Let's see...

What is new?

-Marley is still having accidents, mostly the solid ones. I know that she is having them as part of a behavioural problem, because we let her out before we leave and as soon as we get home, and she's not alone that often, but we have been spending a lot of time in the house, and she spends most of the day sleeping. Need to get on a more regular walking schedule, and play with her every day! (Working on it)

- I woke up today feeling motivated, to eat healthier, to go for more walks, to get more done. (To stop distracting myself with the tv when I get homesick, instead, I hope to do more productive things. Like get healthy again.) I bought more fruit (been making fruit salad a lot lately, and needed to get a fresh supply anyway...) and a few veggies (I'm not a fan of most... except some cooked in bad enough ways that it's healthier for me to not eat them.) and I plan to make the best of them. I also plan to take Marley for a few more walks a week, presuming she promises to stop rolling in sh!t. *see below.

- I need a new bra. Desperately. I have about 3 or 4, but all but one are unwearable (Why I still have them, I don't know.) So, I wash it often, which is shortening it's life span, too, and I have a feeling that I should make an appointment in Edmonton for a fitting and start saving some money again to be able to afford the ones I have to buy. (F-ing chest is too big to be able to buy from any regular store, unless I want to cut off the blood supply to half. And it's extremely uncomfortable to do that...) So, hopefully the back pain will dissipate during the second half of my trip to Cold Lake... First thing I will do when I get there is wash my new bra. Second thing, say hello to everybody... (ha, ha, ha... just kidding. I will unpack second. lol).

- New car is working out great. After we got it an oil change, new tires, new spark plugs and wires... And the engine is knocking, but other than that it works excellent! Very fuel efficient...

- It is still up in the air whether or not Chris will be joining me on our trip to Cold Lake: they offerred him on thursday to 'qualify' early... (Brakeman, right now. Still has more training to do to become a Conductor. Three years after that he could qualify for Engineer, if available.) His on the job training was supposed to be 45 trips/tours/shifts/whatever and on thursday, he was at 30. So, 2/3 of the way done, because either he's doing a great job, or they are short workers... but either way, he was offerred it. It means more money, but he'd still be in training to qualify for Conductor. He's already doing the work of a brakeman, they've been short a few days the last week and it was either he just do it, or the job comes to a screeching halt. I don't think he's completely decided yet...

If he stays in training, he might be able to have the whole weekend off for the trip to Cold Lake, but he might be in Prince George. If he takes the Brakeman position early, he will be working 6 days a week, and most likely will be able to get the weekend, plus the friday off. So, then we would have to leave on Sunday. Or, even if he couldn't get the friday off, since we'd be taking two cars to Cold Lake and only one back, I could still come down on Friday and Chris could come down early Saturday. And then we'd leave on Sunday. I don't know what's going on at this point. There's still the potential he might not be able to come down at all, meaning we'd have to figure out another way to get the car to Cold Lake...

Hey, I'm just trying to get Willy a car, damnit.

-We shaved Marley... it was way too hot, and trimming is so time consuming, and makes me warmer struggling with her, and being in such close quarters with her and usually Chris, too. Just too hot to trim normally. However, the trimmer gets hot too, but it's still easier, and she's not as scared of the trimmer as she was of the cutting noise the scissors make. (Rescue Remedy works pretty good, too. Made her a little high, tho, I think.)

* It's been over 6 months since we got her and she's proven that she has a thing for rolling in stinky stuff. So far, the list includes: dirt, cat poop, garbage and most recently (today) horse poop. Luckily it was dry and it didn't stick too much, but it stills ticks me off to no end that she ruins a good walk with that urge that I don't understand that makes me turn around and go home. (going to look up why dogs do that now... from http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1547&articleid=1152 :

"A. It is thought that dogs may choose to roll in foul-smelling things to mask their scent, just as wolves do. Wolves may roll in decomposing carcasses or the feces of herbivores (plant eating animals) to disguise themselves. They want to cover their own odors so their prey will not be alarmed by their scent. This way, they can sneak up on their prey and have a better chance of making a kill.
Some behaviorists feel dogs may roll in smelly things to 'advertise' what they have found to other dogs."

Huh. Still, gross.

And a waste of water, too.

News-ish

Gah! It feels like forever since I've been home, (Cold Lake), and I can't wait to go there for my birthday...

Also, Chris found a little car we can buy for cheap, from one of his co-workers. (2002 Dodge Neon, got about 150 000 km's on it, practically fully loaded, only asked $3500, talked down to $3300... Only selling for so cheap because it was the seller's son in law's and when he went to universoty he couldn't afford it anymore, so he gave it to the guy who is now selling it (because he already has too many vehicles). Chris took it for a test drive and liked it, it just needs new tires, and otherwise should be excellent on the road for Chris's commute - much better than either of the two that we currently have.*)

We're s'posed to be going to Edson to buy it officially on Sunday.... who knows how long it will take before Chris has an early day so he can insure and register it!

*We plan to bring 2 vehicles to Cold Lake when we go down, and only bring one back... Willy's inheriting the sunfire...

Holy crap, the sun's coming up, I gotta go to bed.

