A Change of Perspective...

We've all had it happen.  A stubbed toe, spilled coffee, forgotten bill, broken window, leaky drain.... most of the time we just tip our head and want to conjure up all the curse words we've ever heard , or sometimes we look to the sky thinking 'Why Me?!?'.

Today was one of these days.  I woke up [an hour earlier than usual because Dustin's work schedule is wonky this week] with a sore back after very little sleep due to Porter's insistence to go outside several times throughout the night, spilled my breakfast, got stuck behind a school bus on the way to work, forgot my lunch at home, found out that a replacement piece of glass for the coffee table is way too expensive, had to deal with a headache throughout an unusually hyper afternoon class, discovered that the boys [Porter and my sister's furry child, Koa] had tried eating a box of extra wood flooring from her remodeling project, and THEN on my way home... my car was hit by another driver.  [Note to people operating vehicles of any kind: When you are at a red light and it turns to green.... PLEASE, oh please, drive forward and not in reverse!  You'll only upset the person you back into.]

I spent the next hour waiting for a police officer and a translator for the driver of the other vehicle freezing my butt off in the parking lot of a gas station.  After finally figuring out each other's insurance and contact information I was again on my way home.

Once back to Burbank I stopped at the Post Office [What?  Burbank has a PO?  It's tiny... but we have one!] to check the mail and see if any Christmas presents we ordered online had arrived.  Carol, a distant cousin on my dad's side of the family, is the postmaster and is always eager to chat.  As I waited for Carol to finish helping the man waiting in front of me I was geared and ready to unleash my complaints about the car accident and stupid drivers and how he ruined my pretty new [to me] car....... when she turned to me and said 'Do you want to meet one of your cousins?' as she motioned to the man she was helping.  I introduced myself as Carol explained the relation and then he was happily on his way.  He was very friendly and was thrilled that a present for his wife had arrived.

After he left, I was again ready to dive into my story about my horrible day.  That was when Carol turned to me and said, 'He's terminal... but you'd never know it'.

At that moment I was able to finally see my day in perspective.  This man, like so many who are around us every single day, was living on borrowed time knowing that he had a limited future... but was he complaining about his day?  No.

When I went back to my car I found myself nearly in tears.  How dare I?  How dare I dwell on the mere blemishes in my life when there are countless people who are thankful for each day they are given... whether it be good or bad.

So today, instead of complaining about my day and my car, I choose to change my perspective and be thankful instead.  I'm thankful that I have a bed to wake up in.  I'm thankful that I have a wonderful dog who is a big part of our family.  I'm thankful that I have food to spill and forget at home.  I'm thankful that I have a job to go to.  I'm thankful that I have a place for Porter to play during the day [and I'm thankful that the floors were already finished and the box of flooring was only excess pieces].  I'm thankful that I have a car, and insurance.  And last but not least, I'm thankful for my health.... and the opportunity to meet someone who without even knowing it has changed my perspective on 'bad days'.

Oh the Joys of Fall...

Fall is my FAVORITE time of year.... it means it's time for boots, scarves, sweaters, crochet projects, chai, pumpkin, cool crisp weather... and equally because there is no threat of swim suits, shorts or shaving legs regularly, and NO 100+ degree weather!  Now I know that many people love summer time, especially my mother-in-law.  But for this pale skinned girl who has a fear of swimsuits, sunburns and heatstroke, fall can't come soon enough!

While there are thousands of things I love about fall [millions if you insist on counting each falling leaf] there are some things that I could do without.  First of all, fall is synonymous with 'back to school'.  And for anyone who works with children or is a teacher, you know that 'back to school' is synonymous with GERMS.  Let's face it.  Kids are basically large, walking, talking rats... they're cute and fun to watch and play with, but they are carriers for everything!  Unless a teacher has been teaching for more years than they have fingers and toes, they likely get some sort of cold, sore throat or flu come fall.

I was no exception this past week.  Thankfully, I managed to make it through work each day and I happen to I have a fabulous hubby who brought me dinner in bed, made special trips to the store when I ran out of my Chloraseptic Spray or Halls Defense throat drops, and gave me massages when I was stiff and sore.  He was even willing to give me a kiss once in a while, too!

