Fresh Start?

It was just yesterday I was recalling how much I miss journals: their privacy, the ability to be so candid on a variety of things more than just what you did with your day ... and yet the lack fun from adding links & pictures (I'm a very visual person) is a drawback, plus there's never any comments from readers to draw from and reflect on. However, as so many of my blogger buddies seem to be discussing or discovering as of late, the personal sh*t you may add to your blog posts can catch up to you.

This blog was supposed to be about my rescue work, but at some point started to morph into a blog to rescue me - I mixed in a lot of personal stuff in my posts. Sadly, before I could clean up some of my more personal entries, it seems to have bitten me in the ass. Since having an opinion is apparently dangerous and remembering things differently (correctly) than others who come across this blog (and dig and dig and dig and twist stuff) just ends up involving too much drama, I'm gonna spend the day cleaning up and try to cut the personal out.

Laperriere's (Crazy) Dedication

I am sick of hearing about Tiger Woods already and this seems to just be the beginning of it all. How in the world is a golfer's "suspicious" car wreck in FL bigger news than a local athlete's above and beyond dedication (craziness) when it comes to the game and his team?!


Ian Laperriere not only took a puck to the face while blocking a shot on goal, but then came back on the ice to play!!! It's said he lost about 7 teeth and got 50 - 100 stitches to his face before coming back out on to the ice with a full mask to continue to support his team and finish the game. Absolutely incredible!!

Instead, people seem to be more interested in reading about the family (personal) drama and a generally negative story about Tiger. What a shame to not focus on this dedication and positive figure in sports.

Update: Check it out in his own words here.

Honoring My Dad Pt 2

Yesterday was Thanksgiving ... a day of thanks, food and, most importantly, time with loved ones. Yesterday was also the second part of honoring my dad at the school he worked at for 17 years (honoring my dad pt 1). This event was much more public - the high school's annual Thanksgiving football game! We, of course, invited all the family and friends who were available to come out - like my best gal T and my Aunt Sally in this photo to the right of this text.

After all the seniors from the fall sports came out on to the field with their family, our family was invited out to center field in front of them and in front of the bleachers. There, they annouced across the loud speakers their thanks for my dad and all his hard work over the years. They presented him with a little football statue with a personalized plaque. As he left the field, they also gave him a school jacket.



Above, you can see us at center field and my dad as he walks off the field, joined by my Aunt Sally and my long time best friend, Ali. It was a wonderful day and I found myself, after being sad and frustrated for so long about all this, for a little while distracted with my gratitude for all the amazing people in my life. To these people: thank you for being you and know you are loved & appreciated! And thank you to everyone that came out yesterday morning both in person and in spirit for my dad and my family. I cannot thank you all enough for your love and support...


You can see more pictures of time with my loved ones yesterday here.

Sheep Rescue?

Ok, maybe not technically, but this definitely is a happy new home for one of our sheep, Bob.

Recently during a conversation with one of the wonderful vet techs, Kim, at Dr. Mac's it was discussed that she was looking for a goat to be a pasture pal for her horse. Now, obviously, Bob is no goat (goats creep me out!!!!!), but he's one awesome little buddy! With my mom considering condensing the farm to be more manageable for just her to handle (my dad is just going to continue to get worse), she suggested Bob. Our other sheep are all "marketable" for breeding, but Bob's been "cut" and aside from being a companion pet, most people would probably just consider him lamb chops (I can't even think of any of them like that!!!).

So, after some serious effort to wrangle him up, off Bob went to his new home for a "trial" run ... and they love him - of course!! He's one awesome little guy. Kim was nice enough to send me some photos on the first day they let Bob loose in their giant field. Look how happy he looks munching away! :)

Good luck, Bob. I love you!

Loss

His memorial isn't even up yet, but I was informed recently by a friend and former co-worker that another one of my favorites, Albert, at Tabby's Place has passed on ... I feel so out of touch now that I not only don't work there, but am not even close enough to volunteer. This marks the third cat I have loved deeply and lost recently that I know of.

