So we haven't been doing a whole heck of lot lately.  Hence the no posting.

But one thing we did do was go to HDT's partner's house last Friday to hang out with her and her husband.  And by partner I mean his partner at work.

They've got a 3 year old and a couple dogs.  So we brought Poydras over to meet their dogs.  He of course was so excited to go for the car ride but when we got there and the dogs were so excited to see him he got scared.  He's not used to dogs at all.  He hasn't been around them much and it's almost always been on his home turf.  So not only is he already nervous around other dogs he's also possessive of his place.  We were hoping meeting dogs on their home turf would be different. 

It was to an extent.  He was still scared of course but wasn't as growley unless they really got up in his face and he felt trapped.  They have a big back yard with a fence surrounding it that we were able to let him be free of his leash while meeting them.  They both wanted to play and even tried to get him to play with them but he was having none of it.  He would either come by me or HDT for protection.  Other than letting him sit or stand next to us we didn't give him any.

I was really nervous for their son though.  He also was excited to meet Poydras and was petting him and also going in for kisses a lot.  I was so scared Poydras would snap at him in fear, especially the times that he was surrounded by the dogs while the little guy was so close.  But I have to give props to Poydras.  He never once even growled at him. 

Now kids he has been around ever since we got him.  Not only our own nieces and nephews and Jim's two girls but our neighbors kids as well.  And their extended families kids.  When Poydras was just 1-2 he'd growl at them if they got too close or he felt trapped but these last couple of years he's been so much better.  There was one day last year the he and I were sitting on the back stoop enjoying the weather when 5 of the little ones come running over to see him. He was surrounded on all sides except for behind him.  They were all reaching in at once to pet him and talking away at him and me in their high pitched voices so I thought for sure he'd get over it quick enough and growl at them.  Especially at one boy who kept reaching in with both hands to rub his face.  But he didn't once make a noise or even show his teeth. 

So remembering that incident although I was nervous at their house I did have high hopes for Poydras that he'd do ok with the little guy and he lived up to those hopes. 

Now the dogs were a different matter.  Those he did curl his lip at and when that didn't work he growled at them.  And once he even nipped at one.  Didn't get her, but still.  And the little guy was too damn cute, several times while he was petting Poydras and one of his dogs would come up to try to sniff noses he would try to push them away and he'd point his fingers at them telling them to stay away.  Very cute.

So although Poydras was never fully comfortable he did settle down enough that he didn't run away from them the whole time.  He'd lie down on a couch very close to them, albeit on top of HDT or I, but still.  And once during the time we were at the kitchen table playing cards he even hopped up on a couch for a well deserved rest for a little while.

We'll continue taking him over there, even if it's just for an hour or so some days, to keep getting him used to them.  They offered to watch him for us when we go on vacation so we definitely got to get him acclimated.

No media quote today, can't think of anything and don't feel like searching for something.

Upgrades

So not much has been going on with us these last couple weeks.  We've been trying to eat better and exercise more.  That comes and goes, hasn't become a habit yet.  But I am doing it more than before so that's always good.

The weather has turned nice and we've been able to take Poydras for a walk that we all enjoy.  Need to do that way more than we ever have before as well.  We all could use it.

We still haven't done anything more in the kitchen.  Like I've said more than once we are the King and Queen of Procrastination.  I'm thinking I might do something with the walls this weekend.  He's working this weekend so it's not like I can do much more than scraping the peeling paint off the one wall and washing all the others.  But he should have an 8 hour day on Saturday, if so we're thinking of going to Home Depot or one of the other places and getting the wood necessary to do the shelves in the pantry. 
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Last Saturday we took Sarge and his family to Plum Garden, our favorite Chinese restaurant.  We talked it up so much that I started to worry we did it too much.  But luckily he and his whole family loved everything they got and were delighted with all the food they were taking home for leftovers.  HDT even got more than he expected because one of the boys doesn't like leftovers and since he got the same as HDT the leftovers went home with us.  They agreed that the 35-45 minute drive is completely worth it.  Which made us very happy.
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Let's see, anything else?  Oh yeah, we're upgrading our cell phones.  We're each getting the 4s iphones now.  I was originally going to get HDT's when he upgraded to the 4s but he really wants me to get one as well so he's going to push to sell his X-Box and then we'll also be selling one of our phones now and that'll pay for my upgrade and possibly even his.  His mom wants to get put on our plan and will either be buying my phone or his.  Although I think it'd be better for her to get his since mine is now having battery issues.  The battery has been draining very fast compared to before these last couple of days.  So the upgrades are coming at just the right time.