Fortunately, I am slowly getting over my bugs and will be able to enjoy my beloved and long awaited fall weather :)  I might even crochet a scarf for a friend or two.... if I don't get distracted before I finish.  But that's another topic entirely!

Happy fall, one and all!

Seattle... Phase II

Mini road trip?  Sure, why not?!?

Last weekend, when Dustin and I went up to the Seattle area for a wedding we took Josh with us, but we didn't bring him back.  He stayed behind to catch a flight to Virginia to see his girlfriend, Ashley, who moved east for a new job a couple months ago.  Great plan... except when he flew back to Seattle without a rig to get home.

In comes Phase II of the plan -- Road Trip!

I offered to drive up and get Josh [after all, we took him up, so it was only fair to help him get back], on one condition... someone would drive with me.  So I called my bestie, Keicia, who happens to be a PRO at road trips [note: She lives in Montana, Fiance' lives in Spokane, Mom lives in Lake Stevens, In-Laws live in Lewiston..... she travels a LOT] and we planned our quick trip to retrieve Josh.

Keicia arrived in Burbank shortly after I got home from work on Friday.  We let Porter play with his girlfriend, Keicia's spunky little boxer puppy [Roxie], for a few minutes before dropping him off for a sleepover with my sister and her dog, Koa.

We packed along Roxie, her spunky spit-fire boxer puppy, and planned to spend the night in Lake Stevens with Tammy and Lori.  We arrived just in time for some snacks, wine, beer and dinner!  Roxie pestered the two munchkin dogs [we're allowed to call them bitchy because by definition they're both bitches] and begged for any scrap of food that she could get, we ate a delicious dinner and homemade cookies, enjoyed fun conversation sitting on the deck until the sun went down, played an intense game of 'Oh Hell' [a card game that is definitely more fun when at least one person doesn't quite understand the rules], and laughed much of the night away.

Aside from my favorite pair of flip-flops breaking [also the ONLY pair of shoes I took to Seattle] and hearing the phrase "swollen vulva" [one of the bitchy dogs was in heat -- maybe explaining part of her moodiness ;) just maybe] more than I ever have in my life, it was the best night in a long time!  I got to spend the whole day with Keicia, enjoy a fabulous dinner that I didn't have to cook, be surrounded with great company, play with an adorable puppy, and sleep in a comfy bed!

We DID end up retrieving Josh after a quick visit with his Aunt Lori [who rescued him from the airport in the wee hours of the morning after his flight landed] once we found the right apartment.  Then we had a nice little lunch and hit the road!  Josh and Roxie both enjoyed a nap along the way, too!

After making it safely home Porter was excited to see us, but not as excited as he was to see his girlfriend, Roxie, again.  They played as long as they could before Keicia had to kidnap Roxie and go back to Lewiston.  Porter might be big.... but he's a big baby at heart and knows that he has to be gentle and that the little one gets to 'win' when they play!  [For now.  When she's full grown, it's on!]

All in all, this has been a great weekend.... and it's only Saturday :)




[Thanks SO MUCH to Keicia for going with me, to Tammy and Lori for hosting us, to my sister for watching Porter and to Josh for being the reason we got to go on our little road trip!]

Kidney Stones, Foul Balls and Wedding Bells

The last several days have been a roller coaster ride of emotions... That, along with a road trip and lack of sleep makes for an eventful experience!

So let's start at the beginning.  Thursday.  Dustin texted me around 10am, nearly giving me a heart attack.  This is all he said:  "Gary may take me to ER"  That's it.  Horrible, I tell you!  Do not EVER text someone something like that without an explanation.  Just don't.  It's mean.

I finally called and spoke with Dustin to find out that he was in a lot of pain due to what was almost certainly a kidney stone.  He was laid out on the concrete floor at work trying find a comfortable position to ease the pain.  --  I drove out to see him during my lunch and he thought he was starting to feel a bit better. --  Unfortunately, that didn't last long.

