what are you doing right now?

[finnime]

Good morning.

Wishing you strength, peace and healing, NomoreDramaQ1015, busymom, weltschmerz and countrygirl2, and everyone juggling life throughout trauma and loss.

Drama, know that we are all thinking of you and your family and willing the forces of the universe to be with you.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Jul 21, 2022 20:09:31 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Jul 21, 2022 12:09:08 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I'm fairly actively looking for a dog.  Now that those pair of shepherds got adopted yesterday I can go back to the shelter.  LOL    They were really too much for us, but I didn't trust myself to be rational.

They have puppies now, but don't know if I want to do that either.   

I'm not ever getting a puppy again. It's so much work! All dogs are but puppies are nuts!

I must be blocking it out.  I had two puppies as an adult and don't remember it being that bad, but my last dog was so perfect in every way she was probably a perfect puppy too.  I was trying to remember what I did for housebreaking her since I still worked then but for the life of me I can't remember.  She was probably only a year or so old when ODS was born and I quit working, but we would have gone through all the bad stuff by then.

[finnime]

Franklin the Dog is an All-American Mongrel. The people who adopted his brother had the DNA tested, and they are Springer Spaniel, Labrador Retriever and Walker Treeing Coonhound. You can see the spaniel in Franklin with his long black, red-tinged silky fur, but not his siblings, one of which looks just like a lab and the other, like a hound.

Franklin is purely wonderful, great with children of all ages, not demanding but throughly enjoying any activities we engage in, easily trained, and doesn't have that eat-everything characteristic of many labs and other breeds.

I chose him from the litter due to his ears. 

[raeoflyte]

Jul 22, 2022 7:17:11 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Jul 21, 2022 20:09:31 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

I'm not ever getting a puppy again. It's so much work! All dogs are but puppies are nuts!

I must be blocking it out.  I had two puppies as an adult and don't remember it being that bad, but my last dog was so perfect in every way she was probably a perfect puppy too.  I was trying to remember what I did for housebreaking her since I still worked then but for the life of me I can't remember.  She was probably only a year or so old when ODS was born and I quit working, but we would have gone through all the bad stuff by then.

I still don't remember the puppy stage being difficult with my last 2 puppies which makes devil dog that much harder to deal with.

I'm wondering if I was just used to more chaos or maybe just didn't have any expectations? By the 2nd puppy we were fostering and had her litter from 3 weeks old. She was the good one of the bunch and seemed super easy compared to a couple of the others.

But I've looked at a couple of the puppies listed and felt the heart strings pull a little too much. This time it can't be amnesia for me.

[raeoflyte]

Jul 22, 2022 7:22:11 GMT -5 finnime said:

Franklin the Dog is an All-American Mongrel. The people who adopted his brother had the DNA tested, and they are Springer Spaniel, Labrador Retriever and Walker Treeing Coonhound. You can see the spaniel in Franklin with his long black, red-tinged silky fur, but not his siblings, one of which looks just like a lab and the other, like a hound.

Franklin is purely wonderful, great with children of all ages, not demanding but throughly enjoying any activities we engage in, easily trained, and doesn't have that eat-everything characteristic of many labs and other breeds.

I chose him from the litter due to his ears. 

He looks perfect.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I'm up again. Brother and I both crashed at 4am. I'm taking time to eat something and hydrate before I leave and I need to check on Phoebe.

DH is taking over everything else. I left him a to do list.

We decided we'll at least get Gwen's presents and we have to get the cake it's too late to cancel that.

Then he's going to make my car payment for me. I just took care of the other weekly bills.

Dad didn't call or text so I'm assuming no change. Which may not be good either but it was better than the other type of call.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I'm up again. Brother and I both crashed,
at 4am. I'm taking time to eat something and hydrate before I leave and I need to check on Phoebe.

DH is taking over everything else. I left him a to do list.

We decided we'll at least get Gwen's presents and we have to get the cake it's too late to cancel that.

Then he's going to make my car payment for me. I just took care of the other weekly bills.

Dad didn't call or text so I'm assuming no change. Which may not be good either but it was better than the other type of call.

