Here is Bear being his chaotic, goofy self. 😂

Here is Bear being his chaotic, goofy self. 😂

He stole my hat, jumped into the back of my head, and snarfed deep in my armpit (he's in my armpits every chance he gets).

He's getting around really well. I think he enjoys being able to run and jump because he just looks so happy while he's doing it. I'm pretty sure his arthritis meds are making a difference.

An inspector came to the door today and saw Bear. He said that Bear looks ornery. I'm like, "He's sweet! He's just a baby!" That's not the first time I've heard that he looks grumpy (or some other negative emotion/personality trait). It's so funny because he's simultaneously the most laid-back and excited dog I've ever met. He's either chilling or running. On or off. I wouldn't describe him as ornery or grumpy at all. ❤️

Cubba's doing ok.

Cubba's doing ok. He's acting pretty normal, but definitely not in the mood to play - which is fine because he should be resting and healing.

Toebean is rolling around and purring a lot. He's on the same pain meds he's been on for the mouth pain we haven't figured out yet, but his behavior is a lot different. He seems to be feeling MUCH better. We have no idea how long he had bladder stones before he started showing symptoms (bloody urine outside of the box), but I'm glad we were able to get it taken care of. We gotta have Harley's bad tooth removed and his teeth cleaned, then the plan is to get Tobi to the specialist about his mouth. It's always something when all of your pets are up there in age.

Anyway, we need to start Tobi on a special diet to prevent more stones, and we also have to wet it to make sure he gets enough water. We're still waiting for his lab results, though. The vet said it could be a few weeks. But I'm glad he's feeling better, in any case.

This is not a Zoom, but look at his happy, bad self.

This is not a Zoom, but look at his happy, bad self. He 100% knocked me over, and he did it on purpose, too. 😂😂😂

Look at this good dog and look at this bad dog. 😂

Look at this good dog and look at this bad dog. 😂 Can you tell them apart?

Cub has been resting most of the day, as he should. He's got the "I just woke up" ears going on in this photo. He's so precious. ❤️

Bear just doesn't understand that he shouldn't try to play with Cub right now. He's being put in Sky Jail pretty regularly the last few days. 😂😂😂 That's the face of a hardened criminal, y'all. 😂

Other than that, things are going ok. I got Cubba's emergency vet records transferred to his regular doctor. He needs a follow-up appointment and stitches removed in 2 weeks. Since Toebean has to be checked in 2 weeks because of his surgery we got them scheduled back-to-back so that will save us a trip.

We got Ash's lab results back today. Everything looks great. I guess her occasional carpet poop is behavioral. I feel like I can't even blame her at the moment. Everything is so chaotic, maybe I wanna say "Fuck it" and dooks on the carpet, too. 😂 I'm kidding, but I'm still not upset with her. Maybe she doesn't want to go in the sunroom where the boxes are because it's 1000 degrees during the day. Maybe she's getting senile. Who knows?

Anyway. That's my super exciting update for the day.

So the last couple of days...

So the last couple of days we've had to try extra hard to tire Bear out so he won't try to play with Cub.

We got lucky that on Saturday they laid the turf out to flatten, so even though it's not installed it's nice to walk/run on.

Apparently, Bear is so excited by this that if I just sit on the ground and cheer for him, he'll happily zoom around until he's tired. 😂

I'm gonna have to get some video for y'all. He's definitely putting his new knees to work. ❤️

Handsome Cubba in his cone.

Handsome Cubba in his cone. I feel like you can see in his face that he doesn't feel well, but he's hanging in there.

He ended up wanting back downstairs with Shaun last night, which was fine. I wasn't surprised. But he had trouble getting down the stairs. He still seemed a bit foggy from sedation. He looks much clearer today.

He's on pain meds and mostly resting. We went out to get more Pill Pockets because we're going through them lately. We grabbed some pup cups and other treats on the way home.

We just love this sweet boy so much. I really hate this for him.

Cubba wants to sleep with me tonight.

Cubba wants to sleep with me tonight. Shaun's downstairs because he's still sick and I can't sleep when he snores. I'm a light sleeper, so I'm really unsure of how my night is gonna go. But whatever Cub wants, Cub gets right now.

The kids are pretty upset. They didn't expect for Cub to be so torn up. He's leaking blood and fluid from several of his wounds (the vet said he would) and with the pain meds he's sedated and not really himself. It's sad.

