All Fixed Up

We spent part of the day over at the Evendale Surgery Center yesterday; actually only about 5 hours from arrival to departure. Chris got through his hernia repair without any problems - it's over and done! He's all repaired and ready to go - in a couple of days, anyway, if he'll give himself a little time to heal. He was a bit nervous as we sat and waited to be called back, and once we did get called back we had to wait an extra hour because the surgeon was running behind at another facility (a long lunch that delayed him, we wondered?)

So we waited and waited as 1:00 came and went. All the while Chris was very hungry and thirsty because he hadn't had anything eat or drink since the previous evening. The nurses finally rolled him back about 2:00, and by 2:30 they were calling us from the waiting room to tell us he was fine and in recovery. Very quick, very simple, thank goodness! No more hernia. We visited with him in the recovery area for about 45 minutes and then he was pronounced ready to go home.

Chris ended the day tucked in bed, Tango at his side (she was very worried about him), watching TV with an ice pack on his tummy. He consumed an extra large bowl of chocolate chip ice cream, a bowl of Raisin Bran and finished with a dose of Vicodin. He didn't sleep very well but it looks like today will be a better day!

In Its Final Parking Place ...

Matt and his buddy Kris took a good look at the poor Tracker this afternoon. We had it towed home since we need to review our options and figure out the next step in the saga. What we do know is that the insurance company says they will pay us ZERO dollars for the accident because we only had basic coverage ... they will only pay for the car if the person who did this damage is located ... which most likely won't happen. I intend to call around to towing companies tomorrow or Wednesday in hopes of talking to someone who can help identify the loser who did this hit-and-run. They had to have their car towed somewhere to have it worked on .... and I plan to hunt 'em down and bring them to justice. They can run but they can't hide.

Oh, and to add just a little more stress to our lives, the van developed mechanical problems today. I went out the front door this morning, hopped in the van to go to work and the key wouldn't turn in the ignition. Completely jammed, just like that. Chris tinkered around and got it to work for a little while, but later in the morning it jammed up again. Out of our 3 vehicles only one is in working order now. What next?

A Beautiful Day

Another cold but sunny winter day in our world. The dogs were begging for a walk in the park, so off we went. We visited with several other doggie friends (Sasha and Harp) and their people as we walked a couple of laps around the big field. A very peaceful afternoon walk enjoyed by all!

Not many new offerings from Mother Nature, though I did see a glaze of ice on some puddles that was interesting. I keep looking for some small signs of spring, as foolish as I am, but of course there are none.

The weekend draws to a close. All three dogs are sound asleep in various rooms - such a big day! This'll be a short work week for me since Chris is having his surgery on Tuesday. I'm taking off Tuesday and Wednesday to be with him through the first 48 hours, then back to work on Thursday.

We should talk with the insurance company tomorrow about Matt's car - no further news from the police (no big surprise there). Once we know how much they're offering us (assuming they agree it's a total loss) Chris can start shopping for a new car for Matt so he's got wheels again. I can't wait to put this part of our troubles behind us so we can focus on other more pressing issues. Life sure can get complicated. All we can do is take it one day at a time, having faith that things will get better soon. 64 days 'til the First Day of Spring!

Goodnight, Moon

When I noticed an enormous full moon glowing in the sky tonight I knew it was time to play around with our new camera. In the course of a couple of hours we shot dozens of pictures, many not too good but a few were in the "OK" range. Here's are a couple ...

We've got a lot to learn about this camera (I do, anyway ... Chris digs right into reading the manual and learning about the features). I tend to just "want to have fun" with it, and he attacks it like a science as he studies up on it. Another Mars-Venus thing, I guess. Here are my favorite shots from tonight:

Nothing against the Man in the Moon, but I love my people and my pets more than him! Grab some hot chocolate and a warm quilt and stay warm on this chilly winter night.

Friday the 13th

I'm not a superstitious person, really I'm not. But here's what happend to us on the evening of Friday January 13th:

This is (was) Matt's car, a 1995 Geo Tracker. Before last night, it was a fun little vehicle for him to drive, very reliable, got him where he needed to go. Then along came an idiot ....