[chiver78]

Jul 22, 2022 7:22:11 GMT -5 finnime said:

Franklin the Dog is an All-American Mongrel. The people who adopted his brother had the DNA tested, and they are Springer Spaniel, Labrador Retriever and Walker Treeing Coonhound. You can see the spaniel in Franklin with his long black, red-tinged silky fur, but not his siblings, one of which looks just like a lab and the other, like a hound.

Franklin is purely wonderful, great with children of all ages, not demanding but throughly enjoying any activities we engage in, easily trained, and doesn't have that eat-everything characteristic of many labs and other breeds.

I chose him from the litter due to his ears. 

he's adorable. LD found his way here due to his ears as well. my mom calls him 'the flying nun' 

[countrygirl2]

Yes, I think the house is too close too, but what a beauty and the floors are heated and look at the garage. Then the view is awesome. Hubs says oh I don't need a big garage and stuff. Yes, he does.
But the good news is the prices are coming down, so there is that. But if we do anything it would be next year.

Oh my, just got a call, another very old relative passed away last night. Hubs family is one of those where the hubs lost a wife and married a SIL. His grandmother and the other guy's grandmother were sisters or something like that. I can't figure it out, but they are related. So, we have another funeral to go to in a few days. They day they come in 3's. But this old gentleman was fortunate, he had only been in the nursing home a couple of weeks and had hospice and died at home after 3 days.

[countrygirl2]

I have our passports ready to go in for renewal.

Hubs and I were talking about the 2024 election. As he says this time if trump gets in he is going to have everything lined up to take over the government totally and get rid of everything that stops him. He will end the democracy, but at least we will have that. I want to be ready. I told hubs, you don't know what till it happens, but I want to have my ducks in a row. We better hope these hearings in some way keep him from running. What I said before happened, I think he will do this.

Not the right thread but has been on my mind for awhile. I think we need to be close to our only family just in case, so at least we will be together, and the Canadian border isn't very far away from them.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Here's the ones I'm looking at now. 

3 year old female, housebroke, good with kids and other dogs...not sure about cats.

1 month old Border collie mix from SD Indian reservation (they get a lot from there)

10 year old male needs a place to live out his last years, appears housebroke.   Not sure how he does with cats....

[chiver78]

I want to snuggle all of those pups, MPL! 

[busymom]

I want that border collie mix, minnesotapaintlady!  Thanks for the puppy pics Everyone.  They definitely improve my mood.  



I got a call about 12:30 this morning that my relative has been hooked up to a ventilator.  Usually that's not a good thing.  But, his numbers improved afterwards, so who knows...

[andi9899]

Jul 21, 2022 18:55:03 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I already have Gwen's birthday scheduled we were going to get facials and pedicures.

IDK if we should still go or not.

I have 24 hours to cancel without the fee and if I explain I'd like to think if I go past they wouldn't charge me.

I'm going to wait till tomorrow morning. Doing it now seems too fatalistic.

Gwen is okay if it is postponed.

I'm really scares right now Nobody prepares you for how to handle this. I told mom she has to get better she left me no funeral directions I don't want her haunting me.

Just postpone it. If Gwen's cool with it that's all that matters. Give yourself some time to process. I'm so sorry. My mom drives me batty but I can't even imagine being in your shoes. PM me if you need anything.

[TheOtherMe]

Jul 21, 2022 20:44:26 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

TheOtherMe , you will see the tile shower I replaced from acrylic to tile, with glass doors.

Some day I will have that, including glass doors.

[TheOtherMe]

Amelia is pretty much in a zone from the pain meds.

Last evening, Maddow decided he doesn't know who that cat is that smells like the vet.  So he has been hissing at her.  

All she wants to do is sit on my lap and stare in to space.  He's on his hammock wondering what happened.

[bean29]

Jul 21, 2022 20:05:59 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

IDK if I want to. Gwen's birthday is something I look forward to every year.

I'm not sure I want to sit home and fret. I'm so exhausted I can barely stand today. Tomorrow is day 2. Is running the gauntlet three days in a row a good idea?

And I know my mom would be pissed if I canceled.

But I feel social pressure to cancel. My dad said we might as well it'd be good for Gwen. DH says he'll support me either way.

