9/23 Rainy day fun

It rained all day today. The puppies were good while I was at church but when I got home they were ready to play. After a bath because both of them got in the mud in the backyard, they just both went crazy in the house. Didn't hurt anything, but they were wild.

After they'd gotten muddy I opened the door, yelled at them, and Quincy went into my bathroom and jumped in the bathtub. Can't get her to stop jumping on people, but she jumps into the bathtub without being told. Pretty funny.

Cookie doesn't like the bathtub as much as Quincy, but she tolerates it. Right now they're wrestling on my bed, but at least they are clean. For now.

I watched a Food Challenge on the Food Network this afternoon. It was a challenge on making Mac and Cheese. They all looked so good--I made some myself. Used some shredded cheese I had (Colby, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar), and I had bought some fresh Asiago, so I grated some of that in the roux. It was really good. Luckily I made a lot of it, so I'll have some to take to work for lunch.

Guess that's it. Not a lot happening on this rainy, gloomy, muddy day. Singing in the choir was fun though.

9/22 The storm didn't come--yet

We're very grateful that the tropical depression did not turn into a tropical storm. I still have the 10 AM conference call--I guess there might be something else brewing for next week. I'll find out.

Here are some pictures from young Paisley's birthday party last week.















I tried to post some pictures from the dumpster diving episode yesterday but they were sent bitmap for some reason and I can't change them to jpg or gif, so they won't post. I'll try to figure out something else.

9/21 It always changes

The caseworkers can't move today because their new offices aren't finished. So we have utter chaos here in the old state office. The only constant here is that things keep changing. :)

Because of the approaching tropical storm we are extra busy today. I'm sneaking a few minutes while munching on a sandwich. This will be my first tropical storm since moving here. I'm so grateful it's not a hurricane. So many people haven't recovered from Katrina. There are thousands of folks still living in FEMA trailers--much of the country doesn't realize that.

I'll be so happy to stay home with my pups tonight. I have flashlights and batteries and a radio that you can crank up, so I'm prepared for some power outage. I don't really expect much of anything to happen where I live, but we all know it's better to be prepared. The advisories call for 40-50 mph winds and some coastal flooding. I'm eight miles from the coast, so I have my fingers crossed on that.

Will have another conference call tomorrow with a guy from the National Weather Service. He was most helpful this morning.

Keep your fingers crossed.

9/20 Whatever normal is...

It's back to normal at the house. The dogs are playing crazily, eating ice, wrestling, coming up to me for some affection, then back to the craziness. It's business as usual. Yay. I sure missed the little farts.

In the picture they're sitting and waiting for a treat--the only time they sit still together.

Today was so busy and went by quickly. A colleague and I were with a VP from Austin until after lunch today, then I had to go to Hancock County for a meeting. That took up the rest of the day.

Tomorrow morning I have a breakfast meeting with someone who is the executive director of a foundation that gave us some grants. Afterward, it's back to the state office where I'll help the caseworkers move to their new digs. Maria, Willie, and I will move on Tuesday to our new office in Ocean Springs. So much to do...I'll probably work over the weekend some. But Saturday is dedicated to doing some work at home.

Sunday will be church, then I'll come home, get the puppies, and take them to the office with me. That will probably stop them from writing comments on my blog.

(Can't wait to sing with the choir on Sunday.)

Oh, keep watching the weather. We're getting a little nervous about what's brewing in the Gulf.

9/19 Dogless

The dogs are at the kennel because I had a late meeting and just got home. I'll pick them up tomorrow after work.

Right after work I went to choir practice at church. It was awesome. And the director told me I did a great job as an alto. The choir is going to Detroit next week to sing at a major event. Didn't catch the details because I had to leave early to go to a dinner meeting at 7:30 at Mary Mahoney's.

It's an old, old French restaurant with a 2,000 year old live oak tree in front of it. (Nope, the restaurant isn't 2,000 years old, just the tree.) The food was great. We have a visitor from Austin here, and wanted to take him to this restaurant. It's our favorite for new people to experience.

I miss my puppies. Hope I can sleep without them trying to push me out of bed.

9/17 Dinner Impossible

Robert Irvine, the chef from Dinner Impossible on the Food Network, is cooking dinner for volunteers and staff at the Salvation Army place (called Yankee Stadium) in Biloxi. I went there for a while and it smelled awesome. But my dogs had been alone for 5 1/2 hours and I needed to get home. Drat!

But the primary foods were meat and seafood; at least what I saw and smelled. There was a tremendous seafood gumbo being prepared, and I saw ribs and chicken. It will be on TV during the Christmas holidays. That will seem funny because we were all sitting there sweating. :)

Prior to that I had another function to go to and they had baklava. Omigod, I love that stuff. Luckily it's always cut in little pieces since it is so rich. Had two of them.

Got a lot done at work, but problems keep popping up. Guess that's the nature of the job. Lots of stuff going on. This Friday the caseworkers move to their new location, and next Tuesday I move to mine. There will only be three or four of us in the state office in the future, since our case managers and construction folks are stationed at the camps now. It will be quiet. No excuses for not getting my work done--well, except that I'm not in my office all that much. :)

Oh, Quincy did fine for the time left alone today. I figured out that Cookie is the destructive one--chewing cords and my clothes. And poor Cookie had an accident in the crate today. That really surprised me. Anyway, tomorrow they're back to Doggy Day Care. Hooray.

9/16 Linoleum, eating grass, etc.

9/15 Saturday, beach, mud

This morning was good. I picked up Genia and we went to breakfast. Then we got "the girls." Q and C were both happy to see Genia--she's a real dog person, so they love her.

We took them to the beach and the dogs had a ball. Genia kept Cookie and I played with Quincy. I'd bought a 25 foot training rope, so Q was able to play in the water until she was exhausted. Great fun!

Today was Mississippi Gulf Coast clean up day and the beaches were just full of people picking up trash. The good news is that there were plenty of people and not a lot of trash.

Last night I had to leave Genia's party abruptly when my shoulder started hurting pretty bad. Today it felt okay again, until after I got back from the beach. Then it started hurting again. Can't wait until it gets back to normal.

It sucks being old.

9/14 A fun party

Paisly's 13th birthday party was so much fun. There were no other kids there, but she didn't care. She had a ball and was very surprised. After a great meal, topped off with cake and ice cream, she opened presents and then we played games. Everything went well, we all had a good time.

UNTIL Lorena went home. She lives in the same apartment complex as Genia (where the party was held). So on her way home she said she'd throw Genia's trash in the dumpster. A few moments later she knocked on the door, walked in, and she was deathly pale. She said, "You guys will never believe what happened. I threw the trash in the dumpster and my cell phone went with it."

We were all shocked, but giggled. And Genia, after imbibing a few glasses of wine, yelled, "Let's go dumpster diving." Luckily there were cameras, and people brought them outside. Lots of really funny pictures were taken. Can't wait to see them. Most of them are Genia's butt with her legs being held by Lorena and Paisly. We all laughed so hard we were crying.

Tomorrow morning I'm picking up Genia and then we'll get Quincy and Cookie and take them to the beach for a little while. The dogs will LOVE it!

9/13 Another busy day

Got lots done, although half of my day was spent at a meeting in Hancock County, well at least in traveling there and back. It takes almost an hour each way.

After I picked up the dogs and got home it started to rain--bad! Remnants of Hurricane (now Tropical Storm) Humberto. Glad it didn't hit us. But the rain is welcome--except that my dogs like mud too much. So I watched them closely tonight, and I didn't get any mud in the house. Hooray!

Jill and the kids called tonight and I got to see them on webcam. Kayla hadn't seen Cookie yet, so she wanted to see her, and she fell in love.

9/12 Busy

Today I got so much work done that I feel great. Well, also I worked until 9 PM last night to catch up on email.

I think I'm going to put the dogs in the kennel overnight on Friday since I'm invited to a party at Genia's. I always have to leave early to get home for the puppies. But this time I want to stay later. I'll make it up to the pups by taking them to the beach the next day. Genia said she'd go with me as I've never taken both dogs before and don't know if I could handle them. It's hard enough just having them both on leashes normally, but near the water would probably be impossible. It should be fun.

Both dogs are absolutely dog-tired. (Clever, huh?) They fell asleep around 8 so that means they'll be up before 6. Guess I should get to bed soon.

9/11 Memories

Six years ago today we were in shock. Our world changed, and it will never be the same. A friend's husband was in a building attached to the twin towers and his building went down too. But fortunately he escaped. Yet before we knew that, we all prayed and waited.

Such a sad, sad day.

Today I attended a workshop on Vicarious Traumatization--how helpers and caregivers get traumatized even though they weren't at the original event, and what to do about it. It turned into more of a group therapy session than a workshop, but was very helpful. Every day we see staff members struggling. Some of them are hurricane survivors too, but still help others. They are great.

Yet, I often talk to individuals and am struck by how fragile we are, as well as how resilient and strong. I know it sounds like a contradiction but that's what I see. People are on the edge, yet they continue to do excellent work.

9/9 I can't believe it

I'd forgiven Cookie for the glasses and Quincy for the mud. My friends and I had fun. The dogs were tired and slept all night.

This morning they woke up at 5:30 to go out, then we went back to sleep until 7. Everything's perfect so far.

While my coffee was brewing I thought I'd like down for a few moments. I swear it was less than five minutes.

Got up and Quincy dragged a big present to me. I couldn't figure out what it was.

Oh shit! Linoleum! About two feet by six inches.

There was a small hole in the linoleum in the kitchen. One of many "dings" the movers made. She apparently just bit at it and pulled. There wasn't time for her to work at it in a deliberate way.

Yes, I'm mad. And yes, Quincy's still alive.

I've been wanting to replace the cheap flooring and carpet throughout the house. Just not yet.

Guess I'll have to up the schedule quite a lot. Sigh.

9/8 What a damn day

You know I was having company today. Well earlier, I was feeling some residual effects of the pain meds, so took a long nap. When I finally started cleaning the house, I didn't have much time to play around.

First Cookie destroyed my glasses. This was the only thing she's ever destroyed besides her own toys. I cried out loud. Both dogs came to comfort me. It wasn't fair, because I couldn't stay mad at her.

Then Quincy came inside totally muddied up from head to toe. It rained hard and she managed to find all the mud holes. So I threw her in my tub and bathed her. For the next few times I took her out on a leash so she wouldn't get in the mud.

