that they also thought it was torn and that the MCL might also be torn and that they would not see him again until he had gotten an MRI.
Nick went back to the PCP who still insisted that there were no tears. Nick had to argue with him to get a referral to a knee specialist and to get the MRI. The knee specialist took all of a few seconds to say, yes, indeed he was sure there was tearing and that they needed to do the MRI right away to see what the actual damage was. The MRI result showed that the ACL was completely torn and the MCL partially. The good news is that the MCL will heal itself in time because it wasn't a complete tear, but that he would need to be completely opened up to repair the ACL. And that also, the best way to repair an ACL is to use tissue from the other knee (there are other methods, but as with any transplant that uses an external source there is the risk of the body rejecting the tissue). So, now, poor Nick will be out of commission for months. The first two of which (after surgery) include as little movement/activity as possible. Read: bed rest....for TWO months. Then comes months of rehab to rebuild all the muscle and tissue strength.
Poor guy. It has been one thing after another. I am not sure what, if any, recourse is available in regards to the stupid PCP who was refusing to give the referral that Nick wanted (and needed). There is even the strong possibility that this guy's ignorance and stubbornness could have caused additional damage to Nick's knee. But, I am guessing any legal recourse would cost more than it would gain in the end. At the very least, though, I have suggested that he contact the Attorney General in the state and also the head of the clinic or hospital that this doctor is affiliated with and file a formal complaint.
OK I guess that is enough rambling on to you all for now. Maybe this weekend I will get some painting done.
I am going to start out by stating that I am not much of a Hilary Swank fan. That aside, this was a fabulous movie! Sad and funny and romantic...I highly recommend it. Just don't forget to stock up on tissues before you start watching it.
Yesterday we took the pups to the dog park and then down to the lake for a little water fun before heading back home. Sadie has decided that swimming can be fun with a friend...she followed Marly right on out into the deep water and actually SWAM! She was so proud of herself on the way back to the car - her head was way up high along with her tail and she was prancing.
Prior to the water, we let the dogs run around and chase some balls at the dog park. Sadie isn't really into chasing balls or even playing with the other dogs. She is pretty much just content with being outside and doing her own thing. I don't know - what do you think? Does that look like a happy dog to you? Hehehe! Unfortunately, Sadie has had a bad case of the runs the past few days. She is still eating (though not as much as normal) and drinking lots of water. I think maybe it is the lake water that has given her an upset tummy. The dogs went to the lake last week as well. I think I might forego letting Sadie swim there again until her system gets back to normal.
Marly loves the water. She is truly the quintessential labrador. From her companion behavior of following me around everywhere and hanging out with me, to the love of water, to the love of anything edible (or non edible for that matter!)...she is definitely all lab! It is too bad that I haven't found a nice secluded beach where I could let her off-leash to go swimming. I am still looking though. There must be one around here somewhere. We also had the displeasure of pulling Marly's first tick off of her. EEEWWWWW! I gave her a pretty good going over to make sure there weren't any more last night and then again today during her bath. Sadie, of course, got checked too. After the baths, both dogs got a new application of Advantix. I had them on a monthly schedule (as in the same day every month), but I think it may be that the stuff was wearing too thin at the end of each cycle, so now they will be on a 4 week cycle. With Marly's thick, dark fur it is really hard to look for/find the darn things, so I just hope the new application of the chemicals will kill any that might have been missed.
Of course, that had me looking at the stuff I use on the cats. Bandit is on Revolution, which is flea and heartwom (and other parasite) prevention stuff...but it doesn't do anything against ticks. I am tempted to switch him back over to Frontline Plus (which is what the other cats are on) that kills fleas, ticks, and chewing lice (edited - Frontline does not kill the mosquitoes...that is a K9 Advantix thing). So now for sure, I will call the vet on Tuesday and ask their opinion as to which is the larger threat/problem for an outdoor kitty around here.
Today was a lazy day of sleeping in and movies (though I did venture out this morning to get the plants watered). Tomorrow, I think will be more of the same with a trip back to the dog park thrown in along with a bunch of laundry. Tuesday morning I leave for VA Beach for work...*sigh* Even the long weekends are not long enough.
You know, generally speaking, I think of myself as a capable and intelligent human being. But this week has totally dumped me face first in the poop pile.
