Song of the day: “Sympathy for the Devil” by Guns and Roses.
Well, two more days gone, stuff got done, and well, let’s see what I remember of it, eh?
Today was partly all about a trip. Tenant’s family was over, and we ended up going up into the Sierra de las nieves on a nice road trip on a day that turned out to be nice and sunny (the morning was cloud covered). Quickly did some cleaning in the car, because it was an embarrassing mess. Not that I went through it with a wipe, or anything, but I got the litter out, broom the floor, put the seats in place, and actually yanked out the seatbelts. Then there was some debate, considering grandchild wasn’t there today and that she would really want to go, so we altered the main plan and decided to go the opposite direction. The Sierras. It was an adventure, packed into the car with six people, but it was also absolutely beautiful up there. Flowers everywhere, the grass green, the trees filled with fresh leaves. Gorgeous. Trekked through the mountains on sandy roads, scaled the mountain face, went into an old little village, the street turning out to be so narrow that I had to drive backwards quite a distance before I could finally turn the Land Rover around. It was a nice trip, and since both tenant and Cousin Ed both came along, it was nice all round.
Edits went well, we finished the second one, partly due to the fact that we didn’t need to read most of the older stuff. Big brother is going to print it tomorrow, so we can start on the paper edit. That way we’ll be able to see how it really reads, check for inconsistencies, find those typos that you won’t find otherwise.
We worked some more on the kitchen, yay! The last bit that we needed to heighten on the floor, the spot where the future cooking stove will be. One of these days, probably tomorrow, I’ll be starting on tiling stuff. Heck, what with summer coming, I’m not even in a hurry with the roof. Hah. Who knows, I might decide to postpone it until the end of summer. But anyway, it will be fun to start on the tiles. Soon I’m going to have to see what type of mosaic I’m going to do. I want it playful, pretty and easy to clean, so…well, I’ll have to see once I get started.
Ticks are driving me completely bonkers again. Seriously, I’m taking an average of thirty off every dog I pet. Tick bath. Fast…or at least ASAP. Gawd. I need to find a free hour somewhere.
Added to that is the pool. Yep. As soon as the temps are up and the basin is a little emptier, we’re going to drain the winter water, clean the lot and prepare for swimming. Yay.
Cooking involved French bread cut in two, covered with tomato sauce, veggies and cheese and grilled them. Yummy. Today, on the other hand was mac&cheese because nobody felt like really cooking.
There were the normal chores, which I’ll skip again.
Knight II and Empera were at the vet’s again. Only to be checked this time. Empera didn’t lose weight again, and Knight’s stitches were okay…I just have to be very careful that he stays off them because if he opens them up we’ll be paddling up shaite creek, I tell ya.
Then of course I got a near heart attack when I asked for the out-standing bill. Yowsa. I knew it would be high, but seriously 1500 bucks? *faints* I know that 400 of those are of Knight, but 1500???! Gawd. Two months ago we were just barely under 800, and we paid it all, for crying out loud. Is it some sort of viral thing that is making all our dogs ill at the same time? Grrrrr
Wish I had time for some serious workouts, which might help my stress levels a little, but alas. All I am managing are some sit-ups in the evening before I go to bed. Not a lot, but at least it’s something. I want to jog. I want to kick box…and I will, someday soon.
Today we worked some more on stuff for the kitchen. Since the woodstove is out, we can add another window, meaning we have to put that together. Gathered the necessities today, sawed off excess length and sorted through storage in search of materials for a frame. Haven’t found the latter yet, but managed the first at least.
Ate my portion of meat today. It was hard, in particular since I tried something new (bread under the meat and then satay over it) but I managed it. The goal is that I can, at some point, eat it without smothering it in sauce, but from the way it’s going, that’s still a ways off. *sigh*
I’m going to leave it at this. There was more stuff, but I need to get to bed now. I’m absofrigginlutely exhausted for some peculiar reason. Maybe I should have gone to bed earlier last night, huh?
Hah.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
A bunch of stuff
Song of the day: “Beneath your beautiful” by Labrynth and Emeli Sandé- Gorgeous song. Never mind having it in my head.
Today was Spanish lesson day, of course. We were right on time, too, so that was a good thing. Had to take Knight along, of course, which I think our teacher didn’t like all that much. Either she doesn’t like dogs, or she’s afraid of them.
Went well regardless. Actually had some conversation throughout, though we end up appearing pretty wonky to the poor woman. I mean, who in his right mind lives with 50 something dogs. Heck, who lives with a family of eight, plus two old family friends, right? Ah well. Being normal is overrated anyway. Hah.