When it was about 15 minutes before my friends were to arrive, I let Q out without thinking and damn, she did it again. Only this time the mud was even in her eyes. God, I was mad! She jumped in the empty tub without me telling her to. Usually she waits until the water starts running, but not this time. She knew.

Despite these problems I had fun playing cards with Genia and Caroline. I'm teaching them to play Texas Hold-em. It'll be awhile before they are ready for a tournament, but it was fun. I plan to play in a tournament at the Hard Rock Casino next Sunday at 3 PM. My first one at a casino. Should be fun.

9/7 Fun

Today was good. I left the dogs alone from 9-1, from 1:30-4:30, and from 6:30-9:30. And they both did so well. They made a mess of my bedroom--a total mess. But they just tore up their own toys, and nothing of mine. So I can't complain. Except I'll have to buy more toys. :)

Tonight I went to dinner with a friend and then to the Hard Rock Casino for a while, where I promptly lost all the money I'd set aside for gambling. Gone. Ah, well. There'll be another time.

Tomorrow night I'm having people over to teach them how to play Texas Hold'em. Then Sunday I have a BBQ to go to. But next Sunday I'm going to enter a poker tournament in the afternoon at Hard Rock. I'm excited about that.

9/7 Life looks good

I slept most of the day yesterday, and still slept all night. Guess that medicine affected me. Wow. Can't believe I slept so much.

Cookie's eyes are much better already--after just four doses of the eye stuff. Now Q's eyes are leaking, so I'm giving her the med too.

Am so glad the meds are pretty much out of my system. It's nice to be able to think clearly, to not sweat, and to not have a headache.

Okay, time to work.

9/6 Falling apart

The pain meds caused a bad reaction. Throwing up, dizziness, and headache--worse than the original symptoms. :) So I quit taking them. This morning went to work for a few hours, but had to come home.

Plus Cookie has conjunctivitis.

It's a strange world when Quincy is the healthiest one in the house.

9/5 A pain in the neck

Finally called the doctor today after being in pain for weeks. My admin assistant threatened me. He's a former Marine and said he was going to call my son and let him know I wasn't taking good care of myself. That scared me enough to make me call.

Funny thing was--my doc is out of town for a week. The doctor on call told the nurse to call in some pain meds for me. I'm buzzing but the pain isn't gone. If it doesn't feel any better in a few days I'm to call back in.

I re-injured it lifting my couch on Sunday. I feel so grateful though--I have some great friends here who have offered to help me in any way I need it. My house is so messy though that I refuse to have anyone over to help. Will wait until I feel a bit better and will try vacuuming again. When I did that on Sunday it made it hurt worse.

What a dork!

9/4 It flew by

I can't believe how the day flew by. I was so incredibly busy that it feels like I didn't accomplish anything, although a lot got done. Tomorrow will prove to be the same I fear.

Today was Cookie's first day at Doggy Day Care. They said she was really friendly, but that she barked all day long. Sure hope that improves. Wouldn't want her to get detention.

Some good news. I think I mentioned that I'm going to work at another Avon Breast Cancer Walk. This one is in Charlotte in October--I'm going to be the Operations Division Leader, which is a role I've played elsewhere. But the good news is that I'll get to see Rob and Beata. I'm flying in a day early and will stay with them. Then Rob will drive me to the site in Charlotte. So I'm thrilled to be able to see some of my family.

9/3 A fun bbq and a bad body

I had a good time at my friend's house. The food was good and the company better. Looking forward to the next time we get together.

I didn't stay long because I sprained my shoulder and neck again. It really, really hurts. And it's sure hard to have these big dogs on leashes. So I'm going to have to be careful.

9/2 Quincy is smart and I found a church

Quincy is a freaking dog genius. She and Cookie have been fighting over a chew toy all day. I've made them take turns with it, but it's not easy. And I put it away while I was at church so they wouldn't fight over it. (They really ARE like sisters.)

But Q figured out a brilliant maneuver. She goes to the door and barks. I open the door. Cookie runs out. Q stays inside and takes the toy. She's an evil genius. (Just noticed that she always wins at tug of war too, because she uses her front paws to help pull. Evil genius I say....)

I went to Mass at Our Mother of Sorrows. It's a tiny little white wooden church in the middle of East Biloxi. Brother Gene said it's about 90 percent African American. The other 10% is white and Vietnamese. It's run by the Redemptorist priests and brothers. They have another one a few blocks away that is 90% Vietnamese. (And about a mile away is the Vietnamese Martyrs Church which is Catholic too. Lots of Vietnamese shrimpers live in the area.)

I enjoyed the service. The pastor, Father Steve, seems nice. And Brother Gene is sweet. So I'm going to join the parish. It's been five years since I've joined a parish, but it's time to get back in the swing of things instead of just hit and miss on church going. So this week I'll become a member of OMOS.

Mom would say that I just made Jesus smile.

9/2 Hurricanes, etc.

Am getting ready for church and looked at the Hurricane Center of NOAA online. I hadn't even heard of Hurricane Felix and it's already at Cat 2. Looks like it's heading for Mexico and turning north for Texas. Of course, the path can change drastically. I'm keeping my colleagues in south Texas in my prayers. Sure hope this one dies out before it hits land in Mexico. But there's slim chance of that.

And there's a tropical storm off Baja California, plus another one in the Atlantic. Things are heating up. So far everything looks good for us here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. But you never know....

My pups are having fun playing with their toys. But I have to wash my bedspread a LOT because that's their favorite playground. This is just like having two toddlers. Except they can't really talk. Except Quincy reminds me of Lassie. She does communicate. She'll bark and go to the door, so I know she needs to go out. She'll bark and put her nose in the empty water bowl, so I know to fill it up. She'll bark when her toy goes under furniture and I'll know I have to get it out for her.

The cool thing is that she'll come to wherever I am, bark and wait for me to follow her. Of course I often say, "What is it girl? Is Timmy in the well?" Aren't I original?

Gotta run. (Oh, the pups slept until 6:38 today. It felt like I was sleeping in.)

9/1 Boring

Today was boring and absolutely wonderful. I'd decided to clean today, but after the pups got me up at 5:18 AM I was tired all day long. Well, at least until my two-hour nap this afternoon. It was fun--both pups curled up with me and napped as well.

So tomorrow I have to clean. Am going to Mother of Sorrows church for Mass. I've been wanting to check out this place. It's downtown and is attended by all different races, most notably Vietnamese. I also understand there are many homeless who attend there too.

Then after Mass, cleaning.

Today the pups were fun. Only bad thing is that they won't eat out of the same bowl. Cookie is possessive of her food. I can understand why. I don't have to worry about them biting anyone else though, because they both gobble down the food so fast it's almost like magic. Abracadabra, the food is gone.

The neighbor puppy finally made it under the fence into our yard. She was still connected by her chain to her own yard. I unhooked her and let her run with my dogs and they had fun. Then I brought her home and told her owner what she'd done. He covered up the hole and shortened her chain so she can't reach the fence. Now I feel horrible. I hate that she's chained up to begin with, and now the chain is shorter. Wish he'd get his damn fence done so the dog can run. He's been working on it since April. Raven is an adorable puppy. She's lonely, but has a great temperament. Ah well, there's nothing more I can do about it. Except I did say I'd pay for a doggy door to be put in the fence between our yards as soon as he finishes his other three sides. I think that will stop the digging.

While I sit here typing, the pups are behind me on the bed asleep. They play hard, but I hate that they are sleeping. That means I'll be getting up early again. Maybe I'll wake them up.

8/31 A good day

The dogs are having fun, but Q keeps barking. She alternates between wanting to go out and wanting Cookie to play tug-of-war.

This morning I went looking for a new office. Our current lease is up next month and the rent is being raised. So I found this great spot in Ocean Springs that we'll probably move into in mid-September, if everything works out. Hope so.

Cookie is well on her way to become the alpha dog. First of all, Quincy doesn't much care. Secondly, we were just outside and we heard a cat howl really loudly. Q came right back to me and sat on my foot. And Cookie ran all around the perimeter of the yard, barking at the "bad guys."

8/31 DDD

DDD=double doggy diarrhea. The vet told me that excitement or anxiety can cause diarrhea. So I'm hoping this is over. It happened last night. Q had a small mishap--the first accident at home since she was sick some weeks back. And Cookie went overboard with the poop. But this morning they both pooped outside. And no pee accidents, so I'm grateful for that.

Cookie and Quincy are absolutely having a ball. They played so much and both slept all night. Q went to the bathroom floor to begin her night as always. And Cookie jumped up on my bed and curled up right into my arm. It made me think about what her life must have been like on the street. All alone and hungry. (She ate like a little piggy here.)

Cookie slept with me all night, and Q joined us for a while. Then Quincy fell off the bed in the early morning hours. Pretty funny.

Right now they are playing well together. Normally at this time Q demands all of my attention. She has so much energy in the morning. Cookie does to, and so they are having a ball. But C is insecure and keeps coming back to make sure I'm still here. I hope this works out--the only thing will be housetraining. So far, so good (except for the DDD).

8/29 Early early day

Got up at 4 AM, picked up Heather and Mark at 5:15 at their hotel in Gulfport and we made our way to the Gulfside Assembly in Waveland. The church itself is completely gone, but God made a perfect cathedral for us. The sun rose over the eastern part of the Gulf as we gathered together, to commemorate the second anniversary of Katrina. Most religions were represented--many Christian denominations as well as Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist. The service was inspiring and I felt such solidarity with everyone there. It was so worth getting up that early.

Afterward we went to the Waffle House for breakfast. It's the only restaurant open in that whole area. And it was absolutely delicious. Following that we had a staff meeting in Long Beach, and had lunch there with the case managers. Then 30 miles to Ocean Springs for our last meeting at Camp Victor before the hospitality portion moves to another not-for-profit. Got a lot accomplished.

Left there at 4:50 PM and I was knackered to the bone. Stopped at the grocery store, since it's a ton easier to do without dogs. :) Can't wait to pick them up tomorrow evening and bring them home. I really miss Quincy, and am dying to get to know Cookie.

8/28 Cookie

Yep, that's her name. She is absolutely adorable! Such a sweetheart and so loving. Or maybe that was the anesthetic. :)

She and Quincy had a great time in the back of the SUV though, and I think they'll be great friends--sisters even.

