me and the boys..and more
just a blog about a former teacher, turned PD trainer, her dogs and life...and our thoughts all along the way!
Friday, June 17, 2022
back- because the stories continue
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
never enough time
this post is especially for those who have met the boys; an update. i write not for any other reason than it is therapy for me, and it allows friends to know what's up so there isn't that weird question of why are you only posting pictures of chaco? why are you just taking chaco and not 'the boys?' eventually i will pull together a good set of memorial pictures into a video or something. but for now, we're just going to take our time adjusting.
i was given a gift back in early october. i had to take bruno in because we thought he might have a blockage, but after a couple hours in the wee hours of the morning, they recommended taking him for an ultrasound, and there i was told by the dr. that it was inconclusive, but they suspected cancer, so we opted for prednisone which would give us about 4 months. and he came back and was a happy pup!
we took this one a couple weeks ago when we had a good walk around the grounds |
one of our last nights at the foot of the bed |
sometime in the last week, enjoying the softest little rug i toted in for him |
we came home, did our evening routine-no one was hungry, but i was able to get them to eat just enough to give bruno his first round of antibiotics, chaco wasn't scheduled to get his pain meds until the next morning, as he'd just had 3 teeth removed and had stitches with an injected pain med. they did indulge in some treats before bed, and when i went to finish washing some dishes, bruno laid in his bed by the couch and got comfortable, so i left him there with the nightlight on, and left the bedroom door open so he could wander in when he was ready.
our last pic (still seemed to be doing fine) |
around 12:30 am i heard a sound i pray i never hear again. at first i thought chaco's pain meds had worn off, and his mouth was hurting, but i looked and he was laying by my feet a bit confused.
when i went to the living room and turned on the light, bruno looked to be staring off in the distance. when i went to pick him up, he was limp and lifeless. i was not sure what to do or really how to feel. i'd gone to bed unsuspecting. so i wrapped him in his small blanket and cradled him for a bit, then sat on the couch petting him for about an hour watching for a breath or a heartbeat.
i had to google what to do because i have never had to do this, and no one tells you these things. so i wrapped him a bit tighter and prepped him. i still live in an apartment here, so i had no place to bury him, which meant a call to the crematory. i called and left a message, and they called me early the next morning to give me information on what to do.
i took him to the sarasota pet crematory and the gentleman (jim?) who greeted me was very pleasant and kind. we were able to get through all the paperwork and make some decisions through tears and several kleenex. he informed me that they would hold him over the weekend, and the actual act would be done on monday, with the ashes being ready by the afternoon or tuesday. i said tuesday was fine, and decided that it would just be best to take a sick day on tuesday to pick him up and deal, just to be safe- you can never trust your emotions, eyes or voice in these situations!
i canceled saturday and sunday plans and just hung out with chaco. when i came home from the crematory on saturday, he was sniffing around the apt and whined a little...i wasn't sure if he was looking for bruno, or if his mouth hurt, or if he was frustrated that he couldn't find his squeaky toy. so we ended up going out to robinson preserve to walk on the soft track for some fresh air. i think it was his mouth that had been bothering him, and i ended up carrying him much of our little walk. we will probably get over to see wembley sometime this week because it has been awhile. also i think chaco is wanting attention from other people. he looks at people and starts wagging his tail whenever they walk by...needing some contact!
i think he's not sure what to do on a walk because he was always so used to taking cues from bruno! |
chaco- trying to pretend he's enjoying this |
my friends were so thoughtful-after i canceled and let them know why, they brought over the sweetest card and a plant and a favorite drink. hopefully i can keep the plant growing!
i'm very fortunate to have thoughtful friends! |
so today is tuesday and i went to pick up his little urn. they really are professional and i will be giving them an excellent review. the urn is sweet, they were able to get a nice paw impression. i brought everything home and then went to the beach for a walk because walking is always good, and the sun combats sad.
perfect Christmas ornament |
simple like bruno |
they included a little packet of wild flowers to plant as a memorial-raving fans |
still a bit raw and not able to actually talk about bruno, because i cannot trust my feelings yet. they change with the wind...it can be the smallest thought, or sight of a toy or something we used to do or say as a routine...
i have a feeling i may be trying to sneak chaco into random places with me: stores, beach, etc. he doesn't love being left home alone, but we'll figure things out.
give your pets extra pets and treats tonight!
