That Time of Year

What is it about this time of year that makes me constantly feel like I am on the cusp of getting sick? I have the sore throat that waxes and wanes, slight achy-ness, constant sneezing and a prevailing, overwhelming exhaustion that doesn't seem to go away no matter how much sleep I manage to get. Of course it could possibly have something to do with the warm days and the cold nights. You know, it's probably never that good to go to bed with the windows wide open, only to wake up at 3 AM shivering to find that it's 30 degrees in my bedroom. Yeah, not good.

Make it Stop!

Seriously, is it almost over? Because, I swear that if I have to deal with one more day of hearing about the blasted Red Sox, I'm going to go stark, raving mad.

Families and hurt feelings

So, I am trying very hard not to feel bitter, but I've been struggling with this for a couple of weeks now and I still feel pretty wretched about it, so maybe it will help me to blog about the issue.

A few weeks ago I was talking to Cousin Greg (one of my cousins who live near me in New Hampshire) and he let me know that he is hosting Thanksgiving this year at his house, and he invited me for the event. He then asked if I thought that my father might come up from New Jersey for it, especially as he could stay with me. I told him that I didn't know what his plans are for the holiday, but that I would ask him.

I hadn't heard from my father in a few weeks anyway, so I gave him a call and during the course of the conversation I mentioned Greg's invitation. My father's response, "Well, we're going down to Lancaster to --Wifey's daughter #1's-- house. --Wifey's daughter #2-- is coming and everything". All said in a tone that seemed to say, 'Well, OF COURSE we're going to Lorie's daughter's house. How stupid!' Soorrrreeeee -- sheesh.

Then I asked him if he (they) wanted to come up here for a weekend sometime (anytime they wanted, didn't have to be a holiday). And he, in a very exasperated tone, said, "I don't know when I can find the time!" I responded and said that was fine, I wasn't requesting he come up, but more that he was welcome to at any time if he wanted to. SHEESH. He then went on to say that Lorie (wifey) is not going to want to come up when it's going to be cold and/or there is a chance of snow. WTF??? First of all, I really don't think we need to worry much about snow until January. Maybe we'll get a little in December, but we don't usually have much before the end of the year. And secondly, there really is only about a two degree difference in temperature between where I live and where they live. Seriously. Is she THAT sensitive that she can handle 54* in NJ, but not 52* in NH?. Thirdly, pretty much every weekend for the past MONTH (since this conversation) the temps have been in the 70s! I suspect that SHE does not want to come up here (the weather & temperature is an excuse) and he is not willing to come without her.

I've just been feeling so bitter and hurt and mad about his attitude in general. I don't even really know why I am mad specifically, other than because of his wish to constantly cater to "Wifey" and her family while completely ignoring or eschewing his own. The fact that it doesn't even cross his consciousness that any of his children or grandchildren might feel hurt or cast aside is particularly troubling.

So now it's been about another month since we've spoken. Doesn't seem that he's going to call me anytime soon, so I guess I had better call. I just hope that SHE doesn't answer the phone (and of course she always does).

Tig: Patiently waiting for dinner

Fitz: Patiently waiting for dinner.

Oh ... GOD Help me!

I somehow just volunteered myself to be put on the election list for my HOA board of directors. WTF was I thinking? Well, I probably won't "win" anyway as I've only been here a year and no one really knows me. But still, sheesh.

BFF

Pedicures are GOOD

Work has been insane lately. I mean, working 10, 11, 12 hours a day insane. Insane where I am logging in from home at 6:30 AM before I can even leave the house. Insane where I'm dreaming about it, which of course makes me feel like the workday never ends. I can't remember in recent history looking forward to a weekend more than I did this one. I just need two days to do basically nothing at all productive and try not to think about work. Well, as much as is possible anyway. Luckily I had a pedicure scheduled for this morning, which couldn't have come on a better day. Such a sweet, selfish indulgence -- it was lovely, as always. Complete with foot and leg massage, parafin dip, foot mask and a fantastic dark red nail color (that only I will see and admire now for the next couple of months). Also got my chronic in-grown toenails taken care of -- so I should no longer be howling with pain every time I bump them up against something innocuous (like a dog). At least they're taken care of for a little while. Added to the pleasure was being out and about on a crisp, perfect Autumn morning. D&D coffee in the console, windows down, leaves turning, breeze breezing, long, slanting sunlight ... ahhhhh, I just love this time of year. So now my feet are sweet and soft again. I'm reasonably relaxed and a little better rested. Hopefully I will be ready to again re-join the insanity back on Monday morning.