That's about it really, nothing special.

Media quote of the day:

I wish I was special
You're so fuckin' special

Just a couple little lines from Radiohead's Creep

Breaking into the house

So, I have to tell you what happened Sunday night.  I didn't do it in the weekend update because it was already getting long and this deserves it's own entry.

It was late, going on 11pm, and I was getting ready to head to bed but then remembered the garbage, recycle and lawn clippings still needed to go out to the curb.  So I ask HDT to come help me and I step out onto the back porch and he comes out behind me and shuts the wooden door. 
And with his hand still on the knob and a sheepish grin on his face he says, "I just locked us out." 
I said, "No you didn't." 
He said, "Yes I did."
I said, "No you didn't, you're just trying to trick me."
He said, "No I'm not, I locked us out."
I said, "You're kidding me right, you didn't really lock us out."
He said, "Yes, I did, I'm not kidding."
So I reached forward and tried the knob and sure enough it was locked.  We have the kind of knob that even when it's locked it'll turn like normal on the inside but of course is locked from the outside.

I can't believe it.  I ask him why he would shut that door when we're just taking out the garbage but he didn't think about it, just did it.  And what's even weirder is that usually when we're leaving to go somewhere before he shuts the door he'll ask if I have the keys or he'll check his pockets/hand to make sure he has his.  Maybe because it was so late and he was getting tired himself that it just didn't cross his mind to do so.  Who knows.

At any rate, we were locked out of the house.  Luckily he had grabbed a flashlight because we were going to take one large item out of the garage to put at the curb as well and our garage doesn't have electricity right now.  So he asks if all the windows are closed and locked.  I wasn't sure so we started looking at the ones to the kitchen with the flashlight and luckily enough the large one on the side was shut but not locked. 

So we grabbed the ladder out of the garage and he took off the screen and was able to slide open the storm window and inside window.  All the while he's worried that someone will think we're breaking in but I wasn't worried at all.  Besides, as I told him, it's a good thing he works for our police department, so even if someone did call the cops they'd know us as soon as they saw us.  We determined that I'd be the one crawling through it so we switched places on the ladder.

I grabbed the garbage can that sits under the window and pulled it closer to me.  It's a nice big square wooden can with a flat top/lid.  Love that can.  Anyway, the ladder only went up so far so the step was still well below the window that I couldn't just stick a foot/leg in and "walk" through the window.  I had to go in head first with my belly on the sill and the can under my chest.  I was trying to figure out how I was going to finish getting in when the can started to lean forward and I started to go to the floor head first.  I yelled for HDT to grab my legs and steady me. 

And in the meantime Poydras is standing on his hind legs doing a little dance all excited to see me crawling through the window pretty much under me or in my way.

So HDT grabs my ankles and helped me to "walk/slide" in using the can far enough until I could bend my knee and step down onto the floor still using the garbage can as support.  It wasn't all that easy either since I was laughing and trying to make sure Poydras and the cats were out the way.

I teased that I was going to leave him outside but of course didn't do so.  But I definitely teased when he came walking around the corner of the house, pointing at the doors, "See, this is how you do it.  Keep the big door open and shut the screen door."

I let him know that I'd be writing about this and would have to tell at least one person (probably my coworker, which I did) if not others.

On Monday morning when I was getting ready for work I see a bruise just above my right knee and couldn't figure out how I'd gotten it.  Then later in the morning when I went to the bathroom and see it again it dawns on me that it's from crawling through the window.  I also have a tender spot on my left forearm but no actual discoloration so that's good.

So that was a fun end to my weekend.