Without fail, Molly had my heart from the moment I met her. I took pictures of her and her "sibling" Courtney while they were still in their quarantine cages. Courtney was younger and Molly had some health problems, so Courtney was adopted out while Molly remained at Tabby's Place. Molly stole hearts, walking around during morning meetings, picking a lap to lay in and then randomly freaking out: swatting or trying to bit her "chosen" lap's person. She just looked like this little old lady you couldn't help but love and that voice of hers' - too funny! I would have adopted her in a heartbeat if I didn't have all of my kids already. I will forever think of her all curled up in a bed on top of this pink blanket she occasionally laid on. God, I loved her!



And then there's little Nicky, Nikki, Nickey - the spelling of her name was never quite determined, I think, and remained a mystery. She was amazing, beautiful and one of those quiet souls. I loved her as well. Angela has always had a way with words and that was no different when she wrote in memory of this special girl.



And my Albert - I can't honestly tell you what really got his claws into me. He was a male black cat and, obviously, I have a soft spot for them since I have 3, but it was more than that. It was his attitude when you had to get blood to check his blood glucose level, the way he could curl up where ever, the swagger he had as he excitedly ran into his cage for dinner and his sad eyes. I adored that boy!


If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane,
I'd walk right up to Heaven and bring you home again.
No farewell words were spoken, no time to say good-bye,
You were gone before I knew it, and only God knows why.
My heart's still active in sadness, and secret tears still flow;
What it meant to lose you no one can ever know.
But now I know you want me to mourn for you no more,
To remember all the happy times; life still has much in store.
Since you'll never be forgotten, I pledge to you today:
A hallowed place within my heart is where you'll always stay.

For My Animal Loving Friends

"Play Date"

In need of new pictures of Nennee, and an excuse to see friends, I snatched up my little foster kitten Olive and headed off to Smithy's for a "play date" with her critter crew.

Well, Olive wasn't too thrilled, she pretty much jumped up on to a little desk that my purse was on and did not move from there our entire visit - not angry or upset or "unsocial", she just preferred to watch everyone from a place they couldn't really get to her. Silly girl ... well, at least Olive didn't eat anyone or bolt up the steps and under a bed never to be seen again.

In other news from the visit:
- the food was great (Suzie AKA Momma Cat agrees. She licked a lot of the sauce off of the gnocchis while we were in the living room)
- Smithy's foster bunnies are adorable. I took photos for her so she can post them for adoption. Spike who seemed great before and after with them did have one incident - I'm not sure who started it, but I walked in on one leaping, bouncing, attacking bunny and a spinning, nipping Spike. They promptly separated. I'm blame Spike, but this also happened to be the one bunny that Smithy said got "weird" when left out too long alone.
- Nennee is adorable. Absolutely adorable. What a brat ... but too cute!
- My feelings towards Smithy's two newest pets (Ben & Jerry - the rats) are still out. While I held them when I first met them and won't deny that they're pretty cute, one of them bit Smithy recently. She claimed mistaken identity and that it was her fault for giving them treats through the cage, but I don't buy it. Rats will not be the next pet I'm fawning over.

Pictures to come...

Today - Success

I'm going to consider tonight a success
- I did some working out
- Returned a LONG overdue phone call ... though I ended up just needing to leave a message anyway
- I made myself my salsa (along with a bag of steamed peas, that was my dinner tonight)
- instead of drinking and soaking in the hot tub, I'm making tea and setting up shop on the sofa to watch the Flyers play soon

...well, now that I think about it, I'm considering the whole day in general a good day (of course, this is if we completely ignore my Not Me! Monday moments)...
- I did NOT lock my dad out of the house or, say, stab the tractor wheel with a kitchen knife out of frustration when he wouldn't listen to me. I don't try to redirect him because it's fun - no, no, no, no! I try to redirect because he's say, like today, destroying the 200 feet of driveway we have to the road by digging it all up.
- I got some writing & reading done
- We sold the truck - and I did a good deed: my mom promised me a certain percentage for everything I helped sell online (fair, since this involved teaching myself some new lessons) and my good deed was knowing she's so stressed about money, I asked for less than half of what I was expecting and paid her back for a charge I put on her credit card in the process (I didn't have a credit card at the time and needed one to reserve some travel plans).
- Spoke with my aunt more about furthering my education

Now, let's just hope JVR stays out (love him, but want him fully recovered for the rest of the season as opposed to playing half assed tonight), Ray shuts down all the Devil shots that come his way, we ruin their damn winning streak and the Flyers win tonight before heading on the road. Ok, maybe I'm hoping for a good fight or two as well and not as many stupid penalties. Go Flyers!!!