Just after I had left work, Dustin called asking if I would take him to the ER.  After several hours, blood work, a CT scan, and lots of pain meds we knew that it WAS a kidney stone.  We went home and thus began a sleepless night for me.  [I don't sleep well when I am stressed or worried... and I don't sleep at all when I'm stressed AND worried]  Knowing that we were supposed to leave for a weekend in Seattle the next day didn't make things much better.  Each time I looked at the clock I saw less time left to try to sleep.

ER - before pain meds... poor guy

Thankfully, pain meds kicked in and Dustin slept most of the night and even felt well enough to go into work for part of the day.  Then, we were off to Seattle!



I have a *cousin* [we haven't quite figured out the technical term of our relation... but have settled on being cousins as an easy explanation without whipping out the whole family tree] who works for Root Sports, the station that films and broadcasts the Seattle Mariner's Games.  We have been lucky enough to get tickets from him several years in a row, and this time we were able to take Josh and Didi with us :)

Party Foul via Foul Ball

The game was a blowout, but what was even more entertaining was Dustin's failed interaction with a foul ball.  When we arrived at the stadium, Didi and I told the boys that if a foul ball was hit our way, it was their job to catch it or keep it from hitting us [at the very least].  They both ASSURED us that it was impossible for the ball to land near our seats [20 rows up behind home plate].  Let's just say that they were wrong.  Somewhere in the bottom of the 7th inning, the batter hit a foul ball and it was headed straight for us.  The father and son sitting behind us reached out [Dustin wasn't paying much attention, apparently] and knocked the ball down, and it took out Dustin's full glass of [$10] beer.  Thankfully, nobody was hurt, we got a lot of laughs out of it, and the 'Mariners' bought Dustin a replacement beer.

After the game we found our way to a local bar and enjoyed a few drinks before settling in for the night.  Thankfully, there was a sudden downpour accompanied by thunder and lightening, which helped cool down Didi's top floor apartment.  Unfortunately, that didn't help Josh [who forgot the air pump for his inflatable mattress] who ended up sleeping on the couch, which is about 3 or 4 feet shorter than he is.

Josh > Couch

Saturday morning we got up and walked to breakfast before returning to Didi's apartment to get ready for Dani & Tom's wedding.

So helpful... most of the time!

Dani & Tom had a beautiful wedding ceremony in a small church in downtown Seattle followed by a wonderful reception in their back yard, sitting on the edge of the cutest little lake.  The ceremony and reception featured perfect touches from the Bride and Groom and their families, including Tom's Polish roots.  The whole evening was perfectly described by Bryce as 'intimate' when he gave a touching speech at the reception.... followed by speeches from many members of the wedding party leaving few dry eyes.  Dustin and I were truly honored to be included in their special day!

After the wedding we retreated to the Wittman Bed & Breakfast [aka Connor and Kristin's house, with scones provided by the one and only Brynn!] for a much needed night's sleep.  After a sleepless Thursday night, followed by sleeping on the floor Friday, I couldn't wait to spend the night in a real bed... even if it wasn't my own just yet.

Sunday we got up and made the drive back to Tri-Cities and picked up our big boy from my parents house.  He must have had a fun weekend, too, because he was soooo tired.  Dustin and Porter and I all settled in for a relaxing afternoon... nap included!

In between unpacking, naps and snacks, we watched the Mariner's game we went to that we had recorded... we found Dustin and Josh in the crowd a couple times!

Josh... tall guys are easy to find!

I spied Dustin walking up the stairs.... to get the beer that the foul ball demolished.

All in all.... it was a good weekend.  It most certainly improved from the way it started!  But I'm definitely ready for a less eventful week or two to come!

Lucky Lady

Quite some time ago I made two postings... a 'Love List' and the opposite.  Dustin made a comment about not being one of the items on my love list, and I assured him that he was a big part of the 'friends and family' bullet point.

But, after all, he really does deserve his own bullet point... even better... his own blog post!  [So here it is honey, a post all about how I'm the luckiest lady out there to have you as my husband!]