I'm glad I haven't shampooed the carpet yet. Ash is still randomly shitting on the floor. We'll have her test results on Monday. Toebean is having trouble navigating through the doggie door and into the litter box with his cone on. When he can't make it to the box he's peeing blood in the floor (his vet said it was to be expected for a few days). And now Cub's got wounds leaking all over. It's super fun times around here. /sarcasm

Shaun got sunburned while walking Bear today. Bear doesn't use the bathroom unless he's under his Dookie Tree. We have tried and tried to get him to go anywhere else (just so he's not holding it when his tree is unavailable - like today), but he held his pee and poop all day. At the park. At the vet - and Shaun walked him several times while we were waiting for Cub to get stitched up. He held it all day until we got home. I felt terrible for him because I knew he needed to go, but he just wouldn't. I love that weird-ass dog, but damn. Just go when you need to!

Anyway. I'm crashing out. It's been a stressful and emotional day. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

Goodnight, friends. ❤️

Y'all, I am all the way fucked up right now.

Y'all, I am all the way fucked up right now.

We were gonna take the dogs to the park and then go for brunch and pup cups.

Shit went sideways REAL fast.

We were at the dog park and it seemed like Cub was having a pretty good time.  He often gets his sniffs in and then wants to leave, but today he was actually running around and playing.  All of the dogs left and it was just Bear and Cub, then a 6-month-old lab named Ellie came in.  They were all getting along well.  Bear wasn't as playful as we've seen him before, but he has just spent the last few months sedated and isolated, so we weren't concerned if he needed to get his bearings.

Then a lady came to the gate and asked if it was ok to bring an un-neutered male in.  We said that our dogs were fine and the man with the baby lab said ok, so she started to come in.  Of course, Cub ran over to greet them and that's when it went down.  She was barely in the gate before her dog was attacking Cub.  Before I could even get the words "Shaun, she needs help. GO!" out of my mouth, it was too late.

I've seen dog fights before.  I don't know that this was the most vicious.  But it was UNEXPECTED.

This woman threw herself into the dog fight.  By the time I got over to them, she was laying on her dog (her back across his back with one of her arms kind of around behind her grabbing him) and slapping him with the other, yelling variations of "Drop it!  Let him go!  No!" to which the dog did not respond.

Shaun had Cub around his head/neck, kind of in the veterinary hold, to keep him from fighting/biting her and the dog.  He got Shaun's thumb, but barely.  But who could blame him?  He was desperately trying to get away from this dog that was just tearing into him and not letting go.

It felt like an eternity before we got Cub free.  When Cub's skin slipped, the other dog grabbed him again lower down.  He's literally got stitches an inch away from his asshole.  We actually don't know if the other dog let go or if Cub's skin ripped. It was literally pulled away from his body like a t-shirt could be pulled away on us. Meanwhile, I don't know if Cub ever even bit the other dog.  The lady had a scratch on her face and a puncture in her arm.  Cub may have done it, or maybe her dog did.  I don't know, and frankly do not care.

The whole time this lady is yelling "I'm so sorry!  I just found him last week!  He's been good with my dogs!  I'm trying to find him a home!" and we're just fucking baffled because you are out here admitting that you don't know this dog and that he's stressed and that you brought him to a dog park and ALSO KEPT HIM LEASHED INSIDE so he would feel even more defensive.  Like, what the actual fuck?!

As soon as we got them separated we started loading the dogs up.  I went back for our things and told her that she needed to have her wound treated.  She said she had Neosporin, so I said "Ok." and we went straight to the ER.  We didn't exchange information or anything.  Getting Cub treated was our priority.

Cub has 3 sites with stitches, one large hole that the vet left open to drain, and several superficial cuts.  He has 2 different pain meds and also antibiotics.  He has air under his skin due to the way the other dog was pulling him.  The vet said it would dissipate, but that if he feels/sounds crackly for a bit not to panic.  The vet also said he got his ass kicked, which I think is a fair assessment.

I am struggling because I know we didn't do everything right.  We probably shouldn't let him run up to other dogs, but generally dogs at the park are friendly and it's fine.  They all crowd up at the gate when you enter/leave and that is normal in my experience.  What happened today was absolutely not.  Maybe understandable since that dog had to have been stressed (given all of the information the lady was shouting), but definitely not normal.  And that woman should have known better, or at the very least exercised more caution with an animal she didn't know well.

I also feel like I know where that lady's heart was (picking up strays sounds pretty familiar), but I've never taken a strange, unvetted dog to a public dog park.  I don't know if this could have been a mistake I'd make years ago in her same situation, but I hope not.  I want to be mad at her, but at the same time I just can't.

Really all I want to do is cry.  Our sweet Cub didn't deserve that.  Shaun probably saved his life with that vet hold, preventing him from getting his face/neck torn at like the rest of his body.  I just hope Cub doesn't view it as him being held down by Shaun and attacked by that dog, but I don't think he does.  Cub also remained friendly at the vet with the other dogs, so I am really hoping this didn't scar him too much emotionally.  I guess that remains to be seen.

