Posted by Lori in Daily at 7:38 AM permalink Comments (6)

7: 00AM rise and shine

walk Plum in 12 degrees. Despite layering her in dog shirt, sweater and coat she still just stands there and shivers doesn't want to move or pee

45 minute drive to work

work 4 hours

go to Animal Kingdom at lunch, spend hour there scoping out holistic section. thrilled to see they actually have raw. pick up some frozen rabbit, bison, and venison for plum and some hudenflocken too@

let the food trials begin

work 4 hours

45 minute drive home

stop at grocery to buy chicken for Plum

Arrive home - greeted at door by a howling Plum

feed Plum

walk Plum in 18 degrees, still just stands there and shivers

start the 3 hour process of making Plum's home made dog food

multi task while rice is bloating and chicken is cooling

squeeze in a couple hours of pug rescue work.

give Plum bath while she makes scary low growls at me

special shampoo needs to soak in her skin her for 10 minutes.

have to hold her down in the tub to keep her from escaping

she wet shakes her entire body several times soaking me

done with bath, proceed to towel dry

Plum fights me every step of the way attacking the towel, and me

Done with bath Plum kerplunks herself down at my feet waiting to be brushed

Return phone calls while brushing Plum

Administer ear drops to Plum

Back to kitchen to grind Plum's chicken in food processor

hear Plum howling at me because am not paying attention to her

realize am getting old because my back is starting to hurt

must.finish.making dog food tonight because we're going out of town for the weekend

plan to stock Ritz Carlton mini bar with bags of Plum's home made dog food

hope Plum doesn't howl in the room and get us kicked out...

have more packing and planning to do for the dog than for myself

finish grinding Plum's food in processor, add vitamins, stuff baggies and freeze

do dishes, dry dishes, put dishes away

return to computer to eek out a blog entry and finish Curly Tail work

Plum has to sit on my lap while at the computer

glance at calendar, realize must.find.time to finish Christmas shopping in next couple days

stop to return more calls before it gets too late

exhaustified.

goldfish crackers and apple juice for dinner

back to computer to return several emails

eyes start to burn

dry / fold laundry

brush Plum one more time now that she's dry

11:00 pm, finally sit down and relax for first time

soon as my head hits the pillow Plum brings over a toy and wants to play

use last bit of energy to squeak toy and play pug of war with Plum

Lucky for Plum I have a lot of pug patience

Posted by Lori in Daily , Pugs at 10:56 PM permalink Comments (4)

A SUPER big thanks to Jan who sent me the best early Christmas gift ever, the Dr. Pepper Biggy Lip Smacker that I wrote about not being able to find for the last 6 years. Well she found them at her local pharmacy and shipped it all the way from heavensville.

I am way too spoiled.

Jan is my pseudo mother in law. I say "pseudo" because at one point she wanted me to move down south and marry her son (parents love me, even the ones who read my blog). Well I didn't...but I told her she can still be my fairy god mother in law, and today she really earned that title by sending me not one but TWO Biggy's. Whoo hoo! These are sure to last me through the winter.

Thanks Jan, FGMIL to the tenth power!! ~ Hearts all around ~

Posted by Lori in Daily at 5:18 PM permalink Comments (6)

.....and I'm not talking about his Nike SQ 3 club, either.

Sorry, I know you are all sick of hearing about the Tiger Woods scandal, I just have one final thought on the matter and then I'll shut up.

---
Open letter to Tiger Wood's wife -

When male dogs stray because they cannot control their humping urges, the owners remedy the situation by taking them to the vet and having them neutered. They do this not to be cruel but for the dog's own good, and for the good of all parties involved.

Signed,

Just saying...

---

So tempted to Photoshop an image of Tiger wearing a plastic cone around his neck and insert here.....but I digress.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Letters I'll Never Send , entertainment at 8:39 PM permalink Comments (4)

Tiger Tiger Tiger, you sleazy little man-whore. There I said what millions of women across America are thinking today.

After hearing that voicemail he left one of his mistresses, I hope the rumors are true that his wife kicked his ass and bloodied his lip.

Now we hear a lot about invasions of privacy and is it right to snoop or look. Well, in this case if she hadn't looked at his cell phone he would still be arrogantly and happily leading a double life, secretly making a mockery out of their relationship, wouldn't he?

So here is the question - If a man or woman you are intimately involved with is acting shifty, shady, or demonstrating some other sketchy kind of behavior that gives you cause for concern, do you look at their personal belongings or don't you?

Especially knowing just how it easy it is nowadays with all the various means of technology one has at their disposal, a virtual treasure trail of cookies and breadcrumbs to follow the telltale signs: Face Book, MySpace, email accounts, cell phones, text messages, caller id....heck there is even a tracking device one could plant on their vehicle.... In fact I think there's even an app for that.

It's not like the days of old when a partner could claim he was working late or drank too much and had to stay out with the guys, lost his cell phone, missed his flight, bla,bla, bla. Cheaters and liars now have to be clever enough to outsmart technology and let's face it if they are dumb enough to cheat in the first place then clearly most of them are not.

My take is that under normal healthy relationship circumstances when you completely trust the person you're with and they have never given you a reason to question or suspect their behavior then out of trust and respect it's a line you simply do not cross.

HOWEVER if something just doesn't seem quite right and all the pieces aren't adding up, your gut is screaming foul play then I believe you have every right to use whatever means are at your disposal to find out WTF is going on. Absolutely. Screw invasion of privacy, if this person is not going to be honest with you than what about invasion of your life because you wouldn't want to be with a sleazy little man-whore in the first place?

Tiger's wife is really hot too. What an idiot.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Inquiring minds , entertainment at 7:08 AM permalink Comments (8)

This local roadside vendor presents a novel advertising concept with his "Business Sucks Sale" sign. I bought some honey from him today because I appreciated his honesty..... and humor!

Posted by Lori in Daily , seen and heard at 8:21 PM permalink Comments (2)

It's easy with an iPhone and the free TV.com app that plays all my favorite retro tv shows.

The only question is: Love Boat, Facts of Life, Star Trek, or Gilligan's Island?

