Most of last week was surprisingly low pain from work, but that all went out the window on Saturday. From 4 to 7:30 on Saturday, I was alone in the lab, and our biggest drop of the day comes just as the other person is leaving, so it's super busy and non-stop. I was in so much pain by the time I went home, and my foot was very swollen and tender. It was still swollen on Sunday, and I wasn't able to do much. Went in for my PT appointment on Monday, and the therapist actually wanted me to call in to work, because it was still so swollen and painful. I ended up putting my boot on an hour after I got to work, and after that it was fine. So I'm in my boot again today, which is awkward and clumsy, but not painful, so it's what I have to deal with right now. It hurts, but hopefully with ice and as much rest as I can manage, it will be back to where it was.
We've had some landscapers come and give us estimates on redoing our lawn, as well as several related projects. It's going to be very expensive. Might have to break it up and do part of it next year. I don't actually know how much Big D has saved up for this project, but the lawn part of it really needs to be done. It's much too bad for us to do by hand; it needs serious equipment.
I'm on day 19 of this horrible, messy, disgusting, clotty period. The last day has finally lightened up on the flow, so hopefully I'm almost done. But by then it will be time for my next cycle to start? Not sure how badly my hormones are messed up. Don't even know what has caused the problem in the first place.
In better news, my mental state has improved by leaps and bounds since the beginning of January. Lexapro and Chip have made a massive difference. It's spring, and I'm actually getting interested in planting and gardening again, and thinking about getting back into the shop. I think Chip will make a good shop dog! He's not scared of loud noises much, and is easily soothed into trusting my judgement on things.
He's such a good puppy. We've been doing some heavy-duty training the last couple days and he's doing really well. The only serious behavior problem we are still having is chasing the cats, trying to get them to play. We're going to try and get that sorted out very quickly.
I should probably get back to work now, stuff is needing attention.
I wonder if Big D has found this journal yet? If so, Hi, cutie! I love you tremendously, and wish we could spend more time together.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Not too bad!
My first shift back at work is 3/4 over, and I'm doing pretty good. My foot doesn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would. Being on the easy bench helps, as does the Tylenol/ibuprofen combo that I've been super vigilant about. I thought I might have some problems with remembering how to do things, but it's been like wearing a pair of old jeans. Easy and comfortable! It's so nice to see my co-workers. There was a cheesecake and home made cookies in my honor :)
I miss my new puppy, though. I hope he's not been throwing a tantrum this whole time. I'll play with him for a bit when I get home, and possibly even go for a short walk, depending on the pain level. I didn't get to see Harpo yesterday, either, because my PT appointment was so late. I did dishes with my spare time today, so maybe I can get the bird out for at least a little bit tomorrow.
Another professional training session with Chip on Thursday morning. He's been doing really well, even though I haven't spent as much training time with him the last few days as I should. We did a bit before work today, though, and I'll do some more tonight.
Good to be back at work, even though I'm not getting paid for it yet, because my payroll account has been disabled! My boss forgot to notify HR that I'd be back today, so I can't clock in or sign in to do my online training. I already waded through 2 months worth of emails, which weren't too bad. Hopefully the HR thing will be fixed soon and I won't miss this paycheck. I've lost track of paydays, so I'll have to look that up again. I did ok with the short term disability payments, even though I got shorted 2 weeks worth. It wasn't worth the hassle of getting the paperwork fixed. The way this company does it's STD payments is ridiculous and cumbersome. It will be nice having a paycheck again, because my credit card balance is getting pretty high.
I miss my new puppy, though. I hope he's not been throwing a tantrum this whole time. I'll play with him for a bit when I get home, and possibly even go for a short walk, depending on the pain level. I didn't get to see Harpo yesterday, either, because my PT appointment was so late. I did dishes with my spare time today, so maybe I can get the bird out for at least a little bit tomorrow.
Another professional training session with Chip on Thursday morning. He's been doing really well, even though I haven't spent as much training time with him the last few days as I should. We did a bit before work today, though, and I'll do some more tonight.
Good to be back at work, even though I'm not getting paid for it yet, because my payroll account has been disabled! My boss forgot to notify HR that I'd be back today, so I can't clock in or sign in to do my online training. I already waded through 2 months worth of emails, which weren't too bad. Hopefully the HR thing will be fixed soon and I won't miss this paycheck. I've lost track of paydays, so I'll have to look that up again. I did ok with the short term disability payments, even though I got shorted 2 weeks worth. It wasn't worth the hassle of getting the paperwork fixed. The way this company does it's STD payments is ridiculous and cumbersome. It will be nice having a paycheck again, because my credit card balance is getting pretty high.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Almost time!
Only one day left before I go back to work. Both looking forward to it, because I love what I do and miss my coworkers, and dreading it, because it is going to cause me a lot of pain for a while. It doesn't help that I hurt my back yesterday while getting dressed. Getting old when just putting on my underwear pulls a muscle... It's not too bad, and I started icing it right away, but it is just another thing to worry about.
Just like dealing with this current period is driving me nuts. Day 10, and it's getting heavier by the day. I'm afraid it's going to start resembling my periods when I had PCOS. No idea if it's age related or due to the Lexapro? Or PCOS again? God, I hope not.