My "listen-in" by my manager yesterday was a huge disaster. Besides my completely missing two major topics that, had I not been so stressed out about him listening in, I would have never missed. Then my manager pushed me right over the edge during our follow-up to the point that I let him have it. Granted, I never swore or resorted to any name calling, it was still borderline on the unprofessional side (at least in my opinion of what should be considered professional...).
And really, though I will vent here or to family and friends, I usually NEVER actually say the sorts of things that I finally said yesterday in any kind of professional setting. The really sad part is that my manager actually told me that of the meetings he has listened in on thus far, mine was by far one of the better ones. That in itself scares me. Just HOW bad is our team as a whole? And thank goodness I wasn't on the receiving end of one of the other follow-up calls.
Then today...I had a 2-down with my boss' boss. It was of the same ilk as my bi-weekly one-on-ones with my direct manager. "This is your time, your agenda, to talk about whatever is on your mind." Well, at least with my manager I can just come out and say, "I have nothing" because I know I will be talking with him whenever I need to during the week. However, when the once-in-a-trimester occasion arises to speak with the next level up...I can't really just come out and say that. The problem is, if I don't actually have anything (in a business sense) I am NO good at pretending to yap on about things. I mean, ask me a question, give me a topic, etc. and I can go as long as you need me to...but throw a blank ball in my court and you are not likely to get much of a return. There was dead air. I am sure that the Big Boss now thinks I am a complete moron and thinks that the past half-hour was a complete waste of her time.
The bigger problem? I personally think the past half hour was a complete waste of MY time. If I truly had something I wanted to pass on to our upper levels of management, I am of the personality to do just that.
The summary of the week: I have discovered just how unqualified and capable I truly am at my job and how inept I am at playing the corporate politics. None of which helps with motivating me to look for anything else...because who the hell wants to hire some incapable employee?
It is Neil's fault that I have fallen in love with the taste of some good bubbly mineral water. Either because a) he is the one who introduced me to drinking the stuff (it is his general favorite thing to drink and it is always in the house) or b) because he is the reason I moved to this ultra-warm climate and the cold bubbles and light mineraly taste are darn good after working in the yard. Regardless, it is his fault.
I am doing a review for a branch that is spread out in several locations locally this week. It is a blessing and a curse...mostly blessing. I get to sleep in my own bed each night. I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn each day (not that I don't do that naturally anyway). And all my toiletries are on hand without having to dog through a suitcase or a make-up bag. The curse is that I have quite a bit I ought to get done in the evenings that I am not doing because I am home and have other things to do during my off hours. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue even when doing a local review because most branches are a bunch of people in one place. Unfortunately, this is a bunch of people all in their own locations. Which means I don't even take my laptop with me because there is no place to hook-up and no time since all my 'down time' is spent driving to the next office. Ces't la vie. I will get it done tomorrow afternoon and Friday.
Tomorrow is another story all together. My manager is going to be listening in on one of my interviews as part of our internal quality control. It makes me nervous even though I know I have nothing to be nervous about.
*sigh* I always feel like I am back in school and I am going to make some horrible mistake and get in big trouble. I HATE that feeling. Though, to be truthful, I live almost every day with that feeling...that I have somehow done some unknown terrible thing that is going to get me in huge trouble (i.e. permanently ruin my relationship, lose my job, get evicted from my home, have my dogs taken from me, etc.) Over-anxious much? Yeah. I dream almost nightly of major natural disasters and wake up in a panic (after fully panicking in my dream) because I am not ready. Well no shit (pardon the foul language), but no one, even if they think they are prepared, are truly prepared for such an event - I mean I am talking cataclysmic floods, earthquakes, etc. So yeah, my point with all this, besides pointing out to everyone just how much of a freak I really am? I am stressing out because I think I am going to lose my job tomorrow even though I logically know I won't.
So yeah...tonight I am going to veg out in front of the TV with a couple beers, a movie or two and my dogs...snuggle them close and try not to think about What-If.
Well, Marly does have an infection. The doctor, though, was a little wishy-washy as to whether it was actually a UTI or even bladder infection. He said there were a lot of white blood cells in her urine (a sure sign of infection), but there were no crystals or blood (which are commonly associated with a UTI or bladder infection). So, to start off we are on a two week regimen of cephalexin at 2000mg a day. And during the treatment I will keep an eye on her and track her "accidents" if there are any.
