roadtrip

and so we traveled to my parent's place for the holidays, about a 7 hour drive. hopped pup up with 5mg pred, and hit the road! i was just given the Mighty Wind soundtrack, and has since been memorized, thank you. i highly recommend it, by the by.

our first trip a few years ago, pup did not sit the entire time. she stood in the back seat, leaning against the back the whole way. this time, however, she laid down on most straight-aways. once i turned or braked, up she came to check out the situation. i hope she will someday relax enough to sleep, but somehow i doubt that will happen.

we stopped once on the way, she had a copious pee, and back to the road. once we arrived at our destination, another goodly pee, and another 5mg pred. a few bowls of water, lots of rest.

she doesn't want kibble when stressed, so i mix raw burger and overcooked rice together with some kibble, and she eats. another 5 mg pred each additional day, and she seemed to do ok.

once we get back, she drinks. and drinks. and drinks. and eats snow. and barfs it all up. i must remember to give her controlled amounts after trips.

i go into mom overdrive whenever we're out of the house, constantly watching for her signals, leaving conversations mid-sentence to tend her, watching out the window when she goes out. it's exhausting, and i know i'm not a very good guest. i wish travel weren't so hard on her.

honestly, i wish i didn't have to travel at all. i wish i could visit my family over the year, here and there, and spend christmas at home. parental guilt is a powerful thing.

personal trainer

with pup finally having such a long streak of great health, i have time to work on myself. in addition to my weekend hikes, I Have Begun Yoga.

through some health promotion at work, i won a free yoga mat, strap, block, elasto-thingy and a Video Tape. it must be left over from the nineties, but hey, it was free... so for the last week, i have come home from my cube, tended to her pupness, and plopped myself onto the rubberized mat. i have twisted my star, opened my big beautiful heart, and squoze the earth with my elbows.

pup has always had a habit of coming to me mid-meal, slobbery with kibble, and reported her pleasure with her meal by sharing a *bh-hhuuurkp* and a *blink*. she has continued during my yoga sessions. luckily rubber cleans easily.

by the time i reach the abdominal section, she has finished her meal, and thus begins her coaching. she seems to know that if she stands over me as i do cruches of various sorts, and sniffs my forehead with her face all sloshed forward, i will begin to giggle and therefore double my workout. and i think her contribution has upped my results. celebrity types never had it so good.

in other news, the snow continues, the temp is single-digit, and i have my christmas tree! my hike yesterday was gorgeous - cloudy, in the twenties so not too painful, and a beautiful light snow the whole time. i got a lead on some cheap used cross country ski equipment, so maybe after christmas i'll treat myself. if not, i'm happy just to hike, or maybe snowshoe. i do love just being outside - it clears my mind, helps me focus, gets me back to myself. isn't it odd how we can lose ourselves? is that from doing what we have to do rather than what we're born to do? what a beautiful world we'd have if everyone were doing exactly what they were born to do.

xxoo

thank you internets

i just came from checking my yahoo group for Addison Dogs, and i am just blown away with how wonderful these internets are. it has made community where there were none, it has brought together like-minded people when so many felt alone and isolated, it has guided those who thought there was no answer.

don't get me wrong, it should not replace actual human contact, but when one's circumstance is a rarity - from disease, disability, interests, whatever - it helps so much to know that someone else out there, even just one single person, understands what you've gone through and might even shed some light on this crazy path you're traveling.

what a comfort it is to me to know there are other dog moms and dads whose babies have this horrible disease, and, heaven forbid, if pup should relapse or get something new, i have so many wise and wonderful people to ask advice.

there are so many good people in the world; they just don't get the big press. i hug them all!

xxoo

today is world AIDS day

i've only known a few people with the dread diagnosis, and all are doing well. someday, a cure. this is my hope.

xxoo

snow!

it has snowed in the north and the puppy is happy! bless her, she do love the frozen stuff - i can hardly get her inside. we had a good romp, complete with snowfight as i shoveled - she'd run under where i was tossing the snow, and zoom across the yard, then come back for more. is there anything more joyful than to watch a happy dog romp?she lifts my heart.

Thanksgiving was great - very low-key, 8 of us, lots of food and the pups romped 'til they dropped. pup needs a little boost of pred before romps, but sometimes it seems that it's a little too much. i'll cut some of the halves to quarters and see how that does her - such a sensitive little flower. oo, and exciting news - my supplier has percorten back in stock, so no more delays! i hope that keeps up.

when i think back 2 years and compare life to now, i am amazed at my new skill set: no fear of needles (includes needles administered into me, as well), knowledge base of meds, blood levels and ratios, bladder infection and stone symptoms... pup is quite the educator. and she is so freaking funny - i think that's the big indicator that she is feeling great! when she's got a squeaky toy and wants my attention, she can really get me rolling.

and some wonderful person has been snow-blowing the whole neighborhood's sidewalks, and i love them for it. i want to catch them in the act and take them cocoa and cookies. i would like to think i would do the same, were i blessed with such machinery - they are a beautiful sight!

and so begins december. where did the year go?
xxoo