Did well, and let’s keep it at that.
Wanted to work on restoring an old cabinet I was planning on selling someday, only to discover that it was donated for the sole reason that it was riddle with fresh woodworm holes. And that while I had already repaired one of the drawers, gathered paint, brushes, and sanding paper. The whole shebang, and then…well, it all turned into firewood. *sigh* Such a pity. It was a nice little cupboard.
Everything was closed today, due to a national holiday. The whole town was out into the woods, plucking rosemary which they could sprinkle over the streets for la Virgen. Big pooha, all very traditional. Been hearing singing down in the valley all afternoon.
Yesterday was a bad night for me, partly because I woke at six in the morning, and then proceeded to lie awake for a full hour worrying about…well, everything. The dogs, money, life in general, blegh. So annoying. Did finally manage to fall back to sleep, but I had far too little sleep, of course.
Practiced Spanish, though not as much as I should have. Who’s got time, for crying out loud, I barely manage the essentials during the course of the day, let alone fit in an hour of friggin’ Spanish practice. Darn it.
Had to take Empera and Knight to the vet, the latter because his drain disappeared from his stitches (he didn’t need a new one) and the first because it has been more than two weeks. The vet didn’t like it that Empera is so skinny now. She says that we can wait a little longer, but if by Thursday she has lost more weight, we’re going to have to do a blood test. Her back is a little better, though. Later, when we got home, Kollosus (Empera’s sister) pooed blood, so as soon as the vet was open again, we took her there so the vet could check her poo. She couldn’t find anything, so now both Empera and Kollosus are just on a general antibiotic, and something for their intestines (seeing as they’re equally skinny) and we’ll have to see how it goes.
Sally still isn’t doing well. Her health is rapidly declining lately, partly due to her inactivity, I think. It is such a pity that she won’t work on her health. I think that with some decent exercise and active lifestyle, she would be doing way better.
Rather than edit, I added a short scene to the book. Both big brother and I thought that the story would benefit from some added information. Edits are still steadily continuing. Are now halfway through the script, so that’s not bad. As soon as this edit is done, we’re doing a paper one.
Yesterday was also very cloudy, while today we basically had sunshine all day. It was grand. Really comfortable. Could actually walk around in a sleeveless most of the day. Am already getting my tan back, thank you very much.
Cooking involved baking ravioli in cheese, a fresh tomato sauce, and baked mushrooms on the side today, while yesterday with had fried rice with veggies.
There were the normal chores, fascinating as always, I know. And the rusty parts of the 2nd hand cooking stove for my kitchen got painted. Yay! Most of the beams are done now, too, and grandpa is working on painting the boarding of the ceiling (they’ll be a light cornflower blue) so that in a few days from now we’ll be able to start putting in the roof for real. Am also working on putting together a small pamphlet offering folks affordable construction work. I'll be putting that out at the markets and some spots, like the vet and such.
Tenant had her family visiting today again. I think it did her well, seeing as she is more active at the moment than she has been in a long time. She isn’t solely demanding to be put into bed, thankfully, and actually sits in her chair or outside in the sun most of the day.
Knight II is doing relatively well. I have to figure something out, because he is trying to lick his stitches, which isn’t smart at all…but then, I never was able to call him the smartest of the litter in that regard.
Are going to have to do a tick bath soon, because it is drying me insane again. I’m picking up to 25 ticks per dog off every single day, and my fingers are starting to get numb from it, for crying out loud.
Well, that’s it for me. I need some shut-eye fast. It’s late.
Today was Spanish lesson day, of course. We were right on time, too, so that was a good thing. Had to take Knight along, of course, which I think our teacher didn’t like all that much. Either she doesn’t like dogs, or she’s afraid of them.
Went well regardless. Actually had some conversation throughout, though we end up appearing pretty wonky to the poor woman. I mean, who in his right mind lives with 50 something dogs. Heck, who lives with a family of eight, plus two old family friends, right? Ah well. Being normal is overrated anyway. Hah.
Did well, and let’s keep it at that.
Wanted to work on restoring an old cabinet I was planning on selling someday, only to discover that it was donated for the sole reason that it was riddle with fresh woodworm holes. And that while I had already repaired one of the drawers, gathered paint, brushes, and sanding paper. The whole shebang, and then…well, it all turned into firewood. *sigh* Such a pity. It was a nice little cupboard.