Media quote of the day:

From Bones:

Wait a minute. Bones breaks into my bathroom and I'm weird for being naked? - Special Agent Seeley Booth

So you didn't tell her to leave? You just sat there naked? - Dr. Lance Sweets
It was my own bathroom, okay? What do you wear in the tub? Floaties? - Booth
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From Inception:
 
By creating something secure, like a bank vault or a jail. The mind automatically fills it with information it's trying to protect. Understand? - Cobb

Then you break in and steal it? - Ariadne

First Snow

So it's been snowing since I left the house this morning. Nothing really big, they started out those tiny hard white balls but since then they've fluffed up some.

It basically looks like powdered sugar covered ground. Nothing to get excited about but still, since there is some accumulation I guess it could be considered the first snow fall of the season.

HDT texted me a while ago saying he wants to be there when I go home for lunch to let Poydras out. Every year he freaks out with the first fall. But I don't think it'll be as big a deal today since there's not much to speak of as it'll be with a bigger snow fall. But we shall see.

Media quote of the day: - Snow by Silverlight Chen found on PoemHunter.com

Snow, snow, gently drifting to the ground,
For when winter comes, snow will come as well,
Snow is the messenger of winter,
From skiing to tobogganing to making snowballs.

Snow, snow gently drifting to the ground,
Falling in the form of unique white snowflakes,
A pure natural blanket,
Sparkling under the sun.

Snow, snow, gently drifting to the ground
TREASURE THIS GIFT BEFORE IT MELTS! !

Sickness - one gets better while another hangs on

So yesterday just before lunch time I'm talking to HDT on his cell phone about Poydras. Poydras and the two kitties got their rabies shot and he got the distemper shot as well. They all also received blood work to make sure none of them have heart worms. Our neighbors new dog that they got from the pound had them and since we were lax in giving Poydras his medicine we wanted to make sure all were well.

Within about an hour of being home he seemed like he was hurt. He didn't want to jump up on the couch with me or go up or down the stairs. HDT thought it was his front left leg but I said it was just because he got a shot in each thigh and the muscles were probably just sore; the same as our own muscles get after a shot.

But HDT thought it was more than that, so I told him we should just keep an eye on him for the rest of the night and see how he is in the morning. He still didn't want to go up or down any stairs, I had to coax him to do so but he did do it. And outside he still walked around sniffing the ground as usual before peeing; he just did it a lot more slowly.

So when the vets office called him to let him know that all three tests came up negative for heart worm he asked them about Poydras. They said what I've been saying that he's probably just sore and sometimes dogs will have a negative reaction to the vaccine itself. So they said since he is still moving around and he ate his breakfast without any problems that we should just give him some baby aspirin and let him continue to rest.

So Jess got the medicine for us and went over there around 11:00 to give it to him and stick around a bit to make sure he would keep it down or didn't react to it in any other way. It did wonders for him and so did the resting. By the time I got home after 5:00 he was just as spry as he's always been.

But back to HDT and me on his cell phone.... he was letting me know what Jess had to say about Poydras and while he's talking he stops himself and says, "911 what is your emergency" so when he does that I usually just tune him out cause I know it'll be a bit before he'd be able to come back to me. Next thing I know my phone is dead silent so I didn't know if he hung up or just put me on mute. I wait for a bit and the decide he's gonna be awhile so I hang up.

A little bit later he calls me back and says that the call was from my mom, that Les is having a stroke and he's unresponsive. It's lunchtime now so I tell him I'll give her a call on my way out the door. She answers and says that he's now responsive but that she has to go because the paramedics need to talk to her. She told me to keep in touch with her though.

I get home and a few minutes later my brother Leroy calls and gives me a little more information. Says that Les has been in going back and forth still between wanting to just let it all end and having good days. Tuesday was a bad one, he just didn't want to be around anymore but yesterday was a good one. They were talking about him laying out on the deck watching mom while she worked in the garden and all the birds they have flitting around.