Bear, thankfully, was laying under a bench and did not move until I went back to retrieve him. At least they both weren't hurt. That's something.

$700 later Cub is patched up, drugged, and resting.

On the way home.

On the way home. These boys aren't usually cuddly, but Bear knows something is wrong. He's taking care of Cub in his own way.

Cub just got attacked at the dog park.

We took Bear out to burn off some energy...

Y'all. We took Bear out to burn off some energy. With Toebean fresh out of surgery it would be cool if things were chill.

The yard is still under construction and Bear has seen all of the holes. That did not stop him from yeeting himself into one. It's for a French Drain and... well, not that shallow. It's at least 3 feet deep.

He seems ok. But there is never a dull moment with this dog.

This will all be done by mid next week - THANK GOODNESS. We don't need him getting injured. Not that he cares at all. 😅

Toebean made it through surgery.

Shaun still feels crappy and I'm dragging today.

Shaun still feels crappy and I'm dragging today. It's just 9 and I'm in my bed.

We gotta get up early and take our sweet Toebean to have his bladder stone removed. This was supposed to be Harley's tooth appointment, but Toebean's situation is more urgent, so he's going instead. We took the doctor's next available surgery for Harley. He's doing fine.

We also need to get the results of Ash's lab work.

I wish these cats would all be ok for a minute. 😂😭

The yard is coming along.

The yard is coming along.

Don't know if y'all knew this, but Bear likes rocks. We have to stop him from eating them all the time.

First pic:  Tryna get a rock.

Second pic:  Him complying with NOT getting a rock, but us both knowing damn well he's getting one when me and Shaun aren't looking. 😂😂😂

So literally...

My doctor appointment went well...

My doctor appointment went well, and by that I mean it was productive.

I have an appointment in September for my ears, doing a walk-in tomorrow morning to get x-rays for my intestines and bone loss, mammogram appointment pending, and an online appointment at Midi on August 1st for my hormones (thanks to Jami for turning me on to that).

I also got my copy of The Menopause Manifesto today; thanks to Abriel for recommending it.

In general I'm feeling pretty good, but the whole point of having insurance is to catch small things before they turn big, so hopefully I've done/am doing that.

Look at these dogs. ❤️

Look at these dogs. ❤️

I have a doctor's appointment pretty early in the morning

I have a doctor's appointment pretty early in the morning. It's just a regular check-up, but I need to have a few things addressed. I can't hear shit, I need my boobies smashed, and my intestines hurt sometimes. I can ask about hormones, but he'll probably refer me to a specialist. But no harm in asking.

Fun.

I'm heading to bed early because I slept like crap last night.

Goodnight, friends. ❤️

Small bit of exciting news:

Small bit of exciting news:

They started on our yard today and it's (obviously) nowhere near finished. I thought we were fixing the irrigation and then gonna be waiting for a few weeks before the turf was put down. I found out this afternoon that that's not the case and that the yard should be finished by next Friday. 😲

I am SO EXCITED for that!

With all of the space made by the landscape guys today, we found room for a small greenhouse. We went ahead and asked them to level it off and add that onto our bill. I don't know if it will be better than a plant kennel in the summer, but it should be great for overwintering my succulents. I'm pretty excited about that.

We also had to get new gates because of the pool being installed (it's a safety regulation from the city - they have to be taller and lock). We had a neighbor who does custom metal gates make them and they looked amazing when he showed us his progress last week. They should be ready for installation this week and I'm very excited to see them.

It's so crazy how things feel like they drag on forever and then it feels like they are suddenly almost done. Why is time so weird!? 😂

Anyway, if I could eventually one day consider maybe shampooing my carpet anytime soon, I might feel like things are in pretty good shape. 😂😂😂

I had a really chill weekend.

I had a really chill weekend. I didn't even do my regular chores. I mostly slept, and ate tasty, spicy food... and I have no regrets because I needed it.

I redid the gel overlay on my nails because it was grown out. I also watered my plants.

We finished a show we were watching, then watched the whole last season of The Bear between yesterday and today. This season was kind of boring, but that's ok.

I didn't do Shaun's nails. Maybe I'll get his done this week.

I guess that was my version of self-care. Resting, eating, and taking care of my nails, as well as my plants.

The back yard is going to officially be started on tomorrow morning at 6:30. We hired someone to repair our irrigation as a first step. I'm glad it's finally getting started.

Sitting here and saw little paws pop up...

Sitting here and saw little paws pop up. Look at this goober. He's tired and having a roll. 😂

I don't go in places much, so...