Chip is doing pretty well with training. He's finally gotten used to being crated and no longer throws massive tantrums. Obedience training is going well, but potty training still needs to be worked on. He doesn't let us know when he has to go, so we are going to try the bell method. Just hung it up today, we'll see how it goes. Otherwise, he really is an amazing dog.
Took him to an off leash beach on Friday. It was a long drive, but it was worth it. We had such a great day, and I think the long drive helped him like the car better.
He had no idea what to do with the water. He was too busy saying hi to all the people and other dogs there that he didn't get into anything disgusting. I was so proud of him because his recall was very good, even from very far away.
It's a nice, sandy beach which is kind of rare around here. I checked his paws afterwards, but didn't have to worry about them getting all cut up by barnacles on the rocks like most beaches here.
I have to keep him tethered in the truck, because he tries to crawl into my lap otherwise. With his tether on, he can reach my shoulder.
He also likes to rest his head behind my neck. At least it's out of the way and doesn't interfere with driving.
We tried to go to the local dog park today, but the trail to get there was just a giant mud hole, so we tried a different park about 20 mins from home. It was nice, and very full of happy puppies. Chip does so well at the park! He loves the people and the dogs equally, and plays very well.
In other animal news, I suspect Dinah has a UTI. She's been incontinent in her sleep a few times, and has been peeing outside of the litter box. She's got meds, so we'll see if it improves. Big D thinks it's an attitude towards the new dog, which part of it might be, but I see other signs that indicate a UTI. While we were there, we did some basic bloodwork to check on her kidney function. It's gotten a little worse since July, and she's lost over a pound. Going to see if supplementing her with wet food will help get some weight back on her. But she's 18, and a decline is inevitable. Not happy about it.
Not much else going on. Foot therapy is going well, and I can see improvement, but suddenly going back to standing on it for a full shift is going to be miserable.
Also just found out that my crazy auntie finally sold her house in IL. Now she needs to decide if she's going to come live here, probably in a trailer next to the house, or if she's going to stay in IL.
I made this collage of all the critters. Might set it as my profile pic.
Just like dealing with this current period is driving me nuts. Day 10, and it's getting heavier by the day. I'm afraid it's going to start resembling my periods when I had PCOS. No idea if it's age related or due to the Lexapro? Or PCOS again? God, I hope not.
Chip is doing pretty well with training. He's finally gotten used to being crated and no longer throws massive tantrums. Obedience training is going well, but potty training still needs to be worked on. He doesn't let us know when he has to go, so we are going to try the bell method. Just hung it up today, we'll see how it goes. Otherwise, he really is an amazing dog.
Took him to an off leash beach on Friday. It was a long drive, but it was worth it. We had such a great day, and I think the long drive helped him like the car better.
He had no idea what to do with the water. He was too busy saying hi to all the people and other dogs there that he didn't get into anything disgusting. I was so proud of him because his recall was very good, even from very far away.
I have to keep him tethered in the truck, because he tries to crawl into my lap otherwise. With his tether on, he can reach my shoulder.
We tried to go to the local dog park today, but the trail to get there was just a giant mud hole, so we tried a different park about 20 mins from home. It was nice, and very full of happy puppies. Chip does so well at the park! He loves the people and the dogs equally, and plays very well.
In other animal news, I suspect Dinah has a UTI. She's been incontinent in her sleep a few times, and has been peeing outside of the litter box. She's got meds, so we'll see if it improves. Big D thinks it's an attitude towards the new dog, which part of it might be, but I see other signs that indicate a UTI. While we were there, we did some basic bloodwork to check on her kidney function. It's gotten a little worse since July, and she's lost over a pound. Going to see if supplementing her with wet food will help get some weight back on her. But she's 18, and a decline is inevitable. Not happy about it.
Not much else going on. Foot therapy is going well, and I can see improvement, but suddenly going back to standing on it for a full shift is going to be miserable.
Also just found out that my crazy auntie finally sold her house in IL. Now she needs to decide if she's going to come live here, probably in a trailer next to the house, or if she's going to stay in IL.
I made this collage of all the critters. Might set it as my profile pic.
And just because he's cute, here's another of Chip with his new jolly ball yesterday.
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Repeat after me: He's just a puppy, he's just a puppy
Oh, boy, what did I get myself into? No regrets, but now I remember what puppyhood is like, and I still don't like it. Chip really is a good dog, and he'll be a GREAT dog once he's grown up and trained.
The list of destroyed items grows daily. And my patience is thin the last few days. I'm cramping, but period is late. So I get some of the pain without anything to show for it.
Foot therapy is going pretty well. I've been limping for so long that my ankle and leg are all screwed up, so now that I can mostly walk properly, everything I haven't been using hurts.
To counteract the bad vibes of puppy ownership, here's some glamour shots I took the other day. He's lucky he's so adorable!
The list of destroyed items grows daily. And my patience is thin the last few days. I'm cramping, but period is late. So I get some of the pain without anything to show for it.
Foot therapy is going pretty well. I've been limping for so long that my ankle and leg are all screwed up, so now that I can mostly walk properly, everything I haven't been using hurts.
To counteract the bad vibes of puppy ownership, here's some glamour shots I took the other day. He's lucky he's so adorable!
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| He needs shades! |
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| I did a little filter on this one. My favorite so far. You can really see his eye color difference. |