We Love Chewy.com!

I think I'm hooked on ordering online from Chewy for doggie food, toys, and other items.  Today they delivered a feeding stand that raises up the dishes a foot or so, and Rocky doesn't have to lean so far over.  Seems to me like it would be way more comfortable.  He really looked it over and wasn't convinced until the sight and smell of the food was too much and he dug right in.  It takes up a lot of space in a small kitchen, but if it works for Rocky then it works for me!

While I was at it I ordered a  couple of toys - birds that have squeakers but no stuffing.  The stuffing is the first thing he goes for.and I'm constantly picking up pieces of cotton from the floor.

In a couple of days we will get a package from Chewy with a harness for him that I hope will make it easier to control him without hurting his neck.  He pulls strenuously sometimes, but supposedly the harness type restraint is better - it's a mesh fabric and I hope it's comfortable for him.  I also included a treat or two in this order. 

I'm kind of worried about those of you who live in the North Central part of the country, as it is predicted to get extremely cold tonight.  Chicago has been mentioned, and being right on Lake Michigan I would hate to feel the cold wind coming off that lake!   So stay as warm as you can.  I even read that in extreme cold, and if the power goes out, the basement would be the warmest (?), or at best, the least cold spot in the house.  Let me know in the comments how it goes, and I will be thinking of you.  That goes for all the north central states and up into Canada!

Once Rocky looked over his new  "Comfort Feeder" he dug right in to his dinner.  I have been wanting to make fried rice for myself, but if I don't cook it by Noon, then I don't cook at all.  I eat about every two hours from when I get up until about Noon, and then only snack lightly from then on.  Maybe tomorrow I'll make the fried rice, if for no other reason than that I can get the rice cooker off my countertop!

Have a good evening, and stay warm!

 

Not Much Happening

I really don't like to write a blog when I have so little to say.  It's the same old thing - troubles with my computer; troubles with my dog; and trouble thinking of anything worth writing about.  

So rather than bore you all with the same old "same old", I'll just say I hope everything is ok with my readers and that you are having a better time right now than I am!  

I did want to mention that I am trying mental telepathy with Rocky and mostly it works.  I've done it many times before in different situations, and don't know why I am not eager to use it more often.  I've only done it with animals and birds, (not people), and it works well with them because that's how they communicate with each other, so you have to use mental pictures of what you want them to do and not words.

I wish you all a good week ahead.  Rocky will be 8 months old tomorrow!

Rolling over to a new year

I just realized I need to do some calendar work; I have a wall calendar as well as the one I have on my computer, and there are lots of entries I need to make.  First of all I have 4 kids plus their spouses and 9 grandchildren; then I keep track of my 7 siblings, their spouses, and all of my nieces and nephews.  Quite a few of them have children now, but it's almost too much for me to list great nieces and nephews, so I don't go into that generation except for a couple of them.  In addition are the friends I have that I keep track of birthday-wise.  It makes for a full calendar and I sometimes have to write small to get things such as dr. appointments into their slots.  I also keep track of Rocky now, who will be 8 mos. old on the 28th of Jan.  Wouldn't he just love a big cake to celebrate?  Maybe when he's a year old.  At least I only buy birthday presents for my grandchildren!

I think my floors look clean enough except for an hour or so in the afternoon when the sun shines in and exposes the dust and little things all over.   Maybe I should just close the blinds and keep the sun from shining in so I don't have to see the lint!  I'm looking at it right now and it's not very pretty.

Gotta go feed my boy!  He's been snoring on the couch next to me for the last hour!

 

Celebrating with Pizza!

The birthday party at Straw Hat Pizza went so well.  Two of my brothers & their wives were able to make it, and we had a nice crowd.  When I saw my youngest brother  walk in the door, it was like seeing my dad again since they look so much alike.  My sister looked better than I've seen her in years, and I know she enjoyed being with everyone.  As always, Straw Hat is so welcoming and they go out of their way to make sure we are taken care of. 

Jeannie will take me to pick up me new glasses this afternoon, and I am so hopeful they will be an improvement.  I'm going back to wire rims because they are so much lighter and more comfortable.

I just got back from walking Rocky and need to do something useful rather than sit at the computer.  The dog was on my bad boy list this morning - he got into my purse and took out a brand new tube of lip gloss, somehow removed the top, and was licking it!  I wonder how long this is going to last, and if I will live long enough to enjoy a good boy list.   My purse is now sitting high on top of a tall cabinet, along with other things he would find delightful.  I have everything out of reach and don't understand how he still gets into so much trouble.

