Home again

Well, officially we've been home since Friday. We successfully spend one entire week in Great Falls without too much drama. We actually had quite a bit of fun and got to spend time with everyone we wanted to. My ex-step-sister Nicole recently became a Pampered Chef Rep, and my mother has jumped head first into helping her. For me this meant sitting through three parties in three days. It definitely got old, but I did get some free stuff.

My mother and I had our moments during the stay. We both have very strong opinions (as most of you know) and they happen to be opposite most of the times. I'm not sure how that happened with her strong influence on me growing up, but it did. And she doesn't like it much. Usually we can have a decent debate about an issue, but she got pretty upset with me a couple of times. (and yes, I do enjoy getting her wound up) For example, we had a conversation about work, pay, retirement, etc. I told her I felt that CNA's at nursing homes are undervalued and underpaid. After all, they get yelled at, hit, and shit on all day. She took that to mean that I undervalued her work somehow and proceeded on her in-public rant about all she sacrifices for her job (weekends, evenings, vacations). Then she told Nicole the next day that I said people at McDonald's should make the same as her. Never mind McDonald's was never mentioned. Maybe the alcohol had something to do with it. Sometimes I think she's disappointed that I have opinions of my own, even though she taught me to have the strong personality I do.

We also got to spend some time with Marlena which I had not done in some time. It always reminds me that no matter how different we become, we will always be friends. I can count all of my friends on one hand and I thought about all of you over Thanksgiving.

We went out too much, drank too much, ate too much-a fairly normal vacation. I managed to get hardly any homework done, but I am catching up now. Only three more weeks left in the semester.

Thoughts and love to Sara who lost a good friend of hers last week. RIP Maggie!

fun goings on

Well, I don't know if writing papers and preparing for a stats test is actually fun, but I'm certainly giving it my best effort. This update is my break time.

We took Hailey back to the vet today, after she chewed her bandage off twice since last week. Luckily he did not yell at us and the wound seems to be healing. I feel so guilty. She gets hardly any attention and hasn't fetched her frisbee in over two weeks. Then we put the lamp shade on and she looks at us like her life is the most awful doggy existence ever. Hopefully she can play on Friday.

Which reminds me, we are headed to Great Falls for a week long "vacation" on Friday. By vacation I mean doing homework in a novel environment. Actually, I hope to finish the bulk of it in the vehicle. We'll see. Oh, I almost forgot to talk about my advising appointment last week. I have official permission to teach an undergraduate section of the gerontology class next fall! This development makes me especially happy because I get 4 credits for it.

I did a little bit of shopping today and successfully spent the rest of my birthday money. I bought a small wine bar to free up some much needed cupboard space. And best of all, it was on sale at Dillard's from $350 to $90. I was a good little bargain shopper.

Lastly, Bernie and I have set out weight loss goals for June. I hope to see 125 (137 now) and Bernie hopes for 150 (I don't have permission to post his current weight). I think we can do it. The main problem (like everyone else I suppose) is that we love to eat.

Dog Days

Hailey has had a ruff couple of weeks. I took her hunting with me back in ND and the morning after the first day of hunting her paw swelled up like a club. A piece of wood or a thorn pierced her paw and went half way in. This is what the Vet. in ND told me after x-rays. The infection area on the paw swelled up so big that it burst and left a big wound on her paw. Last week we took her to the vet again and they cleaned and wrapped it and told us to come back next week (yesterday). Then yesterday they knocked her out and sewed shut the paw. So far its been 3 trips to the vet. Let's just say those pheasants better taste real good cause the cost of them keep going up.

Here is a picture of her with her e-collar (lamp shape) on so she doesn't lick it.