Hmmmm.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Mobile Uploads , Techno , Television at 9:58 PM permalink Comments (2)

With all these nasty bugs going around (Swine, H1N1, MRSA) I've been debating for the first time in my adult life actually getting a vaccine.

I know many will disagree but in general I'm against vaccinations unless you are among the: sick or elderly, are a pregnant women, child, have a weakened immune system, or happen to work in the health care system. And even then I think one needs to be careful.

I feel like if you're a generally healthy adult it may just be asking for more trouble. I personally don't like the idea of being injected with foreign strains and antibodies. My belief is supported by the fact that everyone I know who gets a flu shot ends up getting sick a week or two later....a coincidence?

Then you hear stories like this one - about a Cheerleader who got the flu shot and just 10 days later she can now only walk backwards and has suffered severe and permanent neurological damage. Very very sad.

So as I watch everyone around me scampering to their nearest clinic where flu shots are sold out I think I'm going to skip it and take my chances. Instead I'll just be even more diligent about layering on the antibacterial hand sanitizer every chance I get: after touching door handles, shopping carts, gas pumps, elevator buttons, public transportation, anything that may have come in contact with someone else's hands or bodily secretions.

Plus if I don't get one vaccine that leaves more for the people who do need the shot when it's already in short supply.

I'm curious to know what others are doing this year. Will you get the flu shot? What about the swine flu shot or H1N1 spray? There seems to be a lot of opinions on both sides.

On a side note, I recently found out that dogs can get MRSA from humans that are infected with it, and other dogs. Just an FYI.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Inquiring minds at 9:18 PM permalink Comments (8)

Watched Marley and Me.

I knew it would completely wreck me.
Waterworks. Major waterworks.
sniff sniff :(

Posted by Lori in Daily , Dogs , Movies , Observations at 5:02 PM permalink Comments (10)

My new job

Listening to Michael Jackson's music

Plum

Nephew love

My iPhone (keep those apps coming)

Dreamweaver

Shopping for real estate

The power of positive thinking

Painting outside the lines

Pugs dressed up in Halloween costumes

Christmas present ideas that are going to make my loved ones very happy this year :)

Mi familia'

Full circling

Basking in the catharsis of it all

Remembering who you are

Project Runway

Bangs, I think I'm gonna get them with my next haircut

The autumn view from my office

Possibilities

Freedom

Awareness

Paying it forward

Blue cargo corduroys

Cooking for my dog

Where the Wild Things Are

Jon and Kate finally got cancelled - AMEN I say to you!

Posted by Lori in Daily , lists at 8:27 PM permalink Comments (1)

I am taking recommendations for cool iPhone apps.

So far the coolest and most useful app I have encountered is Google's voice search:

You just put the phone to your ear and speak anything that you want Google to find and voila...search results without typing!

e.g. I'm just leaving work, sitting in the parking lot about to take off and thinking how I totally don't feel like cooking dinner tonight and have a mean hankering for my favorite Mexican takeout but (shudder) I forgot the number and there's no time to type or go fumbling through my address book. No problem...just say the restaurant name into my phone and like magic, the number appears!

I'm not sure there could be anything cooler than this. But if you know of any good ones, please share. I need more apps like this in my life.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Techno at 9:19 PM permalink Comments (9)

Hmmmm, in all my years of tracking the weather patterns of the wooly bugger caterpillar I've never come across a completely white one before...until now!

I'm not even sure what this means but given that it's snowing here in the northeast today on October 15th...I'd have to say we are probably in for a wicked white winter....good, maybe I'll get to do some skiing this year!

Posted by Lori in Daily , Everything Else at 8:33 PM permalink Comments (1)

Have you seen this picture that's been circulating around the internet showing a rather unsettling photograph of what appears to be a half-human, half-doglike creature suckling her hybrid offspring?

This photo is not photoshopped.... it is actually a sculpture created by the Australian artist Patricia Piccinini and is part of her exhibit called, "We Are Family".

It is creepy for sure but it does make me wonder what was going on inside the artist's mind when she embarked on this project. Some sort of lyrical reverse evolutionary anthropology experiment gone awry? Or a post apocalyptic gene war...very Planet of the Apes. One can only surmise..

Posted by Lori in Daily , Everything Else at 10:33 PM permalink Comments (7)

I spotted a raccoon in my backyard today out in the day light.... a sure sign that he might be rabid given that coons are nocturnal creatures and only venture out in the daytime if something is wrong.

I have no doubt a big crazed sick raccoon would try to go after Plum in a heartbeat so I've been taking extra care on our walks.

The last thing we need now is a wild animal attack.... and rabies.

That's what did Old Yeller in after all...

Posted by Lori in Daily at 9:37 PM permalink Comments (1)

Remember that scene in Young Frankenstein when he locked himself in a room with the monster because he wanted to prove that Love was the only thing that could save the poor creature and Dr. Frankenstein was going to convince the monster that he was loved, even at the cost of his own life?

I think of this scene each and every time I give Plum her ear drops, which is two times a day, every day.

At all other times she is a warm snuggly mitten of a pug cuddled up with her chin snoozing on my shoulder ...but come ear medicine time she transforms into the most vicious and scary little beastie one could imagine. Even the vet has to sedate her to do any kind of deep ear cleaning.

This is one of the main reasons I decided to adopt Plum. I knew she was probably too difficult for even an intermediate pug owner to handle. She must have had some kind of previous trauma to become defensive like this.

Each and every time I give her the drops in my best Gene Wilder voice I say, "You are NOT EVIL... You... are... GOOD!!!!

In the following video which we can call the how to give a vicious pug ear medicine tutorial, she only goes after me 4 or 5 times. This is actually tremendous progress for Plum, it has taken me a good 4 months of steady training and positive reinforcement just to get her to this point.

Good thing I am patient....and persistent.

