Give Me a Break!

I've said it over and over again, but it still rings true.  Do you know what I like most about winter vacations and the like? 

Going to the restroom whenever I please.

That and sinfully having a beer at lunch. It's all about the beer at lunch, for that exemplifies the beauty of going to the restroom whenever I please.

It's the small things in life, my friends.

Vacations are usually a very bad thing in my life.  I don't react to inactivity very well.  I'm not saying that I've got down TIME during vacations because there isn't a minute to spare, what with running around and entertaining the kids and all, but when the day is done, my mind isn't tired.  My mind sits and spins and I can't sleep.  This leads to skeptical decision making like taking the entire yard over for the garden, putting red stripes in my hair and the like. 

Good thing, is that vacations do let me take care of things that need tending.  You may remember that within the last two years we lost both our dogs, a Malamute (Vladimir) and our Great Dane (Gibson).  I can't remember if we still had Gibson when EG visited or not, but he was an excellent dog.  Vladimir, on the other hand, was Vladimir.  More on that in a moment.

Fast forward to this summer.  The loss of Gibson was still fresh on my mind when the man came home and said, "How do you feel about getting another dog?"  I wasn't ready and didn't want another dog.  He responded, "Well....it's too late."

And it was.....

This was Duke, the Great Pyrenees when we brought him home in June.  He came home in that laundry basket and was quite comfortable in it for weeks.  Then, as dogs tend to do, he grew.

 He still loves to crawl under this table even though he fails to realize that at 8 months, it's getting rather difficult for him to fit.  See that look in his eyes?  I'm coming to that.

Back to Vladimir.  The dog was allergic to dog food.  What, you say?  I say, whatever.  You can't buy venison legally here so I had to cook rice, broccoli and rabbit for quite some time.  Ever smelled a house full of boiled rabbit?  I broke down sobbing on a regular basis.  So now it seems we're struggling with Duke.  He's got terrible sores under his arms and we're thinking it may be a food allergy as well.  The break has allowed me time to get him to the vet.  The dr. seems worried that it likely may be a drug resistant staph infection which isn't good either, but we're looking into if he qualifies for a study being done at UGA.

Two days ago the dog was having some trouble and the man had to express his anal glands.  Duke now assumes the seated position every time the man is in the general vicinity.  Today, I had the unmitigated pleasure of spraying the antibiotic/steroid onto Duke's very raw under arms.  This is his, "Et tu, Brute?" look.  Hence the cowering under the table. 

Looks like lunch is over and the kids are clamoring to go outside - in the freezing cold and rain.  You know...why not.  Hot showers and cocoa are in our future.  Well, their future.  I'll be having myself a hot tottie, oh yes I will.

The morning comes early.  Hold on to your butts.  Sweet gardening dreams.  (I really did work out in the garden a few weekends ago.  I promise to get back to gardening soon.)