Unfortunately neither one of them are home with me. I worked until just a little while ago. My boss is in town and we had lots of meetings. So Q is spending two nights at Doggy Day Care, and Cookie is staying at the vet's. She's got to be kept quiet for 7-10 days, and Doggy Day Care would definitely rip out her stitches. She'll get to go there during the day beginning next week.

For now, I'm beat. I have another long day tomorrow. Have to get up at 4 because we're going to a sunrise service in in Waveland, MS. Tomorrow is the second anniversary of Katrina. And Waveland is the first place Katrina hit in Mississippi. Waveland, Bay St. Louis, and Pass Christian are still virtually leveled in many spots. It could have happened yesterday by the looks of things. So sad. So much to be done. I'll report back on the service.

8/27 A big change

Got a call from the animal shelter and was told I need to pick up the dog tomorrow. This causes me many problems. First of all, she just had surgery today and I can't take her to Doggy Day Care tomorrow. Secondly, I have to board Q tomorrow night because I have to go to a Sunrise Service on Wednesday. So poor little new puppy--I'll take her from the shelter and take her to a kennel. That will just suck. But there's nothing I can do about it. I tried to get the shelter to keep the pup for two more days, but they are overcrowded and have no room for her.

Poor little Cookie or Luxi or nameless one! (I'm going to make my final choice when I see her again. I decided not to automatically saddle her with an odd moniker.) I only spent a few minutes with her the other day, and am not fully tuned in to her. Hope everything goes well at 7:15 tomorrow morning. Will let you know.

8/26 A quiet weekend

Just finished cleaning out the dogmobile. After 2,000 miles of driving on our vacation, the car was one hairy mess. Now I need to prepare it for a second dog. So tomorrow I'm taking it for a thorough cleaning, and am putting down the back seats so there's room for two dogs. I'm kind of excited.

But if I had my way, I'd take the puppy next door. She's the one that Q loves so much. They dig toward each other all the time. I brought her over to play yesterday and the two of them had a riot. They played in the pool and ran like crazy throughout the yard.

The neighbors have this beautiful little pup chained outside all the time. She's lonely and she's hot, and needs some attention. I'm not saying they are mistreating her, she always has food and water and a really long chain, but she gets no socialization. I never see anyone talking to her or petting her. And it makes me so sad. I'd take her in a heartbeat.

Ah well, none of my business I guess. And Luxi will be with us soon. Yep, Luxi is short for Biloxi. (For you Yankees, the "lox" in Biloxi is pronounced "lux."

8/25 New family member

We adopted another dog today. I let Quincy make the final choice. Wanted a dog that was a little older, although those puppies were so tempting and so adorable. We settled on a chocolate lab mix. She's about a year old and was a stray. She's a lot smaller than Q, so it's obvious she's a mix.

They named her Cookie but I'm going to change it. Couldn't bring her home yet since she has to be spayed. We'll get her sometime next week.

Quincy and the "unnamed one" got along just fine. But if it doesn't work out I have seven days in which I can make an exchange. I would hate to bring a dog back, but will do so if necessary.

Can't wait to bring her home. It will be good to have two dogs. And I think at some point I'll go for three, and will stop there. But for now, two will do.

Quincy loved it at the Humane Society of South Mississippi. It's a huge beautiful facility with a big gift shop and lots of fun things. It doesn't look like a "dog pound" and is pleasant. Lots of people made over Q, which always makes her happy (me too).

8/24 Lots to do

Yesterday was so busy but it was a really good day. I finally have an administrative assistant and he is great. In a few days he's become indispensable to our office. Plus he's a really nice young man. My fear is that he's too good. Maybe he'll become bored with this job. We'll see. For right now we'll enjoy the fact that he's good.

Today I have to take a display to a statewide event. Luckily it's in Gulfport, the next town over. And happily, it's Friday. Tomorrow there's so much to do here at home, and I have a party to go to tomorrow night. Play games and drink beer? Sounds like my family. Am looking forward to it.

Quincy's whining so I better get her outside.

8/22 Home at last

I can't remember the last time I've been this tired. Arrived at work from the airport around 11:30 or so and my brain was in such a fog. Ended up coming home and trying to relax. I couldn't sleep but was able to unwind. Spent some quality time with my dog, read a while, did some work on the computer, now I just need a good night's sleep and I should be back to normal.

Normal. Whatever that is.

8/21 The day is long

My meetings went so very well in Austin. We accomplished a lot. Unfortunately I missed my connection in Dallas/Fort Worth and am at a Baymont Hotel near the airport. Am very tired because I didn't sleep last night.

Looking forward to going home. How did I ever travel every week when I was a trainer for CPI? I loved it at the time, and still enjoy traveling. But can't imagine doing this all the time. Guess age is catching up with me.

8/19 Busy

Took Q to the kennel today because I have to leave town before it opens in the morning. I miss her, but it's kind of fun to be able to fold laundry without a dog "helping" me.

Spent five hours in the office today. Got a lot done, but there's still tons to do before I meet with my boss and her boss on Tuesday. Hope to get stuff done in the hotel tomorrow evening.

Hurricane Dean looks like it's headed for south Texas. They sure don't need more rain. But we sure don't need another hurricane in Mississippi either.

8/18 A big nothing

Today was just that. I've been so frazzled, so took off for the day. Absolutely, positively took the day off.

All I did was sleep, wait for the guys to deliver the daybed, and do one load of laundry.

What a great, nonproductive way to spend a Saturday.

8/17 It never stops

Yesterday and today I presented workshops. Yesterday's went extremely well. Today's not so much....the air conditioning went off and the venue was steaming. Plus for a brief time it seemed like Hurricane Dean was turning northward, so I ended early.

Back at the state office we had a hurricane preparedness meeting and went over our hurricane response plan. So much work still to be done, but we've done a lot already. Of course we're hoping that Dean dissipates and doesn't hit anywhere else, but we're certain we don't want him here.

Tonight a bunch of friends went to Caroline's for dinner. She has a lovely old home near the beach in Gulfport. It was spared major structural damage. What damage was done has been repaired, and the place is beautiful.

I'm exhausted though and came home early. Q was good while I was gone--no damage, no accidents. Life is good.

8/15 It's never normal

The meeting in Jackson was long but very productive. Q ended up with an ear infection from swimming, but I got medicine and she should be fine soon.

Today was NUTS. I had two different board meetings as well as interviewed a new admin assistant. Still managed to find time to do some office work. What a brutal day, and it's not over yet.

Tomorrow and Friday I'm giving 8 hours worth of workshops each day. So it's going to be hard to get other stuff done. Virtually impossible. And Monday I go to Austin. So it's obvious that I'll be working this weekend. But I'll get to have Quincy with me, so that it will make it a little more easy to take. :)

I love this job, and will be able to slow down a little bit late next week. At least that's my hope.

Time to give Q her meds.

8/13 Hot tomatoes, thunderstorms, and the best dog in the world

Jan gave me wonderful fresh tomatoes and they keep popping open in the heat (yes, I do take them into the hotel room with me). So I've been eating the ones that won't last the trip. Not a bad deal. They are delicious, Jan.

The trip TO St. Louis was easy, the hotel was beautiful, the kids had fun, Quincy was well-behaved, Jill and Todd got there on time, both of them loved Quincy. All was perfect---UNTIL, the perfect storm appeared at 2 AM. Cut out power to more than 50,000 customers, including our hotel. The lightning and thunder woke me up, and Q just raised her head and went back to sleep. But I knew that if the power didn't come back on it would get awful hot in there. Plus we were on the 4th floor.

I didn't go back to sleep and it got hotter and hotter. Took a bath by the light of the computer. Packed by the light of my phone. Woke up Todd to help me carry my stuff down. When I looked in their room everyone was covered up, and I was sweating. Those damn Californians.

Anyway, I made it out of there and am now in Jackson, MS. Q is in a kennel because I have to work, but I'll pick her up after the meeting tomorrow and we'll finally make it home and to our "normal" routine. Can't wait. More later.

8/12 Fresh tomatoes and hot weather

It is absolutely miserable outside. So hot that I can't even enjoy walking my dog.

The good news is that Jan picked a ton of fresh tomatoes for me to take back to Biloxi. I'm thrilled about that. Have been eating fresh tomatoes practically every meal and now I have a lot more to continue that tradition. :)

Today the kids rode the tractor with Jan and a four wheeler with their neighbor Randy. So they had a great time. I picked up Quincy and she indeed did run around crazily for a few hours.

The kids didn't want to say good-bye to Jan and Tim. They loved their time visiting, and can't wait to go back.

Our trip to St. Louis was uneventful. All three of the kids (Kayla, Hunter, and Quincy) slept for the whole trip, and woke up three miles from the hotel. This hotel is nice. It's across the street from the airport, which is nice and handy.

Q just ate a half bar of soap. Can anyone say "more diarrhea"?

Jill and Todd landed in Orlando and we spoke to them. They should arrive a little after 9 tonight. The kids are thrilled. We have adjoining rooms which is very nice. In a few minutes we're going down for "cocktail hour" where the kids will have free soda and appetizers. We had such a HUGE lunch at Jan's that I believe the appetizers will be enough for dinner.

I have a new GPS. It is absolutely awesome. It also functions as my phone, so that is handy. My new toy is giving me tons of fun. Hope to figure out how to use all the functions. Blame Tim for me buying it. He let me use theirs to go to the vet, and I was hooked.

Thanks, Jan and Tim. I had a wonderful vacation. Now I just need to sleep.

8/11 Lots happening

It's been an amazing time. Right now I'm at McDonald's with the grandkids. They finished breakfast and are playing while I try to catch up a little.

Can't remember if I mentioned the lovely flowers that Rob and Beata sent me for my birthday. Amazing. And some of them are still beautiful more than a week later.

We've seen lots of our family especially Jan, Tim, Jane, Sarah, and Jordan. It's been great. Jan and Tim are just wonderful to let us stay so long. Jane has been incredibly generous with buying the kids things and supplying an extra duffel bag to put them in for the trip. :) Jordan and Sarah have been such big helps with watching them.

Swam every day but one so far. Yesterday we swam twice so that made up for the one day we missed. Hunter's had a few meltdowns where he cried for his mom, but it hasn't happened for several days. In fact now he calls me mom, I hope that doesn't worry you, Jill. Both kids want to live with me now, I think it's 'cause I told them you're never coming back for them and you don't love them anymore.