I don't go in places much, so I don't always find new delicious things... But today I did.

Dinorah and Jonathon, I got this at Albertsons, so I don't know if a store near you might have it. But it's worth a shot.

I wasn't super fit for human interaction yesterday.

I wasn't super fit for human interaction yesterday. I just had to do my bitching and get off the internet. You're welcome. 😂😂😂

I'm in a mood and I've been eating extra hot Chicken Vindaloo for 3 days. I guess I need my food to match my spicy attitude right now. I woke up smelling it in my armpits this morning and I liked that.

I just saw the news. If you're not tuned in, check it out. That's exciting.

So anyway...

So anyway, I took an antihistamine last night to help me sleep/make me stop itching. I slept so hard that I woke up with a headache. But I finally feel rested.

Shaun took NyQuil last night because he hasn't been feeling well. I guess he slept pretty hard, too. Bear whined around 2 in the morning and then pooped in his crate. Nobody heard that he needed out. Poor guy.

By the time I woke up and made it downstairs (which was after 1 pm because antihistamines knock me out), Shaun had woken up (around 9 this morning), cleaned the mess, washed Bear, and fallen back asleep. I feel so bad that he dealt with all of that by himself (especially while he's feeling bad), but we're both struggling right now. I'm just glad he got some rest. I'm glad I did, too. Hopefully, we'll both feel somewhat better soon. Us both feeling so rundown at the same time just isn't cutting it.

I haven't mentioned this...

I haven't mentioned this because not too many people seem interested in my hormonal struggles, and plenty of you seem dismissive and tell me what a doctor will/won't do for me. I don't have time to fight for my needs to be met PLUS also educate those of you who are happy with the status of things and are content to remain ignorant of the changes taking place regarding our healthcare. All I can say is that if you're happy with your treatment/the way you feel while going through peri, then good for you. But I'm NOT satisfied with the bare minimum of "grin and bear it because it's natural (wtf is that? So is cancer.)/find supplements to make life bearable" so I'm pursuing more.

I've spent the last few months itching in a big way. I guess I assumed it would be chocked up by many to my psoriasis or the pool, but it's happening on clear skin and started before I started swimming. Also, I've been using a swimmers lotion before going in the pool to protect my skin.

Hormones can affect every system in our bodies, and I don't know exactly how it works, but I've read that hormone fluctuations can change histamine levels during perimenopause. I believe that is what I'm experiencing. It's not an itch that is satisfied by a scratch. Just a perpetual itch that nothing seems to help.

I also think that is why I'm having a hard time sleeping.

I'm on a waiting list to see a doctor who supposedly supports peri/menopause care with actual treatments like HRT and I can't wait to see them. They supposedly diagnose off symptoms rather than a one-time blood test (which is only a snapshot of a moment because hormone levels fluctuate), or even worse "Well, if your periods are regular, then your hormones are fine." which I have been told at least twice before by 2 different doctors.

Just because my eggs are rotten/almost gone doesn't mean I've outlived my usefulness. I still have a job. I still have a family. I still have wants and desires. I still need to be a functional member of society. It's hard to be functional when you can't sleep and just want to spend your waking hours clawing your skin off.

So, there's that. If you're of a certain age and experiencing symptoms that you can't quite explain, it might be time to do some research. I cannot recommend r/menopause enough. It's how I found the doctor I want to see and also where I discovered that peri/menopause is more than just hot flashes and rage. This is a subject not talked about/studied enough and I'm 100% sure it's because it doesn't affect men.

Don't take this shit laying down. Don't let your quality of life suffer. Be your own advocate and continue to thrive despite your lack of eggs. I don't know about y'all, but I plan to be a problem for many years to come.

It's been a rough week.

It's been a rough week. Shaun isn't feeling well and we've had so many appointments. There's work being done outside of our house by the city and they cut our internet while I was at work yesterday. I logged in via HotSpot on my phone so I could get my work done, but we got a call about house stuff while I was in a meeting, so I handed Shaun my phone to answer since I couldn't. He walked away and kicked me from my meeting and entire virtual desktop. Speaking of, I've had to call the help desk twice every day to get my work Virtual Desktop to even log on. This whole week has been an avalanche of such similar bullshit. And today I'm out of milk and sad about it, and my work computer is acting funky.

We got home from Ash's appointment a little bit ago, and y'all - she was SO DRAMATIC. She screamed the whole 7-minute trip to the vet. She was pretty good for the doctor. But she fought Shaun tooth and nail about going back into the carrier when it was time to leave.

