9/14 What a day

First of all, I can't talk. Jane and Pete came over yesterday afternoon to watch something I'd taped. I felt fine then. A little off balance, but no pain. Then about an hour after they left two strange things happened at the same time--I lost my voice and my back started hurting. Both things are still around.

Of course they aren't related, but funny they happened together.

I haven't had a cold this year, so maybe that's what's happening. But I have a giant case of laryngitis and Gussie just stares at me and cocks his head when I try to talk.

Remember all the trouble I had with Quincy rolling in the mud, and jumping in the rain puddles? And attacking the water that pumps out from the basement? I thought I would have no problem with my little Lhasa Apso. Well, I was very wrong. He ran around in the rain like Q used to do--positively dancing. It was so cute. Then he rolled in mud puddles. Not so cute. AND he attacked the water coming from the sump pump. Definitely not cute. I had to chase him (not easy in my stupid condition). I swear he laughed at me. What a mess. But of course I laughed too.

Some fun news. A guy I worked with at ComedySportz in Milwaukee is now a regular on FOx's MadTV. So look for Eric Price. He is a riot. I'm so happy for him.

6/5 Mississippi house

I signed the acceptance letter and faxed it today. So as long as the guy's funding goes through, it looks like the closing will be June 30th, give or take a few days. Although I'm not thrilled--because the price was a steal--I am happy and relieved.

My back was feeling better but I had to give Q three or four baths tonight (I lost count), so I'm not feeling great tonight. Every time Quincy goes outside she heads toward the mud, where the sump pump empties.

Yep, the basement is flooded--still. Sue hope it dries out soon.

Anyway, I'll sleep well tonight knowing my mortgage payments in MS are coming to an end. Hooray.

3/4 Laughed until I cried

Quincy in the muddy backyard



Quincy and Cookie didn't even need to be told to get into the bathtub. They knew.



Q has such a beautiful white coat, but is almost completely covered in mud. It doesn't normally show on Cookie very much. Today it did. Unfortunately you can't get the full effect from these pics taken by my old phone.

2/23 Trying to clean

It's not easy with two "helpers." Now they're outside in the mud, and I'll have to clean them off. But they sure amuse me.

I put a baby gate in the hallway so that when I get the living room cleaned it will stay clean for a few days, but little Cookie jumps over it as easily as if she were walking. I had tried using two kitchen chairs. They worked for Q but Cookie crawled through the legs. So after the baby gate didn't work I put kitchen chairs in front of it. Cookie still jumped it. She's something. I'm afraid I'll have to put a six foot privacy fence around Kris's yard because Cookie will be able to jump over the small fence on the west side. Oh well, that's what you get with big dogs.

They're both worth it. (Since I wrote that I've given Q her first bath of the day. Can't wait until the grass grows back. Here it not only dies in the winter, it disappears. Now it's starting to show again because it's been so warm. But there's still more mud than grass.)

Tonight Genia and I are going to see Definitely, Maybe. I love Ryan Reynolds, and Abigail Breslin too. Caroline is in New Orleans with her Mom for the weekend, so Genia and I will have to eat popcorn alone.

2/3 Wish it was still blah

It's so nice outside, and so dry, so while I blogged I left the back door open. I looked up and Q was on the camel colored sofa and had mud all over it. And I do mean ALL over it. Apparently she found the one mud puddle left in the yard.

Thank God for a carpet and upholstery cleaner. So that's how I'll spend the next hour or so. I bathed her first, and now must bathe the couch.

1/27 Oops, skipped yesterday

Had some friends over last night to play dominoes and cards. We played from 7 until around 11, and I had a great time. Cleaned the house for company and then had to give Cookie one bath and Quincy three because of the mud outside. It's rained for days.

Then today Quincy walks into the house and looked the same color as Cookie. So of course that required a mega-bath. And that's about the most energy I expended all day. Decided to take the day off from thinking and/or working. It's been great. I slept for more than two hours this afternoon. A slice of heaven.

Back to the grind tomorrow, but in the meantime this feels good.

1/12 Mud and more mud

Hard to type with a wrist brace on, but it'll be off in about five more days so I can't complain.

The canine cuties are driving me crazy. They come in the house muddy more often than not. They use my bathtub more than I do. And yesterday they found a mole and tortured it with teasing. There wasn't a mark on it, but I bet it went somewhere and died--simply from being teased to death.

Then the dogs dug about a 20 foot trench next to the house. Guess they found the mole tunnel and followed that. They are really something. Don't know what I'm going to do about this digging. Maybe cement over the whole back yard? Believe me, it's an option I'm considering.

They come in and go right in my bathroom when they're muddy. Don't even have to tell them to go there anymore. Q jumps right in the bathtub and waits for me to turn on the water. C doesn't like the water but she knows she has to endure it as a consequence of her dalliance with mud.

(Thanks to my friend Genia today for going grocery shopping with me and lifting the dog food bags, and also for putting my Christmas decorations up in the attic.)

10/8 Monday, rain, dogs

More baths for Quincy because of the rain and mud.

I have the cleanest dogs in the world.

Cookie is clean because she won't go out in the rain. So I put her on the leash and drag her into the backyard. Then she rushes her dainty little body back into the house.

A few minutes ago I noticed Cookie didn't have her collar on. I found it in Quincy's mouth. It was a lifetime guarantee collar that was bitten in half and Q was happily munching on it. Well, at least I'll get my money back, and luckily I had a spare collar.

The pictures are of them pretending to be guard dogs. They're actually curious dogs, always climbing on top of the couch to see what's happening. In this case it was a telephone repairman. Luckily they don't bark at people, just stare at them. :)

10/6 A good Saturday

I cleaned most of the house today--everything but my bedroom and bathroom and perhaps I'll hit those tomorrow.

Quincy's had three baths today because it rained so much yesterday. Of course she's taken mud baths all day which caused me to do the inside baths. But I do love how she'll jump inside the bathtub as soon as I point. She knows when she's in trouble. Unfortunately there's a mud trail across the carpet in my bedroom. I'll hit that tomorrow too. Thank heaven for carpet shampooers.

A friend walked Cookie tonight and taught her not to pull. I hope it "takes." He uses the Dog Whisperer techniques coupled with some other training methods, and it looked great. It started raining so I didn't try tonight, but will after Mass tomorrow.

9/23 Rainy day fun

It rained all day today. The puppies were good while I was at church but when I got home they were ready to play. After a bath because both of them got in the mud in the backyard, they just both went crazy in the house. Didn't hurt anything, but they were wild.

After they'd gotten muddy I opened the door, yelled at them, and Quincy went into my bathroom and jumped in the bathtub. Can't get her to stop jumping on people, but she jumps into the bathtub without being told. Pretty funny.

Cookie doesn't like the bathtub as much as Quincy, but she tolerates it. Right now they're wrestling on my bed, but at least they are clean. For now.

I watched a Food Challenge on the Food Network this afternoon. It was a challenge on making Mac and Cheese. They all looked so good--I made some myself. Used some shredded cheese I had (Colby, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar), and I had bought some fresh Asiago, so I grated some of that in the roux. It was really good. Luckily I made a lot of it, so I'll have some to take to work for lunch.

Guess that's it. Not a lot happening on this rainy, gloomy, muddy day. Singing in the choir was fun though.