The other issue is that though he would love to tell me that the incontinence is caused by the infection (which it still may be), the chances are greater that the two are unrelated. Instead, he really feels that this is the hormonal reactive issue that plagues many spayed female dogs. Essentially they loose muscle control when relaxing or sleeping. Only it generally doesn't manifest until the dog is 5-8 years old. However, he did say he has seen it before in dogs under a year of age. In fact, one of his own dogs has the same issue that developed at around a year of age. Luckily, he said when it shows this young, it usually is a phase and they will "outgrow" it. Not always though and it will just be a matter of keeping an eye on her and seeing how things progress. To treat it, he will put her on some mild hormone therapy which generally stops the problem all together.
The short of it: right now we are just waiting to see what happens over the next few weeks.
The good news is that she doesn't seem to be too bothered by any of it. She plays, eats well, and is her general happy-go-lucky self. I will simply be investing in some good waterproof mattress pads and extra laundry detergent.
Edited to add: Marly is officially 87 pounds. Not completely done growing, but thankfully she has slowed WAY down!
Marly is going to the vet this afternoon because in the past week she has started wetting the bed. And it isn't a house training issue, since it is happening while she is laying down/relaxed. And it doesn't happen all the time. Just sometimes. She has also been needing to go a lot lately, so I am wondering, or rather hoping, that it is a UTI. If it isn't a UTI then chances are it is a muscle control problem that will likely require long-term medication. She is so young...I hate to think that she has to start any sort of regular medication now.
*sigh*
I didn't really need anything else added to my plate right now. I just hope she is OK.
There is no question anymore whether or not I am sick. Something definitely got me. I just hope I can get enough sleep and fluid today/tonight so that I don't die tomorrow night for the Relay for Life that I am participating in. Heh.
Wonderful timing.
Back to the couch for me...though later I am going to have to drag myself to the store since the fridge is running bare.
Wow! So, I was just flipping through the latest Crate and Barrel catalogue when I came across a bowl and vase that look exactly like this plate I inherited from my grandparents. Bitossi is reissuing items from their Rimini Blu line.
Of course, I then had to do some more research...it turns out I own one of the original pieces from the Rimini Blu collection designed by Aldo Londi for Ceramica Bitossi of Italy. The line came out in 1953 which would have been within a year or so of when my grandparents acquired this plate on a trip abroad.
I have always loved it and have great memories of it sitting on their side board in their dining room. It now sits on a glass shelf in my living room. I am highly tempted to bid on a matching vase listed on eBay. (I don't see any point in paying full price for a re-issued piece when I could get one of the original line for much cheaper!)
Today Marly decided to make a dash out the front door and chase Bandit all the way across the cul de sac, through the neighbors' yards and into the woods back behind those houses. I finally got a hold of her and brought her home. I just hope Bandit recovers and comes back too.
This week was just an overnighter in Raleigh. My schedule is sporadic over the next few weeks. Though, we are taking a nice little family vacation in June with the pups which will be fun! Some cabins in Georgia that cater to having the four-legged kids along. Special treats, beds, bowls, and towels all provided - along with gated front porches. I am really looking forward to it! I even have enough PTO left to take two days off so I don't have to work.
Now, if I could just get my dad to tell me when he plans on being out here. Unfortunately, I will probably have to work half days while he is here, but even that won't be too bad. Hopefully, with the time change he can sleep in while I work.
I have not been feeling well the past week or so. Major body aches, but more than that, random fever that comes and goes. When it comes, it hits me hard! Sweats, chills, the works. I also want nothing more than to just sleep when this happens. And that too is an immediate need. I go from being wide awake to freezing to death and nodding off in no time flat. My tummy has not been happy with anything I put in it recently, either, but it doesn't feel upset. Stuff just goes in and runs right through. I suppose I ought to go see a doc soon if this doesn't stop. Though, I think most of the achey stuff is from all the yard work I have been doing and is mostly unrelated to whatever else is going on with me.
OK wait, I do take some of that back, or rather I should specify - the muscle aches I think are due to the yard work. I am unsure of the joint aches that have come up this year. Unfortunately, I think some of those are from the added pounds I am carrying around on my frame these days. I really, really need to loose some weight. Serious weight. I am giving myself until December 22nd to lose 40 pounds (which, for the record, puts me at a weight that is still significantly more than all the charts say I should weigh). 31 weeks at a safe 1.5 pounds a week would allow me to lose 46.5 pounds...and knowing that I won't actually lose a steady 1.5 pounds each week I think it is still doable. We'll see. But I have to start NOW! I will be trying to regularly track my progress here - and will label those entries with "health" or some other such thing so feel free to skip if you aren't interested.