So Dave says when mom called him up from the basement that's what he thought she wanted, his help in getting Les outside. But instead she starts telling him how she thinks he's choking because he's not breathing or making any sounds, just drooling. But he wasn't choking so they figured it was a stroke. She was already on the phone with HDT before she called Leroy upstairs and the paramedics got there in record time. They thought the same thing as well.

But then when they got to the hospital the hospital thought it was a heart attack. But after doing test they realized that it wasn't either one of those. Because he can't breathe very well because of the bleomycin toxicity he takes very shallow breaths. So, because of that, he's not pushing out the carbon dioxide like he needs to and is not getting as much oxygen intake as he needs to. So therefore his co2 numbers were rising within his body, throughout his body. Basically it was like he was in a garage with the car running. So right now he's in ICU with a mask over both his nose and mouth to make sure he gets enough oxygen to counteract the co2.

His numbers at 8:30 when we got there were much better, better than they've been in days the doctors said. Which would explain why the last few days have been so negative with him. He's been feeling like total shit.

But at 5:00 when I talked to mom she said he's feeling awful and can't stand the mask and just wants it taken off. So mom and one of his daughters asked the doctor what the outcome would be if they removed the mask, the doctor said he'd die. Mom says, so what are we talking minutes, hours or days. The doctor says hours. So mom's telling me that they have a very hard decision to make and she doesn't know when they're going to make it one way or the other.

She wants me to go to her house and basically babysit Leroy cause he's all emotional and says he needs to be busy so he was gonna go cut up wood using the wood splitter. He's also an alcoholic so without saying a word we both knew all three of those things are a bad combination. So I head over there after changing and feeding the babies. I take Poydras with me and let HDT know I've taken some clothes with me for him to change into so I'd like him to come out there with me. I've also given a call to all the other brothers to let them know what's going on.

I asked her if she wants me to get Leroy and he and HDT and I go to the hospital. She just responded that she didn't think Leroy would want to go. But she didn't say no and she didn't say yes, so basically it was left up to us.

Leroy says he's fine, he's actually only had one beer so far. HDT comes out and we discuss dinner, Leroy says we don't have to babysit him. There's plenty of food there for him to eat and he has plenty of things to keep him busy so he'll be fine. So HDT and I decide we'll give mom a call and see if she needs anything and while I'm leaving her a message she calls me back. So she says that she would like a long sleeved shirt and her toothbrush and toothpaste. She says Les is doing better, he's not talking about wanting to take the mask off the way he was before.

So I grab those things and we take Poydras home, grab some McDonald's since we're both starving and head to the hospital. So yeah, by the time we got there he was doing even better. We learned they did have to put a stint in because one of the arteries was getting blocked. But that wasn't what was causing any of the issues, it was all the co2 shit.

We stick around for a little while visiting with his kids and then just after 9:00 we're able to get in to see him since they were only allowing 2 people in at a time. Mom goes with us though, she's the exception, and we visit with him a bit. He of course can't talk very well since the air is blowing so hard. It's very difficult to understand him so he tries to lift the mask up but they've got it on him pretty strong and he's so weak right now that he gave up, he even swore once when he gave up trying.

But I gave him a kiss on his cheek and told him I loved him then just stayed there a bit touching my cheek to his. He said he loved me too and said "this is nice, this is nice" as I kept my cheek next to his. Then I told him to get some rest and get better and that I loved him.

We went back to say goodbye to his kids and they asked us to take a picture of them since they haven't all been together like that in a very long time. They were just missing one sibling, a sister, since she lives in southern Illinois. She had just left her house around 8:00 that night so she wouldn't be up here until early morning.

As of now, 10:47am, mom hasn't called to say they've made any decisions so I'm keeping hopeful that that means he's doing even better than before. We can only pray and hope.

Media quote of the day: A portion of Hold On by Sarah McLachlan

Am I in heaven here or am i...
At the crossroads I am standing
So now you’re sleeping peaceful
I lie awake and pray
That you’ll be strong tomorrow and we’ll
See another day and we will praise it
And love the light that brings a smile
Across your face

Oh God if you’re out there won’t you hear me
I know that we’ve never talked before
Oh God the man I love is leaving
Won’t you take him when he comes to your door