Enjoy the holiday, as I'm going to try to do!

Just a quick look

I can't say enough good about my new shoes and how much better my feet feel since I've been wearing them.  They aren't the sportiest nor the most beautiful athletic type shoe on the market, but for someone like me needing a wide toe box and narrow heel, they are perfect!  (click picture to enlarge):

They are not made with leather, but a stretchy fabric-type of material.  You can see from the side view that there is no lift in the heel part of the shoe, which the mfrs say contributes to throwing your foot forward as well as messing with things like balance, etc.  I don't understand or worry about the specifics, I just know my feet feel (and look) a hundred times better since I'm wearing them.  At first I noticed the difference in how the shoe doesn't lift up my heel, but now I just know my feet feel good.  And yes, when I take them off they go straight onto a shoe rack in one of my closets, and away from a nosy little black bandit who lives here!  He gives them a casual glance when I'm putting them on or taking them off, like he really isn't interested.

The rain has stopped this morning and it was comfortable when I took Rocky for a walk.  I am so proud of him - when we meet a car coming towards us, or when one is approaching from the rear, we stop at the curb and he looks so intelligent alertly sitting there  waiting until it's safe for us to go on.  Most of the time he does that.
 In just 9 days he will be 8 months old, and probably on track for a lab at his age.  I will probably notice a great improvement during the next 8 months!  I was ignoring his obvious wanting to go for a walk a bit earlier until he carried his leash to me and set it before me!

I'm getting excited about the family gathering tomorrow, although I was never able to reach my brother who lives south of here, nor the 3 who live in Carson City, Nevada.  The snow in the mountains will stop all traffic into and out of the Sierra Nevada.

I need to get moving today - and do something!  Andrew just stopped by for Rocky so I have a few minutes to myself.

Have a good weekend, and I'll see you on the other side of it!

Finally, I'm Wearing Shoes Again!

My shoes from Natural Footgear arrived today.  I put them on right away and they feel great - I even took Rocky out for a walk which I've been unable to do much of lately because it's not easy to walk an active dog wearing clogs!   I may buy another pair in a different style, or maybe just wear these for a few days to see how they hold up.  They are very wide in the toe box and narrow at the heel, and it's almost impossible to find shoes that fit well, but these do!  When I'm not wearing them they will be kept inside the closet with the door shut!

The rain and wind have been really strong the past two days.  I see the cover for my swamp cooler has blown off and is hanging on by the rope that was tied around it to hold it secure.  The rope is at least keeping it from blowing away in the neighborhood!

My youngest sister, Amy, turned 50 last week, but she was in the hospital on her birthday undergoing some tests.   Now she's home and I am taking the family to Straw Hat  Pizza this weekend to celebrate her birthday.  I think I counted 11 adults and 7 kids, with 8 more adults to RSVP.  It will be nice to celebrate being with family instead of staying home and thinking about the state of affairs!  This represents my siblings in CA, plus all my kids & grandchildren, plus one of my nieces & her 2 boys.

Grass and weeds are growing everywhere with all the rain we've been having, but the dog park is a muddy mess.  It's locked up now so people won't take their pets in and tear up more of the grass.  It is still a bit too windy for my liking and I should take Rocky for a really long walk but I don't like the weather.  Andrew didn't come by today, probably because the morning was so rainy.  Can't blame him.

I took a couple of photos of my new shoes, but sent them to Donald to put into a jpeg format and send them back to me.  I'll include them in my next blog.  I'm really loving these shoes!

 

Today will be a good one

I can feel it in my bones!  I'm waiting for delivery of a pedometer, and in the hopes I can set it up easily, I will begin walking in earnest!  It looks like we will have a cloudy day with rain, but I hope it's only off and on and that I can walk with Rocky.  Yesterday was stormy all day long, and a terrific wind rose about the time we went to bed.  It all looks calm now.

I will have to say I should have thrown that purse in the washing machine long before now.  It looks like new!   The sofa is another matter, but I'm working on getting up that slimy gel and it's a little better so I'll keep at it.

