Bad Mama

Sorry it has been forever since I posted. I have been working in the office since October since I changed positions in the company. I will be returning to work from home within the next two weeks. The company has built a new corporate headquarters and I do not have a cubicle in the new building. My boss said I have to be home by then. I have been bugging her for the last month to let me do more to get more comfortable with the different kinds of cases I will be needing to do. I got my second of the more complex cases Friday. It has been frustrating.

Anyway, enough about work. Home life is pretty stagnant. The dogs are crated about 20 hours a day. I feel really bad about that. They are both getting really fat and we are having some behavioral issues. They are probably just really bored. I keep telling them things will get back to normal in a little bit.

I am still working on learning the cello. I actually had a practice this last week that sounded somewhat musical. I was ecstatic.

Was gonna post some pics but the camera batteries are dead. Maybe next time.

Just got my passport in the mail. OMG, I actually took a semi-photogenic picture. Its the best picture of me I've seen in about 20 years. I got the passport because I am going to Spain for 2 weeks in April. My niece is doing a semester abroad and I am going to visit her. I am really excited and can't wait to see her.

Freaky, weird weather in Texas this year. Was 70 on Tuesday and we had an ice storm on Thursday. Weird.

Miss everyone in Minnesota and still have the fantasy of moving back home one day.

OMG.....

Lucy just came in the house and she must have been rolling in mud. Her entire left side is coated in sticky, gooey mud. I am totally sick of the rain. We haven't had a single rain free week in over a month. I really need to post some pics for everyone. Lucy is over half as tall as Bertie now. She is weighing in the low 30s I think. She wiggles bad when I try to pick her up and it is too hard to hold her to weigh her at home. Her GI issues seem to be under control with the special food and I am restarting her obedience training. Unfortunately, Darrell (her trainer) isn't having a new class until Nov. 14. So I am trying to work with her some on my own. She started daycare with Bertie last Monday since I am gone all day now. She was a total hit. Everyone loves her. She is a lot less "dominant" now. Someone must have given her what for. Bert is such a wuss, it is good for her to be put in her place. Yes, Bert is still a titty-baby, mama's boy. Even though he is 85-90 lbs. He isn't fat either, mega stocky, tank-like.

I was vacuuming my keyboard and now my "b" key is loose, wobbly. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fix it? Or will I have to take it in? I am thinking about taking it in to be thoroughly cleaned anyway. I am sure it is full of hair and dust, hence the vacuuming. But my cello will need some maintenance work since it has moved to Texas. My cello teacher has mentioned I should have it done soon. Since I am working in the office for awhile now, it would probably be a good time to do it. I still don't sound very good, but I am improving. I am actually getting songs to practice that I recognize. At least when Jim plays them, lol. They are still unrecognizable when I play them. I am not advanced enough to learn vibrato yet and it makes a huge difference in how a piece sounds. Vibrato is when the string fingers "shake or tremble".

I have transferred from disease management back to high risk pregnancy case management. OB is my clinical specialty. I got rifted during a medical leave of absence for a back surgery about 5 years ago and landed in disease management. I have been trying to get back to OB ever since, but it is a very sought after position and a stable department. They never have openings, luckily there is a big increase in business coming up and they are expanding so I got hired back in. Once I am back up to speed production-wise, I will work from home again.

What a month. Texas has been having rains pretty much non stop. We are actually over on rainfall. I can't remember that ever happening before. I have given up on controlling the mud level in the house. The dogs can't even walk in the yard without getting muddy.

Lucy has been sick for the last month. The vet finally has identified it to be a food allergy. She is on a god-awful expensive limited ingredient diet and doing very well. However, she had to go to the vet today and has a bladder infection. So yet another round of antibiotics. Hopefully this is the last of it and she wont have anymore problems.

Haven't taken any pictures, everything is just too yucky. Even the dogs have dried mud in their fur. Lucy weighed 33 lbs at the vet today. So she is growing just as she should.

I wish it would get wintery already. Supposed to be in mid 80's tomorrow and last weekend was in the low 60's. Gotta love the Texas weather.

The Moose

Bert and I just got home thru a horrific thunderstorm from the vet. Bert has another clostridium infection. He weighed 76 lbs and is 9mo and 4 days old. Poor boo-boo needs to stop snacking from the cat box.

3 Months Old, 18.1 lbs

Lucy has obedience class on Sunday afternoons. She slept through the last one. No wonder she is a obedience failure. She should be able to loose leash walk at this point, but I just drag her around the store. She actually did it on her feet yesterday. I told the trainer that I should get some kind of payment for dusting their floors on her drags. In her defense, we are having alot of issues with one on one time at home. Bert goes ballistic when I shut him away from us, no matter where that is. The trainer said to let him have his fit and just work extra with Lucy, cuz she will have to overcome the distraction.

On a positive note. Lucy is completely housebroken. She has had 2 piddles on the vinyl because I wasn't paying attention to her in the last week. I am so proud of her. It took Bert about 4.5-5 mo before he was doing this well.

Having a hard time getting Lucy photos. Usually right about the time I snap the pic, Bert's big butt is in the middle of it. I did want a pic of them together for comparison, so this is it. Was trying to get the cutest picture of Lucy "playing" with Jack, but all you could see was Bert, so I deleted it.

She is growing

She is getting so big. She was 11 wks old on Sunday. She is definitely the alpha between she and Bert. He picks her up by her collar like its a handle and carries her around like a dog-purse. He thinks she is the greatest thing since Bully Sticks.

She hates to go outside and will stand on the back step while Bertie and I play. If it is sunny, she finds shade and just huddles there. Like she will burst in flames if the sun touches her. This has been making potty training tough. She isn't doing to well. She will stay outside and play with Bert for 30 min and then come in and go on the floor. Like I said, a work in progress.

Bert LOVES her so much. He has a fit if I try to crate him or shut him outside to have some one on one time with her. She is in obedience class, but hasn't mastered anything yet. Bert's carrying on is very distracting for her. I will have to talk to the trainer about what I should be doing to help her get it.

She is definitely a trickster. Devious and diabolical. I am surprised her tail isn't forked. She has commanded Bert to dig up the yard and he is doing her bidding. And yes I know she has weird coloring on her legs too. I didn't know labs had this, but the breeder said it should go away when they get their adult coats, whenever that is. Bert is 8 mo, 3 wks and still just covered in the light colored fur. He is such a love, I would never give him up.

Lucy is here

I love this face.

I just like this picture. Bert really is a handsome fellow. Even if he does look like a mutt.

God, she has this game she plays where she stands in the water bowl and stomps and splashes as much as she can. She can empty that ~2 gal pan in about 5 min. Then she is totally drenched head to toe. She is definitely a water dog.

Typical male, Bert waited until I snapped the photo for this lovely pose.

Lucy has been completely drenched in dog slobber since she stepped out of her crate.

Lucy arrived on friday the 14th. Bert is overjoyed. He hasn't left her alone for 5 minutes. She isn't doing well with potty training, but its early days yet. Hope you enjoy the photos. Bert is about 65 lbs and Lucy weighed in at 11 lbs this morning at the vet.