First off, Dustin and I technically met in a Conspiracy Theories class in college.  Sounds fabulous, right?  Well, between his choice spot directly behind me [on the days I went to class, due to a carefully orchestrated trade-off schedule between myself and a couple other classmates], and my shyness and lack of desire to socialize with boys I barely knew.... we didn't really know each other despite being in the same class for an entire semester.

We later got to know each other [are you ready for this?] via msn messenger!  My best friend, Keicia, was dating a friend of his, so he had seen us together and started asking her about me [through myspace -- of which ALL of the messages he sent to her, she forwarded to me].  I looked him up on facebook/myspace and then we eventually exchanged emails/messenger messages as it was a much easier way of communicating while pretending to pay attention in class.  Typing messages looks a lot like typing notes, right?

Long story short, we started hanging out, went on a few casual dates, he asked me out and then a few years later, here we are!  [Was that a little too condensed?  Too bad... that's all]

So here's my 'Lucky List' of all the reasons why I am so lucky to have Dustin in my life:

• No matter what I do, I know that he loves me.
• He can always make me smile, even if it means tickling me and getting yelled at 5 seconds later.
• He's got some mean BBQ skills
• He makes fun of me.  This might seem like a negative, but when I take things too seriously, it's nice to have him bring me back to a less tense state of mind.
• He lets me be right... all the time.  Even though I'm always right anyway, right?  ;)
• He has the BEST work ethic of anyone I know.  He works hard at work, putting in more hours a week than most people, and still comes home and helps with anything that needs to be done... even if it takes a few extra days sometimes.
• He has a hobby... collecting beer bottles and learning everything he can about beer.  While this also might not seem like a reason I am super lucky, let me explain. If Dustin DIDN'T have a hobby, he'd probably be too boring and clingy and I wouldn't have time for myself.  A girl needs her own space and time every once-in-a-while.
• He's not afraid to be a goof.  He'll make fun of himself just as much as he makes fun of me, and he goes out of his way to be silly from time to time just for my benefit.
• He adores my niece and nephew.  Not every guy would look forward to get-togethers with his in-laws like Dustin does.  He let's Abby and Andrew jump on him, climb on him, fight over him and drag him all over the place.  I know someday he'll be even better with his own kid[s]!
• He loves and respects my parents, sisters, grandparents and extended family.  This is a big one... and he passes with flying colors!  He will go out of his way to help my family when asked [he's currently on his way to go help my sister unload a moving van into a storage unit], he makes sure to shave before seeing my grandma because he knows she prefers it.
• He LOVES our furry child.  Even though he didn't really think it was a good idea to get a puppy, as soon as we brought Porter home, Dustin made him a priority.  He comes home and plays with him, even after an exhausting day at work, and cares more about him than he even thought possible [which we found out after our scary weekend at the vet two weeks ago].
• He tells me I'm beautiful every day, even when I'm not feeling so pretty.
• He gives me a hug and kiss every morning before he goes to work... even if he's running late.
• He scrapes my windows for me during the winter.
• He offers to put my towel in the dryer while I'm in the shower so I have a nice toasty towel when I get out, or to put my blanket or slippers in the dryer before I go to bed.
• He'll drive and get me a soda when I'm need of caffeine, and I'm too lazy to go.
• When I'm gone... like this weekend... he is willing to spend his 'free time' doing things around the house when he should be relaxing.
• He has the cutest dimples... :)
• He lets me play 'odd or even' without it ever being his turn!
• He continues to play games with me, even though I really like to win... and usually do ;)
• He always eats what I make for dinner... even if it looks like a science experiment gone wrong.
• He makes me be more outgoing.  I tend to be a home-body if left to my own agenda, so it's nice to have someone who wants to go do things.
• He introduced me to his amazing circle of friends and his large [LARGE] family... all who have openly accepted and welcomed me
• He puts up with.
• He balances me.
• He supports me.
• He calms my nerves.
• He truly, truly loves me... even when I may not always deserve it.

Now, this list is obviously not complete, nor will it ever be, as I am always discovering more reasons I love him and more reasons why I am lucky to have him.  Every.  Single.  Day!

I Choose Peace...

