Tent City

This is the greatest tradition that I have been apart of. I thought I had been going since I was 2, but most records (pictures) only show me at age 8. It was another great year-next year may be even better since it will be the 40th anniversary. They are going back to their roots and having it at Rat Lake. There is a lot of work to get it ready for next year, but I'm definitely up for it. Anything for this group. It is strange how you can see a group once or twice a year and feel like you never left. Here are some photos from this weekend.

Jadah's sarcofa tent next to my tent

making hot pockets in

mom's dutch oven

Jadah made a pan flute
from beer bottles

Bumby teaching Jadah
Archery

Mom making
strawberry
crisp in dutch oven

fresh rolls from
dutch oven

Jadah helping with community Chili





Bumby taught Jadah and Nicole
how to shoot a gun
Bumby's Angels

What Tent City is all about
campfires, singing, and kids sleeping
by the fire.





Jadah waking from her night in
"Sarcofa" tent.

Bad Polly

The pictures really say it all.

A hint at what was to come.

She got into the garbage in our room, onto the counter in the kitchen (got her pills, but thankfully didn't OD), and chewed up my cowboy hat.

Her food was scattered across the kitchen floor.

All in all it looks bad, but it could have been worse...no poop, pee, or torn up carpet or furniture.

Pampered Chef

I had a successful Pampered Chef party. It was fun to have everyone over and we had a great dish along with Margaret's fruit pizza and Olaf's guacamole. Jon thought he was going to spend the entire show in the basement, but he actually stayed upstairs and even looked through the catalog enough to say that he wanted a few things, which I ordered-rice cooker and a tool for browning meat (I was going to get it anyway).

Pooped Out

Most Saturday mornings have been spent sleeping in. Not with Polly in our life. My parents went to the cabin for the weekend and she had a vet appointment this morning so we have her back. She was up at 5 am. We decided (and I actually stuck to it) that she would not be let off her leash to go to the bathroom. She was outside from 5-9 and never went to the bathroom except when I went to switch her leash to take her to the vet...she peed (almost on my foot). We took her to the vet and she got a clean bill of health, she even lost a pound since her last visit 2 weeks ago. We mentioned to the vet that she had not gone and that we can't get her to go unless she is off the leash. Then she takes off running and we have to catch her. He said unfortunately we are in for a hard couple days (she should only be able to physically hold it this long). Since she was not trained as a puppy to go on a leash she will be reluctant to go on one now, but eventually she will HAVE to go. All day we took turns taking her out. When Mike and Margaret came over it was Jon, them, Olaf and myself taking turns taking her out. Later this evening she went downstairs and took two launches at the craft room door. We took this as a sign that she had to go poop since she went in that room already once. So it was Olaf first, then Jon, then Margaret, then finally Mike. He took her down by the school parking lot and she did actually go. There was a lot of praise. She is now sleeping under the computer table by my feet...pooped out.

Another doctor Appt.

Saw the doctor again today. Same doctor, exactly one month from the time I saw him before. Last time he listened to my breathing, looked in my ears, nose and throat, asked me a few questions then said it was just a common cold. Since I had it for more than two weeks at that point he prescribed amoxiccilan. I took this and still had the cough. Then I went through a bottle of Tylenol cough and sore throat; then a bottle of Delsym. None of this has worked. Last weekend I was coughing so hard I threw up. That is what drew me to go to the doctor again. I'm usually not one to go to the doctor because they never tell you anything worth the money your paying. I told you what happened at the last visit-that cost me $90.
This visit he did the same thing, no tests, just gave me a prescription for an inhaler and some pills to take that would numb my throat. Both are only to be taken on the onset of coughing or as needed. He also said to take Claritin. He said this would stop the post nasal drip that also may be causing the cough. I asked if this was a cold or some form of whooping cough. He said it was the after effects of the cold and could last 4-6 weeks. Well, only 2 more weeks to go. I would really just like to sleep one night without coughing.

Injury

Yesterday I was carrying some laundry down the steps and didn't turn the light on. I thought I had one step left, there was actually two. I fell pretty hard on my knee. I couldn't move for a while, and then it just stiffened up. I put some ice on it and elevated it and took some Advil. This morning I could walk but couldn't go up or down steps very well. It was difficult to take Polly out this morning because I knew I couldn't chase after her if she ran. We were up at 5:30am, she didn't do anything but sniff the yard. When she had to go out again at 6 Jon took her out. She went poop, then saw two deer and took off. He chased her down. When he got in he was frustrated (as am I every time I have to take her out and she doesn't do anything). I called my mom and asked if she could take Polly back for a while until we got the fence up. So next big project is getting that installed. We hope to have it done by Memorial weekend so we can have her back. Having her around is a joy and pain all together. In a way I don't think we should have attempted having her without the fence already installed.