What I have to do is put Plum in her harness, position her between my knees, hold the harness with one hand and with my other hand grab the scruff of her neck to keep her from biting (it doesn't hurt her at all to grab the neck scruff firmly even though she acts like it does) then once I have a good hold on the neck I quickly release my thumb and use it to pin her ear flap down so I have a clear shot. Sometimes I have to release my other hand from the harness, grab the medicine dropper and squirt it in before she breaks free.

I am now confident enough to firmly correct her and remain calm and in control when she goes to attack. Don't mind my high pitched squealing, the idea is to speak in a firm tone when dogs are bad and then over emphasize positive reinforcement and praise in a high pitched tone when they are good.

By the way in 5 years of blogging this is the first time I've ever posted a video of myself ....be kind.

I wouldn't want to try this on a Great Dane.....

Wait until you see what bath time looks like.....

Posted by Lori in Daily , Pug Rescue , Pugs at 9:43 PM permalink Comments (9)

If you've ever owned a dog with allergies you know how frustrating it can be to go item by item trial and error give and take away things that may be possible triggers to get to the underlying cause.

So far in the short time I've had Plum I've tried 3 different diet changes, numerous antibiotics, prednisone, vetalog cortisone shots, Atopica pills, vet prescribed IVD dog food wet and dry, Wellness brand wet and dry (which is typically great for the majority of our pugs), twice weekly medicated baths, Antihistamine every 4 hours...and despite all this, she is still not where I want her to be. She still gets pink and itchy more than she should.

At this point I have to suspect an underlying systemic yeast condition may be at play and pursue treatment by eliminating any and all sources of yeast including any form of root vegetables. Up until now everything I've fed her has had yeast based items and given that it's nearly impossible to purchase dog food without yeast - I am now just making my own dog food for her so I can control the ingredients. She is now on a strict homemade raw diet flush to purge her system from the inside out for a good month or 2 in hopes that this will do the trick and then we can transition her over to a non yeast based dog food.

It's clear by looking at Plum that in her previous life (which I know nothing about) the one thing I can tell is that her medical needs were completely neglected so there will be years of damage I need to reverse.

I've consulted with a number of other pug rescue rehabilitators who have successfully rehabbed their pink sticky yeasty pugs, as well as two of my vets: both traditional and holistic DVM'S and they all agree this is the next best move for her so I am committed.

Ingredients

• Boneless chicken or Turkey (brown and white, some gizzards mixed in too are good)
• Brown rice
• Frozen vegetables (NOT ROOT VEGGIES like carrot, potato) green beans, spinach
• Frozen berries - blueberries, cranberries
• Bone meal - powder (very important to have the proper calcium/phosphorus ratio).
• Yogurt Plain
• Multivitamin
• Banana

I cook the rice first because it takes the longest and let it soak in water overnight to blow it up (the vet said to do this).

Next I boil the chicken, let it cool and grind it up finely in the food processor.

Grind frozen veggies in food processor.

Grind frozen berries in food processor.

Put the stopper in the sink and throw in all the ground ingredients:
I make sure the ratio is 40% meat 30% rice 30% veggies

Sprinkle 4 table spoons of bone meal over the ground ingredients in the sink and mix everything altogether:

Next I take out a bunch of zip lock freezer storage bags and spoon in enough for 2 meals per bag. I make enough for 14 bags or a 2 week supply at a time. Then just de-thaw one package per day.

With each meal I spoon out a teaspoon or two of the yogurt and add in a little banana + a few teaspoons of warm water to take out the chill. I then give her a multi-vitamin once a day to make up for the vitamins and minerals she doesn't get from processed dog food.

As well, because the new whole foods diet does not contain any oils it's essential to supplement with a good oil containing omega 3's - I use Grizzly Salmon Oil and add a few squirts to each of her meals.

It's a lot of work I won't lie... but I feel damn good doing it because I know this is the first time in Plum's little life that anyone has ever really cared enough to get to the bottom of her issues and do whatever it takes to fix her up.

Plus, if I ever decide to move to Vermont like Diane Keaton in Baby Boom, then I have already done my field work on how to make really awesome Gourmet baby dog food. That would be cool.

*Note* I am not a veterinarian or expert please consult your veterinarian before embarking on a home cooked diet for your own dog.

For reference this diet was based on the book I highly recommend by Dr. Pitcairn - Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Dogs , Pug Rescue at 8:08 PM permalink Comments (4)

It's that time of year again...

I am so excited because I received part one of my Halloween costume in the mail today!

I can't tell you exactly who I'm going as this year just yet but <----- here is a sneak preview.

And the following hint:

She's a little blonde waitress who often wears her hair in a side pony tail, she speaks with an incredibly cheesy Louisiana accent..... and has a thing for hot vampires.

Who am I?

Posted by Lori in Daily at 7:57 PM permalink Comments (6)

Hellloooooo iPhone!
3GS Baby. I don't know how I have managed without you for lo these many years.

And just so Pum Pum didn't feel left out.....I got her an iBone.

Posted by Lori in Daily at 7:02 PM permalink Comments (6)

6:30Am standing in the shower, eyes still squinted tightly closed from the night before, half awake when you reach for the shampoo bottle and proceed to soak up a thick lather working it through from root to tip.... when suddenly it strikes you there is something vaguely familiar but askew about the smell..

That's when you open your eyes, look down at the bottle and make the connection - Malaseb medicated dog shampoo used to treat bacterial and fungal infections in dogs, cats, and horses.

It was bound to happen......Plum has more shampoo bottles in the shower than me.

I don't expect to be doing any itching or scratching on my head or contracting ringworm anytime soon.

On a side note, I don't remember my hair ever being this soft and manageable.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Dogs , Lori , Pug Rescue , Pugs at 7:13 PM permalink Comments (8)

1952 - 2009

Patrick Swayze lost his battle to pancreatic cancer today. So sad. Who will ever forget Johnny Castle, his incredible dancing and awesome one liners in movies like Roadhouse, Ghost, the Outsiders, and Dirty Dancing to name a few, "Nobody puts baby in the corner!"

RIP Patrick Swayze.