Okay, the truth...they really miss you, but there's no crying anymore. They are having such a wonderful time swimming every day, being with family, and enjoying "vacation rules." I told them that when we get to the hotel in St. Louis that their vacation rules are officially over and that we need to get them back into "mommy and daddy rules" so that when Jill and Todd walk into the hotel they won't be horrified at their children's behavior. Truth be told, Tim and Jan both say that Kayla and Hunter are very well behaved and polite, so that's very good to hear.

I put Q in the kennel a few days ago. She's such a HUGE puppy and I wasn't having a relaxed time just worrying about the damage she could do at the new house. She is completely housetrained at home (except for the unfortunate diarrhea incident--no fault of hers), but has managed to pee several times on the expensive living room carpet. Plus she enjoys Jan's flowers--a bit too much. So tomorrow morning we'll pick her up and bring her to the house so she can run around outside for a few hours before taking off for St. Louis. I'm much less anxious. The kids are easier to watch. :) We leave about noon tomorrow and will stay at the hotel. Jill and Todd get in at 9:30 so the kids will be anxiously waiting for their arrival.

The following day Q and I leave early for Jackson MS. I have a meeting in Jackson on Tuesday, so will put Q in day care there while I work. Tuesday evening we'll head for home, and that will be a welcome occurence. Have to rest up from my vacation.

Today will be fun though. We're having a family picnic at Jan and Tim's lots of folks are coming and we'll swim then have a feast. Can't wait.

8/7 Time flies, etc.

On August 2, I turned 60. One of the worst birthdays in my life. Not because of my age--that's never bothered me. But because of Quincy's diarrhea.

Yep. It started the evening of August 1. Luckily she was able to run to the door and we had no accidents inside the house. Until in the middle of the night I heard a loud SQUIRT and woke up scraeming, "NOOOOOOO!" It took a good portion of the rest of the night to clean the carpet, then clean my rug shampooer.

Woke up at 3:30 after only a few hours rest. We drove to Jackson MS, making many stops along the way. I dropped her at a vet/kennel while I went to a meeting at the MEMA EOC (Emergency Operations Center). Told the vet that instead of just boarding her, she needed to be seen.

My wild dog just loves kennels and vets. She bounds into those places like she bounds everywhere--with joy and enthusiasm. God, I love her!

Turns out she has a lower GI infection. More meds to the tune of $125. After my meeting Q and I took off for Quincy, IL. We stopped VERY frequently. Ended up staying at a Drury Hotel in Cape Girardeau, MO. Thanks, Jill, for making the reservation for us. Turns out that all Drury Hotels are pet friendly. And the place didn't smell at all. This means I'll definitely stay at that chain frequently.

Got to Jan and Tim's in Maywood MO, right across the Mississippi River from Quincy on Friday, the 3rd. Quincy absolutely loves their property where she can run all over the acreage. Their two dachshunds run hot and cold in their feelings for her, but she seems to like them a lot.

On Saturday I drove to St. Louis to pick up the grandkids. (Left Q at a kennel in Quincy so Jan and Tim didn't have to worry about diarrhea.) It was wonderful to see Jill and Todd, but my heart exploded with joy to see Kayla and Hunter. My nephew Jordan went with me to help out and prior to the kids' arrival, he and I spent time at a Mexican bar and restaurant with my friend Joe.

We got back to the Quincy area around 8:30 or so. Jan and Tim had other guests too, so it was a wonderfully crowded house. I kept Q in the kennel overnight because there were a lot of little kids at Jan's, plus a new puppy. Crazy--but fun.

The kids and I have been swimming daily except for today. Swimming in the pond in the country is absolutely superb. Quincy loves it too. She is having the time of her life.

Must run. Most of the big family is meeting at Kelly and Todd's for pizza at 5. Tomorrow is shopping with Aunt Jane, and Friday is going to Mark Twain Cave with the kids. Jordan has been a real godsend with the kids. Can't believe I just said that. But he has been awesome.

And I owe so many thanks to Jan and Tim for their patience with the kids, the dog, and me.

Wish I could have gotten more work done. My vpn (virtual private network) won't connect and our IT department hasn't gotten back to me about it. Have worked nearly all day though. Just wish I could send the emails via my computer instead of Blackberry.

Much more, much later.

8/1 Almost time

Almost time to go out to dinner with my friend Bill from Milwaukee

Almost time to finish packing for my trip

Almost time to wake up (3:30 AM) to drive to Jackson for a meeting

Almost time for Quincy to go to a kennel in Jackson

Almost time for my vacation with my grandkids

Almost time for me to turn 60

7/31 All the time there is

Many years ago I said, "I don't have enough time."

A friend said, "You have all the time there is."

How true. Ever since then, I never say I don't have time to do something or I didn't have time to finish a project.

I have all the time there is.

So I didn't make time, or I chose to do something else. Whatever. The time is there. How I use it is up to me.

With that being said (such an overused phrase nowadays), I have so much to do and time is limited. I have to pick and choose.

So I'm going to choose to work on my vacation. I'll take some days and not do anything, but other days I absolutely have to work. Things will pile up and then going back to work will be a horrible chore. I think it will be best to do it this way. We'll see.

7/30 Q's home!

I woke up at 4:30 this morning, and Gerri was heading home by 5. Her visit was wonderful from start to finish (even including the sunburn); but it's always nice to get your house back to normal.

Got to work by 7 and got some "stuff" done.

Had a meeting this afternoon with a representative of Habitat for Humanity International. On the way to the meeting Maria and I stopped at High Cotton for lunch. I had friend green tomatoes with remoulade sauce. Oh my it was an absolutely delicious meal! I could eat fried green tomatoes several times a week and not grow tired of them.

After the meeting I picked up Quincy. Boy oh boy, that little girl was happy to see me. And I felt the same way. She was gone for three nights, and I really missed her. Right now she's sleeping on my bed while I'm typing.

7/29 It's been great

Last night Gerri, Genia, Caroline, and I went to the Beau Rivage and Hard Rock Casinos. We had such a good time. Afterward we went to the Elks to a dance. Angie joined us there. I'd said I wanted to gamble and also dance with a stranger for my birthday. I did both--although Genia got the stranger to dance with me. :)

And today we all went to the beach. First of all, Gerri and I are both burned, but it's okay. When Caroline got there she brought a shade canopy that she just bought. We took it all apart and got out the directions to erect it. It turned into a big laugh. Finally several young men came over to help us. They are Navy Seabees (engineers) and putting things together is what they do. :) They did a great job of helping us, and were so friendly and kind.

Genia and I rented a jet ski for 40 minutes, and so we each got to ride for 20 minutes. It was freakin' amazing. I absolutely loved it. The Seabees said we were the coolest old ladies they'd ever met.

Gerri and I picked up a pizza on the way home. We finished up the salad fixin's at my house and had pizza. It was excellent. We're getting up at 4:30. So I'm in my room to type this, and to relax a bit. Will try to go to sleep around 9 or so. Ger will leave for Atlanta around 5 AM.

The visit has been superb. Hope she can come again. I'm sure going to visit her too.

7/27/ What fun

I worked from home this morning, and Gerri arrived around noon. It was absolutely wonderful to see her. And even though it's been 31 years since we've seen each other, it's been just like yesterday. She's still cute, funny, and klutzy, just like in college. What a joy!

We took a tour of some of the beautiful areas and some disaster areas. We went by our volunteer camps and also by my office. I introduced Gerri to everyone there. And was incredibly proud of the staff in the office. We're incredibly lucky to have them.

We took Q to the kennel, so I don't have to worry about her this weekend. I miss her already, but it's the smart thing to do.

Tonight we cut up tons of different vegetables and made a salad bar. Friends came over, we had beer and wine, ate the salad bar, and then played games--Catchphrase and Texas Poker. It's not Texas Hold'em but rather a game played with one card and one dollar. It's quite fun.

People just left.

Tomorrow Gerri and I are going traveling to Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis. Then tomorrow night we're going to a casino with Genia, Caroline, and Angie. It's for my birthday. I still have $200 from when we gambled before. So I said I'm giving each of my friends a $20 bill to gamble with.

It's my birthday party and I'll do what I want. Should be fun.

7/26 My surprise

Beata called me tonight. Said she had a birthday surprise for me and was going to send it next week. I said that I was leaving Thursday for a meeting in Jackson and from there it was off to Quincy. I also said she could ship whatever it was to my office because someone would always be there. She said she didn't think that would work.

The surprise was my son Rob. I can't believe it. He was going to come visit me for my birthday and I'm going to be gone. That really makes me mad.

I want it all...my vacation and my son. Is that too much to ask?

7/25 And so it goes

I dreamed Quincy said, "I think I'll just crawl into your bed and sleep." And she did. As she climbed over me, it woke me up. I thought, "Gee, I have a psychic connection with my dog." And went back to sleep.

On another front, I worked late at home. And had a nice long conversation with my boss in Austin. I'm feeling pretty good about things, except for trying to figure out the budget.

Had to buy a new vacuum. My old "electric broom" just wasn't picking up the dog hair. The Eureka made me shout Eureka!

Gerri will arrive Friday. I look forward to a fun weekend. It will be great to see her.

7/24 Got 'er done

So many things hanging over my head, but I got three important things done this afternoon. I got my license plates ordered, registered to vote, and got my drivers' license. Oh yeah, I feel so good.

Perhaps you noticed that all of the above are personal things and not related to my job. I noticed that too. Didn't accomplish anything at work--worked on the budget all day. Aaarrrggghhhh!

(Quincy is still sleeping all night. I love that puppy.)

7/23 Another rainy day

First of all the good news--Q slept through the night three nights in a row. I'm hoping for a fourth.

Drove to Bay St. Louis today for a meeting. The weather was beautiful, until I got home. Then the deluge began. Lots of thunder, lightning, and wet stuff. Weatherman said Beach Blvd. (Hwy 90) was flooded in spots.

Q hasn't been too anxious to go outside. :) It looks like it's slowed down, so I'll encourage her to go outside before it starts up again in earnest.

My grass is sure growing!

7/22 Hairspray and Charlotte

Genia and I went to see Hairspray last night. Wow, it was so good. I'd loved the original John Waters' movie, but it's a cult favorite and not for the faint-hearted. The musical is sweeter, lighter, and altogether wonderful.

