JULY THREAD START

Happened again. Just wrote a long post and when tried to post it I got validation error. I forgot about that happening before and that I needed to use custom text editor.

Glenda so sorry about your sister and brother in law. She must be in awful pain. Sending many good thoughts her way.

Doug sorry about your sons car. Thankfully he's okay though.

Tracy sorry about your neighbors dog. Run free little one.

Also Glenda so happy for you that everything came back totally benign.

Our Gus man's ultra sound showed no sign of any tumors. Some calcification possibly in some areas but might just be due to age. Nothing significant. Will be sent off to specialist but feeling pretty confidant they won't see anything different. Also on a good note another urine test showed no red blood cells or signs of bacteria. Only a few white blood cells. That's the first change since I noticed the bit of blood back around May 23. So things are looking up for our boy. We ate going away for a few days in the near future and now I will feel much better about leaving him in the kennel.

Got the grandkids and visited a dairy farm with them.  I think I enjoyed it and learned more than the kids.  It's a century farm, with the house being 140 years old.  The milking parlor is new.  4 robots milking 250 cows about 3 times each per day, without human intervention.  Totally blew me away.  Machines weigh, milk, record results, and reward the cows for going through the milker.  Calves were in their own nursery, also fed automatically by a device that tracks their feeding.  Very clean .  Very neat.  Very content cattle.  Then, walked through the old, obsolete barn used primarily as a cat rookery now..  Farming has really gone high tech.  Radio collars or tags on each animal to track, handsfree milking, automatic floor cleaning.

OK, I know there is more to this thread than 2 pages.

Bad, I tried to  respond to Dougs post in site changes, and when I hit the emailed link I somehow managed to "mute" my notifications for it.  Can you fix that since the button to request isn't working?

This thread really is only 2 pages long....I see we have lost the yes no images again, which is odd (once restored you will be able to turn on notifications again). We will be doing a deployment Monday morning that will fix the video embedding. We will also look at why the simple text editor does not work properly on mobile Have a good weekend all.

Family wedding this last weekend.  At a golf course on the Mississippi, overlooking a big undeveloped island.  Really a pretty spot.  My daughter in law is licensed  to perform weddings, and did a really nice service.  

At the dog park this morning-hot and humid.  Sky was watching for a play mate, but we were alone.  Nice walking trails trough the woods to the river, dog friendly, so he got his exercise in.

The storms went north of us, which is good.  80mph winds would probably tear up my locust trees.  They drop branches all the time, apparently just because they can.

Just checking in on everyone,  Glenda hope you are doing well and back on the voice track.

The wet weather finally left but now it is hot hot hot...which is normal for this time of year its just starting a bit later than usual.

Still having left over trouble calls from the storms last week so I better run, take care all!  Have a great week.

Had trouble reading threads the last couple times I tried (using my usual office desktop, Windows 7, Chrome). Today I just saw posts I couldn't see earlier. So, my belated condolences to your son, Doug, for the car fiasco. I'm sure he has insurance, but will the town or whoever is responsible for not marking the manholes properly share some responsibility of the costs?

Glenda, continued good vibes going out to your sister and BIL. I sure hope she doesn't have to deal terrible pain indefinitely, but I know back injuries like that can take ages to heal.

Ginger, glad to hear the encouraging update from you about your SIL, too. Sure wish we could have some of your rain!

Maureen, so happy to hear that Gus's tests didn't show anything serious!

Still sorting through MIL's excess stuff. In organizing her books, I found three huge, hardcover dictionaries. I understand wanting ONE, but THREE, in a 600 square foot apartment? Needless to say, two are going to the thrift store. DH is on his last nerve. Despite the assisted living staff doing everything they can to convince her to get up, get dressed, have meals in the dining room, take part in things, she insists on remaining in her nightgown, lying in bed, including eating meals there. She's capable of more activity, but refuses to move (and they can't force her). DH tries reasoning with her, he tries enthusiastic encouragement, and eventually resorts to exasperated demands, but all he gets is nasty kick-back or tears. We try to remind ourselves her mental failings are to blame, but it's hard not to get frustrated. He's exhausted.

Back to the piles on my desk. Happy mid-July all!

Decided to go fishing with my brothers in Canada.  Drive in lodge in Ontario on a private lake.  Catch and eat or release.  Worried about wifes'  reaction.  Strongly in favor.  No objection.  Of course, her trip to Disney World is the counter balance.  5 days on the lake.  I may never want to fish again.  Couple of my brothers do this every year.  

Sky is strangely quiet today.  He spent most of the weekend in the house, as we were at family events.  He didn't eat much.  And because of the heat, no playmates at the dog park.  He just snuggles.  He did get some running in at the river bottoms-cool and shady, with a hint of mosquito in the air, but no other dogs.

He did graduate from Control Unleashed.  Only 2 tries, but at the last meeting, he sat or laid at my feet in a civil manner.  We are working on having him lie under the table when we eat.  Much nicer than what he does now.  Head on lap, brown eyes staring up by my elbow.  Little bit of drool into my lap.

Doug got a big laugh out of your description of Sky at dinner time. Sounds exactly like Garth. Not Hot Shot tho, he will just lay within sight and sound distance cause he knows he will get a nibble of something.