Last evening, Matt drove over to a friends house to meet up and then drive together down to Louisville to visit a college buddy who was home on break. He parked along the curb in front of Chris' house so as not to block anybody coming or going in the driveway. This is in a very nice neighborhood on the east side of Cincinnati (Anderson), so normally no problems arise with parking along the street. About 11:00 p.m. Matt called to tell us that Chris' parents had called them, reporting that someone had hit Matt's car while it was parked on the curb. We didn't expect to see the amount of damage that was apparent once we arrived on the scene about 11:45 p.m. Whoever was driving the hit-skip vehicle had hit the Tracker so hard it pushed it about 15 feet over the curb and into the driveway. The right front end is demolished, the frame is bent - it could barely be pulled up onto the towtruck because the fenders were scraping the tires. There's little doubt that the car will be a total loss. The officer who responded was very helpful though he holds little hope that the offending driver will be located. Their car must also be very damaged on the front end because the officer estimated that they were probably travelling about 35 miles an hour (on a quiet residential street, in the rain) when they blasted into the Tracker - their car must have had a huge amount of body and engine damage as well. How they drove away is a mystery, and without anyone seeing it happen.... especially if their airbags deployed (and they probably did). As we waited in the rain/snow we took pictures and gave the officer all the information he needed, all the while wondering how in the world this could have happened to Matt. He's been struggling recently with school and work issues, and his depression .... so this is pretty much the icing on the cake. Pray for him! And us too.

*** The vehicle we're looking for is mostly likely a silver or gray Hundai with a lot of front end damage. (Based on debris at the scene) Offender probably lives in the Anderson (Ohio) area! ***

P.S. Just to clarify - if anyone in the family reads this - Matt was not in the car when this happened. He was in his friends car, on his way to Louisville, having left his car parked at Chris' house for the night.

Did You Miss Me?

I’ve been out of town on a business trip for several days, in Dallas. I believe our actual location was Frisco, Texas and it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. I noticed a lot of road-building and new retail construction, and communities of cookie cutter houses just off the highway and now I know why:

According to the census, Frisco has been one of the fastest growing cities in the United States in the late 1990s and early 2000s . This is due to the fact that Frisco is currently at the edge of the development in the fast growing suburbs north of Dallas . With the amount of land available within the city limits, Frisco will likely reach an ultimate population of over 250,000, similar to its neighbor to the south, Plano, Texas. Like other Dallas suburbs, Frisco is accumulating a tremendous number of retail properties including Stonebriar Centre, a 165-store regional mall. In addition, the Dallas area is home to a large number of corporate headquarters. Just south of the Frisco city limit, several major corporations are headquartered in Plano, including Frito Lay , JC Penney , and the Ross Perot -founded EDS . Frisco has notoriously strict codes for property development.

The Texas League minor league baseball team Frisco Rough Riders is based in Frisco. The Dallas Stars National Hockey League team practices in Frisco. The Dallas Burn, a Major League Soccer team currently in Dallas' Cotton Bowl, plans to move to Frisco in 2005.

Because we arrived well after dark on Monday evening I couldn’t see much out the bus window as we rode (or should I say we were herded) to the Westin Hotel (excuse me, Westin Stonebriar RESORT). What is the difference between a hotel and a resort, you ask? Evidently it’s the fact that there’s a golf course located on the property. There wasn’t a pool, mind you, but there was golf available. (Obviusly catering to business people, not families with kids!) Anyway, it was an interesting place to visit (very flat, no trees), we had decent food, I met some new people and most importantly, had uneventful air travel to and from. But there’s no place like home, and I’m glad to be back in my own bed.

While I was gone Kelly had first semester exams – she studied SO hard leading up to this week, and kept on going during the week, re-writing notes, reading and re-reading notes and hoping that she was studying the right things …. She was most worried about A.P. European History and Chemistry, and a little bit about Geometry. Her hardest class by far is the Euro class, and to make matters worse she just really does NOT like history of any sort. But its all over now, and she waits impatiently for grades to be posted on-line. We hope she comes through with high grades because she has worked incredibly hard and certainly deserves them. I am so proud of her study habits – she’s self-disciplined and driven, no nagging needed. Way to be, Kelly.

Doggles for Doggies

I could hardly believe it when Kelly came home from the mall recently, having spent some of her hard-earned money on a pair of Doggles. These are some goofy looking dog goggles that make each of the 3 dogs look something like Snoopy, the Flying Ace. (She only purchased one pair – each of the dogs have been forced to try them on in turn.) Here’s how they look when sporting the Doggles:

Tango was a little curious but tolerant of the experiment; Tandie - well, you can see by the look on her face that she was disgusted that she had to put up with such abuse, and Tyson couldn't wait to dance around and paw them off his face.

From the official Doggles.com site:

So what are Doggles, anyway?
Doggles are protective eyewear for dogs. They are actually goggles for dogs, hence the name. Unlike ordinary sunglasses for dogs, Doggles actually protect dog’s eyes from foreign objects, wind, and UV light.

For dogs with the increasingly common eye disease, Pannus, Doggles are proving themselves very useful. It is well known that dogs with Pannus should stay out of direct sun and get protection from UV light. Doggles are a great alternative for those dogs that can't stay inside during the day. Doggles also provide protection from wind and debris. Whether your dog rides in a sidecar, on a motorcycle, or in the back of a pickup, he/she needs eye protection.