I legit belly-laughed because I've never seen Shaun so thwarted by a cat. Of course, he's not feeling 100%, but damn. She fought like she was feral. She beat his ass. She drew blood from us both and I was literally just holding the carrier. She was throwing paws with not a single fuck given. 😂  Neither one of us expected that from her. But to be fair, she's been the healthiest of our cats and we can hardly recall a time she's needed to see the doctor. She is definitely not used to this.

So anyway, we'll have the results of her bloodwork on Monday.

Bear is being extra and we're both so tired. Shaun needs more rest and I need to contact someone to get my computer straightened out.

Fun day. At least it's Friday.

He came in with the zoomies...

He came in with the zoomies because he went out and it was raining. He came in and made some laps, even jumping up on the couch and almost jumping over the back. Thank goodness he didn't do that. 😂

After he calmed down a bit, he got up on the couch and laid like this. I guess it wasn't his thing because he got in the floor about 30 seconds later. Just trying it out, I guess. 😂😂😂

Look at those eyebrows. "Wet dog on the couch. That's ok, Papa?" 😂❤️

Tobi's bloodwork looks good.

Tobi's bloodwork looks good. The vet is getting us an estimate to remove his bladder stone.

Ash is going in Friday. It's time for her old lady checkup and to see what is causing her to once in a while have diarrhea outside of the box.

We had a celebratory Zoom meeting yesterday for our work achievements. It was the Skyline Soldiers GCU cohort and some of the higher-ups. Someone showed their cat, so I was like "Look at this dog" and Bear, as if on cue, started coughing and shaking and pawing his mouth. I thought it might have been another seizure, but after about the 4th bout he coughed up something and then swallowed it before we could get to it. I was so scared that I was about to have Shaun rush him to the vet.

So anyway. Look at these good boys. Bear likes Tobi because he doesn't run from him and also doesn't slap him with claws. Tobi WILL pat him and sometimes push him with a paw, but he's very gentle about it, even when Bear is in Beast mode. I've caught them laying like this a few times lately. It's so sweet. ❤️

FYI: This is just a ramble.

FYI:  This is just a ramble.

I'm out here having feelings. Mainly anxiety, I think.

I slept like crap last night. I ended up napping today. I didn't shampoo the carpet OR do nails (not for myself or Shaun). Shaun and Cub ended up spilling milk on the carpet, so I guess it's better that I hadn't shampooed it.

All I really managed to do was repot a few plants. I have 2 prickly pear and 1 echeveria with rotten spots. I have cut away the rot and I'm gonna see if I can salvage them. They're dry. They've been dry. But I'm gonna let them callous over super well before I pot them again.

I'm down to adding my last drawer of nail polish to my database. That's giving me feelings. Well, first of all my "database" is a spreadsheet at this point. I will have to start actually building the tables and relationships as a next step. And I know how to do that. But it's been such a large project for me for so long that it's kind of scary moving to the next step.

I've been thinking about just uploading it all to the same app that I use to keep track of my stamping plates. That would make sense. I just have a hang up because in the app you can't have a hierarchy of folders. But it might make more sense to use tags to see things that came together in a collection, anyway, because sometimes stamping plates come with polishes or whatever. That would actually tie it all together in a nice way.

I don't know. It's a lot to think about. And I've come to the point where it's like, either build it myself or use the app. And I kind of wanted to build it myself, but also I would adore having more free time to do nail art rather than spend so much time on managing my collection. I mean, I enjoy managing my collection, too, but it's been all-consuming since I got serious about making progress last year. I guess that's the down-side to having a large collection of anything.

Toebean finished his anti-inflammatory meds this morning. He has a check-up on Tuesday. We need to see if he can have that bladder stone removed.

Bear got another Adequan injection. He again did not seem to care at all.

I cleaned my bedroom and bathroom last night. And the cat fountain up there. I hate cleaning cat fountains, but the cats really seem to love them, so we do what we must, I suppose.

After Harley gets his teeth cleaned and a bad one pulled (next Friday, I think) we're considering moving him to my bedroom. He's been picking fights with Toebean, and Toebean doesn't need that. We could also move Adrian downstairs. We'd have to. Harley used to pick on her. I guess it would be ok as long as Harley and Scar could get along (Scar is in my room because he's on a special diet). I don't remember them having issues before, but Harley might just be a butthole that picks on anyone. I guess there is one way to find out.

I don't know why I'm stalling going to bed. I love to go to bed. I love sleep. Maybe I should just take some Melatonin to make sure I sleep tonight and head up. I have an early morning tomorrow. I'm probably not doing myself any good by not trying to sleep. I just feel like there's more on my mind, but I don't exactly know what it is. I'm sure it will reveal itself in time.

Goodnight, I guess. 😂

Some teensy flowers from today.