Donald took me to order my glasses yesterday and I was glad I didn't have to walk.  He took photos of the various styles I tried on and sent them to Jeannie, who decided which ones suited me the best.  I just went with her opinion because I can't see well enough to have any judgment on something like that, plus it doesn't really matter to me what I look like as long as my vision is  a little better. While I would never get an iPhone or equivalent, they sure can be convenient.  I'm so grateful to Donald as I wouldn't have walked in all that rain - at least until I get some new shoes to replace the ones with the hole in the toe.  I've ordered some shoes online that seems to be what I need - wide toe box and narrow heel.  I remain ever hopeful they will fit like a glove and be comfortable as well.  As the old saying goes, "Hope springs eternal", and as long as I still have hope for anything I'll be ok.

At one time I took a couple of evening classes in Spanish and loved it.  The class stressed more conversational Spanish with less emphasis on grammar - verb conjugation, etc.  I'm thinking about re-learning everything I've forgotten in the meantime, but since there are no schools near enough to check on evening class offerings, I will try to find some other way.  I have been listening to the radio and found a station that plays ranchera music that I like, and I think I would like to understand the words.  I still remember a lot, but not enough to carry on a conversation 

I also took classes in German before my first trip to Germany.  My son is planning to travel to Germany for about a week in  the next few months, and I know I won't get him to go to a class but I'm going to try to find a website where he can learn a few phrases for travelers.  I told him nearly all Germans speak better English than we speak German, but it's polite for us to try anyway, and they will usually switch to English right away.   I think he's ignoring me, but I'll catch him one of these days.  He works nights at the hospital so he might just be working hard and not avoiding me!

I think I'll fix a nice breakfast this morning, and then I'll be ready to begin my day.  Hope your day goes smoothly as well.

 

Early to bed, early to rise

I got to sleep in until 5:30 this morning!  Rocky wakes me up by trying to lick my face and hands, and I respond by covering myself up completely with the sheet.  From there it becomes a game with him.  He is so loving and sweet in the morning, although I really don't care to be licked.

It's still dark outside but the streets look wet.  I hope it clears up because I'm going to walk to Walmart Optical about 2 miles from here, to order new glasses.  I misplaced (lost) the prescription and had to ask the Dr.'s office to fax a copy to Wal. Optical.  I desperately need new glasses.  A few years ago the 4+ mile round trip walk wouldn't have  fazed me, but now I'm a little nervous about it, for one thing I still am wearing my old athletic shoes with a hole in the toe of one of them.  I ordered a pair that should be delivered in a couple of days, from a company that specializes in shoes wide at the toe and narrow at the heel.  I just had to return a pair of shoes I bought somewhere else that were too loose in the heel.

My haircut cost only $14.50 and could be the best one I've ever had.  I usually have to wait a week or two for a new haircut to look great and fall in place perfectly, but I walked out the door with the perfect cut this time.  I need to remember to look for the same stylist next time.

I just walked into the living room to a scene of destruction - Rocky chewed too much on a pillow I had once bought for my car.  It was especially designed to be easy on a person's back and I didn't even think it might contain some kind of gel.  I guess he chewed through to the gel which dripped all over one end of the couch, as well as all over my purse that I left sitting on the couch overnight.  It's the only purse I have except for a very dressy one - I remember the days when I had a purse to match every pair of high heels in my wardrobe, but for the last few years I've used one purse for all occasions.  Now what will I do?  The couch is ruined as well, and the pillows aren't the kind you can reverse and use the other side.  It's a cloth purse so I am going to throw it in the washing machine later this morning and see what happens.

I thought my day was going to go so smoothly, but I'll probably never have one of the smooth days again, at least until this little creature matures a bit!   I hope your day starts out better than mine!

Making Headway

I feel like I take two medium steps forward, and then a large step back with Rocky, but I believe I gain a little each time.  He's really a beautiful and sweet animal, but the chewing and excessive pulling when he sees a person or another dog just wears me out.  I'll live through it because mostly he's the most delightful dog and exactly what I need in my life now.

Jeannie took me to Costco yesterday and then came back here for the afternoon and helped me get rid of some junk in a large cabinet - some of it I told her I would look away while she did what she had to do with it, and I stressed that I am sentimental about anything given to me by my kids and especially the grandkids, and rarely throw any of it out!   One of these days I'll let her at it.