In the aftermath of the World Trade Center tragedy, we were one of the few companies that the ASPCA contacted directly for protective gear for the Search and Rescue Dogs.

OK, so I can understand why a search and rescue dog might need goggles, but honestly, how many self-respecting folks would put these things on their beloved dogs in public - while riding in the back of the pick-up, for instance? I don't think so. And what's this about putting your dog on a MOTORCYCLE or in a sidecar? Huh? I don't get it. They're hilarious in the privacy of your own home, for just a minute or two, but beyond that we're talkin' wasted money! Sorry, Kelly, you probably should have spent that $20 at one of your other favorite mall stores!

Who Says Cats Are Useless??

Hero cat apparently dials 911 to help owner
Responding to emergency call, police officer finds feline next to phone

Updated: 10:20 a.m. ET Jan. 2, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Police aren't sure how else to explain it. But when an officer walked into an apartment Thursday night to answer a 911 call, an orange-and-tan striped cat was lying by a telephone on the living room floor. The cat's owner, Gary Rosheisen, was on the ground near his bed having fallen out of his wheelchair. Rosheisen said his cat, Tommy, must have hit the right buttons to call 911. "I know it sounds kind of weird," Officer Patrick Daugherty said, unsuccessfully searching for some other explanation.

Rosheisen said he couldn't get up because of pain from osteoporosis and ministrokes that disrupt his balance. He also wasn't wearing his medical-alert necklace and couldn't reach a cord above his pillow that alerts paramedics that he needs help.
Daugherty said police received a 911 call from Rosheisen's apartment, but there was no one on the phone. Police called back to make sure everything was OK, and when no one answered, they decided to check things out. That's when Daugherty found Tommy next to the phone.

Rosheisen got the cat three years ago to help lower his blood pressure. He tried to train him to call 911, unsure if the training ever stuck. The phone in the living room is always on the floor, and there are 12 small buttons — including a speed dial for 911 right above the button for the speaker phone. "He's my hero," Rosheisen said.

Way To Go, Kitty Kitty!

A Walk in the Park

We took the dogs for a long overdue walk in the park today visiting our favorite area known as Cottonwood Meadows. We go here because it's only used as a reservable picnic site, mostly in the summer, by families who want a big space for a family reunion or whatever. When it's not being used the rangers keep it locked up so visitors can't drive back into the parking area. Over the past few years this site has become known as an unofficial dog park - by word of mouth, dog lovers have begun to use this out-of-the-way quiet place as a dog-walking area. Many of us let our dogs run free without leashes and nobody much minds. Once in a while we come across someone who freaks out when they see the dogs running towards them - what they don't realize, however, is that our dogs could care less about THEM, they're only in pursuit of the sights and smells of the park. We come across many of the same people with their dogs on our visits and all the dogs seem to get along just fine as they roam in the great outdoors.

The 3 T's (dogs) have an uncanny sixth sense that tunes them in to our preparations to go to the "P" (we can't say the word "Park" out loud - they know what it means). When they hear the rattle of the leashes it's all over - they get whipped up into a canine frenzy, yipping and yapping and dashing around the house like fools. They know what's going on! They pace and jump and bark by the side gate until I let them out to run to the car.

On the way to the park the chaos continues - three dogs in the back of the Tracker, whining, yelping with excitement, trying to look out the window. We must look somewhat like one of those circus cars as we make the (thankfully) short drive to Cottonwood Meadows.

As we pull into the drive to Cottonwood Meadows the dogs get really spastic, so we get out of the car as quickly as we can and set them free. They take off running, sniffing, dancing with glee because they're at the park! We hike up a side path that takes us through the woods and eventually into an enormous open field that's kept partially mowed. This is actually privately owned property adjacent to the park but it all blurs together and makes a great walk. The field is mowed around the perimeter, so we can walk a couple of laps around, the dogs racing ahead, then behind, dodging in and out of the woods along the path. They're in doggie heaven!

As much as I dislike winter - the cold weather, the sunless days, the bare trees and empty gardens - I have to admit that's there's still some natural beauty to be found. When we walk through the woods in the winter there's a whole new landscape to ponder - we can see all the way through the trees for quite a distance, we notice the gentle slope of the terrain, up and down ... it's all in shades of brown, gray and silver, with the occasional moment of color to be found. Bright green moss, yellow and red berries, purple-blue vines, a blue winter sky. It's all there in the small places that you really have to look for ... not the "in your face" colors of the spring and summer seasons, but there to be enjoyed nonetheless. Here's what I saw today.

There's beauty to be found everywhere, in every season, if we just slow down, open our eyes and enjoy what's right under our noses. The simple things in life, like talking the dogs for a walk in the park are really the best things in life.