Some teensy flowers from today.

My plants could use some water, but it's supposed to rain this week, so I'll let nature take care of that.

Pupdate:

Pupdate:

Cub scarfed his bagel (of course).

Bear's having a staring contest with his. 😂

Taking the boys out for a bagel. ❤️

Taking the boys out for a bagel. ❤️

(Cub is buckled even though it looks like he's not. That strap came with a clip and also the piece that fits into the seat belt. He's clipped.)

I skated around the pool.

I skated around the pool. Shaun was in there, so I wasn't too concerned about falling in (despite how out of practice I am). But I'm considering wearing my water wings next time, just in case. 😂😂😂 It's a little scary skating next to water knowing damn well I can't swim. And skates are HEAVY!

I still think skate parks are more fun than just going in circles, but it's nice to not have to leave home to get some of my favorite exercise in.

Also, Shadow made me feel loved. I was just gonna throw my skates on and try it out, but he said "You're gonna wear a helmet, right?" so I geared all the way up.

Bear tried to come at me a few times and since I was out of practice and didn't want to run him over I just pushed him out of the way. I think he gets the hint. We'll see. 😂😂😂

After I got tired (which was entirely too fast - I am out of shape) I got in the pool with Shaun. I put my water wings on and paddled around for a bit.

Pretty fun day, all in all. Me and Shaun ran some errands this morning-ish with the dogs and had brunch. I've done some cleaning this evening and I might not be done. I still have some energy. We'll see.

Didn't shampoo the carpet yet, but hopefully tomorrow. That, and nails. 😁 Shaun is naked and mine are grown out and peeling. We can't have that!

Wild child. 😂😂😂

Wild child. 😂😂😂

I'm very happy for the weekend.

I'm very happy for the weekend. It's been a tough week!

I love my job and am so thankful for it, but we lost a teammate (moved to another project), several people were on scheduled vacation, and then a few more took off to attend our CEO's funeral. I don't begrudge anyone their time off no matter the reason, but not only were we low on staff, our ticket volume had basically doubled. 😬 It's no one's fault - sometimes things just happen like that.

When I say that I have been frazzled this week, it is no joke! The whole team has been. But *team* is the key word here. I feel really supported and I've learned a lot. I don't feel like there's anyone who isn't pulling their weight. I'm doing my best and am getting good feedback, so that makes me happy.

I also started more hours on this project at the beginning of the month. Hopefully, I'll do well enough that they'll decide to bring me on full-time. I would like that. I feel like getting to do nerdy tech stuff and helping people at the same time hits the sweet spot for me.

Happy weekend, y'all. We made it!

Bear did a dooks outside...

Bear did a dooks outside and came in with the post-dook zoomies. Boy came running over and goosed my ass while I was cooking. 😂 I don't know if I'll ever get used to that. He didn't get me hard, but it was enough to make me jump and laugh.

I was still cooking when he calmed down and I used a mincer on some garlic (not for the first time) and it activated Beast Mode again. I wish I could predict all of the things that will activate him. At least I could prepare a licky mat for him if I knew he was about to get crazy. 😂😂😂

Here he is being chill for a few. I love this wild child so much. ❤️

This cutie started Adequan today.

This cutie started Adequan today. I gave him a licky mat with puppy cheese on it and Shaun did the injection. Bear didn't even flinch.

I guess the ice dispenser is more upsetting than being stabbed. He licks his mat more furiously when I get ice. No reaction at all to the shot. 😂😂😂

I love this good boy. I kiss him 1000 times a day. I just can't resist his precious little face. ❤️ I hope he feels brand new soon!

Bear went to the vet today about his arthritis.

Bear went to the vet today about his arthritis. He's starting Adequan tomorrow (he could have started today, but since the first few weeks he needs it 2x/week, we're doing Sundays and Wednesdays because that's easier to remember).We'll be doing the injections ourselves because we can and it's easier than packing him up for a trip to the vet.

He gets around fine and doesn't act painful (well, we can at least say that he's using his back legs more, so that's something), but I have a feeling that he's just happy to be here and any pain he might feel is probably normalized to him. So we're going to see if this makes a difference for him. He still has hip dysplasia and the vet could feel some popping in his knees, so I have a feeling that he is not as comfortable as he could be.

We told her about trying him in the pool and she said definitely try to get him in there at least 3x/week. It will be a good, low-impact exercise for him. She also felt relieved when I showed her his life vest. 😂 We totally understand. 😂😂😂 He's a bit unpredictable and we gotta keep him safe. Pool closed, or life jacket on, or Shaun in the pool to help him.