Everything was closed today, due to a national holiday. The whole town was out into the woods, plucking rosemary which they could sprinkle over the streets for la Virgen. Big pooha, all very traditional. Been hearing singing down in the valley all afternoon.
Yesterday was a bad night for me, partly because I woke at six in the morning, and then proceeded to lie awake for a full hour worrying about…well, everything. The dogs, money, life in general, blegh. So annoying. Did finally manage to fall back to sleep, but I had far too little sleep, of course.
Practiced Spanish, though not as much as I should have. Who’s got time, for crying out loud, I barely manage the essentials during the course of the day, let alone fit in an hour of friggin’ Spanish practice. Darn it.
Had to take Empera and Knight to the vet, the latter because his drain disappeared from his stitches (he didn’t need a new one) and the first because it has been more than two weeks. The vet didn’t like it that Empera is so skinny now. She says that we can wait a little longer, but if by Thursday she has lost more weight, we’re going to have to do a blood test. Her back is a little better, though. Later, when we got home, Kollosus (Empera’s sister) pooed blood, so as soon as the vet was open again, we took her there so the vet could check her poo. She couldn’t find anything, so now both Empera and Kollosus are just on a general antibiotic, and something for their intestines (seeing as they’re equally skinny) and we’ll have to see how it goes.
Sally still isn’t doing well. Her health is rapidly declining lately, partly due to her inactivity, I think. It is such a pity that she won’t work on her health. I think that with some decent exercise and active lifestyle, she would be doing way better.
Rather than edit, I added a short scene to the book. Both big brother and I thought that the story would benefit from some added information. Edits are still steadily continuing. Are now halfway through the script, so that’s not bad. As soon as this edit is done, we’re doing a paper one.
Yesterday was also very cloudy, while today we basically had sunshine all day. It was grand. Really comfortable. Could actually walk around in a sleeveless most of the day. Am already getting my tan back, thank you very much.
Cooking involved baking ravioli in cheese, a fresh tomato sauce, and baked mushrooms on the side today, while yesterday with had fried rice with veggies.
There were the normal chores, fascinating as always, I know. And the rusty parts of the 2nd hand cooking stove for my kitchen got painted. Yay! Most of the beams are done now, too, and grandpa is working on painting the boarding of the ceiling (they’ll be a light cornflower blue) so that in a few days from now we’ll be able to start putting in the roof for real. Am also working on putting together a small pamphlet offering folks affordable construction work. I'll be putting that out at the markets and some spots, like the vet and such.
Tenant had her family visiting today again. I think it did her well, seeing as she is more active at the moment than she has been in a long time. She isn’t solely demanding to be put into bed, thankfully, and actually sits in her chair or outside in the sun most of the day.
Knight II is doing relatively well. I have to figure something out, because he is trying to lick his stitches, which isn’t smart at all…but then, I never was able to call him the smartest of the litter in that regard.
Are going to have to do a tick bath soon, because it is drying me insane again. I’m picking up to 25 ticks per dog off every single day, and my fingers are starting to get numb from it, for crying out loud.
Well, that’s it for me. I need some shut-eye fast. It’s late.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Knight home but...
Song of the day: “Crazy” by Patsy Cline, again. Gawd, I’ve got this one often, don’t I? It’s a nice one, so who gives a bloody heck.
Okay, there’s lots to tell, some of it good, some of it bad. But such is life. Can’t, and possibly, won’t change that. It’s the ups and downs that keep it interesting, doesn’t it? I'll skip the chores and gardening, both of which were par for the course.
So the good bit. Despite the fact that I had to miss the Knight all through yesterday (the vet doesn’t allow folks to visit on Sundays), today he was allowed to come home with me. Hallelujah! Poor darling was trampling in front of the door of the back room when I arrived, whimpering like the little s (120 pounds) sissy he is, and literally rammed his head into my side in an attempt to get as close as possible. He was trampling like a pony, wanting to go out, but not wanting to give up on contact, so I asked for a leash and took him out to the nearby field where he drained the lizard for a solid three minutes. *sigh*
We walked back and forth on the field for a bit, him basically keeping his cheek against my hip and basically making me trip every other step. Poor darling. I do hope he gets over this latest “I’m so insecure” phase soon, because having a Great Dane with abandonment issues is not easy in the least.
But, be that as it may, less than ten minutes later the Vet told me I could take him home, just as soon as she put a drain in his chest sutures because he developed a little bit of an infection there.