Some people say, "Prepare for the worst, Hope for the best".  Unfortunately, I tend to get stuck on that first part.  Prepare for the worst.  And because that has been ingrained in my head, I find myself always assessing a situation and preparing for the worst... coming up with all the [bad] possible outcomes and working myself into a frenzy.

     But why?

I know it's important to be aware that there is always the potential for something bad to happen, but always expecting the worst and just worrying about it happening is no way to go into every situation of every day.

Expecting bad things to happen really takes a toll on your attitude and can truly have an affect on the outcome of your day.  If you are constantly on guard, watching and waiting for something bad to happen, you aren't giving yourself any chance to enjoy your surroundings, company and life.

A friend once told me that we, whether we call ourselves realists or pessimists, often become self-fulfilling prophecies.  If all we do is dwell on the negatives and expect something horrible to happen.... we practically will it to happen -- after all, if all we do is anticipate the bad, we aren't able to see the good that is happening around us.

The most [or only] peaceful place in Burbank

This was an old post that was left as a draft for quite a while... and after everything that happened with Porter over the last week, I've realized just how important this concept is.  If all I do is worry about if Porter will ever again walk with full strength and control, I'm blinding myself to all the little victories and joys of having him here with us.

Not long ago I came across a picture that said simply this:  "I choose peace, not ________."  Yes, the blank was there, so you customize it to your needs and situations.

I'm going to try very hard to focus my thoughts on this whenever I start to think negatively, or feel anxious about something.

So for today... I choose peace, not worry.  I choose peace, not control.  And I choose peace, not doubt.

     

 I'm pretty sure Porter has this peaceful thing down pretty well :)

Our Worst Nightmare in Living Color

I'm usually a fairly laid back person, trying to find the bright side of things, able to roll with the punches... but with that said, I also tend to get overly paranoid about some things.

When we first got our puppy Porter I was worried about everything.  Would he eat too much food too fast, would he fall down the front steps, would he suffocate if we put too many blankets in his crate, would he choke on the squeaker that he managed to chew out of the squeaky toy...?

And thankfully, I've never had to experience any of those things (except maybe stumbling down the stairs a time or two).

Unfortunately, a week ago [almost exactly] I came home and soon discovered that something had happened to Porter.

I noticed that he was walking a bit oddly and would drag a back foot every so often.  Within a few minutes that turned into barely being able to walk.  I called Dustin and he rushed home so we could take Porter to the vet.  [insert extreme panic and frustration here... our vet isn't open on Fridays, and none of the places I was calling [oops, while driving.  Dustin was in the back laying with Porter] would accept emergency walk-ins]

We eventually ended up at Meadow Hills.  Dustin had to carry Porter, who was now panting and salivating much more than usual, into the vet where we rushed into the back to let the doctors take a look at him.

That began our 5 hour, nearly $700, tearful wait.  I'm pretty sure we were both in shock.  And what made it worse was that we were kept away from Porter, out in a waiting room, only hearing from the doctor a few times during the long period of time we were there.  We had absolutely no idea what could have happened.  Poison?  Injury?  Stroke?  All we knew was that his blood work and urinalysis came back normal, with no indication of what was causing Porter's symptoms.

After not nearly enough answers for the amount of money we forked over, we had to transfer Porter to the Mid-Columbia Pet Emergency Services clinic in Pasco.  This place is AMAZING.  They got us right in, let us sit next to Porter and stay as long as we wanted, and spent as much time talking with us and explaining things as we needed.  Although we had very little information, we left Porter in good hands for the night and headed home.

After an almost entirely sleepless night, we got up early to go see our boy.  At this point Dustin and I were still a complete mess.  I started bawling when I saw one of Porter's footprints on the kitchen floor... Dustin said he had started crying in the shower because he saw some of Porter's hair... yup... we're that awesome.

When we got to PES we were taken back to see Porter right away and were greeted by a few wags of Porter's tail (which, in itself, was an improvement from the night before).  The doctor told us that he didn't eat or drink anything all night and hadn't gone to the bathroom even though he was on an IV all night.  She suggested we take him out to walk in the grass and see if he would go for us.

