Thursday, February 8, 2024

Off to the Northeast today. Prior to that we will take our usual walk and get brunch (since I will miss having lunch while traveling). DD and her fiancé arrive around 7 this evening so we are ready for our full day of visiting wedding venues tomorrow. I found a list of questions which I put in a spreadsheet - might be overkill but at least it serves as a reminder of the topics to cover.

Not much else going on except that my shoulder is starting to hurt again less than 2 months after my last cortisone injection on December 18. I guess it will reinforce the need to have the surgery. I read about a Bruins player who had shoulder surgery at Mass General and looked up his surgeon. He works for my surgeon. That gives me some comfort that I am getting one of the best.

Have a tippy Thursday!

Claudia wanted me to tell you they were visiting friends in CA and one of the women had just had the same reverse shoulder replacement. It had been just 10 days and she was already off pain meds, out of the sling, and could hold her arm out parallel to the floor! She said it was one of the best decisions she'd ever made.

It's supposed to be snowing now, but it's mostly raining instead. Boo. I was hoping Kirby could play in it.

My dad was playing with him last night with a ball and trying to get it from him while he was in an excited state and got bitten (not on purpose, he was just trying to get his ball and his teeth made contact with my dad), which on old skin torn it pretty badly. He grabbed Kirby by the scruff and shook him, making him cry out in pain. I'm pissed. My dad was at fault for not realizing he shouldn't be playing around/reaching into a puppy's mouth for a ball when they are frenzied in play and he's vulnerable to skin tears. There is NO excuse for physically causing a dog pain in anger. He just said, "he's fine and won't do it again." I said he most certainly will because he can't possibly know what he did wrong, only that you hurt him! There were no apologies made. I will stop him playing with Kirby like he was in the future. For Kirby's safety more than his. It was all very upsetting. Kirby is fine, but that's beside the point for me.

I still don't feel any different with the Zepbound. I guess reading all sorts of accounts of people saying how the food noise magically shut off and they couldn't manage more than a few bites or had loads of side effects influenced my expectations?

That's all I know. Liz, enjoy all the wedding prep fun and safe travels!! Take care everybody!

I don't think it helped that the weather was so nasty yesterday, he didn't get a walk. We played running and chasing balls up the long hallways, but it wasn't enough to wear him out. I think my dad is embarrassed today. Trying too hard to be nice, sitting in their room instead of out in the family room...

Post a picture of your invite on FB! I'd love to see it!

You are so accomplished, Devon. Makes me sad you can't feel it. I suspect though many of us feel the same about ourselves.

So sorry for the issues between your Dad and Kirby. Tough for us old folks and young over-active dogs to coexist sometimes.

And thank Claudia for passing that on. Makes me feel a LOT better about next month's surgery

I wouldn't like that either.

Maybe the Zepbound takes a bit to kick in? Probably not like Vyvanse for BED, that works like an amphetamine and is immediate.

I'm so sorry that your dad disciplined Kirby the way he did. Luckily, Kirby won't have any lingering effects. If the scruff holding and shaking happened immediately after the bite, Kirby probably got a message that he was being out of control, but that's about it. This is why it is not a good idea to "rough house" with puppies. I teach gentle mouth play (I have terriers, so it's a move of necessity!), rather than no mouth play - e.g., how to drop the ball into my hand, how to hold my hand rather than bite it, encourage licking rather than biting, etc....

Diamond D., thanks for your words yesterday. Yes, my mom had a very soft spot for my brother and loved his studious and more gentle nature. My mom felt I was over confident and felt it was her duty to knock me down a few pegs. Problem is she did it so well, I have never regained the confidence in myself I once had. Rational, or not, I question my accomplishments and worth to this day. At least I know now that this feeling I have of not having much to show for a life of 60 years is truly unfounded. It's really a lingering feeling from a "past life".

Oooooo! I got the "official invitation" from Westminster Kennel Club in the mail yesterday. I loved seeing gold envelope with purple trim (gold and purple are Best of Breed ribbon colors). So very proud of my boy and of myself. This represents a lot of work on my part, too! Blitz and I are the only Breeder/owner/handler Airedale team invited to Westminster this year!

Looks like I need to start thinking about calorie reduction now that the sugar thing seems to be controlled. Need to set some behavior goals that result in weight loss. No more weight loss goals. Those seem to trigger me to go into a deprivation mode. Sigh... I've been really wanting external help lately (revision surgery, meds, etc....). Must delve into that thinking.....

A thoughtful Thursday it seems to be....

You definitely should feel good about all that you have accomplished!!!

What an honor - I'm guessing the official invitation will be framed at some point?

What an amazing accomplishment! And while you were working to win this honor, you were helping refine the Airdale breed, nurturing healthy, intelligent dogs that are now being bred, or loved as companion animals. You have your legacy in education, and your legacy in this world.

Seems like a lot of people feel it from the first shot. But some like me don't! The first month is a "loading dose" of 2.5. The next month is 5. As you move up, there are half step doses along the way. 7.5, 10, 12.5, and 15 mg is the highest. I've read you're better to stay low if it's working so you don't top out too quickly.