Another bit of good news is for tenant. Her family arrived on the dot yesterday and spent a nice afternoon in her company. It had her in a cheery mood, which is always a good thing. Regretfully I got a phone call in the middle of the “happy” reunion. It was mom, who was understandably upset from the news that her Cocker Spaniel Alexander had died during the course of the morning.
Poor Alexander. We’ve had him since he was a puppy, this gorgeous black and brown Cocker Spaniel and sweet to boot, so it was a hit to the entire family. And so unexpected too. Just days ago, after never having him really sick in his entire eight years of life, the vet told us only a few days ago that he was suffering from Hepatitis. When I spoke to the vet this morning she said that she knew it Sunday morning the moment she’d tested his blood. The values were off the charts, and she said that he was bleeding internally from the hep, meaning that it was only a matter of time. He was dead within two hours. Always tough, this bit. These first few days without a long term member of the pack. You’re just so used to calling out that name during feeding time, or when you go into the house, or whatever. As always I am reminded of Star Trek’s Data, who called it “missing the input” of someone or something. Very true.
But anyway, mom was upset, so big brother and I drove to the market to pick her up, rather than have her wait there until the end of the market…which reminds me, big brother and I opted to not go to the Funny Beach Marbella market due to the threat of some seriously bad weather. And boy was it bad, later in the afternoon. There were chilly winds, hail, rain and raging clouds. Very impressive. On our way home with mom our mountain looked very much like “Mount Doom” with its looming black clouds overhead.
It’s a pity we didn’t make it to our market, in particular since I had planned to try out my strawberry cheesecake and burgers there, but alas…at least I could use both the excesses for tenant’s family, who had a very nice lunch of veggie burgers and cheesecake with tea.
Cooking-wise I’ve kept it simple these past couple of days. Kale in mashed potatoes yesterday (the kale fresh from the yard just an hour prior to supper, mind you) and today, spinach with baked carrots and blank mashed potatoes on the side. All of it healthy as heck, and filling…the latter a bit too much, in fact. I’m still stuffed, darn it.
Editing. We managed twelve pages yesterday, which is a good thing because up until now we haven’t done ANY today. I’ve said it before, but seriously, there just aren’t enough hours in the day.
During a rather clear hour yesterday afternoon big brother and I managed to get something done in the kitchen. Yep, the first three roof beams are up, and it looks splendid. It’s going to be so great once we get the place done (if we ever get that far). I am already fantasizing about how the floor is going to look, and the cabinets, and the closets, and the sink, counters, shelfs…everything. *sigh* In particularly the china I've been gathering for the past few months. I want to see the end result of what's in my head, darn it.
A bit more bad news is that Sally had a charity doctor visiting today. Turns out that the doctors at the hospital failed to mention something about her last test results. Turns out that her cancer has spread like crumbs of bread. *sigh* I am most displeased about how they just "fail" to mention such things. How the heck is a body supposed to keep informed about such things. Added to the metastasis, her legs are retaining liquid, meaning that her heart isn't working properly. The fun just doesn't stop, does it?
Out of sheer necessity we had to sacrifice some precious time and go grocery shopping this morning. For the past two days we’ve been out of milk, eggs, cheese, and butter. Seriously, you don’t know how much you use that stuff until it’s gone right? Ah well, we survived, just barely. Hah. Added to that the coffee machine broke down the other day *ear piercing screech* so it’s been a trial. Luckily Cousin Ed and grandpa cleaned out a closet today and found an old coffee machine. That. Still. Works!!! Yay! I am saved.
Have been incredibly tired for the past few days. I think it has to do with the cold, really. Had a nap of an hour and a half yesterday, and then slept the night away with eight solid hours, and still I could have done a nap again today. Hah. Oh well, let’s see if I can back to bed in time again tonight, eh?
Okay, let’s see if we can get another edit done tonight. So far it’s not been going bad, but still, there’s the deadline. Shouldn’t dawdle, if at all possible. Gotta go.
Okay, there’s lots to tell, some of it good, some of it bad. But such is life. Can’t, and possibly, won’t change that. It’s the ups and downs that keep it interesting, doesn’t it? I'll skip the chores and gardening, both of which were par for the course.
So the good bit. Despite the fact that I had to miss the Knight all through yesterday (the vet doesn’t allow folks to visit on Sundays), today he was allowed to come home with me. Hallelujah! Poor darling was trampling in front of the door of the back room when I arrived, whimpering like the little s (120 pounds) sissy he is, and literally rammed his head into my side in an attempt to get as close as possible. He was trampling like a pony, wanting to go out, but not wanting to give up on contact, so I asked for a leash and took him out to the nearby field where he drained the lizard for a solid three minutes. *sigh*
We walked back and forth on the field for a bit, him basically keeping his cheek against my hip and basically making me trip every other step. Poor darling. I do hope he gets over this latest “I’m so insecure” phase soon, because having a Great Dane with abandonment issues is not easy in the least.