Posted by Lori in Daily , entertainment at 8:51 PM permalink Comments (4)

Wow, man. I've been stuck in 60's mode all week, wearing my Birkenstock's, long skirts and tie dye. I watched the 40th anniversary Woodstock DVD this weekend and am feeling all peace love and music, got to get back to the garden.

Groovy.

Sometimes I think I should have been a teenager or young adult in the sixties so I could have been with my kind. But I sort of feel that way about the 40's too... and the 20's and the 1800's and the 1500's.

Jim Morrison never made it to Woodstock - I think he was probably too cool or too dark and not really into the hippie movement. The Doors may also not have been invited after the Miami incident.....no one can really say for sure. In any event here I am doing my best Jim look. He was the King of piercing eyes and pouty lips.

I am the Lizard Queen.....I can do anything.

I could have lit his fire.

I'm not much of a Facebooker. I have an account but I infrequently post status updates or pictures there. I do think it's a great way for people to find you though, if you want to be found.

So the other day out of the clear blue I received a friend request from an old friend who I've been wondering about over the years.

He was the boyfriend of one of my good friends but we clicked and connected on a mental and spiritual plane that was hard to describe: completely platonic, almost brotherly / sisterly, but very strong.

There I would be, a sullen teenager chilling in my bedroom late at night and out of nowhere I'd hear a knock on the window and it was him. He was a big guy too even as a teenager, about 6.4 with broad shoulders. He had long dark hair that reminded me of Jim Morrison and he always wore this leather jacket. I was afraid the noise of his leather scraping up against the window panes as I pulled him in would wake the house.

We would climb up into the crawlspace of an attic that was above my bedroom and no more than 5 feet high with an unfinished floor. To this day I wonder how the ceiling never caved in and collapsed with the weight of us moving around up there. We sat with our legs crossed, facing each other with a candle burning in the middle and as we listened to the psychedelic music of the sixties (even though we were in the eighties) we would just ponder, pontificate, and ruminate the meaning of things over great music for hours. Somehow we figured out that all the answers existed in the Doors lyrics.

He was an old soul and introspective like me. Not a lot of other people we knew were like us, not at that age. As a teenager dealing with my parents divorce at the time it was a friendship that provided a distraction and meant a lot to me. I always looked forward to our chats. Even if we were out at parties with hundreds of people we would find our way off onto a trail in the woods or to a big rock overlooking the lake and just fall into these deep conversations that always left me feeling....inspired.

He was a few years older than me so he graduated before I did and then he moved away and we lost touch. I knew from mutual friends that he moved to Colorado and I heard he was touring with the Grateful Dead. I'd hear stories from the road over the years and I'd always think of him fondly and hope he was doing well.

Cut to twenty + years later and thanks to Facebook we're back in touch!

He said when he joined FB I was one of the people he was most looking forward to reconnecting with and he told me I look exactly the same as I did back then. That if he saw me on the street he would still be able to immediately recognize me in a crowd. And he recounted our connection the same way I had recollected it all of these years.

Far out.

He asked me if I still listen to the Doors, "of course," I said. I also think it's ironic that the universe reconnected us during hippie week.

Peace

Posted by Lori in Daily , Writing Life at 7:36 PM permalink Comments (9)

It's no new newsflash that companies large and small are cutting corners and making adjustments to the quality and quantity of products and services as a result of the current economic crunch we are in.

Surely, you have seen this on many levels in your own everyday lives: in your jobs, at the grocery store, local restaurants, etc.

Companies have been exploring cost containment from many different angles. Some have laid off valuable workers, some have increased prices, and some have lowered their production costs by substituting cheaper ingredients and materials. Some have done all of the above.

Hershey for example is now substituting vegetable oil for a portion of the cocoa butter it uses in some of its chocolates.

General Mills has cut manufacturing costs for Hamburger Helper by reducing the number of ingredient and spice pouches it provides to consumers.

Procter & Gamble has reduced the number of Pringles you get in a can!

And McDonald's is now selling double cheeseburgers with one slice of cheese instead of two. *Gasp*

Even on a more local level I have noticed that the take out salad I used to get from the Italian restaurant near my house has shrunken in half! It used to be a BIG SALAD in this huge container and now for the same price they are selling that salad half the size.

My Credit Card Company jacked my APR up to a WHOPPING 30%!!!

And I swear my sushi place is getting different "cheaper" salmon now. I've noticed the salmon has a lot more white than pink in it these days and an almost chewy texture. Blech.

Most recently I was really disappointed in the box of Mike and Ike's original fruit candies that I used to love. I used to get all excited to find the strawberries and cherries which used to be in equal number to the lemon, limes, and oranges. But much to my dismay the boxes now contain 95% lemon, lime, and oranges, and the other measly 5% is strawberry and cherry. I maybe got 7 strawberry and cherry candies out of the whole box. Apparently the berries cost more to make than the citruses.

Très décevant.

While I feel for these companies struggling through murky waters to stay afloat, I believe they need to get more creative when putting together their marketing plans. They should consider the impact of their decisions and how it will be received by consumers, because in the end, it is the consumers that keep companies in operation.

Piss them off by taking away their cheese, chips, and candies and how do you think they will react?

As for me I'll not be purchasing anymore Mike and Ike's. I've canceled my CC with that ridiculous interest rate, and I'll not be visiting my local sushi or Italian haunts for a while.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for supporting businesses to stimulate the economy and keep them going.... but not at my loss and not for lesser quality goods than what I am used to.

End rant.

Posted by Lori in Daily at 11:42 PM permalink Comments (0)

I am headed here tomorrow....

Jealous?

Posted by Lori in Daily at 10:31 PM permalink Comments (4)

Remember - when the world pushes you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray.

Posted by Lori in Daily at 12:52 AM permalink Comments (2)

Hands down Pug is my favorite smell in the world. That smooshy face odor that emanates from their mopy heads, waxy ears, and soppy wrinkles.

It smells better than sex and babies. Murphy's oil soap, eucalyptus, and chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven.

My nose delights in the circus of their smells.

I am an addict; I confess that I'm hooked on "p".

Plum likes to fall asleep nuzzling me w/ her head directly under my nose so I get a good whiff of what I imagine heaven must smell like.

