The great squash adventure...earlier this evening

Funny story.......I had Ross cut up an acorn squash tonight to feed to my shelled friends. When I went out to pass out the goodies George (the tortoise) was taking his nightly stroll so I just put his down in the grass in front of him. Well, I also had two puppergirl assistants tonight, both of whom love George. It's like a special thing that they get to go there with me. They're funny that way. As I put the second piece down for George, I turned to open the pen lid to give some to the Russian tortoises.That's when she made her move, can you guess which pupper girl it was?
I assumed you would guess Marley, but this time, that pup is in the clear. The offending pup was none other than Marlo Louise. She grabbed a piece of George's squash and took off running. Marley didn't realize what had happened but knew Marlo had something she didn't, so the chase began.

I began chasing Marley chasing Marlo and kept calling for Marlo and she kept dodging me. Then when I finally caught her, she would not drop it or give it to me. I finally pryed it out of her mouth with both hands. Usually she's pretty good about giving it to me when I ask. Tonight she was being a bit difficult......

She's the one that will always claim innocence, but the quiet ones are the sneakiest. Marley never tries to hide anything, her motto is "just do it".

Tonight I saw the neighbor outside and realized we had not cut the tomato vines as far back as I thought we did. I asked the neighbor if he wouldn't mind pulling everything back through his side so that it was even more inaccessible.

Tonight was the great squash adventure....or, as one of my other friend's said, "You squashed the great squash adventure!"

When Ross came out to see what was going on, he told Marlo that she should give the squash back to me because we've all seen what other (now my words not his) goodies off a vine can do to her stomach and we don't want that to happen again.

Good News & Mindless Banter

Marlo did very well last night. She had chicken and rice for dinner for her tummy (only registered low on her allergies, so should be ok, but wouldn't do it all the time) and again this morning. She had a little perk last night, still wiped out though. She did wag her tail before we went to bed though, so that was a VERY good sign.

In other big news, I received an envelope from the Secretary of State yesterday and "Little Buddies Pet Care" has officially been reserved/registered in my name. If things take off, then I'll go the LLC route eventually.

Then I had the bright idea to try and do my own nails last night. I usually go every three weeks (I have the fake acrylic nails that's the only reason they look so nice all the time), but I noticed that I did not have a nail appt on my schedule. I thought now might be a good time to make a clean brake and no longer spend that money (on something I desperately love to indulge in but don't need, necessarily that is) considering that in a few short weeks that's all going to CHANGE.

I bought a kit at the drug store and figured I've watched people do this for years so I could at least wing it. I didn't do a bad job but it wasn't great either, obviously I don't have a skill for this sort of thing. I went to bed last night and everything was fine. However, I wake up today and I itch, BAD, and it feels itchy inside underneath my nails. I think there's something in the product I used (substandard obviously) that I must be allergic to. Great. It's not like I can say, hey, "I'm going to be late because I have a nail issue", although I'd more than love to do that. So I'm going to a nail salon around the corner right by the Indian restaurant I LOVE to eat at today at 1:00 pm and taking a late lunch to have them removed and have a manicure. Only $25, I was happy about that part. My boss leaves at 11:30 am for the day today, that's why I can swing something like this today,and nobody will say anything.

Funny wife thing to share. I was out shopping a few weeks ago and decided he needed some new stuff. He didn't disagree. I bought some and brought it home, and is his usual practice with these things, he wears all the new stuff right out of the package which means he doesn't have to do laundry for that much longer (why I don't do that is a whole other conversation). I looked at him before we went to bed last night and I giggled and of course, he automatically got that, "what did I do, what did I forget to do, etc?" thought going.

I asked where his new stuff was and he just smirked and before he could answer, I said, "Wait, I know you wore it all right out of the package so you wouldn't have to do your laundry right away, and now you've run out of new stuff, so you're finishing off the reserves in your drawer", the next smirk confirmed my suspicions. It made me giggle because he's so predictable that way. Then he said something to the effect of he was waiting for me to do his laundry when I wasn't working any more (and yes, he was trying to be funny not an ass). To that I replied that I'd be happy to do so if I didn't have to get a p/ job and if he took care of things on my terms, but that his history preceded him and there's was no way he could do it for any significant length of time and that he would quickly slip back into his old ways even if I agreed to such an arrangement. I said that it would be better for both of us if he continued to survive on "doing a load on an as needed basis" and letting the dirty monster pile grow in the bottom of his closet, and me getting a p/t job eventually either way (that is if pet sitting doesn't take off right away). It was pretty funny.