But, be that as it may, less than ten minutes later the Vet told me I could take him home, just as soon as she put a drain in his chest sutures because he developed a little bit of an infection there.
Another bit of good news is for tenant. Her family arrived on the dot yesterday and spent a nice afternoon in her company. It had her in a cheery mood, which is always a good thing. Regretfully I got a phone call in the middle of the “happy” reunion. It was mom, who was understandably upset from the news that her Cocker Spaniel Alexander had died during the course of the morning.
Poor Alexander. We’ve had him since he was a puppy, this gorgeous black and brown Cocker Spaniel and sweet to boot, so it was a hit to the entire family. And so unexpected too. Just days ago, after never having him really sick in his entire eight years of life, the vet told us only a few days ago that he was suffering from Hepatitis. When I spoke to the vet this morning she said that she knew it Sunday morning the moment she’d tested his blood. The values were off the charts, and she said that he was bleeding internally from the hep, meaning that it was only a matter of time. He was dead within two hours. Always tough, this bit. These first few days without a long term member of the pack. You’re just so used to calling out that name during feeding time, or when you go into the house, or whatever. As always I am reminded of Star Trek’s Data, who called it “missing the input” of someone or something. Very true.
But anyway, mom was upset, so big brother and I drove to the market to pick her up, rather than have her wait there until the end of the market…which reminds me, big brother and I opted to not go to the Funny Beach Marbella market due to the threat of some seriously bad weather. And boy was it bad, later in the afternoon. There were chilly winds, hail, rain and raging clouds. Very impressive. On our way home with mom our mountain looked very much like “Mount Doom” with its looming black clouds overhead.
It’s a pity we didn’t make it to our market, in particular since I had planned to try out my strawberry cheesecake and burgers there, but alas…at least I could use both the excesses for tenant’s family, who had a very nice lunch of veggie burgers and cheesecake with tea.
Cooking-wise I’ve kept it simple these past couple of days. Kale in mashed potatoes yesterday (the kale fresh from the yard just an hour prior to supper, mind you) and today, spinach with baked carrots and blank mashed potatoes on the side. All of it healthy as heck, and filling…the latter a bit too much, in fact. I’m still stuffed, darn it.
Editing. We managed twelve pages yesterday, which is a good thing because up until now we haven’t done ANY today. I’ve said it before, but seriously, there just aren’t enough hours in the day.
During a rather clear hour yesterday afternoon big brother and I managed to get something done in the kitchen. Yep, the first three roof beams are up, and it looks splendid. It’s going to be so great once we get the place done (if we ever get that far). I am already fantasizing about how the floor is going to look, and the cabinets, and the closets, and the sink, counters, shelfs…everything. *sigh* In particularly the china I've been gathering for the past few months. I want to see the end result of what's in my head, darn it.
A bit more bad news is that Sally had a charity doctor visiting today. Turns out that the doctors at the hospital failed to mention something about her last test results. Turns out that her cancer has spread like crumbs of bread. *sigh* I am most displeased about how they just "fail" to mention such things. How the heck is a body supposed to keep informed about such things. Added to the metastasis, her legs are retaining liquid, meaning that her heart isn't working properly. The fun just doesn't stop, does it?
Out of sheer necessity we had to sacrifice some precious time and go grocery shopping this morning. For the past two days we’ve been out of milk, eggs, cheese, and butter. Seriously, you don’t know how much you use that stuff until it’s gone right? Ah well, we survived, just barely. Hah. Added to that the coffee machine broke down the other day *ear piercing screech* so it’s been a trial. Luckily Cousin Ed and grandpa cleaned out a closet today and found an old coffee machine. That. Still. Works!!! Yay! I am saved.
Have been incredibly tired for the past few days. I think it has to do with the cold, really. Had a nap of an hour and a half yesterday, and then slept the night away with eight solid hours, and still I could have done a nap again today. Hah. Oh well, let’s see if I can back to bed in time again tonight, eh?
Okay, let’s see if we can get another edit done tonight. So far it’s not been going bad, but still, there’s the deadline. Shouldn’t dawdle, if at all possible. Gotta go.
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