julie
Saturday, September 26, 2020
celebration and loss, relishing the good while tolerating the bad
i was able to visit my parents in alabama at the beginning of june, which was wonderful because they celebrated their 50th anniversary! This is such a milestone these days when everything is so disposable. i have the utmost respect and gratitude for their example of what a Godly marriage can look like! thank you!
i'm going to bypass all the crap going on in the US for a minute, because if i start talking about anything related to COVID19, or the protests, i'm sure i will spark intense debate, and that is not my purpose. i don't believe that social media is the place for this, these conversations should be happening in person with people that actually know my heart-that is the only way we can have true communication void of superficial judgement. too many people don't know me well enough to hear what i have to say.
anyhoo. that said, i recently had a classmate who passed away due to complications from COVID19 back home. our class was so small (i counted 54 in our yearbook- but there are a couple extra that are still considered classmates even though they may have not graduated at the same time from eis, that said, small class), and everyone knows everyone and is in everyone's business. more-so back in the day than now, since we have dispersed to different countries and spread out a bit. we all remain connected through internet and heart!
this loss was a huge loss within the class because he really had a uniting personality. when i had the opportunity to visit home a few years back, he had reached out to try to get together, but our schedules didn't match up, and we missed that window of opportunity. we followed each other on insta and fb, and kept up via whatsapp. i LOVED watching interactions of fito and our classmates at the beach, out in utila.. he would post about guns, pets and atv's and i started to really look forward to catching up in person at our next class reunion because we have SO much in common and i think we would have had rich conversation and so much to talk about! i just want that opportunity back, and it will never happen now. i hate that. now is the time to reconnect- don't put it off!!
**9-26-2020 update
don't save your words. you never know which ones you will hold onto as the last, so make them cherished memories-
Saturday, May 16, 2020
ninja, sketchy conceal carry class and TP in the sky
i am happy to say that things here are cautiously getting back to normal...not sure what that means, but they just announced at today's county meeting that they are dropping the beach parking restrictions. that is normal enough for me! they were restricting parking from 10 am- 9 pm, which basically meant that i could not park there for morning walks, so my motivation to walk 1.5 miles to the beach from cortez village was relatively low... but i've already set my alarm for tomorrow morning, thank you commissioners!
mama turtle tracks-it's season! |
there will be an abundance of roasted veggies in my future! |
the roasted chicken and roasted peppers...yummers! |
this past weekend was a good weekend- i went to help a friend lay a few patches of sod, then came home to celebrate my sister-friend's birthday on a zoom celebration...then after a little nap, met up with a couple friends to go do a little kayak/paddleboard adventure! same place as before, in the sarasota inlet....it was a strong current, so we stopped at the first clearing, knowing that the return would be brutal. there was a moment when shea's pup was chasing a stick by the point and could've easily been swept away, but fortunately ezzie and shea were able to man-handle the 100 lb beast and get him out of the current and move around the rocks toward the beach! all's well. on the return we saw some dolphins- it seems to be a good area to chance encounter these friendlies!
now, the parking may or may not have been blocked of, so we may of may not have parked in a secret-ish lot behind the abandoned tennis courts and hiked a quarter of a mile to the bay...worth it!
then mother's day was relaxing. i did get out to the beach, and parking was not an issue (still the 2 hour limit), no issue because rain had been predicted- in fact there was a 30-40 percent chance, so i had checked the doppler radar, and kept an eye on it. i got in a good little walk, then set up the hammock and it was beautiful! then as my 2 hour limit was approaching, there came that quick brisk breeze, which was my first indicator, i looked at my radar app, and it was upon us; thankfully my take-down time for the hammock is record, so i was back to my car just as the big raindrops began to fall from the sky. i love to be dry, so i was glad that i remembered the lessons learned from joe at kamp in regards to the weather!
it was slightly comical watching other running to their cars from my dry fortress...don't judge. |
snicker-doodle glazed, and the most amazing buttery sourdough pretzel-just what the doctor ordered...yep...pretty sure i heard fauchi say this was the covid19 cure in one of those pressers... |
i mean...the classroom was under a tarp off to the side of the building, held up by branch poles and a ladder where the important documents were held. no video. no internet. nothing but a little story-telling and guidance. i wasn't sure what to think. actually, i was very glad that i had previously taken the course in texas, and had plenty of practice time. it was pretty close, and they do have a good membership deal, so i will probably go back just for the practice.
i may need to just take my own targets- i miss the place i used to go in plano! |
i was amused at first, and then the pilot had to go on and make it philosophical... |
i do enjoy both. |
find your calm and wind-down zone, get out when you can, and always keep an eagle-eye on the strange guy in class!
