Thirteen Stitches!

In the head!  Mine, that is!

Yesterday while walking from the bathroom into the hallway to my room, my foot slid out of the Birkenstock sandal I was wearing, and I went down!  I have a terribly sore right hip, but worse, my head connected with a metal frame for the ceiling light fixture that I could never find the screws for.  I just set the frame in a small niche in the hallway, and my head jammed into it.  Good thing I didn't fall on my left side or my face would have gone into the metal.  

This happened in mid morning and I thought of my options since it was bleeding horrendously!  The lump on my seemed to grow into the size of a small apple, while the blood kept flowing, soaking up into the wet towel I covered my head with.  I couldn't rinse the towel fast enough.

The first thing I considered was to  call 911.  I skipped over that one quickly because I knew I would never leave my puppy while the medics hauled me away.  I kept the wet towel on my head and felt the swelling increase!

At about 1:30 I called Jeannie at work, but she was at a meeting and I sent a text message to her explaining that I was hurt and possibly needed help.  She felt so bad about it later because she didn't return to her desk until after 4pm, called me then and said she would leave work and be there as soon as she could.  She wanted to call 911 but I wouldn't have it.  She ended up contacting Steve who said they would come by as soon as they could and pick Rocky up; she then drove me to the emergency room.  We arrived around 5 or so, and finally left after I was seen and treated, at 12:30 a.m.  It was a busy night at the emergency room.

I got 13 stitches in my head, and was glad they numbed it with lidocaine before stitching it up.  The job was made more difficult for them because the time that had elapsed resulted in more swelling, but I was finally fixed up.  My son Joe was working the night shift (he's a respiratory therapist) and came down to see me around 12 Midnight.

Here are some photos:  They were taken today as you may see by the bruises on my arms.

 Click on a photograph to enlarge it.

I don't have the time or patience to do a great job with these pictures, but here they are anyway. 

I almost forgot the most important thing.  You know how I've mentioned that Rocky is sweet but he doesn't cuddle much.  Today he has climbed up into my arms and slept there most of the day.  I've never seen such a snuggler, and I'm loving it.  Even though it might not last, I'll take it when I can.

I took a little break!

Jeannie & Arianna came by yesterday afternoon and took me to Costco.  We left Rocky in the crate, and I worried most of the time I was gone.   I just hope he didn't bark the entire time I was gone but I'm sure I will hear about it from one of my neighbors if he did.

I enjoyed  shopping, and need to go to several more places for things I couldn't get at Costco.  When we got back Jeannie took these 4 photos with her iPhone.  It was difficult to get a decent picture because he wouldn't stop wiggling, but it's the best we could do for now.  Click to enlarge.

I hsve to go clean up doggie do-do, but wanted to get these posted.  I may be back later in the day.

Is my peace & quiet gone forever?

Life sure isn't dull around here.  Up to now I've always enjoyed putting my feet up and nursing a bottle of beer in afternoon, and yesterday was no exception.  I had to go to the bathroom and didn't think twice about it, but when I returned I found Rocky had knocked the bottle over and it was on the floor spilling most of the beer.  He was a good dog though - tried to lap it up so I wouldn't have to!  I was so upset but I kept my mouth shut and cleaned it up.  When I finished I looked over where he had gone to lie down - fast asleep!

A puppy will ALWAYS find something to chew, often something dangerous like an electric cord.  I had a box I was going to break down and take out to the recycling bin, but he is enjoying breaking it down for me.  I have bits of cardboard all over the kitchen which I'm constantly sweeping up, but he is getting lots of mileage out of this "toy".  It is a low, flat box, and it's so cute when he sometimes sits inside it to chew the edges! 

I have laundry to do so I'd better get started.  I will leave Rocky in the crate when I have to take the baskets across the street to the laundry building to dry, and I think I will try to find some soft music on the radio and place it next to the crate.  Soft music is hard to find these days - maybe Rocky would enjoy Ozzie Osbourne, or the Grateful Dead!

Luck is running against me!

I don't know why this keeps happening to me.  Last night Jeannie drove me to the PetsMart store that had scheduled a puppy class, to find that the store was closed.  Two employees were still there, including the woman who runs the training program.  She said they had cancelled last night's class and it was moved to two weeks later.  She also said she had called me and left a message.  Upon checking my phone there was indeed a msg from her, but the notification never showed on my phone.  It will usually turn on a small light and the msg "Missed Call" will appear.  (I have a jitterbug phone, quite unlike the phones many folks use.)

This is the second time I've gone to a class to find it has been rescheduled, and I'm pretty fed up.  The pet store closest to me and within walking distance is Pet Club, a family owned small chain centered in the Bay area of CA, but they don't hold classes at any of their stores.  I think the worst part about both the SPCA and PetsMart cancellations is that they were both called off at the last minute.

So I'm not sure what to do next, but I suppose I'm going to have to work with Rocky on my own.  Right now I need to stop the incessant barking and have watched several Youtube videos on this subject, none of which is really applicable in my situation. 

