I woke up with a headache...

I woke up with a headache and in general wasn't feeling great today.

Then Shaun said a package came for me and that it must be nail polish because it was heavy. I told him that I hadn't ordered any nail polish, and he shrugged and brought me the package.

I just had it in my hand, not abnormally close to my face or anything, and I was like "This smells like a plant. I bet it's my replacement Echeveria Cante!"

I had ordered one from Etsy (along with a few other plants) and the Cante in that order was kind of smushed. I potted it, the roots rotted despite never being watered; I did surgery on it weeks ago and added rooting hormone, but it still hasn't rooted. It's also not dead, though, so there's hope. But I let the seller know and they sent out a replacement - WEEKS ago. It just hadn't arrived.

The package that came today said it was from Texas and had no other identifying information on it. But my nose knew and as dumb as that might sound, it kind of made my day. 😂😂😂

Pic of the new kid. She's as big as my hand! No wonder the box was heavy!

She's cold and discolored now, but she'll be happy again soon. 😊

I joined a group on Facebook...

I joined a group on Facebook called "Menopause Chicks" a few days ago, and I've already left it. So many of the posts are like "What are natural solutions for my dry vagina? No HRT!" or "These hot flashes are out of control! What can I do? Pharma is not in my vocabulary."

And I'm just sitting here like "What is more natural than taking hormones THAT YOUR BODY ALREADY MAKES!?"

I get it if you have risk factors and make an informed choice to opt out of HRT, but the books I posted a few days ago point out that a bunch of the studies saying it increases your risk of cancer were not well-done and that HRT can actually help protect you from certain cancers, as well as Alzheimers disease and bone loss (among other things).

I don't know. As far as I'm concerned, everyone can do what they want with their own body, but it's so hard for me to fathom a more natural remedy to the ailments caused by declining hormones than, you know, simply replacing those hormones. 🤷🏻

I have an appointment on Thursday and I'm so ready. I've got a lot of symptoms of my hormones being unbalanced and/or low. I'm hoping to get a more hands-on treatment than what I can get from a purely online provider. We will see.

I ordered some Bully Sticks...

I ordered some Bully Sticks from Wholly Pup and they arrived today. We gave them to the boys.

Cub is chewing with his eyes half closed. He looks totally blissed out.

We tested how much Bear liked his by using the ice dispenser after we gave it to him. Instead of going into BEAST MODE, he frantically scrambled to grab his stick and excused himself to the yard with it. 😂 That's a win.

The change in him when he hears the ice dispenser is so wild. I'll try to get video next time.

We needed chews that last longer than a few minutes and are safe to ingest. So far, so good for both of them.

Look at this poor, abused dog.

Look at this poor, abused dog.

Forced to ride in the car to get doggie bagels with Cubba and Shaun. 

He's so over it. 😂 So upset he won't even open his eyes.

Absolutely FED. UP. 😂😂😂

I hate leg day so much.

I hate leg day so much. It's supposed to be on Friday, but I hate it so much that I do it on Saturday and put it off as long as I can.

I'm so stinky, and I've promised myself a shower after I complete it. I guess I better get started.

Ooh. This is Shaun's first night with his c-pap.

Ooh. This is Shaun's first night with his c-pap. I almost can't even tell that he's in the same bed. This is CRAZY good.

I wonder if he'll feel any different when he wakes up...

I've been in my feelings off and on all day over Oreo.

I've been in my feelings off and on all day over Oreo. My heart still aches from his absence.

Not me, not his Aunt Taimi, and not even Oreo wanted things to end the way they did. She and I know how much he wanted to live.

I still don't understand how this dog, out of the many I've fostered and loved over the years, managed to change me like he did. But losing him hit different in a way I can't describe. Maybe it's how unfair it all felt and still feels.

My only real solace is that he didn't die on the streets. The love that Taimi and I poured into him changed his life. I know it did.