I woke up this morning with a floppy pug ear on my pillow, directly under my nose. Somehow she had wedged herself into that empty space between me and the other side of the bed that's been vacant for years.

And for some reason I got that John Denver song stuck in my head -
"Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy. Sunshine almost always makes me high."

See I talk a tough game, but deep down in the stillness of dawn I'm all, "Take Me Home Country Road" and Thank God I'm a country boy girl.

All John Denver'isms aside - any discerning pug owner knows of what I speak. They understand a house just isn't a home without pug smells emanating from every room. And I think it means more after going without for a long period of time.

It must be the same feeling for rescues, how they must feel to have a warm human hand touch them kindly after years of neglect and abandonment.

I am realizing it's not just the delicious pug eau'dor that I have missed so much about having a pug around.

It's the way dogs live in the moment. With no thought of the scars from their past or worries for their future. They just exist totally in the here and now. They don't think much beyond their next meal, walk, or belly rub.....and on a daily basis they remind us to do the same.

Ah, Canis Lupus - my second favorite Latin term that starts with a c and ends in an s.

Think back to when you owned your first dog and all the life lessons they taught you. Things you experienced for the first time: responsibility, playfulness, unconditional love....things you still carry with you today.

In their company, your senses feel more alive. More acute. More aware.

Quite simply, I'm a better person with a dog in my life.

And having a pug in the house again reminds me that I am soft.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Dogs , Observations , Pugs , Writing Life at 3:34 PM permalink Comments (7)

.
With summer well underway and a number of good books already consumed, I decided to update my summer reading list with my next must reads.

Think, me. On a big beach blanket in front of a large body of water with a warm breeze, cold drink, wide brimmed straw hat, and a good book that I just can't put down. Even if the pages are getting all oily from my suntan lotion. Got that visual down? Good.

Here is my current reading list:

Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox
The Divine Comedy by Dante
Exploring Adobe Photoshop CS4
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Of course my mind is always thirsty for more....so if you have any must read, couldn't put the book down page turners that you think I would really enjoy - recommend away!

Posted by Lori in Daily , lists at 10:35 PM permalink Comments (5)

I was merrily scrolling through the TV Guide channel tonight with my clicker and at first glance I thought the movie, "the Savages" said the Sausages. Then I scrolled down a bit further and misread "the Forsaken" as the Foreskin.

A few hours later I was on the yahoo homepage looking at the days top 10 popular searches and I thought it was really odd that #7 was deep throat. Only upon a 2nd closer squinted look at the monitor did I realize that it wasn't deep throat at all....it was strep throat.

Not sure what all of that means, but I have a couple strong theories.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Neurotica , Observations , wordplay at 1:53 AM permalink Comments (8)

We had to make an emergency trip to the animal ER last night....I didn't get home until 11:00.

It all started about a week ago when Bebe arrived and Plum became very jealous and aggressive towards her. It wasn't improving over time, kind of surprising considering the info Plum came with said she got along really well with other dogs. This wasn't the case when my 2nd foster arrived anyway...

All I could think is this is the only time in poor Plum's life that she has been given unconditional kindness and love - cause I have all that leftover Sausage love to lavish on the foster pugs now - maybe it was too much and she didn't want to share that with any other dog.

Long story short we had to place Bebe in a different foster home. It was really sad and I cried the whole way home after I dropped her off, so easy to get attached you don't even realize it until you have to say goodbye....but I knew it was better for Bebe because she is the complete opposite of Plum - Bebe needs to be with other pugs that will show her some doggy love. She wasn't getting it here.

A few days ago I started to notice Plum wouldn't walk up the stairs anymore, where previously she had a little routine of going up everyday. I thought maybe she was trying to block Bebe from coming up, or feared she might have Lyme's disease...she also began acting really lethargic and the day before yesterday she was vomiting in the AM.

Yesterday she wasn't improving she just lay on the couch sleeping like a lug while I worked in the office. Around 4:30 I decided to call the vet and make an appointment for her the following morning. I was sure she must have had Lyme's b/c I remembered pulling a tick off of her eyelid a few days before...and her records showed that she never had a Lyme's test or vaccine.

A couple hours later Plum began to plummet ....I noticed she started trembling all over like she was really in pain. Of course the vet office was closed by now. I live in a really rural area where the closest 24 hour animal clinic is 2 hours away...She had been laying down for hours so I decided to lift her up and bring her outside to pee..her poor body was lifeless dead weight. I set her down on the grass and she could barely walk and most horrifying of all she started pooping bloody diarrhea...even after she was done eliminating I brought her inside and set her down on a pad where she was really trembling, hot, and there was still blood dripping out of her rear end.

I quickly paged the vet and phoned the rescue experts to ask what I should do...they agreed I needed to get her into emergency care asap. It seemed like it was taking forever for the vet to call back but actually I think it was about 20 minutes. I was sure I was going to lose her. All I could think is that I can't lose another pug in this house...Not this soon. It hasn't even been a year yet. I kept thinking next time I need to foster a young healthy one...but then I remembered how much I love the seniors too, and how I seem to get more attached when they are older, sick, and needier. And after all she took such good care of me when I was recovering from my surgery.

The hardest part with a rescue dog is you don't know anything about their history in some cases. For all I knew Plum could be riddled with tumors in her belly and not know because her owners never took her to the vet.

I knew Lyme's disease couldn't make blood come out of the rectum, but I did know cancer could...it was like having the Sausage here worrying about him all over again. Patting his head when he was sick telling him it would be ok. I didn't think I was strong enough to go through all of this again but somehow I held it altogether and was....maybe because I've been through it all before. Maybe because after losing my best friend, I know that nothing can ever hurt me that badly again... and I could survive just about anything life has to throw my way..

We met the vet at her office at 9:00pm. She ran about a million tests and different exams to try to determine the problem. Of course Plum wasn't going to make it easy. I had to help hold her down when they took blood and she thrashed and tried to bite me then the needle popped out. When we laid her down on the X-ray table she screeched and howled noises like I'd never heard before and she tried to bite the Dr. and she trashed so hard her patella popped out and the Dr. had to pop it back in..