Bear got energetic a little earlier and Shaun took him out to exercise. I went to see how they were doing and Shaun showed me how Bear's swimming is coming along. Of course, I am the over-protective, "Don't let him go!" type, but he's doing well. I'm excited for him. He's excited, too. He brought his wet-dog self in the house and had the zoomies for a bit. 😂 But tired dogs are good dogs, so that's ok.

Pink pretties this morning:

Pink pretties this morning:

We finished the building today.

We finished the building today. It's level. It has doors. We went to Lowe's and had a wooden floor cut for it. We also got a shelf.

Now all of the pool stuff is put away and not spread all over the yard and the house driving me crazy. I am still really unhappy with the state of the yard (it's a giant dust pit), but it's a work in progress. It'll be ok - eventually. 😂 At least there's not stuff everywhere being all disorderly.

We are so tired. It has not been a relaxing weekend. We worked on the building off and on. Shaun is having sinus issues from the dust. There have been fireworks every day since before the 4th. Cub has been stressed, Bear has been extra, and we've been trying our best to get things done in the midst of all that.

Hopefully, by the end of the month we'll have most of the house projects wrapped up. It would also be nice to have a chill Cub and an unsedated, however-he's-gonna-be Bear so we can find our new normal.

I am so done with this day. Goodnight, friends.

Me and Shaun about to throw down. 😂😂😂

Me and Shaun about to throw down. 😂😂😂 We don't order like this often, but I guess we're treating ourselves today.

When I say we have the best food out here I am NOT playing. I can get eggs any time of day from almost anywhere. Tacos come with tomatoes by default, as they should. I'm home. ❤️❤️❤️

Look at the list of things in Shaun's cake. It has all of the good things. I've definitely gotta try it.

I don't know how much y'all or your kids cook, but...

I don't know how much y'all or your kids cook, but I am not a cook. Frozen chicken and canned sides is about as close as I got to cooking when Shadow was growing up. I've never prepared raw meat that wasn't pre-cut and frozen. I am not into touching dead animals like that and it's even harder to eat them if I have to witness them being prepared. Judge me if you wish. There are lots of great things about me, but my cooking has never been one of them.

Shadow has been working out a lot and has put on a good bit of muscle. I'm proud of him for taking care of his body. I guess part of that is making nutritious meals because tonight he made chicken. It was raw and looked really gross, but he cut it up and cooked it in the InstantPot with only a question about how to release the steam since it was his first time using it. I also confirmed for him that it was cooked through since he is colorblind. (We do have a meat thermometer, but I don't think it was meant for small pieces of chicken like this).

He also did really great about not contaminating other surfaces with his raw chicken. I think he had a SafeServe class in high school and thankfully it stuck.

I just wanted to say that I'm proud of him for trying something new, especially something he knew I wouldn't be super helpful with. (Not that I didn't want to help, but more that I don't have the experience to help). I think it's super cool that he's branching out beyond me. ❤️

I received this giant, personalized mouse pad in the mail yesterday.

I received this giant, personalized mouse pad in the mail yesterday. It's probably not a coincidence that it arrived on the date of our first paycheck that contained our last GlideFast Consulting University raise - meaning that we have fully completed the GCU program and will be treated as regular consultants from now forward.

This celebration is a hard one. While it achieved for me both a career and financial goal I never dared to dream of before college, it comes with the news of the passing of our CEO this morning. He was a really great guy. He met all of us newbies via Zoom when we were in Cincinnati, and then came to meet us in person, as well. He remembered our names and things about us. He made us feel special and not like just a cog in the machine.

Thanks to him and the company he built I'm able to live comfortably, have work-life balance, and be part of a team that truly has my back. We get gifts like this in the mail to remind us that we are truly valued and appreciated and to mark our milestones, and that's just the kind of guy he was. I'm attending GlideFest this year and I was looking forward to seeing him again. He really did touch the lives of many people and will definitely be missed.

Thank you for everything, Michael Lombardo. GlideFast changed my life. #LFG

Oh my gosh. We are having a time with Bear.

Oh my gosh. We are having a time with Bear.

He's less sedated and has been mostly fine all day, but he is acting straight crazy right now. He is pouncing the floor like how foxes pounce in the snow. He's scratching the carpet trying to dig. He's running up trying to bite us. He's vocalizing. I was finishing peeling the metal sheets for the building and he ran up chomping and has now cut his tongue. His pupils are dilated.

I'm worried about him. He's goofy and wild sometimes, but this is next-level. We gave him one of his sedatives and crated him because I don't want him to hurt himself again - or any of us, either. I know he probably needs to play and burn some energy off, but Cubba is terrified of the fireworks noise that has already begun and isn't up for playing. We tried playing fetch with him, but he gets distracted and pounces the floor/ground.