Porter was still extremely weak and unsteady, requiring the assistance of a special sling that we had to slide under his abdomen and hold up to help him walk.  He was stronger than the night before, but couldn't walk more than about 15ft before laying down and panting.  BUT once we made it out to the grass he sniffed around and found a spot to go to the bathroom.... having to lay down half way through doing his business because he couldn't stand.

We made it back inside and sat with him while the doctors went over their most recent blood work and urinalysis, along with an x-ray.  Still nothing.

Although we had no concrete diagnosis, the doctors were leaning towards a few options 1) neuro-toxin  2) fibrocartilaginous Embolic Myelopathy  or  3) some sort of a spine or disc injury.  If it was a toxin, there wasn't much we could do at this point other than continued IV and getting him to eat and drink and then see what happened.  If it was #2, FCEM [which I can't pronounce], his condition would slowly begin to improve and after three weeks we would see the full progress that would be made... sometimes only 60-80% of what the animals former ability was.  If it was the third option, he would always have some discomfort unless we opted to travel to WSU Vet Teaching Hospital and have an exam and MRI conducted, and possibly surgery to correct any problems.  None of the options sounded better than the others.... they each had their good points and bad (prognosis, recovery time, expense, etc.).My parents came to see Porter [and make us go get food... we hadn't eaten dinner the night before since we were at the vet and had come straight to PES that morning without bothering to eat.  We didn't have appetites anyway], get an update, and then Porter was treated to a doggy massage and chiropractic adjustments before we left for lunch.

After taking a short [but MUCH needed] nap and eating a little bit we went back to see Porter.  We were very pleasantly surprised to find him moved to a bigger kennel [they even washed all the blankets we had brought in with him the night before so that he would have them in his new area] and sitting up excited to see us!  The doctors said that he was still wobbly, a bit weak and unsteady, BUT that he was acting much more alert, and was sitting and standing on his own from time to time.

We took him out for a walk WITHOUT needing the sling and could tell he was starting to do a bit better.

[Now that I'm writing this, I'm realizing how only a couple days seemed like weeks at the time.  It felt like forever had passed between getting to see Porter each time.  I'm sure stress, worry and lack of sleep has a lot to do with that.... just a guess.]

After emptying his bladder, we all settled in for a family nap in the kennel [yes, IN the kennel... it was that big!].  It was nice to hear the doctor mention that she wished more pet owners [or pet mommies and daddies] would be like us and be willing to spend so much time with their pets and snuggle with them.  After our little nap, my parents came back with my sister to visit Porter again, and even smuggled in some treats!

We took another short break to get some dinner [we actually had a little bit of our appetites back after seeing an improvement in Porter] and to grab some things from home for Porter.  I think the doctors and vet techs thought we were moving in!  We had several of Porter's toys, his giant food container and dishes, treats and pepperoni, blankets, and of course... his pillow.

The doctors were so wonderful and encouraging.  The doctor that had been there Friday night when we first arrived came back in Saturday night and couldn't believe the progress he had made in the time that she had been gone.  She even asked if we wanted to take him home!  We [reluctantly] opted to leave Porter at PES for another night... he would get another night of IV to help flush out anything bad in his system, and would have around the clock eyes on him just in case he needed anything.  Dustin and I also needed to attempt to get a decent night's sleep, which I knew wouldn't be possible if we took Porter home... remember that bit about me being a worry-wart?

After another night away from our Puppy we were ready to bring him home!  We were feeling more rested and much better than we had the last two days.... Dustin even managed to sleep in a little and I even did my makeup!  I'm surprised the employees at PES even recognized me when we went to get Porter.  I hadn't bothered to do so much as throw my hair in a ponytail the days before.

We picked up a VERY excited Porter [excited was great to see.... he was definitely getting his attitude and personality back], along with all of his stuff.  I found myself crying in the car on the way home, but this time they were happy tears.  We finally got to have our puppy home again.

So where are we now?  Porter has regained a LOT of his strength and ALL of his personality and spunk.  He has a long way to go in his recovery, but we're amazed with his progress in just a short [no.... long...] week since this nightmare started.  We're still crying a lot of tears.... the first time he climbed up on the couch by himself, the first time he picked up one of his toys wanting to play, the first time he army-crawled again... happy tears.  Happy tears knowing that we still have our puppy with us after what could have been a weekend ending with a much worse outcome.