It was during the 2nd X-ray that I was introduced to the most ingenious invention I'm sure I will ever witness in my lifetime - the pug muzzle. It was this thin nylon muzzle designed just for flat nose breeds that covers their eyes and mouth so they can't see or bite and leaves an opening at the nose so they can still breathe. Completely safe and harmless but so effective.... I immediately took note of the company name on the tag so I could order one at a later date. It is obviously for short term use only but something I think every feisty pug owner should have for trimming nails, putting in ear drops, all the things pugs won't easily let you do.

After about 2 hours at the clinic Plum was stable. Her heart rate was ok, bloodwork was perfect, she was not dehydrated, she tested negative for Lyme's, not anemic, X-rays looked good no signs of obstruction and her breathing was steady.

She did have a fever and her stool sample showed an overgrowth of bacteria in the GI tract. After ruling out everything else they diagnosed her with acute canine colitis of unknown cause.

Who knew dogs could even get that? It's like doggy IBS or Chrons. Because it came on so suddenly, it was most likely triggered by something she ate (she did get into my garbage a couple weeks ago and ate some rotten food), could be her new allergy medicine which we have discontinued for a few days, and the Dr. also said it can be brought on by stress related stuff when there is a change in their everyday environment, moving or boarding. It is very possible that having Bebe coming in really upset her and pushed her over the edge.

All is well now and she is resting comfortably. Of course all of this means it will extend her stay with me as she can't be placed until she is fully rehabilitated. Now we need to still get her allergies under control, get her colitis under control, and once that is all done she still needs to be spayed.

I teased Plum this morning and told her I think she is having all these mystery ailments that take a while to fix just so that she can stay with me a while longer.....she is a crafty girl.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Pug Rescue , Pugs at 2:04 PM permalink Comments (11)

Posted by Lori in Daily , Lori , Pug Rescue , Pugs at 2:29 PM permalink Comments (5)

It's official, my hooters are happy and healthy again!
The stuff they saw in the mammogram was just some benign calcification. Nothing to worry about at all. The surgeon said I am clean and in no way does this even put me at risk for getting breast cancer in the future. The incision is very small and healing really well. There probably will not even be a noticeable scar :)

I will have to follow up with another mammogram in 3 months but the surgeon seemed confident that he had gotten out the entire cluster of microcalcs and we should not see them on my next images. Such a relief to have this off my chest, no pun intended.

Seriously....thanks for the support, good thoughts and well wishes, truly.

I don't want to gloat too much because I know this isn't the positive outcome that a lot of other women get out there. The whole episode has given me a tiny glimpse into the process they must go through and live with on a daily basis. My heart really goes out to them, the current battlers and the survivors - a few of whom read my blog on a regular basis...you know who you are :) I have a new appreciation for you, your struggles and your victories.

God Bless,

xoxoxoxox

~Lori

Posted by Lori in Daily , health at 10:13 AM permalink Comments (7)

I took in a new foster pug this weekend, her name is Bebe. Taking care of two needy pugs is hard work, similar to how I imagine it would be chasing after toddlers all day - preparing special meals, giving them baths, administering medications, changing diapers, making sure they don't kill each other...but it's helping keep my mind occupied as I continue to anxiously wait for my biopsy results.

Poor Bebe is an owner surrender who is very sweet and very sad. Her "owners" recently put down her pug sibling who Bebe was best pals with her whole life.... because they said she was "too old". Then they decided they didn't want dogs in their lifestyle anymore so they got rid of Bebe too! Luckily we got her before they found a vet to put her down as well...Now we need to help the little old gal find a forever home. Bebe walks funny and her back legs are incredibly stiff as a result of being kept locked up in a crate for years. I've been exercising her in the yard for an hour each day to slowly start loosening them up again.

Bebe has such a beautiful sweet white face and a lovely soft fluffy coat of fur with a cute silver / black stripe running down her back.

Its a good thing I never meet up with these people in a dark alley at night.....I'd be like some crazed pug loving super hero trying to avenge all the villainous wrongs done to the pugs in this world.. I'd be like cat woman, only I'd be Pug Woman! I wonder if that means I'd have a curly tail on the back of my black leather pug suit? I should write a comic book.

So I was hoping Plum would warm right up to her because Bebe is really lonely for her companion and she keeps trying to nuzzle Plum and play. BUT as it turns out Plum Plum is very jealous and isn't having it.

Here she is on their first meeting. Note the pensive ears laid back...and there they have stayed.

Sadly she hasn't warmed to Bebe, she is just barely tolerating her and there was a food aggression incident this morning.. I guess I've gotten Plum too spoiled all by herself here the last few weeks with me and now she doesn't want to share.

My house is becoming a wayward home for senior puggies. It's just like the pug farm that I have always dreamed of in my perfect world scenario; needy pugs always coming and going, helping them in loving memory of the Sausage.... I realize I am missing a couple other things from my perfect world...but I've been busy working on those too.. Nothing comes easy.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Pug Rescue , Pugs at 2:09 PM permalink Comments (9)

When I came out of anesthesia and woke up on the gurney, the first thing I heard was one of the nurses say Michael Jackson was dead.
I wondered if I was really awake....those drugs bring on some pretty weird thoughts and dreams. I wanted to ask the recovery nurses among their chatter if it was true.... but the only words I could utter were, "ice chips".

I spent the next 24 hours in a Percocet haze of Fox news coverage and retrospective. And now the whole media frenzy is just getting carried away. I guess you can say a lot of things about MJ.....but you can never take away his talent or contributions to the music industry. From his early Motown days to Thriller, there was nobody better. So sad.... but part of me feels like he was such a tormented soul that its good he is finally at peace.

One thing is for sure, as a kid growing up in the 70's and 80's with the new MTV generation I have a lot of awesome memories to his songs. I prefer to remember him during those simpler times.
RIP MJ

Posted by Lori in Daily , Music , News , entertainment at 10:18 AM permalink Comments (5)

Whooooo [Deep Exhale]

I am checking into the hospital tomorrow morning for surgery.
The results of my last "less invasive" biopsy were inconclusive so they are proceeding with surgical biopsy that is highly recommend when you are a number 4 on the BI-RADS scale like me.

