This weekend Avery and I hit the road again, this time to Jumonville for a retreat with our church.  It's always an adventure sleeping elsewhere, one that requires taking way too much stuff.  It was a nice escape, but I'm whooped.  I wasn't sleeping well before I left, probably because of work, but this weekend I was tossing and turning a lot because my back was aching on their beds.  Avery was up later than normal both evenings, but did sleep well, so that's a blessing - I'm sure the other women in our bunk room were quite grateful.

The things I should have been doing this weekend, like mowing the lawn will just have to wait.

Danika's leg is looking better.  After a few days with ointment and the wrap forcing her to leave it be it was looking good enough to allow it some air.

Things seem to be going pretty well with the dogs, except Danika has developed a sore that she's been licking open on her leg. I had to resort to taping it up.  Fortunately I had a wrap here made for dogs that has some bitter flavor to it. Today I wrapped it again with more antibiotic cream.  I am hoping that it heals up quickly.

My ideas and my artistic talents rarely align.  I searched and searched, hoping to find myself an oogie boogie plywood cutout that would fit in the front window kind of leaning in from the side, so two sides would be straight/flat.  Painted black, when the light in the entry hall was on you would see the oogie boogie shadow out front.  Does this exist?  No.  Do I think for a hot second I could create it... again no, not even if I had the appropriate saws/tools.

I am however going to try out a bit of home crafting.  I bought some white pillowcases that I'm hoping I can fashion into ghosts using foam balls, perhaps some iron on patches (for eyes), and my tomato posts.  We'll see, I might end up with a "nailed it" photo to share and a couple of left over white pillow cases for the spare room.

I want some fun Halloween things to decorate with, but I never find anything that lives up to my standards and desired price ranges.  Last year I tried buying an FX projector and it was completely weak sauce, so it went back.  I spotted a Nightmare Before Christmas light show projector - one of those things that turns. It looks cute enough, but it doesn't even plug in, it runs on batteries.  That tells me most of what I need to know about that. The concept there being something turning in the dining room and casting the lights onto/through the curtains for passersby.

I actually thought about becoming one of "those people" with inflatables, but with the wind around here that seems like it would likely be a short lived and expensive object.

I thought I saw a light at the end of this tunnel, but it may be a bus or train.  Finally I was able to get a few things checked in today, just as they stated we're going to aim for 2-week cycles.  This will be a challenge given that it often takes a week just to get requirements to the point of buy-in, much less keeping up with the documentation associated with implementation.  Never mind that this is only one of the efforts I'm supposed to be supporting and I've been neglecting those others for a week plus straight.  Whee.

My joy remains with kiddo.  Of course, this means I'm extra sad to leave her at daycare every day.  I'm trying my best to keep up with the other blog that is focused on her.  If you don't have that link and want it, email me.

Good times and bad times both come and go.  I'm waiting for the stressful stretch to go for sure.  After the concerns for the dogs came the frustrations at work.  I like to have a full plate to make the day go fast, but not one that is overflowing like a river with no end or solid ground in sight.  I also want to feel productive.  Instead I feel like I'm flailing in that river lately.  Every step forward feels like there is something that drags me back under.

I'm mentally exhausted to the point that I thought about just standing up and logging off mid-day yesterday, but I know that won't save me as I can't help but think about the tasks at hand most of the evening and as I lie in bed.  Fun times.

I'm praying for that breakthrough.  If you're so inclined, please send a prayer up for me.  I sure could use a bit of help.

I am happy to report back that after a few days of carrying Dani up and down stairs she is now doing them, albeit slowly, on her own.  It's kind of hard to tell with an older dog sometimes.  She doesn't eat a lot and loves to sleep, well, the past few days that is super obvious because I'm watching her more intensely.  Her last poo was Tuesday before lunch, so that's something I'm definitely watching for now.  Go figure, one is loose and the other is bound up.

I have only been gone for short periods so no need for her to go back into her crate at any point this week.  I am not loving the need for that to happen again and I bet she will also not be interested.

I has been a rough dog week, to say the least.  I'll get the good news out of the way - Saffy is feeling MUCH better.  Things looked better Friday afternoon, but that evening things got thinner (after the vet closed, of course).  Saturday morning I called but couldn't get her into the vet, but they were willing to give us something to help get things back in order.  Within one dose I saw improvement.  We continue the medication for a few days, unless she gets constipated, but she is back to herself, thank God.

On the other hand there is Danika, who I really thought I was going to lose last night.  Historically she has figured out how to break out of crates, she's found crazy strength to open doors and bend them.  But it has been a while since she's has that strength (she's 13 after all) and has been pretty good about chilling in the crate since we moved, so for the past year and a half.

I was gone for a while yesterday, off to a wedding in all of this rain.  It was supposed to be out doors, that's all I am going to say about that.  It was a lovely event and we had a good time.  When it came near Avery's bed time and she was starting to fall asleep (due to a lack of a second nap) I packed us up and headed home.

When I was getting us out of the car I found it odd that there dogs weren't making noise.  I opened the door and immediately saw that Saf was out (the normal noisemaker).  My brain couldn't even finish the thought of "how did she..." when I saw Danika.  She decided to try to get out and got the top part of the crate door open.  Her head was out and she was wedged.  At first I thought she was dead, but as I got close enough I could hear the raspy breathing.  I managed to get the bottom latch pulled out, since I couldn't open it normally with her pushing the top part out and she went to the rest of the way to the ground.  Her breathing steadily picked up - thank God once again, but she was incredibly weak.

In hindsight, I suspect she stood for a while, those shaky old lady legs not able to do it any longer she had to sit/lay down and it caused her to end up how she was.

I pulled her from the crate where she had defecated.  I tried to get her up with no luck.  It took a while, perhaps getting oxygen back to limbs that are already wobbly and weak from age, but she eventually walked a little.  It took a little while longer for her to have the strength to stand up and pee outside.  We've been carrying her on the stairs at this point.  She peed again this morning, and just a little while ago got up from near me and walked to the kitchen for a drink.

As noted, she was already wobbly.  I'm hoping she will regain strength in the next day or so.  Poor girl.  What do I do to keep her secured but safe?  I'm so lucky I came home when I did.  I can't imagine if I had found her no longer breathing.

I'm feeling a little wiped out and overwhelmed.  Thank goodness the weekend is here.  I know I won't get caught up on everything AND sleep, but at least I don't have to be at my desk thinking about everything else that needs done for two days.  Yesterday I was able to get the laundry all washed during my work day 5 minute step-aways and put it all away last night, so that's one thing off of the list.

With the slight cooling outside i made it a priority to mow the front lawn this morning before sitting down to work (after dropping off the wee one.  I'm going to have to try and scoop during a quick lunch break and get the back mowed asap too.

The sleep thing is extra rough at the moment as Saffy has had me up at 5 something the past two mornings with an urgent need to go outside.  Fortunately, working from home has allowed me to keep putting her out rather than cleaning up a mess.  Hopefully she will be feeling better soon or a call to the vet will be in order.  She otherwise seems ok, so I am not tremendously worried, but obviously it isn't something to ignore, especially right after being at the kennel last weekend.

The AC held through our road trip this weekend, thank goodness, as it was crazy hot and steamy.  We had a nice get away to Virginia to visit with family.  I'm tired and road-weary and glad to be home, but I'm glad we went, even if being away from home is a bit of a challenge.