Porter has enjoyed way too many treats since he's been home, but Dustin is a bit of a push-over and wouldn't have it any other way.  What better way to a boy's heart than through his stomach, right?  He's also improved enough that he's been able to have a couple [low key] play dates with his best friend, Koa.  They get cranky that we won't let them run and rough-house too much yet, but that will all come with time.

While we still don't know exactly what happened or how, it doesn't matter to me as much anymore.  Yes, it'd be helpful to know what caused all of this to help avoid it or to know better how to proceed with Porter's care, but so long as Porter is home and healthy and continuing to make small improvements every day... I'm happy and content.

Porter is not enjoying his 24/7 supervision... especially because he can't be sneaky and get under the deck or bark at the neighbors... but I think he'll just have to get used to it.  It'll be a LONG time before he's allowed outside by himself or allowed to be left alone.  But I don't think he's hating the extra attention either ; )

I don't think a day will go by that I won't look at Porter and smile at his playfulness, be grateful to be his human, and thank God that he's still with us.  And a special thank you to my parents for being there for us this weekend in more way than one, Dustin's parents for caring so much and not giving up, and to all our friends and family who have been so thoughtful and caring and supportive.  Porter is definitely loved by many!

Poor baby...  [Saturday morning]

Sleepy boy... sleepy mommy [Saturday afternoon]

Very sleepy Dustin!  [Saturday afternoon]

Happy faces... Doctor said he was showing LOTS of improvements!  [Saturday evening]

On our way HOME!!!!  [Sunday morning]

Playdate with Koa!  [Wednesday afternoon]

Sleeeeeeeepy boy after spending the day with Papa and Koa   [Thursday afternoon]

Porter got a Get Well card from Dustin's Parents today!  [Friday afternoon]

Car Karma...

Today... I sold my car!  No big deal, right?  Not quite.  First of all, this means that I don't have a car now.  [Thankfully, due to my incredibly amazing parents, I have a car to drive until we buy something else.]  Secondly, this was MY car.  Not a car my parents bought for me when I got my license, not my best friend's hand-me-down car, or my husband's car.... MY car.  My money bought it, my name was on the title, my memories adding up to thousands of miles on the odometer.

[sappy moment over now, momentarily]

With that said, Kirmy [my former car's name], was a temperamental, attention seeking, bi-polar jerk.  He was used when I got him, so it is expected that there would be some kinks in his performance... but Kirmy did not make life easy.  In the last year alone I can't even count on two hands the number of things we had to repair and replace.  It was also a special talent of his to magically stop making a funny noise, or to not have the check engine light on, or to run perfectly whenever I took him to my dad or uncle for help.

However, my dad has reminded me that over the years I have had incredibly good "Car Karma".  The first car I owned was a little, red, Mitsubishi Mirage that my Uncle picked up [Auction, Swap Meet, or something of the sort] and fixed up for me.  There were dings in the side, a broken radio and no horn because the airbag had been deployed and left a hole in the steering wheel... but I loved it!  I'm not sure if I loved it because of the color, because it was cheap [and I didn't have to pay for it], OR because I knew it was a LOT nicer than what I could have ended up with... my sister, Rachel, drove an old Plymouth Acclaim 'Granny Car' when she first got her license.  Mimi the Mitsubishi served me well all through high school and took me to college, too.  Sadly, she wouldn't make it through my freshman year.

On November 3rd, 2006 [yes, I remember the day] I left early in the morning to head home.  First disclaimer: I am an *excellent* multi-tasker [currently watching tv, writing a blog, listening to Dustin talk, and laughing at Porter], second disclaimer: one should NEVER attempt to multi-task while driving.  Just after passing Walla Walla I was in need of a new CD and went to switch it out.  When I grabbed a new one to put into the CD player I dropped it and it fell onto the floor of the passenger side of the car.  Apparently, thinking that I possessed 'go-go gadget arms' I decided to reach for the lost CD.  Unfortunately, when I leaned over to grab the CD, I pulled the wheel with me, sending me off the right side of the road... which wouldn't have been too bad, except that I over corrected, crossed the oncoming lane of traffic and started to go off the other side of the road/embankment... which also wouldn't have been the end of the world, except that I attempt to correct again, which sent my car flipping [not rolling, flipping, according to an on-looker].