I am praying to all the pug gods they get what they need this time so they can stop hacking into my boob. The surgeon warned me there is a 5% chance they might not get a good enough sample and would have to do this all over again.

Wtf, they already missed getting enough sample in the needle biopsy, they have a microchip in the spot to be biopsied.... and I'll have a needle marker inserted by the radiologist prior to tomorrow's operation as a guide for the surgeon. That means I'll be sitting around waiting for an hour or longer with a needle sticking in my chest. Presuming the lidocaine will have worn off at that point...Have. already. requested. strong. strong. drugs.

And at my pre surgical consult Dr told me there is a 20% chance it could be something bad requiring further treatment, more mammorgrams and surgeries. Apparantley these are things they are required to tell you before surgery. But now my head is swarming with visions of percentages and hospital gowns, fear of radiation, boob dressings, needles, iv drips, and blood.

Whooooo [another deep exhale]

Praying they get what they need this time and of course that the findings are nothing bad.

I'll be off the blog for the next couple days but would appreciate any good vibes you can send my way.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Lori , health at 1:46 PM permalink Comments (14)

Plum's new thing is she likes to plant herself on my lap while I'm working in the home office. Doesn't matter if I'm busy typing away, chatting on conference calls, or wiggling my legs around in the chair. She just plants herself there and hangs on for the ride.

Pardon the messy desk. It's on my list of things to do..

Posted by Lori in Daily , Dogs , Pug Rescue , Pugs at 7:20 AM permalink Comments (10)

1. Fix vacuum
2. Clean house, do laundry
3. Pay bills online
4. Give Plum a bath and groom
5. Get Father's Day gift, grocery shop for Sunday dinner
6 Work on Blog upgrades

Actual Accomplishments:

1. Fixed vacuum (forgot how much pugs shed)
2. Sort of cleaned house (Laundry piling up with allergy ridden dog in house).
3. Will procrastinate on bills one more day, nothing clears until Monday anyhow.
4. Will bathe Plum tomorrow
5. Hosted father's day get together. Cooked roast beef dinner for family. Dad loved gift. Lots of nephew time.
6. New MT v.4.2 sucessfully installed! Added Linkwithin relevant post script to blog entries.
Finally accepted into Blogher Ad network. Will try testing advertising campaign w/o being too intrusive to visitors or bastardizing blog. Don't hate me for earning ad revenue. Am still outta work, after all.

Posted by Lori in Daily at 7:10 PM permalink Comments (0)

I was enjoying a nice lazy day in the sun this afternoon, stood up to apply some more suntan lotion and when I lay back down on my blanket a big fat yellow jacket stung me right on the shoulder blade.

I immediately took some bendryl and prayed for no allergic reaction as I tend to be sensitive to bee venom.
These jackets are very painful and I should know enough by now to scan the area before plopping myself down anywhere outside. Mostly I was ticked off that the jackets always seem to disrupt my tanning efforts. Bastards.

Posted by Lori in Daily at 2:55 PM permalink Comments (6)

I haven't seen the little guy in a couple days.

I am guessing that means he figured out a way to let himself out :)

Another crisis averted.

Posted by Lori in Daily , Inquiring minds at 4:02 PM permalink Comments (3)

It started the other night when I heard some rustling in the rafters over head. A few hours later, in the middle of the Ten Commandments, I was startled to see a little dark shadow dash across my living room floor. It was during the scene where the plague of frogs was cast on Egypt, which I found ironic.

Since then he's revealed himself 5 times more almost like he wants me to see him. I'll be sitting at my desk and all of the sudden I'll feel him scamper over my toes. I'll be on my couch with the laptop and out the corner of my eye I'll see him scurry over to me.

Today the mouse actually stood on his back legs like he was going to climb up the couch to get to me. Instead he realized he couldn't sink his claws into the leather so he stood there and looked up at me for a minute, and then dashed off when I made a fast move.

Each day he gets a little bolder and closer like he's trying to make friends with me. I've chased him to other rooms but he was too small and quick to catch. He's actually a cute little guy and I don't mind having him around. He looks like he might be a little baby mouse who lost his mother.

Mice don't scare me and I definitely can't kill anything warm blooded. I don't even kill spiders in my house. But I wonder, do they pose any danger health wise like rats that carry disease?

Is there a humane way to trap a mouse so I can let him outside? I don't like the mouse traps they sell at the store, they seem rather barbaric to me.

Also he seems hungry. Would it be bad if I fed him some cheese?

Posted by Lori in Daily , Inquiring minds at 6:39 PM permalink Comments (22)

You know it's a bad date when....

Over a lovely five course meal at a five star restaurant your seemingly all too perfect date reveals ever so matter-of-factly that..... he's had a vasectomy.

Call me old fashioned or too picky if you must....but when it comes to the male human variety, I like a dog whose equipment is still in tact.

Posted by Lori in Comedies and Tragedies , Daily at 11:48 PM permalink

This might not come across from reading my blog but I am actually kind of a shy person in real life. Why the discrepancy you ask? Well, it's not that I am trying to be something here that I'm not in person; it's just that the blog is a brain dump of the things that I actually think and feel but would not necessarily voice in most social situations, unless solicited.

As a result, in person I am often mistaken for being aloof or stuck up, a misconception that I've lived with most of my adult life. When in reality I am just shy and choose to exercise caution around people that I don't know well or don't trust. It's a protective device that comes from being burned too many times and from the cautious, practical Capricorn traits I inherited by way of the stars, if you believe in astrology. When it comes to meeting new people then, I need to be pursued. They usually have to be the ones to approach me and make me feel safe or "invited" before I will let them in. With the blog, it's different. You have invited yourself here of your own free will, sought me out. So in my mind it's the reader's problem if they don't like what they hear or see. When it comes to real life however, that is another story.

Let me set up this scene for you to better illustrate...