I had ordered a pair of Skechers shoes which weren't narrow enough in the heel so I had to take them back.  She's coming back today and will bring me an extra pr of athletic (New Balance) shoes that I hope fit and feel good on me.  I'm getting a little embarrassed as the hole in the toe of my shoe seems to grow larger.  I'm also determined to get my hair cut today.

I bought a new watch and really like the size of the dial - very easy to read - in fact it's a Timex Easy Reader.  The band is a little bit larger (wider) than I care for and is a pink/coral color which I'm not crazy about. But at least when I look at my wrist I can tell the time.

As you can tell my life is the same as usual - the dog takes up a lot of my time, and I really love it when I can get out for any reason, preferably leaving him at home!  When I get excited about going to Costco, or getting a haircut, you know I'm in a rut!

Have a good week ahead - hard to believe we're nearly in mid-January!  Soon they will be messing with the clocks again and what a nuisance that is. 

The morning is flying by!

I'm waiting for Andrew to arrive to take Rocky for his "training" walk this morning.  When they return I am going to crate the dog and walk up to get myself a much needed haircut.  I look very much like a shaggy dog lately!

I think I'm squared away on the medical stuff - I read the results of some of the tests and got all worried, but Jeannie called me (and woke me up) last night to remind me that the doctor said certain results would always be a point or two away from "normal" and that it's perfectly ok.  I wish I had half my memory back and could recall these things.

I love my puppy more each day that goes by, but he's still aggravating me with the chewing and jumping up on people.  He is just so friendly and wants to meet and greet every person and animal he sees.  My arms sometimes ache from trying to hold on to him, and my upper arms look like I've been lifting weights!  I have developed quite a nice set of muscles as good as any gym exercises could do.

 I am so tired of the noise in this place I think it will be such a relief to move to a more quiet location.  There is a constant noise of leaf blowers and other equipment of that type, then all the yapping at the dog park across the street, grass trimmers, and the like.  Trucks go  by pulling carts  that make a rumbling sound, and then there is the traffic - about 2 blocks as the crow flies is Hwy 50, and another 2 blocks in a different direction is Sunrise Blvd - both of these provide traffic noise 24 hrs a day/7 days a week.  I think the leaf blowers are the worst.

I wanted to clean the floors while Rocky is out with Andrew (if he ever gets here) but I'm getting sleepy.  I had to take Rocky out around midnight last night and was so awake I just stayed up for an hour or so.  My sleep patterns are shot and it's hard to function properly.  I think I'll try to sneak in a nap!

I hope everyone has a good weekend!  They sure roll around more quickly than they used to!

All's Well That Ends Well!

My visit with the oncologist turned out very well yesterday afternoon.  She is recommending I get B-12 shots monthly, and Jeannie is going to do the jabbing.  Being diabetic, she knows her way around a needle!  Actually, she is going to be getting a new insulin pump that will continuously monitor and administer the proper dose, and any improvement in dealing with diabetes is welcome.  Especially not having to jab oneself for every insulin dose.

I spent yesterday in a terrible state thinking that I might be developing cancer in a different place.  It was because the dr. at the emergency center I went to last week made a big deal about a couple of the blood test numbers, but I'm assured everything seems to be fine so I will relax and try to get back to being optimistic for 2019!  I'm waiting for Joe to take me to the med center this morning for a fasting blood test to see how my cholesterol is doing.  I truly think this is the worst part of getting old - always being asked to get this or that test, and having to see this or that doctor. If I told them how I actually feel and what isn't working up to speed but I'm not going to do anything about it, they would be surprised.  I'll let the little things go for now. 

I just made the bed and noticed a fairly large hole in the top sheet - looks like someone just chewed a big hole, and it isn't on MY side of the bed!

 Sorry I don't have interesting things to write about but for now this is how my life is.  I'll be back when I have something better to say.  Have a good day!

High Winds and Power Lines

There is a power line on the other side of my back fence that was blown askew by the high winds last night.  I'm not sure what the forecast is for tonight, but I just talked to a rep who came out from the power company and she said they are probably going to send out a crew to work overnight on it - she warned it might be noisy.  I can bed down in the living room if I have to as my bedroom is in the very back of the house and not far from the fence.  I doubt I could escape the noise if they work on it overnight, but I won't complain.  I dont want anything to happen to my puppy!