It really depends on tonight and tomorrow. That's how I've decided to proceed for now.

I think you should do what you think is right.  People understand that nothing is going to be quite right.  I don't think they will be critical of you, if they are, they are probably the kind of person that would find something to criticize no matter what you did.  I have a cousin that recently lost his oldest DD who was maybe 36?  She had skin cancer.  He has 4 kids.  Three with is first wife, the two girls who are about 34/36 and a son that was quite a bit younger, He is 17, and then he has a DD with his second wife who is somewhere between 5 and 7.  Days after his oldest passed away, his youngest made her first communion.  Celebrate the birthday.  Not celebrating will not feel right either.  

[giramomma]

How many years do you have before retirement minnesotapaintlady I think you are trying to retire in the same timeframe as I am for my dayjob, maybe even less? (I'm on the 8 year plan to hanging it up. Sooner, if DH can find a full time job.)

If that's the case, my first choice would be the 10 year old dog.

Personally, I would want to wait to see what my retirement will look like (especially if you are serious about doing the RV thing) before I committed to a puppy. But, I am over having more responsibility and more complications. Then again, I ended up with an extra kid instead of a dog.

If you are like, that Gira, she's so boring. Of course I want a long commitment. I'd totally do the puppy.

[seriousthistime]

Jul 21, 2022 22:54:46 GMT -5 CCL said:

Jul 21, 2022 22:19:26 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

Serious, what a beautiful home, looks like a new home ad.

It is pretty. I LOVE all the greenery. But it's awfully close quarters with the neighbors. It would take a lot of getting used to.

My kids grew up in our country house. It was a subdivision where all the houses were on at least an acre of land and there were many old oak trees that separated our house from the others on the cul de sac. From there, I moved to a single family house in a more suburban location where the lots were about 1/4 of an acre and neighbors all around.  But the housing in California is more densely packed, and this place is a townhouse. For me, it actually didn't take much getting used to.  

[seriousthistime]

Jul 22, 2022 8:53:31 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Jul 21, 2022 20:44:26 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

TheOtherMe , you will see the tile shower I replaced from acrylic to tile, with glass doors.

Some day I will have that, including glass doors.

Soon, right?  I know you've been beset with delays, but you're on a roll.  It will come. 

[andi9899]

Jul 22, 2022 6:33:08 GMT -5 daisylu said:

DH had a blue heeler when we married. She was a lovable thing, but EXTREMELY protective. The first time I went to his house I had followed him in my own car. He came running across the driveway like a crazy person to warn me to let him get the dog before I got out. He was too late, as I had already opened the door - she jumped up on my lap and laid her head on my shoulder. Every other person in the world she would bite at their feet or chase down. 

DH always says he knew then that he wanted to marry me. DSis says that the dog recognized the "Alpha B*itch". 

Astro is starting to be this way with me I think. He's not even my dog but he's been insisting on being with me all the time. I don't know why, I'm always telling him he's a fatass.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Jul 22, 2022 9:03:15 GMT -5 giramomma said:

How many years do you have before retirement minnesotapaintlady I think you are trying to retire in the same timeframe as I am for my dayjob, maybe even less? (I'm on the 8 year plan to hanging it up. Sooner, if DH can find a full time job.)

If that's the case, my first choice would be the 10 year old dog.

Personally, I would want to wait to see what my retirement will look like (especially if you are serious about doing the RV thing) before I committed to a puppy. But, I am over having more responsibility and more complications. Then again, I ended up with an extra kid instead of a dog.

If you are like, that Gira, she's so boring. Of course I want a long commitment. I'd totally do the puppy.

5 years and 364 days, but who's counting!  ROFL

My absolute #1 first thing I've always planned to do when I retire is get a dog again, ESPECIALLY if I do the RV thing.  The only reason I didn't get a new one when our other dog died in 2014 was there was so much other crap going on with Ex 2.0. Plus Carrot was little, ODS was just getting into all the activities and we were never home, so I kept telling myself "when I retire" I'll have all the time in the world for a dog again.

Now I'm just getting anxious partially because I think Carrot needs a dog buddy...especially now that his brother will possibly be gone for good come September.