Pug Screen Cleaner

OMG, THIS cracks me up!

Things that PISS me off (Part II)

People who think it's a good idea to stand beside my cubicle and have a good, long coffee clutch gossip session because they have absolutely nothing better to do. I mean, can't they see that I am sitting here completely swamped with work and in a state of extreme panic? I mean ... Sheesh!

Things that PISS me off

Cutting in line! It's one of those socially obnoxious, entitlement-minded things that some people do that make me crazy. And rarely is it really worth making a big stink over (I mean, do I really want to throw a hissy fit in the middle of the company cafeteria?) But instead I am sent away from the experience seething with resentment and rolling my eyes & muttering in frustration. People suck.

Work!

I. Am. Soooooooo. Freaking. OVERWHELMED!!! ACK!

This F*ing HEAT

rant

What is with this freaking heat?! I'm ready to spontaneously combust, I swear. I really, really look forward to the crisp Fall temps. I suffer through Summer with the thought of the lovely relief that comes in September. Well, we've spent the last week (really, since last Friday) in a 89 - 91* hot & humid HELL. First the temperature was supposed to break by Wednesday. Nope. Then Thursday. Nope. Finally, this morning I was convinced that I was going to finally wake up to my cool Autumn morning -- NO! Not so much. Ugh, I really hate this weather. HATE IT. Swampy and sticky and completely uncomfortable. I'm sick of having to run an air-conditioner, I'm sick of running around in the morning, only to over-heat so much that sweat slicks off my face and pours through my freshly washed hair. I have to bring papertowels into the backyard with me in the morning so that I can mop up my face while the dogs do their "chores". Ugh! I hate it, hate it, hate it.

/rant

Obsessed with Boxer Rescue!

Why, oh WHY? Can I not stop checking in at the Boxer Rescue site??? I now have my perfectly wonderful rescue dog (who is doing wonderfully, btw), but I'm still obsessed with checking their site (particularly the "Available Dogs" section) a couple of times a day. Someone please save me from myself! Sheesh!

Life in the "Country"

As much as I really have been enjoying living in the "country" (well, I'm not exactly rural, but where I live is not the type of suburban as one would encounter in metro NYC), once in a while I am reminded that perhaps I had lived in the City for far too long. I can handle the moose & bear sightings and sitting out on the deck at dusk and watching the bats come out and fritter above eating mosquitoes (I actually find all of that pretty cool). But last night when Fitz wasn't waiting right at the back door with the other dogs after a pee break, I knew that something was up. I went into the yard with a flashlight calling him and there he came shooting out from under the deck looking guilty and carrying something in his mouth that I immediately knew he shouldn't be carrying. As I chased him and got closer I realized that it was a dead chipmunk -- ewwwwwww! So there I stood in my backyard screaming & yelling at him and swinging the flashlight as I freaked out (the neighbors must think I'm insane). I finally managed to grab a hold of the dog and carry him struggling inside. I then had the lovely job of going back out into the yard with a papertowel so that I could pick up the corpse and deposit it over the fence -- ICK!

More Dog Pictures

Today's Dog Walk

Tig is doing well ...

Wow, we're about five days in at this stage and everything is going very well with all the dogs and especially with Tig. He seems very happy and well adjusted here, I have not noticed any anxiety or fear from him at all. Tig has been sleeping in the bed with Lola (older Pug) and me and has been wonderful, except he sure does like to take up a lot of real estate! I think that he finally figured out sometime last night that he didn't have to get up and come with me to the bathroom during the night, at least not every time. He still seems to want to keep an eye on me though.