Jeannie and I crated Rocky up yesterday afternoon and left for a shopping trip which I enjoyed so much.  We brought wine, brie cheese and crackers back and had a great time talking for a while.  I'm starting to get more enthused about moving, and plan to get out with Rocky and hopefully meet other dog walkers in the area.  Also, he will have a very large backyard to play in, although it is fairly steep and I hope I don't have to go down and back very many times a day.  I think the exercise is doing me good - all the walking has to be good for me if I can ever get some decent shoes.  He's chewed just about everything I own, and my big toe sticks out of a hole in one of my athletic shoes.  I should be embarassed to wear them but I'm not.

Donald and the girls (who don't start back to school until tomorrow) took me to my opthamologist this morning, so it was into the crate again for Rocky.  I should have started this a while back but here I am and I'll just start it now.  I am seeing the oncologist tomorrow afternoon, so he will be crated for 3 days in a row.  I should just manage to crate him if only for a few minutes a day until he stops barking when I close the door.

Andrew was back this morning after the week of New Years' absence, and Rocky was ecstatic.  I have been so happy to have his help with the training and have gleaned a lot of good ideas from him.

Don't ask me why, but after giving away a lot of my high quality (and expensive) camping gear to my kids, I bought myself a lower cost sleeping bag and pad last week.  I still have my 4-man cabin tent and maybe the 2-man backpacking tent, and I would like to go camping with the kids this spring or summer if we can arrange a weekend.  It seems that all of the sudden I want to jump back into life and do some of the activities I always enjoyed in the past.  I sure wish I could drive across country with my dog again, but that isn't going to happen.  I hear the call of the road now and then but can't seem to respond back! 

Well, wish me luck with the fixing of the power line.  The rep assured me that there are so many lines on the pole that even if it fell, the many lines would keep it from falling flat.  It sounds reasonable, and I just hope it's so.  I'm not going to worry much though, in line with my new year's resolution to stay positive and happy!  So far it has been working and I can't believe how much good an attitude adjustment can do!  

ADDED LATER:
I almost forgot to mention that I must have had my pill bottles in my purse and found two of the tablets  in the bottom of the purse.  In retrospect I don't think Rocky swallowed any of them at all.  He never showed even the slightest sign of having ingested something he shouldn't, but I will definitely be more careful in the future.  He's growing longer from head to tail, which means he can easily reach the entire kitchen countertop all the way to the back, so I have to keep things cleared that would be bad for him.

Better by the day!

Rocky gets better by the day although he is still a puppy and will be for a long time.  Every day he does things that show me he listens - but he's not ready to be perfect just yet and enjoys his puppy spirit.  I can wait (I think).

The rains have started and will probably last the better part of next week.  I took Rocky over to the dog park early this morning to let him get rid of some energy, and then we took a nice walk.  If the rains continue they will lock up the dog park for a few days as the grass gets really torn up even without the rain.

I've been making my lists of things to do and to get for my probable move this spring.  I decided if I'm going to do it, I'm going to be positive and do it with a smile!  I actually have a lot to smile about but only if I quit watching and listening to the news on the political scene.  What a depressing mess! 

Yesterday I spent some time making chicken vegetable soup, and have enough to freeze several portions of it.  So good!  I don't cook often these days but really find it satisfying when I do.  Now I don't worry about what I'll have for dinner tonight!

I wish everyone a good weekend and send positive thoughts to you all.

Back home and planning!

I'm planning for my eventual move - looking at the things I will be needing, which is a lot!

Rocky really took a turn for the better since the trip, but some of it was my realization that he actually knows the command "heel" and can follow it - mostly.  When I leave him in the house as I did today when drying laundry, he made a total and terrible mess.  Also, Joe drove me to get blood work done this morning and when I got back my house was a mess of chewed paper.  Nothing too bad, but then I found the cap to my bottle of prednisone that I've been taking for the itchiness.  It took me a while to find the bottle which still had some pills in it - I think there might be 2 or 3 of them gone.  I've been watching him and he is doing ok, I think.  From the way he chews everything in sight though, he might be acting like he's on steroids!  Actually he is still sleeping a lot because of all the lost sleep on our mini vacation.

I enjoyed the trip overall, although the distance isn't to my liking these days, traffic was really slow about 2/3 of the way back and then it cleared up, and of course Rocky is obnoxious when he's around a lot of people.   He loves people and just can't help showing it by jumping, licking, etc.  It bothers me more than anyone else.