Don't want to get an older one that is a bad fit though so trying not to be impulsive.  We would have 100% had that 4 month old lab had he not got snatched up right after we met him though.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Mom's numbers are better but she's not totally out of the woods. Dr Doom hasn't been back according to my dad.

She's doing well enough they may later today start seeing if they can wean her off some of the umpteen medications she's on to see what she can do on her own.

DH had a dream last night she woke up. It was probably just optimism or his brain in denial but I'm sorta hoping it's an omen.

[jerseygirl]

MPL border collie pup, you have room for pup to run around and border collies need lots of exercise and are usually very smart
A traditional farm dog!

[andi9899]

Jul 22, 2022 7:17:11 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Jul 21, 2022 20:09:31 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

I'm not ever getting a puppy again. It's so much work! All dogs are but puppies are nuts!

I must be blocking it out.  I had two puppies as an adult and don't remember it being that bad, but my last dog was so perfect in every way she was probably a perfect puppy too.  I was trying to remember what I did for housebreaking her since I still worked then but for the life of me I can't remember.  She was probably only a year or so old when ODS was born and I quit working, but we would have gone through all the bad stuff by then.

Maybe it's just Jackson then. He was a mad man. He constantly had the zoomies and would eat poop. He is very smart and could take direction well, but only if you had food. He destroyed everything! Part of it also has to be his size. He was already 35 pounds when I brought him home at 3 months. You can't keep him out of anything or anywhere, he's a bull in a China shop. He'll find a way to get what he wants and is way too smart.

[andi9899]

Jul 22, 2022 8:18:22 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Here's the ones I'm looking at now. 

3 year old female, housebroke, good with kids and other dogs...not sure about cats.

1 month old Border collie mix from SD Indian reservation (they get a lot from there)

10 year old male needs a place to live out his last years, appears housebroke.   Not sure how he does with cats....

They're all adorable! I'd be leery of the ones not good with cats if you have one. I take particular interest in the senior. I was thinking that once the twins were gone I'd look for seniors to be able to give them a good home for their last years. It seems like a good cause.

[raeoflyte]

This is random. Dh received a significant payout from his job. The market isn't awesome right now so I don't know that he should just the whole thing in a taxable account. (401k and Ira are already maxed for the year). I was thinking he should put it in a high interest savings account that we don't have regular access to and set up an automatic transfer to a taxable account. Is there a better option I'm not thinking of?

[bean29]

Idk MPL, that Border Collie mix looks pretty irresistible.  It has been about 3.5 years since my Charlie was a puppy.  It was a lot of work to train him because his breed tends to have small bladders, so you have to take them out a lot.  We are lucky because our  dogs go to their "Grandparents" house while we are at work.

All three dogs look adorable.  Hopefully you will find one that is right for your family.

[raeoflyte]

Jul 22, 2022 9:28:56 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Jul 22, 2022 7:17:11 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I must be blocking it out.  I had two puppies as an adult and don't remember it being that bad, but my last dog was so perfect in every way she was probably a perfect puppy too.  I was trying to remember what I did for housebreaking her since I still worked then but for the life of me I can't remember.  She was probably only a year or so old when ODS was born and I quit working, but we would have gone through all the bad stuff by then.

Maybe it's just Jackson then. He was a mad man. He constantly had the zoomies and would eat poop. He is very smart and could take direction well, but only if you had food. He destroyed everything! Part of it also has to be his size. He was already 35 pounds when I brought him home at 3 months. You can't keep him out of anything or anywhere, he's a bull in a China shop. He'll find a way to get what he wants and is way too smart.

Devil dogs size made normal puppy behavior a problem. Add in extremely high energy when I have dh constantly warning against high impact exercise before 18-24 months and yeah....it's been rough.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I just don't have time for a puppy at this stage in life. Charlotte was the perfect age.

We got Midnight as a puppy. I was in college so had plenty of time to train her.

She was smaller than the leaves in DHs yard. We had to carry her down the stairs to potty.

We used to play a game with toilet paper. I made the mistake of leaving the bathroom open and she destroyed it ALL. She was so proud.