Not Me! Monday

It was the fabulous (and famous) MckMama that started the idea of Not Me! Monday and today I find I need it, need it, need it.

As some of you might know, my dad is suffering from frontotemporal dementia ... well, he's not really suffering as much as it is making the rest of us suffer. I didn't lose my temper earlier. Not me! I didn't get the urge to chuck something at the back of his head when he told me "no" like some defiant three year old and than rode off on the tractor (he's not supposed to have keys to) into the woods. Not me! No, no, no. Not at all. I'm nothing but patient and understanding as I should be because this is not his fault. This is the disease.

I'm not avoiding writing and life by reading blog posts and browsing the internet - which includes repeatedly checking my email even though I'm not expecting anything and such. Not me! No way. Procrastination is not my middle name at all.

::sigh::

On another note, I normally do Meesh Mondays on tumblr for my sister (though I doubt she knows I even have the account). Here are the links to the posts I added just for her today:

<3 water

silly conversation

Dogs In The Road

Straight from my twitter account: "Ah from laughing over the horny blues to chasing down stray dogs, my life is rarely that boring"

True story! We'll make this a "Dogs On Thursday" post cause it works and I haven't been able to post it until now ... oh and we're also going to completely neglect the back story on "the blues" because unless you were in the car, it'll make very little sense.

Well, after a couple glasses of wine (we were only goin to have one, but then the too sweet woman that owns the bar bought us another round), watching T's little brother's roller hockey team and laughing until my sides hurt, we were headed back to T's at the end of the night when all of a sudden ... myself and the two ladies I'm in the car with are shrieking - there's something in the road! Tan - not a deer with those floppy ears though - a dog! It's a dog! A blood hound, to be exact. And it slowly gets out of our way ... when we see another on the side of the road. T continue driving as this is not the best town, let alone at midnight, and we're still in shock.

T lives about 10 blocks down the road, in a different town, and I've already decided I'm going back to get those dogs. Not sure what I'll do from there, but they're not staying in the road! I take my nice rings off to stuff them in my bra (again, not a good area and I'd just decided to start wearing a very nice, VERY expensive heirloom), call a friend to see if she can find the number for the local animal control and get in my car ... T's going to follow me, and Ali too since it's on her way home anyway.

As I'm calling T to see if we're back in the same general area we saw them, I see the hound in the damn road again. It's about midnight and the only reason these dogs haven't been hit is because they're outside a shopping mart with LOTS of lights in the parking lot and spilling out into the road. The hound comes right up to us, the other dog (a smaller German Shepherd) has slipped under a fence and into someone's yard. I think this is about the time Ali leaves - she's afraid of big dogs. T on the other hand has gotten out of her car and has been standing with me and the hound. While I call 911, the hound also wanders away and into the yard.

Nice police officers show up and the one wanders over to the house to knock on the door and ask the home owner if they're his dogs that just wandered into his yard - they are. He pulled off the bottom part of his fencing earlier to clean the leaves out of his yard and hadn't put it back yet. I guess there wasn't enough time after vainly cleaning up leaves to ensure his dogs wouldn't be able to get under the fence and hit by a car. Geez!

Dogs inside, owner aware the police know he's got a fencing problem, T and I get back into our cars as she yells out goodnight and she's done her good deed of the week. :)

Honoring My Dad pt 1

We were told by a teacher from my dad's school that every year, at the very end of school, there's a nice party for all those retiring from the school system. The teacher is also retiring this year and said she looked forward to celebrating with my dad. Well, the school system had bigger plans it seems.