Today was my first day back to work since adopting him, so I was really curious to see how it would go. I've decided that I'm going to return the ginormous crate that I bought and so I took a chance and gated him in the kitchen (using the ridiculously short, pug-sized gate that he could have stepped over at any time). Today was an unfortunate day too, one where I had six(!) meetings and plenty of work and thus no time to run home during the day or even to come home a little early. But when I finally made it home he was still in the kitchen, nothing was chewed, nothing had been pulled off the counter tops, no accidents, nothing. Just a happy, excited Boxer who was over the Moon to see me. So, I'm thinking that maybe a crate won't be needed for him after all, which is especially nice for him, considering how much he has been crated so far in his young life, I am happy that he can probably say goodbye to that now.

This morning I took all three dogs for a walk before I left for work (probably a little over a mile or so) and then for another walk after work (about two miles) all dogs walking nicely beside or behind me -- I continue to be: Master of the Dogs -- heh. I think it will be best for all involved if I can continue this routine.

So anyway, Tig continues to be a truly wonderful dog. I am really glad that I decided to give the rescue thing a try, it was definitely worth all the hoops I had to jump through and the months of waiting.

Some Tig Pictures

they're not all that great, hopefully I can get some better ones soon ...

As you can see, wherever Tig is, Fitz is always somewhere close by!

"Tigger" Update

Well, I brought him home! He really is a wonderful & sweet dog. He already is quite affectionate and attached to me, not reserved at all. His story is a bit of a strange one, his former family got him out of a shelter last October, he was only a couple of months old at the time! Just so odd to think that a purebred dog like that was in the pound that young, no one seems to know how that happened. Anyway, the former family basically kept him crated day & night and finally gave him up to rescue a short time ago when they faced the fact that they were never going to be able to give him more than that. He's amazingly happy and outgoing for a dog that hasn't been offered a lot of socialization or affection up until a few weeks ago.

I have to say that I am just so happy & excited about this dog! Tig (not crazy about the name "Tigger", so I've been calling him "Tig") is wonderful. I was slightly concerned at first about how Fitz and he were going to get along because Fitz was a little overwhelmed by him at the rescue house this morning. He wasn't fearful or cowering, but he wasn't up to his usual play & exuberance standards. But once we got home and everyone settled in, it's been great! Both dogs have been playing so well together. Fitz is all over Tig, continuously engaging him in play and in total Heaven because Tig is happy to chase him around the yard. Once Tig catches him, Fitz will stop and roll and then bounce right up again and start all over again. To Tig's credit, when he catches Fitz, he bumps his nose into him almost like he's tagged him, but doesn't pounce hard on him or anything (I was worried how a lively bigger dog would be with a lively smaller one -- I wasn't too worried about aggression, but was worried maybe things could get out of hand with play). With Lola on the other hand, Tig has been completely respectful. He's interested in her, but hasn't bothered her too much. Lola seems happy because more of Fitz's attention seems focused on the new dog, so she is no longer bearing the brunt of Fitz's attention.

Anyway, Fitz is completely enamoured by him, it's almost like he has a big brother to look up to, he's been following Tig everywhere. Tig, on the other hand has been following me everywhere. I took him for a nice, long walk, just the two of us, to start to get to know him a bit, to help acclimate him to our neighborhood and to drain energy also. Anyway, he's an absolute dream on the lead. Loose leash the entire walk, he stayed right beside my side the whole time barely distracted by people and other dogs and squirrels and such. We passed this woman with a fluffy white dog twice (walking the opposite direction of the loop) and the second time she, almost in an embarrassed way, laughed about how her dog was making her do what he wants -- I honestly think she was impressed by how Tig was walking so nicely with me, especially compared to her dog. I wish I could take the credit for it, but it was pretty much all him. So anyway, so far, so good. It seems like a pretty good match!