I made fruit salad and then had a couple of glasses of tea... hoping to sleep like a baby... maybe after this episode of Corner Gas is over...

I really have to go to bed now.

I keep looking for dogs

 
Argh... Another cutie, and check out the name! Hee hee hee!
 
:) Why do I torture myself knowing it's not a likely or even a good idea, especially when it's in Red Deer! (Opposite direction than most of my scheduled trips!*)

http://www.reddeerspca.com/dogs.htm
 
http://www.reddeerspca.com/dogs/willy.jpg

the other one I found that I am heartbroken over not being able to get (yet?)
is in Fort McMurray!
 
http://www.fortmcmurrayspca.com/index.php?Page=Gallery&Gallery=19&Image=1862#fullImage
 
*However, if we went to RD, I could visit with Chair, J, Theya and the Bean to be.
 
:)
 
I wonder if either of these dogs could be a good addition to our little family?
 
Blaine

 
 
 

My World

 Appears to be dying (According to most of the people who are on the Live Earth Concert, at least)... (For the record, Chris and I do our part... and intend to do a lot more)
 
Not much new here, not planning on moving to Edson right away... I almost quit my job, and have also since stepped down from managing the store on the occasional evening and basically running the front end, so basically nothing's changed except I don't have keys and a card anymore, and I get 'token approval' from other people to do things I know I can do, just need to have the whole ' approved by xxxx' on the receipt.
 
__________________________-
 
Aside from work, nothing new. At all. Marley still not listening, Marley still having random accidents... (Last week she was barking to go outside, yesterday she just went and peed in the bathroom (as interesting as that sounds, she didn't go in the toilet - she peed on the rug.)
 
I'm thinking I should take her for a walk today... it's not as warm as it was the other day (35C) it's about 24, so it's nice...
 
I guess I should go make supper... It's about that time...
 
and Marley needs to go out...
 
Just thought I'd drop a line to say that I am still around and kicking...!
 
:)
 
 

Trip to C.L. 06/07

Just thought I would update everyone on my soon upcoming trip to Cold Lake! (15th-18th)

My plans are as follows:

Leave Friday morning (15th), probably around 8 a.m. (me-up at 8a.m.! I know!) I intend to stop in Edmonton to get some lunch, and catch up with Jarrod for a bit. Then, the home stretch!

Expecting to get into C. L. between 6:30 and 8 p.m. depending on roads, traffic, how much time I spend hanging out in Edmonton, and, of course, what time I actually leave at in the morning. (Mom, Dad, I will call before I leave Edmonton, and again when I get to Bnyvl!)

Don't really have any plans so far for Friday night except of course relaxing, unpacking.

Saturday nite probably after dinner I will be visiting a friend I haven't seen in awhile!

I would like to spend Sunday (morning at the very least!) making a big breaky for Dad and the rest of the family... hoping everyone will have the day off... got my fingers crossed... (Willy, Joy, I'm looking at you!?! Do you work weekends?)

Hoping to leave fairly early Monday morning, 8 a.m. ish (ha ha ha ha) so i can get home at a decent time, too. (I was supposed to have the 19th off, too, to heal, but my ignorant boss scheduled me to work. So now I have no time to relax after I get back, as was planned.)

Other tidbits of info: will be bringing Marley with me, mostly because Chris is home, but will be working up to 16 hour shifts (including drive there and back) and don't want to have her left alone that long. (The whole house would smell like a litter box pretty quick). Plus it will be good for her to see Patches and Zeva again... She doesn't really have any animals here to socialize with...

____________________________________________________

In other news, my boss doesn't know what a doctor's note means, apparently it means that I should have the time off to heal, but that he can schedule me to work a few of the last days if he really needs me to because he doesn't know how to say no to 4 people wanting to go on vacation all at once.

Yeah. I want to quit again.

Marley's a mess

This was taken Friday night, the 1st. Right before Chris got home for the weekend!

She rolled in the dirt in the dandelion garden out back, and rubbed the front of her neck in some cat poo. After shampooing really well, TWICE, (and conditioning x2) she still smelled quite bad, and I had to trim her fur that night (was planning on it anyway, but it was nasty).

















And a picture of my hand, too.


















After 24 hours.

I will update more pix as I am sure it will change colours.

E.R. visit June 2007

At around 7:30 tonight, I did a 'stupid' thing.

I was on the spare bed getting all of the prizes and games for the social committee's summer party organized, and I leaned on my left hand behind me to push myself forward.

WELL, I must have leaned on it in just the right (wrong?) way, bacause I heard a loud crack, and boy, was there pain. I was crying immediately, and not knowing what else to do, I put a bag of frozen veggies on my hand and called Chris. (in edmonton).

I was comtemplating driving myself to the E.R. when I tried to use my other fingers from my left hand to try to change from shorts to pants (mosquitos around here are really bad right now). When I was trying to pull the left side of my jeans closer so I could button them up, I felt pain so excruciating, I screamed and started crying again (into the phone - scared the hell out of Chris.) (I ended up just pulling on some track-type sweat pants.)