A few years back I bought the Broadway soundtrack and fell in love with the music. Unfortunately I didn't get to see it on stage (yet). That's okay, though, because I'm thoroughly besotted with the movie and will probably see it again.

And Quincy didn't do anything wrong while I was gone. She did chew up one of her own toys but that is easily cleaned up.

Also, I am going to work on the Charlotte, NC Avon Breast Cancer Walk. I'll be the Operations Division Leader. The walk is in October. I'll drive to Sanford and leave Quincy with Rob and Beata while I work on the weekend. Then they'll drive to Charlotte and drop off Q so that will save me about three hours in my long drive. Can't wait. The walks are always awesome.

7/21 Weekend

Yes, last night was fun. And today I got some work done, waiting for the delivery guys. They brought 1/2 of my daybed...the trundle bed part. So Gerri will have a decent place to sleep next weekend.

Paula's husband Tommy is working in the yard, and Q and I are enjoying the air conditioning instead. Yep, I picked up Quincy around 12:30. She was thrilled to see me; and I echoed that emotion. Right now she's napping and I've been reading the new Harry Potter. Ordered it from Amazon and it was delivered today.

Later I'm going to see the movie Hairspray with a friend. Have been really looking forward to seeing it. Hope it lives up to my expectations. I've played the Broadway Soundtrack for a few years, so already know the songs, except for a few new ones that they always add for the movie.

(I'm so happy that Quincy is home....)

7/20 Lonely

I put Q in the kennel overnight because I went to a friend's for dinner and cards. Well, I got home around 10:45 and now I'm missing my Q-dog. It seems so empty in the house. Can't wait to pick her up tomorrow.

Dinner was fun and so were the card games. But I'm tired now, and will crash for a while. (Oh, Q slept all night last night. What a treat.)

7/19 The mighty have fallen

I've known it was coming. The old lady dance--shuffling around, have to walk slowly and carefully because I might fall, being cautious--all these things were far into the future, until yesterday morning. Quincy had gotten water all over the kitchen floor like she does every day. Only this time I didn't pay attention. The next thing I knew, I'd done a slide into third base but without the third base. My back hurts, my neck hurts, my wrists hurt, my hips hurt. But damn, it was a good slide.

There's nothing wrong with me other than the aches you get when your body does something alien. I didn't know my body could still move that way. So guess I'll wear slippers from now on. At least for a day or two. Then I'll go back to my bad habit of always being barefoot.

7/18 Brazilian crash

I got called last night to work crisis phones for the Brazilian airplane crash. It's a phone bank that handles making calls to families and receiving calls from them too. Then giving death notices if necessary. It's a sad, sad job to do, but very necessary.

Unfortunately the call center is located in a city I no longer live in. So it's off to my regular job. So much to do today that I'm almost feeling a bit paralyzed with "how am I going to get things done?" I worked at home until about 9 and did get a lot of emails taken care of.

When I get to work I'll only have a few minutes there before I have a meeting to go to. Yesterday was busy, but on the way home I managed to order the day bed and trundle bed for the guest room. The day bed wasn't in stock so won't be here in time for Gerri, but the pop-up portion is being delivered this Saturday. So at least there will be a bed and a mattress.

Got good news about Q. Her eColi infection is totally gone. Yay.

7/17 Lots of traveling

Drove over to Bay St. Louis today for a luncheon. Found out that the reason I was invited was because they wanted me to be on the Board of the Hancock County LTRC (Long Term Recovery Committee). After talking it over with my boss, I said yes.

Am also going to work with the Red Cross on developing two VOADs for Hancock and Harrison County. I'm on the state VOAD board, but we want to have local ones too. (VOAD=Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster).

I'll definitely be staying busy, but I just love this work. Today at the luncheon they talked about all the people who are still living in FEMA trailers two years after the storm. Their faces are haunting.

7/16 Happy birthday, Jan

Today is my sister Jan's 59th birthday. I've always loved her birthday because for about two weeks we are the same age. I was born 8/2/47 and she was born 7/16/48. Yup, we're Catholic. I think the term is "Irish twins." Although we're German, the shoe fits. Happy birthday, sis. Hope your day is special, and the kids and I will see you soon.

Re: the interview--it went well. I drove 40 minutes round trip for a five minute interview. And ultimately was on TV for a few seconds. But that's all right with me. The exposure is good for the work we do. There will be a longer interview tomorrow, but someone else will do it. It's all about Camp Noah, which really isn't my area of expertise, so it only makes sense for someone else to be interviewed.

All in all, it was a good experience. I taped it and will add it to our "Family TV Stars" tape. :)

7/15 Not laughing today

Quincy and Raven, the lab puppy next door, have decided to dig a tunnel to each other. Yes, it is funny to see this tiny black head trying to get under the fence. I thinkQ did most of the work, but Raven is benefiting the most because she'll fit through before Quincy will. Have heard of so many remedies for digging, but everyone says that none of them work, including putting chicken wire into the ground.

So Quincy got another bath today. And there's no sign that the mud will abate because it's storming again. The Mississippi Gulf Coast really needs the water, but if it could avoid the mud piles in my yard, I'd be most appreciative.

I'm supposed to meet the reporter at 1 outside. And I don't have his phone number because someone else took the call. She's in Minnesota currently, but I hope I can reach her. Sure don't want to wait in the rain.

Will let you know how it goes.

And does anyone have ideas for stopping dog-diggers? I will not beat her or kill her. Other than that, I'm open.

7/14 Q's antics

Q is throwing toys at me and they squeak when they hit me. Then she grabs them and does it again. Sure makes me laugh.

She slept most of the day. Me too. I am not feeling up to par, not really sick, but my stomach is yucky. Ditto my head.

Weather is really bad still. Earlier friends came by to cut my grass, but the storms came back, so they couldn't finish.

I keep beginning projects but can't finish anything. Just no energy at all. Wonder if it's got something to do with the barometer. Falling barometric pressure gives me horrible headaches, but meds are taking care of that.

Just a goofy day I guess. But I have so much work to do that I can't even rest easily, knowing that I'll pay for this tomorrow.

Also tomorrow I'm going to be on WLOX-TV, our local ABC affiliate. They're interviewing me at 1 PM. Just a tiny little blurb. But it means I have to study up on what they'll ask, plus clean up when I'll just want to be at home.

Ah well....

7/12 Quincy is a riot!

Q was outside for about 10 minutes while I made dinner. I called her in and immediately threw her back outside. This blonde-haired beauty was now a black-haired beauty. I swear she was smiling.

I looked outside and right next to the porch she'd dug a hole nearly to the center of the earth. No exaggeration.

How could she have done that in only ten minutes? Amazing. She must be gifted. It is such a nice deep hole that I'm going to plant a bush there.

I carried her back into the house. (Remember she's now 45 pounds. I feel like Superman.) And I placed her into the bathtub. While my dinner cooled, I gave her a helluva bath. Now she's fresh and sweet.

While I ate dinner, she got on my bed and now it's nice and wet. Will the fun never end?

7/11 The day flew by...

This morning I had a conference call with my old boss, and this afternoon a visit from my new boss. The time just flew by. I really enjoyed meeting with Heather. She's great. How lucky I am to be here only 4 months and have had two great supervisors.

My car was in the shop all day. Needed a new timing belt, plus there was a factory recall on a cooling fan. Got some other small things fixed. Car seems to be happy that I take good care of it. :)

7/10 A letter

I received a letter Saturday from someone I helped at the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. The letter made me cry, it was so beautiful. The situation was serious, and all I really did was sit and listen, with an occasional encouraging word.

We never know how we touch people. I'm just fortunate she told me.

What a blessing that letter was.

7/9 There's nothing to say

But you know I'll say it anyway.

Not too much excitement today. I had to leave work at noon because our internet was down, and I had a conference call and needed the internet at the same time. So I came home for that. Q was happy to get to go home early. She napped while I talked/listened, so it worked out well.

I have a new boss. David, already a Senior Vice President, was transferred to another position. Heather G is now my boss and although I'll miss David, Heather is great and I'm sure things will go well. Other changes in our larger company, all good.

Rob called a little while ago, so I'm smiling. It's always great to talk to your kids. He's great and I'm looking forward to seeing Beata and him in the near future.

More later about a great letter I received.

7/8 Lots of good stuff

Yesterday my friend Genia called and said, "Let's go to the Beau." That's the huge casino right at the end of I-110, with a great view. So Genia, Caroline, Cindy and I went and had a ball. In the beginning I complained because they just wanted to play the penny and nickel slots--not my thing. I said if I win big on the penny slots I'll just be pissed it wasn't on a dollar machine.

I sat down at a nickel slot and within 5 minutes won $400.

No more complaining about the cheap slots.

I put $300 of it away and proceeded to lose the other $100 but it took me four hours to do it. Not too bad.

We're going to take my friend Gerri there when she visits at the end of the month. (Hi, Gerri.)

Today Q and I went to the beach--a deserted spot where she could run until she dropped. We played fetch for quite a while and got in the water too. But it was quite hot in the sun so we only stayed for a little less than an hour. On the way home I stopped at Walmart and bought her a small plastic pool. She loves it, and it was a lot easier cleaning the sand off her this way, instead of carrying a 40-pound wiggling pack of puppy to the bathtub.

She's napping now after her big workout, and I think I'll join her soon.

It's been a good day. I'll end it by cleaning out my car after the sun goes down.

7/7 A good Saturday

I've actually accomplished some things today, and the day isn't even over yet. That's really something! As much as I hate housework, I've put away two boxes and cleaned the kitchen and dining room. Lots more to do, but... don't know if I'll get around to it or not.

Jill contacted me today, and it looks like they'll leave on August 4th. Since that's just two days after my birthday, that means I'll be able to celebrate with my family. Makes me smile. Can't wait to get confirmation from Jill, but it looks pretty sure. They changed their minds about their destination though. It looks like they're going to Whistler up in British Columbia instead of Italy. Things just worked out better for them.

It'll be a little more difficult for me since they won't be going through St. Louis. I could just go to LA and watch the kids there, but I want them to be able to visit with the whole family; so I'll probably fly out to get them. We'll decide soon.

I was pretty excited about the weather. For a while it looked like there were no thunderstorms for a change, but the sky is cloudy and ominous looking. At least it will keep me home. Quincy likes that.