I noticed him pouncing on the pool cover today. (We stopped him). Of course, it gives when he does that. Does he think the floor and ground should do that, too, now? 

Can dogs hallucinate?

A few possible cactus fruits...

A few possible cactus fruits, the tiniest Euphorbia blooms, and some flowers.

I can't believe that big mound bloomed after Bear uprooted it the other day.

Part of our battle this morning...

Part of our battle this morning to keep him from chewing the chairs. He's less sedated today AND WE CAN TELL. 😂😂😂

Look at how he moves, though. He really does remind me of a human toddler. Or a much younger dog. Especially those facial expressions when his chew "gets away" from him. Like we've done magic or something. 😂

I love this goober. He just went outside, though, so I'm gonna take this opportunity to refill my ice. 😂😂😂

We had our first family swim.

We had our first family swim. Cubba didn't come out because of fireworks, but Bear did. He ran many a happy lap around the pool and eventually came in. He really wanted to be with Kira and Shadow, so a small amount of coaxing from Kira got him onto the splash pad.

He came in and out a few times because he wanted to run some more, but he kept coming to the edges when the kids were near. He would crouch down like he wanted to jump in and he even made some weird squawky noises, but he was scared.

He finally jumped into the deep end at Shaun, who caught him but not before he went face-first (briefly!) into the water. Shaun said he held his breath and he didn't come up waterlogged, so that was good. He did some ineffective kicking while Shaun held him up and guided him back to the steps. He wanted out after that, but he seemed ok.

He walked around the pool after that, seemingly contemplating his life choices. 😂  He still came back to the edge to say hello. Thankfully, we don't think he was traumatized, but it's probably for the best he knows where it's safe and easy to enter the water.

Here he is resting. He wasn't wearing his life jacket in this picture because he was sitting with me drying off and we were about to go inside.

Look at that sand on his little lip. Why is he so damn cute!? 😂😂😂

Look at this MerMan. Safety first! ❤️

Look at this MerMan. Safety first! ❤️

Look at this dog.

Look at this dog. He wasn't tangled or anything. He is laying weird because of who he is as a person. I don't know what else to say. 😂

Knee Update:  They are stable and almost healed. Everything is still where she put it. We can start weaning him off of his sedatives. Over the next month he can slowly return to normal activity. It's not impossible for him to undo the work his surgeon did at this point, but it's not likely.  We need to prevent him from slipping and falling as he returns to his playful self. He now has socks and toe grips, both of which we will be trialing on him this week.

The hip situation hasn't changed much. He has hip dysplasia, but he doesn't seem hindered by it. The surgeon said that unless we want to do a hip replacement on him (which runs about $10,000, has to be done in Colorado, and should be done sooner rather than later) she recommends he start a pain management program for that and arthritis. He is scheduled for next week at his regular vet to get pain management started. He really doesn't seem to be bothered by his hips; if he is, it's far from the extent that his knees were hurting and crippling him.

We also asked her about his ankle going janky (and it happened at the clinic, as well). She said it's not uncommon to have instability after his legs were messed up for so long. She said to keep an eye on it. So far, he seems unbothered when it happens. If it starts happening more frequently or starts causing him issues or pain, it will need to be addressed.

So, that's probably the best news we could have hoped for. Hopefully, the hardest part is behind us.

Bear's "I need an adult." face. 😂

Bear's "I need an adult." face. 😂

His Conversation Lips. 😂

He was in the kitchen barking "to" Shadow. This was his face. He got up and started looking around. I think he heard something that he felt needed attention and was trying to tell Shadow to take care of it.

He's so funny. He doesn't use his voice or his body language like most dogs. Our sweet, special boy. ❤️

The landscaping appointment went well.

The landscaping appointment went well. We're waiting for someone to come work out the irrigation now that the pool changed everything. Then we can get an estimate on the work.

Tobi spent most of the day at the vet having tests run. He's got a large, spikey bladder stone. 😢 All of his bloodwork and liver levels came out normal. He's on medication for inflammation. Re-check in 2 weeks to see if we can proceed with surgery to remove the stone.

It's always something.

Bear has his final surgery recheck tomorrow morning. I hope his knees are great. It would be amazing if his hips don't need surgery. I feel like we're barely keeping up with meeting everyone's needs. Paws crossed.

We sent Balthazar off...

Woke up to diarrhea on my bed...

Woke up to diarrhea on my bed. (I don't care. I know how to clean.) But my poor baby. He's losing control.

Look at my handsome old man. I'm sad, but I'm making the call. We'll see when the vet can get him in.

Edited:  3:30 today. 💔