I figured that i would only drive if I absolutely had to, because I figured, what if I accidentally nudge it on the drive there... I can't see very well while I am screaming and crying, and I might cause a bigger accident.

So, Chris tried calling his parent's house to see if one of them could take me to the hospital, and there was no one home.

So, he called Kellie, his sister in law. I told him to try his parent's first, because I figured that it would be more difficult for Kellie, what with the baby (14 mos) and a dog, and a new puppy.

But she got her mom to come babysit, and she came and picked me up and drove me to the hospital. (And stayed with me and drove me home 2 hours later. thank you so much, Kellie, and to Kellie's mom for babysitting until Jason got home! I am so buying them a thank you gift!)

Anywho, I was hoping and praying I didn't break anything, but I was scared I had because of the extremely rapid swelling. (my thumb swelled to double it's regular size by the time I ran across the house and got a bag of veggies... maybe 30 seconds). Anyway, the resident doctor who came and checked it out after a while (nowhere near the same wait time as C.L., though) seemed to think I brok e the bone between the wrist and next thiumb joint, because he ordered x-rays.

They really thought I had broken that bone, an d started questioning my calcium intake and family history of bone fractures/ problems. The doctor also wanted to do a bone density test (?) to see what condition mine were in, because he said a fracture of the bone they thought was broken is fairly rare, that it doesn't happen very easily. (which is why they wanted to know if I had super fragile bones or something).

So once the x rays were done, we waited another 10 minutes or so, and then the resident doctor came in with another doctor to give me the results.

Apparently, against what we were all thinking, I DIDN'T break my thumb. Thank God!!

The doctor seemed somewhat shocked and asked if I had been doing a lot of repetitive motions with that wrist that could cause weakening... i suggested my time cooking, because I always held and shook the frying pans with my left hand, and even had wrist problems back then, with muscular strentgh a few times. (Had to go to physio).

he suggested once it feels better to continue to do those excercises.

Here's what the doc thinks happened: when I leaned onto my hand, the joint didn't dislocate, but it shifted out of place and then back into place. He thinks there is soft tissue damage done, and also that the tendons might be torn, probably not all the way.

So, he offered me two choices: 1-do nothing, ice it, try to not use it, take Advil, and once it feels better, continue the excercises. 2- Same as above except they'd give me a splint to put it in, to immobilize it better.

I asked for the splint, and gave the reason that I am kind of clumsy at work and tend to bump my arms on things. I figure, at least if nothing else, I can always take it off. If I didn't get one, I'd more risk the damage getting worse.

He also warned against using it, especislly while taking painkillers. He said the pain would increase and it wouldn't heal as well if I kep re-injuring it while it's trying to heal.

So, as much as I am trying to not use my left hamd for typing, I keep doing it anyway, because it's easier.

Oh, and they also warned that if my right hand gets sore, I am to ice it, too, and try to take it easy again. (overcompensating).

And, my hands are both sore, and I need to take some Advil and got to bed, I am goignt o stop typing now. or soon.

I should be back to normal in about a week or two, they said, so I hope that it heals fast.

Had Enough

I worked 11-7 yesterday, then during the (volunteer) social committee meeting that I was at, (at about 7) the Night Manager came in after finding out that his Mom's basement (where he lives) was flooded, and he wanted me to stay until midnight. I didn't want to, but he called the store manager to okay it, and then asked again (didn't even say please, and didn't say thank you once I finally said yes.)

So I worked 13 hours straight yesterday, with a 1 hour break for lunch, and then today, when I came into work ON MY DAY OFF (to do social committee stuff), the Store manager had the GALL to come up to me and tell me I'm only allowed to charge my lunch to the store when I am working a 3-12 manager shift. Nevermind that I was staying an extra 5 hours as a favor that was already unappreciated. And that I hadn't eaten since 2 in the afternoon. I had to stay late, I figured, they are paying for my f*cking dinner. So I charged it.

I am tempted to tell my boss where to go.

So, I plan to go into the store and ream him out and not let them do this anymore. I am not coming in on days off, I am not staying an extra five minutes, I am not covering for people who are sick, and especially not going to help him out anymore. He's a rude, arrogant ass who has no social skills, or any really semblance of a brain.

whew.

Anyway, I am looking into getting a different job, because I have had enough of this one. I don't care if I work at Tim Hortons.

This shit has to stop.

I H8 MY JOB

 
I have decided to 'resign' from one of my positions at work.
 
Because, you know, Assistant Night Supervisor, Scan Coordinator's Assistant, Head Cashier's Assistant and regular cashier is just too many job titles.
 
Amongst other reasons.
 
I am so sick of tons of stuff, and am planning to sit down with two of my bosses to explain why I intend to resign from one of the positions (The scan coordinating one) tomorrow.
 
I have been on straight 3-12 evening shifts the last few months, and I have settled into it. Now, to cover for the Scan Coordinators weekend off (which I really don't mind) I have to work dayshifts throught the next two weekends and I have been informed (and not given a choice) That I have to work a weeks's worth of midnight to 8 a/.m. shifts.

This 'meeting' is going to be bad.
 
 

 
 

Try this again... Someone changed me into a monkey...