Jeannie and I talked about the feasibility of selling my house and renting an apartment near her.  The woman who lives next door to her owns several apartments in that area, and in fact recently rented one to my niece and her two boys.  The rents are very reasonable as rents in this area go, but it would still be higher than my current total costs.  I would at least have some grass for the dog to play on instead of the unending concrete and blacktop we have now.  I wouldn't have to contend with the dog park across the street from me, and while many folks in this neighborhood are very friendly, it's a certain few who  ruin it.  I'm also not happy about the density of the homes here.  I have never seen any of Carmen's properties, but Jeannie will throw out the idea to her that I might be interested.

In the meantime I have the floor tiles for the kitchen that I need to put down, and a bit of painting to finish.   I also need to seriously weigh the pros and cons of living here or moving.  And all that is with a young puppy to deal with!

Early Retirement

This post is written in response to a suggestion from a  reader who wondered how I've been retired since I was 55 yrs of age.

I worked for the US Govt, Army Corps of Engineers at HQ in Washington, DC.  I was led to believe my position would be upgraded for quite some time but nothing was ever done about it.

Then  they wanted to reduce the numbers of people at HQ so they offered a cash benefit (can't remember how much it was but it was decent) for anyone who took retirement.  I was eligible for an "early out" with 25 yrs of govt service and having reached the age of 55.  I took a reduced benefit amounting to a certain percentage of my retirement for every year I was short (can't remember if it was age or years of service).  So I've received a reduced pension for the last 45 years and it has been worth every penny of it!  The irony of it all is that the Division Chief came to me with my retirement application and offered to upgrade my position if I stayed on.  Too late, buddy!  I've never looked back and have led a magical life for the most part.

While I like the things money can buy and do, especially for my family and friends, I am not motivated by money and never have been.  So I would say that I've lived probably half my life on the "poor" side of the scale, with the other half being at the median or a bit higher.  I've had a wonderful life, and the so-called "poor times" have been invaluable in the process of learning what is important and what is not.  People are important.  Things can be snatched away at the drop of a hat.

So that's my philosophy and it's served me well.  Not all would agree with me or would want to emulate my way of life, and that's fine.  There is a time of life especially when raising a family, that is enriched by certain material benefits, although I see each generation make the mistake of trying to give their children everything they wish they had when growing up. 

I might add that most of my government career was with IRS in Cincinnati and in Sacramento.  The IRS is disliked by everyone because they collect taxes that no one wants to pay, but in my experience I found the agency operates with the highest principles of integrity and decency.  I'm speaking of employees in the regional and district offices - any agency in Washington is suspect in my book!

Just another Sunday morning

I had a slow and easy morning to start out.  Then I decided to take a shower, always an adventure with a puppy in the house.  After removing things like wastebaskets, the toilet brush, etc. from his reach, I got into the shower, but not for long.  Getting out was even worse.  He wanted to lick my already clean skin and I was pushing him out of the way while hopping around on one foot and then the other.  My mom would have told me I looked like I had ants in my pants!

Even though I managed to get dressed he still was trying to lick the lotion off my legs while I was brushing my teeth and combing my hair.  The simplest things are now such a challenge!   One thing is for certain:  a "good" puppy behavior day is always followed by a "bad" or "Less than good" puppy day.

I am desperate for decent lighting in the living room, which has no ceiling light.  Rocky gravitates toward electrical cords and I have two lamps out of order now - he's working on the third.  I'm at my wits end, I'll tell ya.

Rocky is sometimes heart-breakingly sweet!  If I yell at him about something dangerous to him, such as the cord he was about to chew, he will walk away from it and as soon as I sit down he wants to climb up into my lap as if to say "I'm sorry".   He's only contrite for a short time and then he's off to look for other michief!
 
I think this is a holiday weekend, is it not?  I lost track of the calendar ever since I retired from my job in 1975!  I do have calendars in my house but I forget to look at them.   I can't remember the last labor day picnic I've been to, or any kind of celebration.  Have fun, if you're celebrating in any way - I'd love to hear about it since I'm not doing anything myself.

 

The mind of a smart dog!

I took Rocky out but he didn't want to be in the heat any longer than it took him to pee.  We came back inside and of course, he posed like a good dog for his treat.

He started barking about 10 minutes later and I worried that he might have to go back out and if I didn't take him I would end up having to clean up after him.  So we went out, he walked the length of the short driveway and then came back up the steps to the door.  I brought him in and again he went  to the cabinet where I keep his treats, and went into his good dog pose.  What a trick he's learned, but fortunately I didn't fall for it.  Good try Rocky.

I hate to see the hot weather come back.   I looked at  expected temps through the end of November and I am cheered by the thought that it will be in the mid-high 50's or lower 60's by that time. 

Jeannie & Donald went to Costco last night while the girls stayed with me, and they picked up a few essentials for me while they were there, including a gallon of vanilla ice cream.    It is the creamiest and most tasty vanilla I have ever had, and I don't ever put anything on it because I love the pure flavor of the ice cream!

I hope you are all enjoying the weekend, wherever you are.