julie
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Easter brunch, splashing in the rain, lobster rolls- fortunate
best lobster rolls around! |
ah, the rain! |
gorgeous, no? |
on the way home i walked on the opposite side of the street, but there's the |
i forgot treats, so they were not up for Easter pics...i'm sure everyone has experienced this with their families as well.
and for Easter, i listened to an online message and watched a special, then went over to do brunch with my friends shea and patrick. i took some mini brie/gruyere/carmelized onion quiches, and they had put together some eggs, bacon, and the 'piece de resistance' KANAKUK KAMP CoffeeCake! amazing!
YUM! |
did you notice how there are 4 separate stations to sit at?! #playingbytherules |
these are a few-i've already sent a few others out...spread the joy! |
i made the first batch and spooned it over some iced-coffee- not bad...but i wasn't convinced. so i followed it up with a second batch and spooned it over coconut milk. i was pleased with the result!
again, i am grateful. thankful to have a job, a place to lay my head, my boys, friends, food, a sense of humor...i am fortunate and i don't want to take any good thing for granted.
i hope your weekend has been everything you needed it to be!
julie
Thursday, April 9, 2020
how far? 8 and a half puppies...
and it worked, they created somewhat of a cave! |
so unimpressed. |
one of the few rewards to waking up....early |
so glad the skate park was shut down-too much gathering... |
pretty, but silent |
looking for leaves, looking for bugs...they'll try to put pretty much anything in their mouth to get a reaction. |
fortunate to work with such scoundrels! |
chaco...little romeo...loves people |
bruno in the foreground....food-motivated! |
we try to work together, but when we're recording or doing serious webinars, they cannot stay because i never know who is going to walk by and make them lose it. |
Monday, March 30, 2020
walking the riverwalk because coffee, bread and thai soup...
i had a delicious breakfast of oatmeal with blueberries and toasted coconut bread with melted butter and strawberry jelly! yummers- i need to eat this bread and get back on track... so i am sharing some of the bread with friends, and today i made my favorite go-to the thai coconut soup (see recipe here), i use shrimp, but today i added scallops as well. which i will take over with the bread. i did share with friends, and then i had a second bowl, and a strange texture in my mouth. when i pulled it out, it looked like a small animal hair. that was weird...so i thought through every ingredient, wondering if any can or carton could have been contaminated...then it dawned on me- the lemongrass...it's in a squeeze tube and chunky-and these were tiny fibrous pieces that hadn't gotten ground up (i even got the tube out to squeeze some out to double check). whew! i need to cut back on the fish oil, because it was a bit salty, too, and no one needs a sodium attack (ask lot's wife about too much NaCl!)
so today i mulled over where to walk today. i finally landed on the BRADENTON RIVERWALK. i got in my 10k steps, and realized that it has been a minute since i've done a serious walk there. so i think this is going to be replacing the beach walk until they open that up again. i like Robinson Preserve as well, so i may inter-mix them...but i last year the river walk was when i started to get serious about getting back into shape, and so i know it'll be a good time!
the bradenton riverwalk park pretending to be a beach... |
for the most part people were doing what they should in regards to distance (minus the skate park and the exercise station). #fools couples seemed to be the only ones walking together, and every time i walked passed someone, i would look the other way and make sure not to breathe...it kinda' reminded me of when we would drive past a cemetery when we were young, and someone would say, "don't breathe, or you'll breathe in the ghosts!" fyi: a. that i know of, i've never breathed in a ghost b. it was great practice for a respiratory virus spread by saliva droplets! although it makes me look stuck up or rude... oh well. i'm sure when i get up early there will be far fewer out.
finished my walk and did the hand sanitizer and lysol routine when i got into my car... to the ridiculous degree, because i didn't even touch anyone or anything. #coronavirusgotusallparanoid
so all of that was yesterday, and i forgot to set my alarm because i was seriously planning to get up this morning and walk! anyhoo, this was a super busy day, and i had to write everything down to get to it and not forget what's what! tomorrow will be just as busy and maybe i breathe and use the bathroom on thursday...
i was ecstatic to get my package in the mail from terra verde coffee!! my friend from high school-eis
#gobulldogs marko and his wife, missy, are coffee connoisseurs.
amazing coffee? um, yes, please, i think i will! |
it was a welcome friend during our afternoon webinar! |
blessings-
julie