Now this is where the Car Karma comes into play.  My car 'flipped' 4 times.  The contents of my car were strewn about EVERYWHERE [including the dirty laundry I was packing home to wash in a machine that didn't require quarters to operate].  The front, right wheel was bent sideways [the hubcap was flat on the ground], as was one of the rear wheels. There was a hole in the roof directly above the driver's seat.  There was a boulder about the size of a soccer ball that magically appeared inside my car.  And, suffice to say, most of the exterior body was dented in some way or another.

And how did I come out, you ask?  [Are you remembering earlier when I mentioned my car didn't have an airbag anymore?] -- I had a small bruise on the back of my right hip, a small scratch on my right hand, and a small scratch on my forehead.

When my dad came to pick me up, after an officer drove me back into Walla Walla, we went to look at my poor Mimi who had been transported to a local salvage yard.  While we were gathering items out of my dead car, the employee made the comment to my dad that he sincerely hoped the driver would be okay.  When my dad pointed to me, saying that I had been driving the car, the man looked at me in disbelief and said that I had better thank my guardian angel... because he had never seen someone walk away from a wreck like that.

So even though Kirmy had his bad moments, and my hand-me-down car from Keicia didn't last too long, I'm reminded that *overall* I've had amazing Car Karma.  Even though I was in a seemingly bad accident, my car took the whole of the damage, most likely saving my life.  Now, when we start looking for a new car for me, I can only hope that my Car Karma will continue to stay positive.... and that my guardian angel can find me in my new car, too!

A Tribute

If you know me well, or have even glanced at my facebook page, you know that I have a dog... and have never loved an animal so much in my life.  Anyone who has a dog, especially their first, knows that a dog is not simply a pet.  A dog is your child... with fur.  When they play, we laugh; when they sleep, we swoon; when they do tricks, we marvel at their intelligence; when they do ANYTHING remotely cute we take a picture and share it with the world.  To those without dogs, it might seem like we're obsessed... but I think we're just in love.  Puppy love.

It is because our dogs are so loved, as intricate parts of the family, that we are so affected by them.  When they are sick or have surgery, it's disheartening having to sit idly by.  And when we suffer the loss of their life, it feels as though a piece of our hearts has been torn out.

       

Sadly, doggie heaven recently welcomed a new soul... my furry nephew, Bosun.  While he wasn't here in our world nearly long enough, you better believe that he had an amazingly wonderful life!  Keicia and Eric were the best mumsy and daddy a puppy could have asked for.  He had tons of toys, his own lifejacket for trips to the river, a warm spot on the couch [when Eric wasn't looking], a taste for coffee [when Keicia wasn't looking], a love of ANYTHING you were eating [including Oreos], a love of car rides, and was incredibly loved by everyone around him.  Nobody could go by without looking at that handsome [maybe a little [c]hunky] boy.

While we can't yet fully believe that he's gone, we know that doggie heaven is a better place with his presence and that our lives were all better with his playfulness, drool, farts and barks in it.  Everyone that met him will truly miss him and not soon forget his playful personality and loving spirit.

We will love and miss you forever, Bosun!

       

"It's just the most amazing thing to love a dog, isn't it?  It makes our relationships with people seem as boring as a bowl of oatmeal." -John Grogan

"Whoever said you can't buy Happiness forgot about puppies." -Gene Hill

"Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole."
-Roger Caras

"Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished." -Dean Koontz

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." -Will Rogers

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself."  -Josh Billings

       

"Whoever said that diamonds are a girl's best friend never had a dog"  -Anon

So if you are lucky enough to have a puppy in your life, heart, and family give them an extra treat, belly rub and kisses tonight.  They might not be able to tell you how much they love you in words, but every other action they take is overflowing with love for you...