7/6 Fun with puppies and future fun with grandkids

The next door neighbors got a black lab puppy. A tiny little thing maybe six weeks old. Name's Raven. They had a minor emergency this afternoon and Valerie asked if I Raven could play in my backyard while they were gone. Little Kayla brought her over. This Kayla is 7 just like our Kayla, and very sweet. She has a four year old brother, James.

Quincy is this huge giant next to Raven, but Raven kept up with her perfectly. They had such a good time and after about an hour they both just passed out. So cute.

But the big news is that in August Jill and Todd are going to take their vacation celebrating their 10th anniversary. Originally they were going to go in October, but found a good deal in August. They are going to fly to Barcelona and then take the cruise. Sounds delightful. BUT I GET THE KIDS--which is even better. Quincy and I are going to drive to St. Louis where Jill and Todd will drop off the kids at the airport. They're going to have a layover in St. Louis just so this will all work out. Then Q, the kids, and I will drive the two hours to Quincy. and stay several days. I am beyond thrilled.

Don't know the exact week yet, but I'll tell all the relatives as soon as I know.

Yay!

7/5 Poor poor Quincy redux

She's got an eColi infection in her bladder. Guess it's bad, but it responds to this certain medication. So I have to go pick it up after work. Sigh. You'd never know there's anything wrong with her. She's back to sleeping all night. Plus going out during the day every two hours or so. And acting like a darn fool puppy the rest of the time. She's got this routine. At night she sleeps on the cool tile in the master bathroom--from about 9 PM--5 AM. At 5 I take her out and go back to bed. She jumps in with me and sleeps another hour or so all cuddled up to me. Then about 6 she jumps down, gets a lot of her toys and wakes me up to play. This morning she brought her ball and wanted to play fetch in the house. So I threw the ball from my bed and she jumped down, chased it, and brought it back to bed. She sure used up a lot of energy, but it was so cute.

It makes me sad that she's got this damn pelvic bladder that causes all the fuss. Wish they'd just do the damn surgery now and get it over with. But they have to wait until she's fully grown--if they do it at all.

At least that'll give me time to save for it. (Yeah, right!)

7/4 A good, wet day

It rained a lot in Biloxi but not in Gulfport, so we went on our beach picnic. There were three Red Cross workers--Genia, Carolyn (or maybe Caroline), and Angie, along with Angie's daughter. Several people canceled because of the weather. I arrived around 4:15 and they were already there. It was great! We sat and chatted, played in the sand, then ate dinner around 5:30 or so. The people who were supposed to bring the utensils canceled, so we used potato chips as our forks. It was funny. Luckily they were Ripples and sturdier than regular chips.

Angie and her daughter have only been here two weeks, and Carolyn and Genia since October, so everyone is looking for friends. Perfect for me. :)

Because the weather was so crummy I'd taken Quincy out of the kennel, thinking that I wouldn't be going today. Since I left her at home I couldn't stay out real late. So I am missing the fireworks (start at 8:45), but that's okay. I got home 4 1/2 hours after I'd left, and there was a little puddle of pee in my room, but I quick got out the rug shampooer and took care of it. So no harm done.

I'm glad I came home early. People are shooting off fireworks everywhere, and it's bothering Q a bit, so it's good I'm here.

Back to work tomorrow.

(Just took her outside again and the neighbors are shooting off lots of firecrackers, bottle rockets, and even bigger stuff. It's legal in Mississippi. She got really scared. Guess it hurts dogs' ears.)

7/4 Happy Fourth

It stormed all day yesterday and last night but now it's okay. Just a lot of mud. So I'll make my salad and prepare to go to the picnic. If it gets canceled then I'll just bring the salad to work tomorrow.

This morning was fun. I sat on the back porch and played online poker with my brothers Joe and Jay, while Quincy played in the mud. I lost money but enjoyed myself.

Hope everyone has a great day. I wish I was with my family at Jan's house, but you can't have everything. Love to all.

7/3 What magnificent storms

The thunderstorms are magnificent and majestic. Lightning flashes and huge black clouds roll across the sky. I love thunderstorms.

ONLY...they're supposed to continue tomorrow. The one day I was supposed to do something with new friends, we have 60% chance of continued thunderstorms all day. So I'm praying the weatherman is wrong.

The plan is to meet people at one of the Gulfport beaches around 4 for a picnic and then stay for the fireworks at 9. Hope it all works out, but it doesn't look too good right now.

7/2 YES! Miracles do happen!

I got 8 hours of sleep last night. So this is what well-rested feels like...

7/1 It's July!

Q only woke up a few times during the night, so it was a decent night's sleep. Still not the best, but good.

Got a lot of work done yesterday. Only about five more boxes to unpack. The only problem is that, although the stuff gets unpacked it's difficult to find places to put it. But the good news is that it's happening.

It's sure been hot here, but when I sit outside on the back porch with the ceiling fan on, it feels pretty darn good.

Because of Q's recent health issues, we probably won't go to the beach today. Guess I'll have to find something else to do--maybe something exciting like going to PetsSmart. :)

6/30 A better night

From 10 PM-2AM she went outside four times. BUT I got to sleep from 2:15-6:15 and 6:30-8. So even though it was broken up, it was so much better than the night before. I'm hoping that the specialists in Louisiana will be able to do some magic.

Since I got a little more sleep last night, I'm in a good and hopeful mood. Am going to the store soon to get some groceries and some puppy pads. Maybe those will be the answer for our nighttime blues. We'll see.

I have so much work to do here in the house. Being tired plus dehydrated had de-energized me. I hope that today I can get started in a big way. My friend, Gerri, is going to visit me the weekend of July 27th, so I want to have everything done but the office by then. Of course, I won't have painted or anything fancy, but everything will be put away, and the carpet will have been shampooed. :)

6/29 Quincy, poor, poor thing

They are taking blood and urine, and will be doing full blood panels and urinalysis in Louisiana. It costs $235. The reason they have to do this is that her urine was clear in the test they did at the vet's. And of course there was nothing wrong with it. So her "every 10 minute" urination from last night has to be from the pelvic bladder. She will be evaluated for medical therapy and/or surgery.

She's so expensive, but I love her. She's the only family I have here, and I'm going to do everything I can.

But I'm sad. Poor little thing.

6/29 No drama here, and no reptiles

Apparently rumors are flying at work regarding me using the word "snake" to describe someone in a previous entry.

I PROMISE--the snake in question is NO ONE IN MY COMPANY. It was someone that I worked with in the past and was trying to work with in the present. It didn't work out--because of someone's dishonesty. I was deliberately vague in the other note because I didn't want to pinpoint anyone.

And this is the reason that I seldom write anything negative. I'm fully aware that this is public and so I never reveal anything that can't be publicly known.

So I'm sorry to disappoint readers, but there's no drama here.

(Except Q's at the vet and I'm waiting to hear from them.)

6/29 Explicit doggy doo-doo information

It's 4:30 AM and Quincy's been outside at least 13 times tonight. I'm sleep deprived. She's got diarrhea and I think another bladder infection. She's trying to pee constantly, and I feel so bad for her.

So one time--about 1/2 hour ago--I thought she couldn't possibly really be peeing, so when she cried I just ignored her. She went into the hallway and peed and pooped. I can't win.

Lots to do today, so I can't sleep in. Have to drop off some documents at Camp Biloxi, take Q to Doggy Day Care (or the vet, depending how these next few hours go), and then go to the conference. After lunch I have several things to do at work, so there's no way I can nap. It's going to be a long day after three hours sleep, but thank God it's Friday.

After this everlasting night I'll probably ask the vet to start Q on the meds. Even though it may have side effects, she obviously needs something and is miserable.

Okay, she's been in the house for 10 minutes and is sleeping. We'll see if I can catch a few winks.

6/28 More conference

I'm at the Hurricane Conference again today and tomorrow so need to hurry. Spoke to the Mississippi governor yesterday...he surprised me by walking by me and touching my arm. I knew who he was because he was surrounded by state troopers. So I blurted out something appropriate. And he replied.

Last night I got elected to the board of directors of Mississippi VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). It's a good organization and will be good for my agency (and for me). Last month I got elected to the board of IDTF (Interfaith Disaster Task Force) which is another wonderful organization. These two things will be enough and will keep me busy. My job encompasses a lot of things, and community involvement is one of them.

A colleague from the Red Cross invited me to a beach party on July 4th. She's invited a lot of single people to just hang out. We're having a carry-in meal and will stake out our spot for fireworks. Sounds like fun. I'll be gone so long that evening that I'll have Q stay all night at the kennel, since she couldn't last that long at home without going out.

Gotta run.

6/27 The smell was overpowering

In my dream I smelled dog poop. It was cloying and overpowering; I looked for it, couldn't find it. Slowly I awoke to find it wasn't a dream. It was a living nightmare. Diarrhea all over my bedroom floor--and the icing on the poop cake was a big pile of pee as well. Q sat there looking sad. It was diarrhea so I couldn't even yell.

6:15 AM and I cleaned up poop and pee for more than 20 minutes. Turned on the news as I started to get ready for work. Local news wasn't on. I was confused. Then I looked at my watch again. Instead of 6:45 it was 3:45. Sweet reprieve. I put her on the bed with me to stop any future ideas she might have and slept for a few more hours.

I'm not in the office the next three days. Am at the Imperial Palace Resort Casino for a Hurricane Conference, sponsored by MEMA (the Mississippi version of FEMA). Should be interesting.

Q is staying at Doggy Day Care overnight because after the conference there's a board meeting I need to attend from 6:30 until whenever. I thought she'd have a better time at Doggy Day Care instead of being alone all night.

6/26 It just doesn't matter...

That's my favorite line from "Meatballs." Bill Murray is telling the misfit kids (paraphrasing here)...It doesn't matter if you win the basketball game. It doesn't matter if you rub their faces in the dirt. It doesn't matter that you've worked hard for this day. Why? Because the rich guys will always get the girls. It just doesn't matter.

And that became their mantra, "It just doesn't matter."

I'm using that today through some difficult situations.

AND I've finally come to the conclusion that I don't have to be liked (even though I want people to like me). I just need to do my job. Being the boss isn't a popular position to be in. I take the heat for what happens in MS. I'm doing the best I can, always realizing that the clients come first. And if people don't like me--

It just doesn't matter.