I have been so busy here that I have missed most of the chatter hope all is well. Glenda are you back on full voice yet?

Tracy I forgot to say ((hugs)) to you and your hubby, it is so hard to make the decisions you have had to make, and she is not the person she used to be and that is hard for a child. This conversation has been around the office here as well we have a few co-workers facing this similar problem with parents. We know we will need to be there for our parents but that doesn't make it easy to do.

My voice is back to probably 80%.  Getting there but it sure is a slow process.

When I had my neck surgery (C6&7) I had to wear a hard cervical collar for 13 weeks.  And the excrutiating pain stuck around for the first few weeks wi.th the following weeks decreasing a bit at a time.  She's now  10 days post op (C5&6) so hopefully she's seeing miniscule improvement in the pain levels every day.  She did realize yesterday that she can't wait until she hurts to take a pain pill....she went too long and really paid for it.  They went from their condo in the same town as my niece, back home again yesterday and that completely wore my sister out.  I'm sure that BIL was a wreck having to drive too.

Tracy, hugs to you and your husband.  That's a really tough situation.  At my moms assisted living facility, they will not take meals to the residents unless they are extremely ill, or otherwise incapacitated.  The building she is in is truly just assisted living.  The staff does the cleaning, laundry if desired, serves the meals, etc, but if anyone needs higher levels of personal care, they are moved to one of the other buildings.  Perhaps, despite her physical ability, thats what your MIL needs.  Sounds very much to me like she doesn't want to  be there and has made up her mind to be as miserable as possible.  That's really awful, for her, and for you guys.  

I too am glad to hear that Gus's text showed nothing devastating.  Always so scary when they get older.

Made a bit more progress against the weeds in the veggie garden today.  Despite todays really pleasant weather, the sun was too hot by 1:30 for me to continue to work.  I also picked both yellow crook neck and zuchinni today!   Yum!

Thank GAWD that Doug has been made a mod, so his posting hopefully won't knock the thread out again!   I'd read his post in the email notifications and try to go to respond and get nowhere before I would remember....Oh yeah.  I was afraid the poor guy would get a complex and leave us!

I humbly  accept this office, though I did not seek it,  and will try to fulfill  the duties attached with a minimum of bribery or fuss.  You may address me as Doug in private, but public demands more ritual.

I think Sky had some problems with trying to digest leather chews.  He tosses up a few scraps last night, and I think he passed a couple of pieces.  Now, he wants to play.  Have you noticed how dogs keep you grounded.  About the time your head swells, your dog pukes on your shoe.

My wife sold a painting today.  A commission piece, to be used as a book cover.  It will probably not make the best selling list and you will probably never hear of it, but wife is excited about the sale.  Not bad for two lessons.

Glenda- are you sipping the Brandy or just gargling?  You can add ice.

I have shingpes--oh yippee. Got all the medicines today. Finished the first course for Pet Assisted Therapy last night. It was for the humans. Next is the courxe for both of us; it starts mid- Sept.

Sir Doug--that will work, right? :-)

Shingles? I may have to buy a lottery ticket, as you seem to have gathered all the bad luck. I have no advice, just hope that it is short duration. The meds will probably limit alcohol consumption, so that shoots down my normal suggestion.

Will be fishing and off grid for a week. Be good. This is an old picture of the group I am going with. I'm the one with the beautiful liver&while ESS.

Custom text editor did not upload dropped image.  It's a good picture of 6 guys (younger then)  and 7 beautiful Springers, all gone now, including Braggi Ragnarson, call name Rags.

All hail Sir Doug!  Wish we had our old supply of smilies.  I remember people used to post one that was that "We're not worthy" bowing thing from Wayne's World.  Could have used that now!  Sorry to have missed your pic, Doug -- but I hope your fishing trip is enjoyable, if not productive with the fishing lines!

Kate, I'm so sorry to hear you've got shingles.  My friend had shingles a year or so ago, and she said it was terribly painful.  I hope it doesn't keep you out of the garden and other fun summer activities too much.  How are things going with your new pup?  Hope everyone has settled well into a happy routine.  Good luck with the Pet Assisted Therapy prep.  We loved doing that with Tonka at our local hospital.  Ruby is not a candidate for that, unfortunately!

Glenda, you hit the nail right on the head when you said my MIL has decided she'll be miserable.  She's been that way for years, actually, but now it's made worse by her failing physical and mental state.  She is in an official assisted living facility, and they told us residents can remain there as long as they only need a 2-person lift to get out of bed, but are otherwise okay in a wheelchair.  She uses a walker and is capable of getting up on her own.  She just wants to lie in bed and watch TV 24/7.  There is an option to have meals delivered on a permanent basis, but it's an additional cost to the already exorbitant monthly fees.  Her first 30 days are up next week, and they'll review plans with DH, so he's going to tell them to add that service since it's obvious she won't change her mind.  What makes it so annoying is days like today -- she was dressed and out because he took her to the doctor, and she was all gung-ho to go to a restaurant for lunch.  But she won't go down the hall to a very pleasant dining room with quite tasty meals.  

Temps in the mid-90's returning tomorrow.  Ugh.  Enjoy the weekend all!