First we recieved a phone call from the superintendent, then a formal letter came and as some of you might know, my dad is being honored by the school board he worked for the last 17 years at their homecoming/Thanksgiving Day high school football game. This is a really big deal, in general and especially to my dad who just keeps asking about it and talking about it.

Aware of the limited time frame, the board also decided to honor my dad at a meeting of theirs as well because they "wanted to make sure he could enjoy it".

This evening at the board meeting, there was a special section in their agenda just for my dad. The superintendent stood up before everyone (a very crowded room, actually of teachers, parents and students there to be honored as "students of the month") and asked my dad to stand up with him. He said that the school may not have won every championship, but the grounds never failed to receive compliments from everyone that played there. After saying that when he first came to work for the school system there, no one exemplified pride in the school like my dad, the superintendent took the school pride pin off his jacket and gave it to my dad.

The president of the board also presented my dad with a beautiful clock with a personalized plate that reads:

"Presented To:

Douglas Wesh

In Recognition Of 17 Years Of Dedicated Service As The Groundskeeper For Clayton Public Schools.

The Clayton Board of Education Wishes You Much Happiness And Success In Your Retirement

November 9, 2009"
... and my dad received a standing ovation.


After the principles' minutes, there were cookies, brownies and a cake for my dad as well, which obviously the kids there loved! It was a very nice evening and I distracted myself taking pictures enough to not cry much, but it does make me cry now.

String the story of my dad's life together and last night was the stuff of dreams ... the fact he couldn't genuinely enjoy the honor like I know he would if this disease weren't eating away at the very man he was makes me cry. He was honored like I'm not sure he ever thought he would be and not because that was a goal of his, but because he simply liked his job and doing what was right - like working hard.

For those free and in South Jersey on Thanksgiving morning, my dad will be honored at half time by the board and students at the football game on the same field he lovingly cared for for so many years. This is your invitation from me to join us.

Thoughts For Peanut

I was hoping I wouldn't have to write this, but she's still not home...

Please keep my buff baby, Peanut, in your thoughts, friends. I found her very neurological Wednesday morning (not moving, staring off into space, etc) with some sort of oily substance all over her front legs. She's been with my (wonderful) vet ever since then being treated for some sort of toxin poisoning.

As some of you might know, my dad's not the best these days. I can only imagine what he left out in the basement for Peanut to get into. I tried asking directly, indirectly, giving him yes or no questions to answer, but all he keeps saying is "I don't know" or "No." So, I don't know and I don't think I'm going to find out anytime soon. It could have been anything. My vet was thinking heating oil, but I think it was more like the smell of turpentine (and my dad's been "cleaning" a lot ... which in his mind now includes stripping all paint). I can't be sure though since after tearing apart the basement, I can't find any open containers or evidence of spills... All I know is Peanut is sick now and I'm worried.

Initially Peanut was getting fluids and anti-toxin treatments, which were working really well. She was eating like a champ, her liver enzymes (which were initially high) were recovering and although she was still a little neurological, she was actually supposed to be home at the beginning of the weekend. However, Friday night into Saturday, Peanut started to develop pneumonia. Although the "check in" with the Dr sounded good this morning, I'm still nervous for her.

Peanut's about 7 now, but I've had since she could fit in my hand. She was only .05lbs and a little love. Although I already had 3 cats, she's a much bigger fan of dogs, I think, than her fellow kitties (though she'll curl up with them too) - snuggling with Ellie our Doberman when she was little and rubbing up with our Goldens who she blends in with for the most part. Although she was only suppose to be our foster baby, of course we kept her since she was our little baby. I love her so much!

The worst thing is, this was probably all avoidable if my dad wasn't the way he is now or if maybe we watched him more ... but sometimes it's just easier to let him do his silly "projects" and not watch so that we don't see how wrong he's doing it all & so I actually get some of my own time. I didn't expect this kind of consequence. I don't know why Peanut got into whatever it was she got into (she's normally sleeping in her cat tree or rubbing up against someone or a dog) ... I can only begin to imagine what happened. It breaks my heart that Peanut is suffering because of all of this now too.

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