6/25 Fleas and snakes

Quincy has fleas. She's been keeping me up all night scratching, so I took her to the vet today. I was sure she didn't have fleas because she takes the preventative treatment. What I found out today was that fleas are so bad here that dogs have to take the preventative treatment, get baths with flea shampoo, and once fleas are present you have to get your house de-bugged. Crap. So I'm on the right track now, but have to get my house de-flead. This cute little (big) dog is sure costing me a lot of money. I bought some good flea shampoo at the vets (flea shampoo? sounds like we'll have clean fleas, huh?).

And snakes? I'm talking about the human kind. Even though I've been in this business for many years, I'm still a bit naive. I think everyone operates above board and in a trustworthy manner. Guess I'm wrong.

6/25 Hunter's birthday

My grandson, Hunter, is five today. He is adorable, sweet, and funny as all get out. He has the biggest smile in the western hemisphere. I miss him (and his sister, Kayla) so very much. Unfortunately, I don't have enough vacation time yet to go out for a visit. But I'll be with them for a whole week in October, and I'm hanging on to that.

My brother, Joe, posted some cute pictures of Hunter. Since I'm on my work computer at the moment I don't have access to the pictures on my computer. Maybe later I'll come back and post some.

The little guy is so cute, and now rides his motorcycle by himself. It took a while before he could steer on his own, but he can sure do it now. Amazing to see this little dude ride a motorcycle. I'm so proud of him, and not just for this reason. His attitude is so crazy and upbeat most of the time. That appeals to me so much. I love you, Hunter.

6/24 Ice

The best entertainment for Quincy in the house is a piece of ice. She pushes it along the linoleum and it moves fast, far, and randomly. Then chases it to begin the game again. It is so cute to watch. Plus it gives me a few minutes to do something else, like fix my breakfast which I'm going to do in a few minutes.

Then we're going to the beach to play in the water. I hope we have as much fun as we did last Sunday. It's going to be another hot day and it's usually cooler on the water.

I love Biloxi. Besides the obvious attraction of the Gulf of Mexico, the casinos themselves are beautiful (if you like gambling, and I do), the homes and architecture (left from the storm) is lovely, and I could go on...but the most fascinating thing about the Mississippi Gulf Coast is the population. I know I've said it before, but the people on the Coast are the friendliest I've met anywhere. Having lived in many places and traveled to even more, I've seen the gamut of "welcome-ness," and the Mississippi Gulf Coast wins hands down.

You can converse with prince or pauper and you'll get the same sense of welcome. In a million years I would have never chosen to live in Mississippi. Now I can't imagine living anywhere else. (Okay, that last sentence was hyperbole for effect. I can imagine living elsewhere. It's just that right now, I don't want to.)

6/23 Fat, fat, fat

So my body is finally sending me a big message--LOSE WEIGHT!

A routine blood test found that I'm pre-diabetic. My only complaint when I went to the doc was that I'm always tired. That is from dehydration perhaps. She said that in hot and humid climates we need to drink 1/2 of our weight. If someone weighs 180, pounds they need to drink 90 ounces of water a day--not tea, not soda, not juice, not beer, WATER. She said that this type of climate is really different and our body responds differently.

But anyway, pre-diabetic. When the nurse called she said the doctor would put me on meds or I could do it through diet and exercise. I want to try without meds, but it's a little scary. If I fail, I could develop diabetes. This news is difficult for me because I can't blame heredity. I gained weight. I did it to myself. What an awful feeling.


(Part of my tiredness, I'm sure, is that my dog gets me up in the middle of the night almost every night to go outside. The good part is that she's housetrained pretty much, and doesn't have accidents. Last night was a different story. She had diarrhea. All over the dining room rug. Why can't animals use tile? Why must they use carpeting? I felt bad for her, because it was obvious she couldn't help it. But I felt sorry for me too---3 AM, shampooing the rug.)

6/21 Another superb day with great people

I went to the same site with the 18 people from Salem Lutheran Church in Panca, Nebraska. The day was awesome. If possible, the kids worked harder today than Tuesday. I can't believe their work ethic, and their lack of complaining. Great kids, led by dedicated and loving adults.

They went beyond the call of duty and did so many little finishing touches just out of pure love. The owners will be thrilled to find many little surprises throughout their property.

When the work was finished we had time for a swim. So we all jumped in the bayou and played. It was a lot of fun. Since it was salt water you could swim forever and not get tired. A few scary moments ensued when we thought some boats were going to travel right over us, but our fears were groundless. (Thank you, God.)

They all leave tomorrow morning, so I'm going to be there at 7:30 in order to say good-bye. What a pleasure it was to serve with them. The weather was perfect and the company was even better.

(Got home at 5, took a shower, and was in my pajamas by 5:30. Talk about lazy!)

6/20 Tired

I'm still tired from working outside all day yesterday. Will do the same tomorrow. Today was a day I had a board meeting, so had to work in the office.

Am really looking forward to tomorrow, just hope this old, old body holds out. :)

Not much else to report. Q and I are going to have a quiet night. Yay for that.

6/19 The best work day ever....

I got up at 4:30, took Q with me to Camp Victor where I left her with Jon and Pepper (his Dalmatian). Doggy day care didn't open until 8, and I was at CV before 6:30. Jon said he would get someone to take Quincy to Pampered Pets for me, so I was able to leave her in his office without a worry. I then went to the dining hall for a quick breakfast and a cup of coffee. After that it was a meeting with my team. I'd asked for 12 youth to work with. Instead they gave me 13 youth and five adults. Not too bad for my first time leading a work crew, huh?

80% chance of thunderstorms. I drove my SUV and waited in the rain for the bus to arrive. Right before the kids got there the rain stopped and didn't come back until about 20 minutes after we stopped working. Amazing.

We worked at a client's home on Davis Bayou. A gorgeous setting. It was grueling work at times, but so rewarding. Afterwards the client took some kids kayaking while the rest of us sat in the shade and watched--and enjoyed.

These kids were absolutely amazing. No complaints, no arguing, nothing but positives. I loved working with them, and will do so again on Thursday. Tomorrow I have a board meeting I need to attend, so I'll be in office mode.

Probably the neatest thing that happened was when one of the adults said, "You know if you just scrape the ground a little you can find some of their things buried in the dirt." And she was so right. I'd heard that hurricanes did that, but hadn't really experienced the results. But we dug down 1/2 inch to an inch and found all kinds of things. They found two of the wife's rings, the husband's class ring, grandma's rosary. So we're going to play archaeologist again on Thursday. Can't wait.

(Oh, we had 360 kids this week, an absolute rarity. Normally our volunteers are 18 and older. This is kind of fun though.)

6/18 Stormy Monday

A weird day. Had a doctor's appointment this morning. Nothing wrong, just needed to find a local physician.

Left Q for 3 1/2 hours at home and she did fine.

It's been storming all day and I feel bad because we have 360 youth from a synod up north. They're here to work all week, and most of them were probably working outside.

There's a 60% chance of thunderstorms tomorrow too, and that worries me. I'm supposed to work with the kids Tuesday and Thursday, and we're working outside near the Gulf. I'm excited about getting out of my office, but know I'll complain about sore muscles.

Q has some stomach problems this afternoon--I think it's from drinking salt water when she was swimming in the Gulf. Hope she learns, for both our sakes. :)

6/17 A wonderful Fathers' Day

First of all my brother, Joe, wrote a funny and wonderful tribute to Dad on his blog. His blog started as a blog to make fun of other ones--mostly mine. But it's turned into so much more. It's a place where he honors (and teases) everyone on their birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. We all love it! If you want to check it out, be warned that there are tons of inside jokes. Some of which I don't even understand because I've been gone so long from Quincy. :)

Today's been good in other ways too. Q woke me up at 5:30--nothing different about that. I lazed around a bit (nothing different about that either). Then cleaned up the dining room and emptied four more boxes. Afterwards Quincy and I went to the beach. We went to Ocean Springs because it's not as crowded or "touristy" as Biloxi beaches. I knew Q wouldn't go into the water (after watching her yesterday--loving the swimming pool but refusing to go in the Gulf).

Then I saw a young couple with two big dogs. I asked them if Q could play and their dogs teach her to go into the water. Before they could even say, "Sure," she was chasing the other dogs into the surf. She ended up swimming like a fiend and seemed to have a great time. I know I did.

Rachel and Kevin both work at USM Gulf Coast Research Facility, right on the water. What a cool job. He's a toxologist and she's a biochemist--and from Stevens Point, WI. A nice surprise.

The dogs (and us) played for over 90 minutes. It was a great way to spend part of the afternoon. I know I'll see them again. Nice folks.

On the way home Q slept (of course), and I talked to my kids on the phone. A nice treat for me. Jill, Todd, Kayla and Hunter were in Santa Monica having lunch and then were going to take a bike ride along the path that runs by the beach. Sounds like fun. Rob and Beata were napping. That sounds like fun too. (Hope "napping" wasn't a euphemism for something else.) :)

Anyway, it was super talking to them. Miss them all so much. Beata and Rob are going to try to visit sometime this summer. In November Jill is flying to NC to spend time with Rob and Beata. Maybe I'll drive up so I can see all of them at the same time. I'd love that so much.

Guess that's enough for today. Nap time, and then more work. Love to all.

6/16/ Q is 4 months old

Can't believe how time flies. We ran a bunch of errands today and then went swimming at Paula's house. It was a riot.

On the way there, Quincy and I stopped at the beach to play a while. We played fetch, but I was surprised that this labrador retriever didn't seem to want to get in the water. I got in, but she wouldn't follow. However, by the time we got to Paula and Tommy's house, it had changed. Q loved swimming, almost as much as I did. We played for a few hours. She didn't swim the whole time of course, but got out frequently and also enjoyed lying on a raft a la Cleopatra. When we got in the car she fell asleep immediately.

We're invited to go again tomorrow if we like, but I think I better stay home and get a little bit of work done. But for now I need to doctor up the scratches on my arm. Oh yeah, Q got a little scared in the beginning and I paid the price.

6/15 Posting while lunching

Peanut butter sandwich and Campbell's "Soup at Hand" Velvety Potato Soup. Not as bad as it could have been. At least it's filling and will last me until dinner.

Q was thrilled being back at Doggy Day Care. She flew out of the car. Looked like a dog version of Superman. Really cute how much she loves it there. No rules; just playing and spoiling and treats. Just like a kid going to Grandma's house.