I also forgot to mention-there were no accidents in the house again, but she did chew or possible her nails got snagged on the brand new carpet upstairs in our room. There is now a small hole that needs to be repaired.

More Trouble?

So I went through my normal ritual this morning and she peed but didn't poop. I tried forever to get her in the kennel. I would throw a treat in there and she wouldn't go after it, so then I gave her one and threw one in the kennel. She still didn't go for it. When I went upstairs to get her she was laying next to the sliding door. I got in her face and was very stern; if I let her stay out and found a surprise when I got home her butt was going outside for a long time. I'm really wishing I had this camera system right now.

Frustration

Last post was about how we can't get Polly to go the bathroom (on command). When we left for work today she was in her kennel. When I got home she greeted me at the door. I took her outside and again nothing. The upstairs didn't look like she got into anything, either did downstairs. I checked her kennel and all the doors are still locked. Great, an escape artist! Then I saw my craft room door open. BIG HUGE LOGS!!! Boy is she in trouble! No wonder she didn't have to go when I got home. She is now outside on a 10ft line attached to the ground. Hope she likes it, she'll be there for a while.

Sleepy

I'm draging today. I think I'm getting enough sleep-just not restful. Polly sleeps in our room on the floor next to me. Everytime she gets up and adjusts I hear her and it wakes me up. This morning she was up around 4:30am pacing. I thought she may have to go to the bathroom because we didn't let her out before we went to bed. Jon took her out (thank you) but she didn't do anything but sit and look around. We got up at our normal 6am and she did the same thing. Then we went for our walk, came back and nothing again. We went back inside, I got ready for work. I let her out one last time before having to leave-we threw the ball a few times-she raced around the yard and then took a bee line to her spot. She went potty. I got all excited and she came racing back to me-then she took a lap around the yard again and spooked a rabbit out of hiding. She didn't chase after it and I praised her for that, but then she took off into the neighbors yard-all the way up on their deck! She wouldn't listen at all when I called her. I had to get her leash and haul her back in the house. What has been so hard for us is the yard is not fenced so we want to keep her on a leash so we don't have instances like this last case. However, she will not go to the bathroom on a leash. I suppose if she had to go bad enough she would just go, but with getting ready for work, we really don't have the time to wait for her to explode. Any suggestions?

Loss in the Family

It breaks my heart to have to write about this. Cleo-Jon's family cat passed away yesterday. She came in as a pregnant stray. The Moritz house took her in and soon had a litter of kittens. They kept two-(Tiggy)Tiger and Buddy. I tried asking Jon just how long Cleo had been with them and I believe it was around 12 years, she was about 4 when they got her. She was a great cuddler. We all miss her greatly; at the same time, we are also happy that she is not in any pain anymore.

Don't Ask

I decided to change my about me photo. Don't Ask.

Full Tummy

Extremely full, but sooooo worth it. Today is Jason's birthday and he chose to have a bunch of people go to Fogo de Chao. I took the day off because we were meeting for lunch downtown. It was also a test for putting Polly in the kennel. I think I probably did worse than she. We still don't have the potty thing down yet. We take her out and there is usually so much going on with being next to the school that she pays more attention to the kids than on the fact that we want her to go. So back to Fogo. I really love going here because I get my money's worth. A few pieces of filet mignon, and their signature cut-beef ancho-delicious!

Game Night

We had quite a few people over last night. I decided to make lasagna; however, when the meat was browned and the water just came to a boil-I blew a fuse on the stove. I called Mike and he walked me through fixing it, but I couldn't get it. Then Jason and Jadah arrived and Jason was able to fix it. I was back to making dinner. I made two pans because we had so many people over. Erin, Richard and Shirley made it over as well as both sets of parents and Olaf. My parents brought Polly over too. She was a little overwhelmed by all the people. When there were just a few people around she was okay, but get more than 4 and she would hide behind the couch. She slept next to me on her dog bed. We got up this morning and it wasn't raining (thank God), so we spent like 2 hours just being outside. She sniffed everything in the yard, we went for a walk, then she sniffed some more. She loves to be outside. We came in and played with her squirrel for a while and then Jason and Jon got up and I made breakfast.