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You are here: Home / 2012 / Archives for November 2012

Archives for November 2012

Feeding an aging dog

November 26, 2012 by Jen

A peaceful moment. Day 296/366.

Our dog is about 15 years old (the one on the right pictured above). I’m not exactly sure of her age because when I got her, her then owner was a bit vague about her age – 2-2.5 years he thought. I don’t know if I ever said on this blog before but he committed suicide a few years after giving us Monty which was awful to hear and I’m glad she was spared from losing him in that way. Although she did lose him when we got her didn’t she?

Monty has had 13 years with me, and 11 years with my son and I hate to say this, but I think she might be lucky to make it past the end of the year.

Pretty much since I got her I’ve been buying her dog food from Bucket of Beef and she’s normally devoured it in a very short amount of time. In the last few weeks she hasn’t wanted it so I’ve had to come up with other sorts of food that she’ll eat.

I tried changing our order to doggy mince but she doesn’t seem too keen on that either. At the moment she’s having cut up bits of chicken or beef from the human food section of the supermarket. I’ve even made instant gravy to pour over the top to warm it up a bit and to add that bit of extra flavour. It seems to be working but she’s still not that interested in eating. She likes eating doggy treats like Smackos and she likes me hand feeding her small pieces of cheese. I’ve even been feeding her twice a day instead of once a day.

I spoke to a vet who euthanases pets in your home. I met this vet at my local oval when she was walking her dogs. She used to work at a clinic but has since left and started her own business. She was fantastic on the phone and pretty much said that I will know when the time comes. Monty’s yearly injections are due around now and I asked if it’s worth getting them done as they’re expensive and I doubt whether she’ll get her year’s worth. The vet said not to worry about it as it will stress her out and she’s still covered from all the previous ones. That makes me doubly glad because I’ve gone off my local vet surgery.

Monty is still following us around the house absolutely everywhere. When she stops doing that and appears to have lost interest in us, or when she physically can’t move around then I’ll know the time has come.

She is very wobbly on her back legs and stumbles all over the place. It’s excruciating to watch her pace back and forth in the lounge before she finally settles down on her mat or on the shag-pile rug. I think she forgets why she came into the room, hence the pacing.

She also wanders up and down the hallway looking in the bedrooms – previously out of bounds – but the rules have been heavily relaxed. And as she’s deaf, telling her to come or go out is hopeless.

I have to lift her into the car if we go out – jumping in is a thing of the past. And walks – even short walks are out now. I do want to take her to the beach one last time but it will have to be one that has a very short walk from the carpark to the beach.

So I continue to sweep up her molting fur, pat her as much as I can and love her heaps while we’ve still got her.

 

 

My Skylanders giveaway closed and winners have been chosen.

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It turns out I can cook scones

November 14, 2012 by Jen

Successful scones. Day 306/366.

Scones. It turns out I can make them. These weren’t for me but for the school fete.

Blowing the thistle seeds. Day 307/366.

Don’t you always have the urge to do this too?

Sometimes I find these notes on my computer. Day 304/366.

He hasn’t learned how to update my Facebook status but I get my own private updates.

Bearded Iris. Day 303/366.

I caught it in time to take a photo. I love these.

I’m joining in for Trish’s Wordless Wednesday. At least I know I’m not alone in my contributions not being wordless.

And I’m doing a Skylanders giveaway.

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Time – where does it go?

November 11, 2012 by Jen

Time 'a ticking. Day 302/366.

I’m sitting down finally having a moment to myself. This weekend has been full-on and I’m looking forward to a good sleep tonight.

I worked on Friday, arrived home and went and did a quick shop as there was no other time I could go until this afternoon.

I got home from that and took JJ to baseball practise. Normally I hang around but I ducked home to get ready for the workshop I ran yesterday afternoon showing a group  of editors what social media is about and how they can possibly use it. During this the right mouse button on my mouse died and I’m not a fan of the laptop’s mouse so I finished up a bit early and went to Officeworks to get a new on on the way to collect the lad.

I got him home from baseball practise, shoved some food down his gullet and sent him off to Scouts. This gave me time to wash the dishes and tidy up a bit and get ready for the next day.

Off we went early on Saturday morning to cricket, hoping like crazy that all the Adelaide pageant goers hadn’t pinched parking spots we’d need near the parklands. We were in luck.

After cricket we got home, he had a quick shower and we both had a quick bite to eat.

I dropped him off at a friend’s and went into the city for my workshop. I’d worked out which way to get in so I avoided road closures. I completely forgot about this until I arrived at one such road closure and had to go a long way out of my way.

Because I was short on time I parked in a very expensive carpark.

The workshop went down really well from all accounts I’ve heard about and it was a relief to put it behind me.

I picked up the lad afterwards, got home and then a couple of friends rocked up here to rehearse something we’re doing for a friend’s wedding next weekend.

They left. We had dinner. I drank a couple too many probably and went to bed a bit later than I would have liked.

Baseball this morning. Lunch at a bakery on the way to aforementioned friend’s to practise something else for her wedding.

Stopped after that at the pet shop to buy some food for the dog that she will hopefully eat. She’s off her food. Trying not to think about her rapid decline but kind of have to because I don’t want her to starve to death.

Housework ensued and now it’s 6pm and the meat I want to use for meatballs is still mostly frozen. Damn.

I’m off to work tomorrow and hope to relax over the next few days.

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While out one lunch time

November 7, 2012 by Jen

A photo essay of the sculptures in Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide.

For Wordless Wednesday

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Committed

November 5, 2012 by Jen

Enjoying a coffee. Day 301/366.

This is me enjoying a moment away from my son’s commitments over the weekend. Actually this was taken just over a week ago – this is how long it’s taken me to get round to posting it.

Last Monday my son was asking me if he could go to a birthday party disco which was on last night. I answered that I wasn’t sure because I had something on whereupon he told me that I always did what I wanted and didn’t do anything for him.

I lost it at this point. What about Friday night baseball training, then scouts, then Saturday morning cricket, then a friend coming over for a sleepover, then baseball on Sunday morning? Hmm? And I don’t do anything for you? All I do is run around after you.

I walked out, slammed the door and got on the exercise bike and rode like the clappers I was so cross with him.

I tried to remember my hour of respite the day before – a peaceful waterfall.

And the sun hiding behind a tree.

When he started playing baseball this season it clashed with the rest of the school cricket season in that he’d be playing cricket one morning and baseball the  next. So far he seems to be coping with it and not getting too tired or grumpy.

It also means that neither of us get a sleep-in or a morning where we can lounge around in our pajamas for a while with no commitments to speak of. At least baseball sometimes has a bit of a later game and we don’t have to be up too early. They haven’t won a game yet but they’ve improved heaps so if they keep it up I hope they’ll win at least one game for the season.

Oh, and I reshuffled my commitments around yesterday to try and fit in a bit of the school fete and he got to go to his disco where heaps of girls chased him around the hall. A sign of things to come?

And in the meantime I got an invite to a friend’s drinks so we ducked over to his place while JJ was at the disco. Win win.

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