So much work to do here. I've lost our office manager and am doing much of that work because our deputy is off for several days. In the future I'm hoping for an admin asst to help us out. We'll see if that pans out.

There are major changes in the offing and there's a lot of organizational work to be done in preparation. I believe things will go well; and am praying to that end.

As I was driving to work today I thought again about how much I love the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I don't think I've seen more beautiful beaches in the continental US, and I've seen a lot of them. If we don't get any major storms this year, the recovery phase will keep going full bore. This past week, they planted at least a hundred big palm trees along Beach Boulevard. The new ones add so much to the ambiance. This place is gorgeous!

Plus, I've decided to finally go to one of the casinos. Was going to wait until I have company because I really don't want to go by myself, but I want to go--so will. There are some beautiful casinos here in Biloxi. Haven't really noticed the ones in Gulfport and points west...but I'm sure they're nice too.

Okay. Done eating. Back to work. Will pick up Quincy about 5. As happy as she is to get to Doggy Day Care, she's even happier to see me. That's a good feeling. (I must get my camera connected to the computer to charge it up, so I can take pictures.)

6/14 What? No blog since Monday?

Can't believe I haven't written anything since Monday. Last night I didn't even turn on the computer when I got home. Very unusual for me.

My best friend from college, Gerri Flynn (now Hutchings), called last night and she's going to come for a visit. I'm so excited. My first visitor (unless Rob, Beata, or Jill beat her to it). Gerri and I had such a blast together those first two years in school. And when I left town after getting married, she moved into my old room and it was like I wasn't even gone. :) Well, except she was neater, I think. Anyone was neater than I was.

Ger said that she is only one size up from college and of course that makes me mad. I've expanded like an overripe piece of fruit, or worse yet--a hot air balloon, and she's still little. I've looked at my old pictures and see a vibrant, healthy, thin woman. She's locked inside this body and dying to get out. I need to make a plan and stick to it.

Oh yeah, Doggy Day Care is open again after their vacation! Hooray!

6/11 Lutheran Church of St. John, Quincy, IL

Quincy and I drove to Gulfport, actually nearly to Long Beach, to meet some of the Quincy folks who have volunteered to rebuild a house nearly destroyed by Katrina. I met about six people and didn't know any of them. The surprising thing to me is that they'd never heard of the Bozarths. Heck we are all over the place. But they all went to QHS and we went to QND and there's the rub.

But some of them had heard of my sister Jane Peterson, who's a nurse practitioner at the Quincy Medical Group. She's famous (or infamous).

It was neat though. I brought Quincy and started the conversation by saying, "If I tell you my dog's name is Quincy, will you know why I want to meet you?" They were all so sweet, working their tails off in 95 degree heat with no air conditioning. And each one was cheerful and smiling. Others of their group were working in Biloxi, so I'll try to meet up with them later. The church had taken up special donations and these folks bought all the supplies for the house, dry wall, doors, windows, just everything. What a caring group.

Even though I didn't know any of them, it felt good. And made me feel just a little bit closer to home. Can't beat that.

6/10 A good Sunday

Yesterday was stormy all day. And my dog was nuts. Not that she was scared of the thunder and lightning--it's just the opposite. She LOVES to be out in the rain and would get by the door and bark. That's her sign that she has to go out. But most of the time she didn't have to go, she just wanted to drink the rain. She runs around and then will stand in the yard, open her mouth and let the rain pour in. It's funny--but messy.

So I didn't get any work done yesterday--was very tired, had a headache from the weather, and just didn't feel like it. But today it's just the opposite, I have a little energy and feel good. I cleaned the living room and guest bathroom. And after lunch will start on my bedroom. It's horrible and will take the rest of the day I think. But it'll feel great to have it done.

Gotta run!

6/8 Another Quincy

Just found out that a group from Quincy, IL is coming to Camp Biloxi. They'll arrive tomorrow and stay until next Friday. I'm so excited to meet some folks from home.

Today was a really good day. I spent most of the morning at a client's home--at least their property. They are living in a FEMA trailer because their home was completely destroyed. BUT their land is right on the Gulf and is so picturesque and perfect. It's exactly what I would picture the Gulf Coast to be like. Lots of live oaks, a dock leading to the water, a catamaran tied to the dock. Everything is perfect except they lost everything else.

It will be my privilege to work there the week after next with 12 youth from the midwest. I'm looking forward to it, even though I know I'll complain about sore muscles.

Tonight was great too, with another group of youth. We formed a partnership with Youth Build, an organization that trains youth in construction jobs. These youth will then volunteer for our construction projects, but Youth Build will pay them. It's definitely a win/win/win situation. We had a BBQ with this group tonight. Most people are still there because there's a DJ, but I had to leave because Q was in her crate and I don't like to leave here there for longer than 3-4 hours. Her bladder still doesn't last a lot longer than that.

I'm looking forward to being home with Q for the weekend.

6/7 More on the Q-dog

She was uncomfortable last night. She sleeps on top of the covers on my bed, and bled pretty much for a while. That's unusual because there hadn't been any seepage prior to that. So I changed sheets, and put dirty ones in the washer. Took Q outside. Came back in and went back to sleep. A while later I heard her whining...she'd thrown up all over the bed and I hadn't even heard it. Took off the other blankets and sheets, put them in the washer, threw the other ones in the dryer, took her outside again, then laid down on the mattress pad and covered with a dirty poncho liner that I'd used on the Avon Walk.

This morning I gave her a pain pill and that was sure a mistake. She felt so good that she started running around at work. I've kept my door closed most of the day because she'll sleep then. But she loves the people here so much that she gets very excited when she sees them. This afternoon she's slowed down a bit though, as I think the pain meds are wearing off. I can only give her 1/2 pill per day, and will make sure I use them up so she's not uncomfortable.

I work with such great people. Everyone asks about her and is friendly to her. She loves it here. Gotta run. Have lots of work to do.

6/6 Quincy

Quincy was spayed today and poor thing...she is moving slowly and is in pain. The vet gave me some pain pills but I forgot to ask if she needs one today after all the anesthesia. Right now she's sleeping, so I guess I'll leave her alone until she seems more uncomfortable.

It's hard watching this energetic crazy-fun puppy just tiptoe around. She's such a sweetie and it's hard to watch her feel like this. The doc said she'll be her old self in a few days but I shouldn't let her run for several days.

So if she's her old self, how in the world am I going to be able to stop her from running?

6/5 Home at last

I woke up at 3:30 AM to catch the 4:15 shuttle to O'Hare. My flight was to leave at 6:30 but ended up leaving at 8. Just wasn't too lucky this trip.

Immediately I went to work and got a bunch of stuff done. But by 4 I was dead. So I left and went to pick up Quincy. She was jumping up and down so much it was like she had springs on her feet. It felt so good to be with her again. She was thrilled to come home too. Just like me. It is great to be able to sleep in my own bed. And I have a feeling that I'll be asleep before too long.

6/4 Stuck in Chicago

Bad weather caused flights to be canceled. After waiting a long time, my flight was canceled too. Since my next flight leaves ungodly early tomorrow morning, rather than calling my brother and sister-in-law in Aurora, I just got a cheap motel near the airport. I'm on the 4:15 AM shuttle to the airport tomorrow, and since Jim and Karen live an hour away I thought it wouldn't make sense to bother them.

The motel is junky and all they had left were smoking rooms, so cough-cough, it sure stinks in here. Hope my allergies don't go nuts overnight.

Okay, back to the good stuff. Jan, Kris, and Beth did so well on the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. What great resolve they have. Kris and Beth were shocked to find out how hard the walk is. Since Jan is 59 and does this walk every year, they probably thought it wasn't as difficult as it turned out to be. But they persevered and did SUPER. I'm so proud of all three of them. Beth's husband, Matt, and two boys were there to greet her at the finish line. It was so sweet.

Jane, Deb, and I worked hard on the crew. My right foot and left elbow are still hurting. Old age sucks sometimes. But I couldn't complain too much because the three walkers worked a lot harder than I did.

I love working on the weekend. Being team leader for the Operations Team is interesting, and I think doing Incident Response is absolutely the perfect job for me. I was asked to do the Charlotte walk too, and I'm thinking about doing it. Need to check my schedule.

Back to this weekend--last night we all stayed at a Fairfield Inn. We ordered pizza and Jim, Karen, and Frank joined us for dinner. We went swimming and sat in the hot tub and boy, it felt good. I loved playing in the pool with Blake (3) and Tyler (1 1/2).

As for now, I need to catch up on some work email, and then try to go to sleep early tonight.

6/3 The 2007 Chicago Avon Breast Cancer Walk is history!

We're tired and punch drunk. And at a hotel west of Chicago. About 13 of Bozarth friends and family are getting ready to swim, eat pizza, and drink beer (or soda or iced tea or water). Too tired to post more, but will give details tomorrow. Jan, Kris, and Beth all did so well with their walking. And Jane, Deb, and I all did well with our crewing. More later. Love to all.

6/1 Hurricane Season and the Avon Breat Cancer Walk

The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins today. And so what did I do? Leave town.

My flight didn't get into Chicago until 9:30. My cab driver was a doll. From Iran and close to my age. He had a brochure in his car for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. How cool.

By the time I got to the hotel the other five gals were in fine form. Not from drinking (although a few of them had hoisted a couple of brews), but just from being silly. I knew this was going to be a fun weekend.

We're calling Beth and Kris (my nieces) Avon Virgins since it's their first walk. We're also trying to come up with a funny, catch name for our "team," but most of the good names have been taken. We've seen some doozies over the years.

Went to sleep finally after midnight. I woke up at 6:45 and showered--a late morning since Q wasn't sleeping with me. I shared a room with Jane and Deb. Deb's in the shower now and Jane is still sleeping. Jane brought some great ear plugs for me and I slept like a baby. Hope my snoring didn't keep either of them awake.

We'll breakfast here at the hotel, then it's off to the designer outlet mall. We plan on lunch at the Red Tavern, which is where we always eat when we're at this mall in Aurora. After lunch we'll make our way to the hotel where "Event Eve" will be held. It's near O'Hare I think. And we'll stay there tonight because we have meetings there this evening. Tomorrow we'll head to Soldier Field where the opening ceremonies will take place.

More later. (This will be FUN!)