It is Saturday afternoon at the gym. I am feeling super confident in my Victoria's Secret low rise yoga fold over pants in black with matching racer-back sports bra. I am tan and sweaty. My stomach is bare, showing right down to my hip bones and the low rise of my yoga pants is hitting just low enough in the back to expose my Dimples of Venus, but not so low that you can see any butt crack. The hair is pulled up high on the top of my head with strategically placed bobby pins holding my bangs out of the way. I am on the Stair master letting my hips grind up and down in a slow but controlled motion.

It's dark and raining outside. Old school tunes are blasting from the loud speaker because its 80's music day. The air in the gym is rife with pheromones, testosterone, estrogen, and endorphins all comingling together.

Out of the corner of my eye I spot a hot guy across the gym in the weight room area and I notice him checking me out. Every time I glance over he is glancing back. I continue on with my ½ hour on the stair climber looking back his way every so often. A few times we catch the other one looking but you pretend to be coy, like you are looking at something else. I can see in the mirror that he keeps walking up behind me presumably to fill up his water bottle, but really he keeps checking out my booty. I feign unawareness, flipping through the pages of Self Magazine as the length of my stride becomes a little bit slower, a little more deliberate. Then it is on to the elliptical machine for more of the same.

After an hour into my workout I move out of the cardio section and into the circuit training area. Now I am standing between the leg press and calf press machines taking a sip of my water bottle. A few droplets escape and proceed to trickle down my lower lip, onto my chin just when the muscle bound guy was walking towards me and the leg machine...I scooped up my gym towel and patted myself dry as he shamelessly and without looking away watched the whole thing. Guys are so arrogant that way, locking eyes onto you from across the room, sauntering over with a fixed gaze never leaving their target.

"You missed," he quipped and smiled a very sexy smile at me. I smiled a head-down, eyelash batting smile back and all I could counter with was a very sheepish, "Pretend you didn't just see that". And I turned away from him out of sheer embarrassment or shyness, I'm not sure which. And on I went to the next circuit. He watched tenaciously as I mounted each machine. Leg curl, Lat pull down, Ab crunch, Tricep extension. There was no way I was getting on the hip abductor or adductor machines in this already sexually charged sports plot that I found myself in. Like something you'd see in the first 5 minutes of a really bad Vivid Entertainment film.

He watched my form and definition with every set and rep. I could see him indirectly through mirrors and my peripheral vision following me, staying close, and working machines behind mine. I felt hunted. And I liked it. He was trying to find another opportunity to say something or make another move.

But I never gave him one. Why not? What the F is wrong with me?

At this precise moment in time, would you believe what 80's song was blasting over the loud speaker but this one, by Kajagoogoo:

Tongue tied or short of breath, don't even try, try a little harder
Something's wrong, I'm not naive, you must be strong
Ooh, baby, try
Hey girl, move a little closer.
You're too shy shy hush hush, eye to eye
Too shy shy hush hush, eye to eye
Too shy shy hush hush, eye to eye
Too shy shy hush hush...

I took it as a blatant warning sign from the universe telling me that some things have got to change.

It didn't matter that in my mind I was mentally clutching onto his glistening biceps and imagining a life where those big strong arms were holding me at night, telling me everything is going to be okay. And I actually believed it. Did not matter that he had all of his hair, was neither fat, bald, nor short..OR that I have not been on a really good date in like, forever. Did not matter that he was totally giving me every opportunity to reciprocate the flirt...I just didn't. Or couldn't.

Afterwards I thought of a hundred lines I could have flirted back with; like "That's impressive, I can only press about 100 lbs with my legs" or "Do you work here, are you a personal trainer" as in because your chiseled body must have been hand sculpted by the Greek God Zeus himself, with the perfect amount of muscle and meat.

Granted with everything else going on in my life lately I have not exactly been feeling like I'm bringing my A game to every social interaction. And dating has not been a priority or even an entertaining thought in my mind these days. Far from it. But I totally irked myself because it wasn't that I was feeling insecure or not confident; it wasn't that at all. It wasn't that I was not receptive to sparking a conversation and seeing where it might go. I was. It was about playing it too safe and being afraid that anything I said or did might come off sounding...oh, too presumptuous, too interested, or too slutty.

Now since we are both Saturday afternoon gym patrons it is highly likely that our paths will cross again and I'll have an opportunity to right this wrong. Should I challenge myself to flirt back? What could I say differently next time? What would you have done in the same situation? I am open to suggestions because clearly, I am a total boob when it comes to this stuff.

Posted by Lori in Comedies and Tragedies , Daily at 10:52 PM permalink

Saturday was my kind of day.

Pugsley and I slept 'til 10:30, had a lazy morning snuggling and nuzzling

11:44: went to vet to pick up pill pockets and book check up for sausage

12:00: Went to see dad at brother's house and visit new nephew on his 7 month birthday. His eyes lit and he made a big smile when he saw me coming towards him...he is starting to recognize his auntie..Yay!

Dad gave me fresh veggies from his garden; zucchini, tomatoes, green peppers, string beans.

Played with baby for hour and a half, he didn't get cranky at all..

Baby said first words when grandpa instructed, "say Da Da", there was a silent pause for 2 seconds and in the sweetest little voice, looking at my brother he cooed, "Da Da" right then and there, on command. It was too perfect! We all clapped and he knew he did something really special.

2:00: Went to gym, had awesome intense work out. Hot gym guy flirted with me while circuit training.

4:00: Left gym, went grocery shopping, loaded up on fresh meats, fruits, and veggies

5:00: Came home ogled pug, made late lunch

6:00: Took power nap with Sausage, fell asleep with my hand on his belly

7:00: Woke up, made a batch of sausage and peppers using Dad's fresh garden vegetables

8:30: Took shower, got ready to go out

9:15: dropped Pugsley off with his nanny, tucked him into a fort and kissed him on the head

9:30: left to meet friends at bar: good food, good music, good company

1:15: Arrive home, collect Sausage and crash...

All days should be like this.

Posted by Lori in Daily at 9:34 PM permalink