I'm back to the decision to move to the duplex when it becomes available sometime around May.  I have so much to do to get this place ready to sell, as well as get things I will need for the new place.  I will use mostly the old furniture I have since Rocky would mess up anything new.  With 3 bedrooms to fill, I will probably take all of my ex husband's bedroom furniture.  I've been using a chest of drawers, but will now have room for the triple dresser and queen sized bed.   Ara is especially sentimental about not getting rid of that furniture and it's been sitting in Jeannie's garage so I will do her a favor as well as myself.  And it will make a nice guest bedroom!   I'm not crazy about the 50's style, but they made that stuff well and made it to last.

There is also a small garden patch in the back yard of the duplex, so I've been poring over seed catalogs and might try my luck.  I've never had much of a green thumb, but was too busy raising my 4 kids when they were little to have enough time to spend gardening.  That was my excuse anyway, and I'm sticking to it.   Why do I even think I can magically turn into a gardener at age 78?  If anyone has a clue you can tell me, but I figure it's the fact that there's no fool like an old fool!

It looks like we have some rainy days ahead, which will clean off the driveway so I'm glad about it.  Rocky pees on it as soon as he gets out the side door, and I am constantly using a scrub brush and pine sol.  The rain does as well and is a lot easier.

I am really tired this afternoon and will be so glad when it's time to go to bed.  Have a nice evening.

 
 

These Were the Best of Days ...

...These Were the Worst of Days!  I think those words were written by Charles Dickens (Tale of Two Cities) and they come to my mind when reflecting on the past holiday weekend.

The "cabin" we rented was actually a B&B in the middle of hundreds if not thousands of B&B's around Donner Lake, as well as the other mountain beauty spots in the Sierra Nevada.  It was a gorgeous huge B&B sitting on the side of a very steep hill.  The driveway was steep and I couldn't walk down very far, and the steps up to the porch were kind of curved and hard for my poor eyes to see.  Rocky was an absolute angel and always helped me get up and down the steps safely.  When all the family arrived though, he turned into a different dog.

He loves people so much and could hardly bear the excitement of all the younger (much younger than me) folks, plus the kids.  He jumped on everyone, licked them to pieces, and I was humiliated by his behavior even though everyone told me he was fine.  They all stayed up until 2am the first night, playing games and card games - adults & children together, and the laughter & fun they had drove Rocky up the wall with excitement.  I knew he was tired so took him to bed where he whined, barked, and cried all night until the noise died down.  That's where I thought "these were the worst of days", and I couldn't understand how I thought he would be good to take along, how I would ever manage the rest of the trip, and how I would never in my life do it again.

The following day, New Year's Eve, was full of fun and excitement and he kept up with it all.  I decided we would just stay up for it, and again the food, games, and fun kept him on the edge of his capacity for enjoying everything and everyone.

On the way home, we came back with Ara and her fiancee, and stopped for food about an hour from home.  I kept him outside and took him to a grassy spot along the parking area where I thought he would pull my arms right off. I managed to not trip and to still keep hold of him, and wondered how I would safely get him back to the car.  I remembered that Andrew has taught him to "heel", so I said "Rocky, heel!".  That dog became a perfect angel and walked calmly to the car.

Today, we just came back from a little exercise in the dog park, then a walk around the block with his regular collar on, and I kept reminding him to Heel!, and praising him for how well he managed.  I think we've turned a corner, even though he has a long way to go and I wish I knew how to do something about the incessant chewing.  But I know everything is going to get better from here on, with some rough patches, of course.

 It was very cold in the mtns, with snow and ice on the ground and in the streets, so I didn't go out except to the dry patch just outside the house when I had to take Rocky out.  I loved being with the family and all the camaraderie involved with these get-togethers, but don't know if I would do it again.  I have been thinking about a camping trip however, maybe this coming spring or summer.  It would probably be very similar to this trip, with more excitement than I can take.  I'm more of a quiet and introverted loner, although I do enjoy my children and grandchildren and they certainly are extroverted.

I didn't take photos but if I get some of Jeannie's I will try to write a post another day about the "cabin" and our stay there.  I just wanted to say though, how relieved I am that there is hope for the team of "Rocky and Marty".  Even a couple of neighbors have called out to me this morning saying how well he is doing.

I hope everyone's holiday was as good and productive as mine, and best wishes to all for 2019!