Completely logical

Maybe this dog was just trying to get a chance at chasing (and actually catching) some cars.

Enjoy!

Goodnight WildDog

I read this article recently about pet hospice and realized I was already doing it. WildDog, our elderly sheepdog was a funny, orderly, mischievous devil of a dog.

We got WildDog from a rescue, by accident. He was supposed to go to someone else, and they decided they didn't want him. We were looking at another dog when they told us he was ready for us.  Dahey knew he was the dog for him as soon as he saw him, so we hurried down the highway on a cold, snowy day and picked him up.

The foster family told us he got queasy in cars. Dahey held him all the way home in his lap. He did just fine as long as he was petted while he was riding in a car. This always made going to the groomer and the vet an adventure. I told WildDog, "If you are good, you'll get a cookie," and he'd watch me put the cookie in my purse or pocket. He'd try to get at it, if he thought he could get it. However, he could be a perfect gentleman. It just varied.

WildDog was famous for flying through the air and snatching things off counter tops. Dahey was an eyewitness or I never would have believed that he really did eat all those blueberry muffins I wrapped up for my sister for breakfast from the MegaWarehouseStore. He also loved good loaves of bread. Not those artisanal ones Grumpy may talk about, but good, slightly soft, bread that is not cheap. I cannot count the number of loaves that he "opened" (i.e. chewed a hole in) to eat a couple of slices and leave the remaining loaf lying on the living room floor (since this is where he liked to eat his snacks.)

He was a great companion. He came from a breed known for herding, guarding and sticking close to humans. He was really my dog, because he picked me, but Dahey was his alpha dog. When Dahey travelled for work, he didn't always listen to me. It would take a couple of weeks. Sometimes, I had to put Dahey on speakerphone for the dog to listen. Occasionally, he relented.

When Bubba came along, he bonded with him over fistfuls of spaghetti. Bubba loved launching handfuls from his high chair and watching WildDog run. They had their spats (he even bit Bubba once), but the boys got along well.

Tonight, even after the gentle warnings, I had given Bubba about WildDog dying for months, Bubba cried and cried. WildDog was the only dog he'd ever had his entire life. He was his furry brother.

We will miss the pet, but character and spirit of WildDog, the charming little herding dog, will live on in our hearts.

Good night WildDog. See you at the Rainbow Bridge.

Animal adventures

WildDog is a typical senior citizen dog. He eats, he sleeps. He goes outside.

Lately, his "going" outside is turning into "going" inside. Thank goodness for protective finishes on floors, but I think the carpet cleaning firm is going to send me a thank you card this year for all the business WildDog has made for them. Scotchgard or not, we still have to have them cleaned regularly.
WildDog is very attached to the carpets Dahey has on some of our floors, because he sleeps on them.

He's getting better. Most of the time he's having accidents on the reasonably priced (and easy to clean) doormats my friend F. told me about at the hardware store where she works. They also keep him from sliding on the shiny parts of the floor.

Bubba is having adjustment issues to his braces. He's wearing some interesting spacing appliance now that has to be tightened each day. He's keeping his mind off the soreness right now by watching animal shows.

Maybe he'll be a doctor after all, like some of his relatives, but a doctor for pets instead.

For me, I just want to go here and see these animals as I slide down the water slide.

Hope you enjoy your weekend wherever you are!

My dog would love it

Bacon toothpaste? I heard a story about this on  the news, and didn't really believe it.

Yes, it really exists. I like bacon, but will stick with my mint flavored stuff, thankyouverymuch!

News flash

Yes, if you needed documentation on this very important subject, here it is:

Scientists decipher dog-tail wags (from bbc.co.uk)

Thank goodness WildDog has a long enough tail to really read!

That is all.

I needed a laugh

And the Shaming section on Little White Lion provided it today. Thanks to my old nursing clinical instructor J.

Ah, memories of WildDog in his youth, running up and snatching bread, muffins and potato chips off the counter tops, before any humans would find them.

He was (and still is) smart. Leave him unattended, and he'll steal the stuff when he figures that you're gone to work for the day.

May none of your pets end up eating anything too messy or expensive!

Stay tuned...

Nuggets for July 3

Okay, I could have waited for tomorrow and had fireworks, but I had to post this today.