The Champ Has Hung Up Her Gloves & Stepped Out of this Ring

Wednesday, August 29, 2007......
The champ has hung up her boxing gloves and stepped out of this ring.....and onto the Rainbow Bridge - where once again she'll be back with her Greyhound big brother Pele, which is where she always loved being the most in the first place. I couldn't think of a more appropriate analogy than boxing gloves and a ring for this little girl as she's always been a trooper, and a fighter, no matter what life through at her. We were blessed with just under ten years of her quirky self being a part of our family, heart and home. I told her that I would fight right along side her just as long as she would and there's nothing I would not have done for her.

On her sister Marlo's 3rd birthday, and after another set of xrays, my worst suspicions were confirmed. I know that my gut was telling me that, but I also know that Shiloh knew before I did. Last night, my heart broke just a little bit more, I knew this was coming but that doesn't mean it makes it any easier, especially when this is the third time we've been facing this in less than four months time. Go home tonight, give your pups a hug, some extra treats, and light some candles along the way.

September 4, 2007..........
I'm not at work today. Marlo was up all night. It started out with diarrhea of the Linda Blair variety earlier in the evening and then she had two to three more episodes of that, then I had her in the spare bedroom to sleep with me because I've been sick (nasty sinus infection made for a nice weekend, NOT). She kept throwing up all night long, and it was awful, the poor thing is just worn out. In the middle of the night she went outside to eat grass and repeat and had the same diarrhea again.

I think I slept a total of 45 minutes last night. I just said screw it (big surprise) and called into work and left a message for my boss and said I didn't care what I needed to count it as (vacation, sick day, etc) that I just really needed this, and that is the truth. We think it may be because she was eating our neighbors green tomatoes that were growing through the fence (both her and Marley), so I had Ross cut all of those down on our side last night.

It all happened so very fast, that it still doesn't seem possible, even though I brought her home for good on Friday. Thankfully we got out of work early because I was getting ultra anxious being around people period. We got out at 2 pm and I went home and went straight to bed and couldn't move until I made myself get up to go to Barkpark on Saturday (see photo below of the three sisters sharing a cool drink), then I came home and crashed once again, minus a brief sojourn out on Sunday, it was in bed for me.

Monday I made myself, rather brutally forced myself to go out and indulge in some retail therapy. But the adrenaline rush wore off and the exhaustedness from the sinus infection just wore me out again. However, I couldn't bear the thought of sitting still, so I did yardwork, and subsequently we both broke out from bug bites (I always do, anytime I'm outside like that). The front yard now is back to civilization.

The culmination of less than four months, and facing euthanasia for a third time and having lost three tortoises and a turtle the week after Shygirl, it's just too much for any one human being to handle. This one hit hard, not that the others didn't, but again, I think it was the sum total in full blown effect, raw, uncensored, ugly and so utterly, heart wrenchingly painful. I can't put it into true words...

Then there's the other side of me that told myself that if it were Shiloh here and it was me gone, she would have said, screw that there's fun to be had and I'm not sitting around here waiting for you people. I truly believe that. There will most certainly NEVER be another like her.

Marlo got up and moved and is now in the computer room, and she's laying on the futon. She just drank some water and is doing ok so far, but just like me she feels (i'm sure) like she's had the very life sucked out of her. I took this silly photo of her last weekend, I love those ears!

Shiloh's Day at Work / Nasty Cancer Update

Shiloh is here at work with me for the day. Our vet did her chest x-ray this morning. The last set of x-rays were taken on June 28, at which point the tumor had grown 20-30% from when we first found it in April about the size of a tennis ball. Today it is about the size of a grapefruit, which means that it has grown another 30% approximately.

Her lung capacity is at about 60% he said from looking at the x-ray. Her other lung lobes are clear. He listened to her as well and said it doesn't look like or sound like she's filling up with fluid in her chest/lungs at all which is a great thing.

He said to look at her, you would have no idea this is going on inside of her. I think he's as surprised as we are by how well she's doing all around considering this nasty bastard that's in her lung lobe and attached to her heart. We keep her out of the heat, keep her calm and only time and she will give us any direction.

I'm grateful for the time that we've had with her, and this is beyond anything I had hoped for at this point as with this condition most dogs are given 8 weeks with no treatment/surgery. We've been using all natural supplements and immunonutrition and homecooking anti-cancer diet.

She will turn 10 yrs. old on September 18, 2007. She came home to live with us after being brought into an animal shelter in Washington Court House, Ohio in Fayette County by the dog warden. She was 2 yrs. old at the time and already had quite a history behind her in that early point in her life. Knowing that and where we are now, it's just not fair that this is how things are happening for her, it's not fair at all.

As an extra treat, a Shiloh shorty (video clip) from this afternoon: