Duty Calls!

Madeline here.

Mom's busy trying to breathe. She said something about the lungs totally bailing on her....

Now she's taking like a whole bunch of meds and staying up all night...

Fortunately, I can sleep anywhere, anytime... Gotta keep my strength up!

Cuz I'm on duty the rest of the time. This is the first big job I've had since the little blonde girl had all her surgeries.

I'm totally ready to kick some lung butt! Hoo Aw!

Maddie out!

Snow

Fortunately we got the auction under our belt before the snow fell. They'd been forecasting it for a week and it hit Monday. I left work immediately because a) I know how how bad Seattle drivers can be in the snow b) my car has neither snow tires or chains and c) I have at lease two major hills to navigate in between my house and work. This was taken in the valley on the way to one of those hills on a state highway which as it turned out had already been shut down by the state patrol. Oh what fun to try to find a hill not shut down, not littered with cars and that had been sanded... and in the meantime dodge cars whose drivers acted like they'd never seen snow!

Once I did get home and darkness fell, the 40 mile per hour winds hit. It was swirling madly in our back yard!

Of course, the Brute Squad thought I sad 'Squirrling Madly' and spent the entire weekend staring at the fence in the back yard waiting for the mad squirrel invasion! I've rarely seen them this intense...

Except for Maddie who wondered what all the fuss was about!

How was your Thanksgiving weekend?

What is it...?

What is it about my idiot dogs that makes them so sweet to come home to after a long day at work?

Other than the fact that they expect me to shoot chicken out of my fingertips, they really don't ask for much...

...a lap,

...a blanket,

...a nice snuggle.

I think they're even starting to like American Pickers!

Do you have a "snugglie" when you come home? Is it one of those blankets with sleeves, or something warm and fuzzy?!

Do tell!

AG out!

Countdown...

Here's K3 this morning. She had a pretty good night and slept a lot with just a medication break around 3:30. That little yogurt drink is the first decent amount of food since before the accident Thursday morning.

Here she is after another dose of meds and a sponge bath. She asked for the laptop and the remote control. As you can see, the brute squad is keeping a pretty close eye on her. You can also see the wound on her chest from the mirror hitting her.

While K3 improves, whatever curse is lying over us continues it's evil ways...

TOG came down with the flu last night. K2 drove him to the hospital at 3:30 this morning, his temp was really climbing. Since he's had the seasonal flu shot (so have I), I think the odds are good it's swine flu. Since he and I were holding hands and clutching each other these last few days, I think the odds are good I'm going to end up with it too.

I can't think of a worse one-two punch that K3's accident followed by the flu. Please, I just need to stay well so I can take care of her.

Off to the pharmacy to fill more prescriptions...

Dismally yours,

AG

Update on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 12:37PM by Asthmagirl

My beloved Dr. M. called this morning because he heard about K3. When I told him TOG had the flu, he was really surprised since he saw TOG yesterday.

Dr. M. has called in flu meds and steroids to the pharmacy. He said the flu meds are appropriate for someone with heavy exposure to swine flu and chronic asthma.

He also noted that there have been no reports of seasonal flu in this area so TOG could only have swine flu.

I don't know what I'll do if K3 ends up with it.... TOG is sick as a dog. Actually, the Brute Squad is way healthier than TOG right now....

GAH

Happy Independence Day!

I have to start out by saying it is NEVER nice here on the 4th of July. Most Seattlites would agree the good weather doesn't rear it's head until after the festivities and fireworks. Usually 'cloud cover' and 'scattered showers' are our by-words for the day. Thus, the fact that it's been in the 80's most of the week is startling, let alone the predicted mid to upper 80's today. We're having to dig out shorts and tank tops!

TOG is back from Alaska and caught many, many fish. He was very surprised when he saw what we did while he was vacationing! The girls and I stained our cedar fence! It took us three days as we did it by hand (no sprayer)! Unfortunately TOG worked a 12 hour shift last night and is now sleeping, so we haven't been able to enjoy his return as much as we would like.

K3 and I and the Brute Squad are heading out to the island to see Dad and other members of the family for our traditional grill fest! I anticipate it will be about 90 at the island but hopefully there will be a breeze. We're having a fireworks free fourth (which makes the asthma happy). We don't do fireworks out on the island and you can't see any fireworks from Dad's house. But if I drive home late enough I should see some as I pass Olympia and Tacoma.

Oh, and a shout out to my "neighbors" in the apartments behind us... I'm really enjoying the M80 firecracker festivities this last week. I had forgotten the traditional "illegal fireworks sneak attack" that leads up to the 4th. The ones y'all set off at 3:30 this morning were very loud indeed! Kudos! The Brute Squad is particularly fond of the multiple launch sequences. I think Fiona must have been in 'Nam as she appears to be reliving some sort of traumatic incendiary rocket attack. Good thing she is unarmed!

Here's hoping that your 4th of July is all that! Enjoy... oh and lets be safe out there!

AG out!

Soft landing

This has been kind of a crazy week... with the hot weather and TOG in Alaska  and the HUGE project the girls and I did while he was gone... all the watering chores, the crazy busy work week...

This morning since I don't have to go to work, I just want to put my feet up and relax. Well I actually wanted to sleep in but that didn't happen! So I got up and started watering the front yard before it gets too hot. And I need to get to the dishes and run to the store. So I'm sitting here in my thinnest jammies, thinking soft thoughts and sweating while I drink coffee and wishing I'd been able to sleep in!

Thus, in the spirit of utter laziness (which consumed me when I wasn't working my butt off this week!) this is all I have to offer today!

The Brute Squad!  

Yawning Fiona! (and the lovely K2/Girlfriend)

Cassie and her curling toe hair!

    

Maddie (my beloved dork) stranded on the stairs because she won't set foot on the hardwood floor at the bottom of the staircase!

Here's hoping you have your own soft landing today. And big puppy eyes staring at you!  

AG out!

The Pier

It's either been flaming hot or nice summer weather here in Seattle lately, depending on who you ask! For me, it's flaming hot, yesterday was 86. Today the same. Tomorrow even warmer. I dream of air conditioning!

My go-to choice for hot weather is to take the Brute Squad down to the water front where salt water breezes off the water generally cool things off about 10 degrees. So comfortable. As I was walking Cassie last night, I noticed something...

    

She's about the same size as the curb! Heart of a lion though.... another larger dog approached her and she had her low growl ready! What a dope. She's pretty sure she's top dog though!

We made our way past the Quartermaster's office and over to the water front park which has a huge lawn....

First they like to scope things out...

Lots of sniffing the air to make sure there aren't any lions! Then we take off the leashes and for Maddie... that's when the running starts!

    

While Cassie...

...just plows through the grass after me!

Yup! The Brute Squad loves the pier!

On a hot and hazy day, it's just right!

AG out!

new post in photography... What I see from the on ramp to the freeway! 

Warm

I took this photo on mother's day while K3 and I were sitting home alone.

 

I might as well have been alone because K3 decided to take a 3 hour coma nap. Unlike her mother, K3 does not require two down blankets, a parka and a sherpa to keep her warm while she sleeps. She is like her dad, TOG, who continuously cranks out enough BTU's to melt an ice cap all the while snoring snoozing away! If you're ever stranded in the wilderness of Alaska, these are the two people you want with you!

This heat source has not escaped the notice of the Chihuahuas. Thus, whenever they notice that she has dozed off, the Brute Squad climbs on board to get warm. Much like a lizard sunning itself on a rock!

Also under the catagory of warm....

The birthday of my favorite Son in Law (SIL)...

... who I hear likes lemon cake! Happy Birthday SIL!

AG out!