Stuff's just too good to wait, and I'll be busy keeping WildDog out of trouble (i.e. chasing errant people and fireworks.)

An interesting juxtapostion
I forgot how I found Jess's Juxtapositions blag, but I really enjoyed her post On Central Lines. Nurses: you'll never think about them the same way again. I know I won't!

RIP 
You may not realize it, but if you look at your computer and see a little thing with buttons and a cord, you have to thank this guy. Who can think of computing before the mouse?

RIP Douglas Englebart, inventor of the computer mouse.

A law we need in RehabLand

If you assault a healthcare provider, you should go to jail. Period. You will very soon in the state of Texas.

If you're 50, don't ever do this
Not sure what you shouldn't do? Check this article. Some items are funny, some just look like they'd hurt.

As a contrarian, of course, I'll ignore some of the advice, like Jell-o shots. (I hate people telling me what I can or cannot eat!)

Enjoy your fireworks wherever you are!

The good news and the bad news

The good stuff first (aka Why wait until dessert?)

Big boss was thrilled once he saw my article that was published. Immediately sent it to one of the bigwigs.

WildDog survived his yearly trip to the groomer recently, even if he is becoming eccentric in his old age. He tried to swim in a shallow bathtub, the groomer told me. What he most likely did: tried to escape. He hates water with a passion.

I got my toes painted Tutti Frutti Tonga. I skipped the French manicure, though.

The bad news

Brother was readmitted to the hospital...yet again.

In my haste leaving the meeting with travelling partner and the boss, I ran into a concrete pilon at work. I called security on-site to report it, and they did not want to write a report.

Everyone needs a little paint and new plastic once in a while. More to come...

Do you really think...

I need my house cleaned? Not anymore!

Left to her own devices, RehabRN got out the vac after work, terrorized WildDog by putting him in his room (so he would stop chasing the vacuum), mopped and made dinner all before the guests arrived. Don't worry...he got his cookie for relaxing in his room (he just tries to make me feel guilty!)

Whew! Now for another scoop of pistachio ice cream...I worked hard!

Hope you day went just as well. Traveling partner's been working on the next trip. Who knows...maybe we'll see Elvis.

More later...stay tuned.

Preview

Feeling artsy....

Well, it's a full moon in honor of Dahey's natal day, and it's full of excitement, just like the weekend was.

First, I got to get artsy figuring out how to lay the Tegaderm dressings I had to put on a couple of my patients with PICC lines. Sometimes it gets crazy when the best place for the PICC is not the best place for the dressing, like on the inside of an arm of a patient who's very contracted.

Next, since it was time to bake the annual hubby natal day cake, I got to work early. Thankfully, no one snuck in and ate all the icing like they did last year. Between kid and dog, I'm not sure who's worse...and yes, I know cake and icing is not good for dogs. Tell the WildDog that for me, would you? Maybe I'll just get him his own, like this dog....

After that, I tried Photoshopping, cropping and beautifying some of our vacation photos. Another artsy thing I like to do even though I'm not the greatest. When in doubt: grayscale hides a lot!

Finally, I got the note from grad school saying my poem was accepted into the Medical Campus student journal. I have never been published in any capacity as a nurse.

Should prove to be an interesting week...stay tuned!

Wild and fun

The wild part:

In the middle of the day, I let our dog out on the front porch. He likes to bark at everything, but I noticed he had an unusual bark at something today. I looked out and a very large red fox was running around in the yard across the street. In our neck of the woods, it's not an uncommon site in the early morning hours, but at mid-morning, it was strange. WildDog decided to come inside, since I would not let him run over and chase the red fox across our street.

The fun part:

Work has actually been pretty pleasant. We are experiencing low census right now and most of the folks are in good moods. Things are getting along swimmingly. I somehow (holding breath) am not working Thanksgiving Day.

I can't wait to get up and bake away. I really love the cooking part of Thanksgiving. This year, I'm also very, very honored to be hosting Change of Shift right here at RehabRN on November 27.

For more information, check out Kim's page on CoS at http://www.emergiblog.com/.

Finally, a major Happy Birthday shout-out to my bro-in-law the major and professor. I hope you enjoy your blast from the past we sent!