Blog Archives
Have a Happy New Year!
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I won’t be posting from now until January 2, so I figured I’d wish you all a Happy New Year now.
If you’re drinking, don’t drive, or, at the very least, please have a designated driver or call a cab. Stay safe I’ll see you all in 2011.
Posted in Holidays
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Are you a bad weather survivalist?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
As we on the East Coast batten down the hatches and prepare for our first blizzard of the season, some of us still hold out the hope that the storm turns seaward. Well, at least those of us who are sane do.
The idea of an oncoming blizzard sends some people into a strange frenzy of activity. They panic and become bad weather survivalists. They crowd into the grocery stores.
I know these people. Although they have an unopened gallon of milk in the fridge, they dash to the store to buy five more along with tons of other things they already have. Heaven forbid they don’t buy out the store on paper products.
We have these storms all the time and it may take a day or two for the streets to get plowed but plowed they get. Stores have their lots plowed privately; their doors open ASAP, they want to make a profit.
We’re more of the keep things on hand so we don’t have to make panic runs sort. I hate to shop and shopping in crowds of bad weather survivalists is almost as bad as shopping on black Fridays. I refuse to do it.
Posted in Weather related
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Snow, Writer, Writing
T’was the night before Christmas…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
That whole business about not a creature is stirring doesn’t hold up in this house. Gavin and Patty will play dogs gone wild sometime after midnight as they do every night lately.
We don’t have a fireplace so there aren’t any stockings hung by the chimney with care.
It isn’t unusual to hear a clatter outside since we do live in the city. You won’t find me leaping out of bed to see what the matter is. However, I may leap up from my desk.
The only sleighbells ringing will be the ones on the dogs when I take them for a late night walk around the neighborhood.
You all have a Merry and a Happy!
Posted in Holidays
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Holidays, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Santa Claus, Writer, Writing
Dogs and the theory of levitation
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gavin and Patty will always try to mooch food. DH was munching some cinnamon toast this morning and both dogs stood in front of him. All the while he ate they never took their eyes off him. Their concentration was so intense I swear they were trying to levitate the toast from the plate to their mouths.
“Abracadabra!” Said Gavin. “To me, to me, come to me.”
“No, no! Alakazam, it’s mine.” Patty moved in tighter.
Each time DH lifted his toast to take a bite both tails would wag, more drool would drip, and four dark eyes never wavered. If from my desk I called their names, I received no response. The toast, oh, the marvelous toast, all slathered in butter and covered in cinnamon sugar drew their attention to the exclusion of all else.
DH saved them each a small piece and they gulped them down with joy. Let’s not tell them that they don’t know the theory of levitation.
Posted in Dog related
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
We don’t live in a fantasy world
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Have you ever seen some small thing that you coveted? I did last night. The local meteorologist had a jacket on that I immediately fell in love with. As my five regular readers know, I am not a fashionista, but this jacket really caught my eye. It’s perfect for dressy and casual wear. I was ready to kill to know where she got it. Yes, I wanted the jacket that bad.
Then, as I searched the web for one like it, I began to rationalize. With my luck, the jacket would look like crap on me and I’d have to return it. Therefore, I say that it’s better to dream than to have reality slap you in the face over something so trivial.
Is it no wonder that fantasy games are so popular? They suspend reality and that’s something we all need occasionally.
Yes, I said occasionally. If you spend more than an hour or two a day playing games, you need a dose of reality. You do have to put those things down, suck it up, and step out into the real world more often.
Did I ever find the jacket? Nope, but that’s okay I really don’t need it.
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Almost toothless Chicken Dog
Posted by doggonedmysteries
No, I’m kidding. Although Gavin did have three teeth removed, he is far from toothless. Our vet was surprised since he only expected to remove one. He removed the one we knew was bad and another next to it. Then while he was cleaning the rest, he discovered a bad cavity on the other side and removed that tooth too.
First thing Patty wanted to do was jump all over him. It’s a good thing he was in his crate before we let her see he was home. She drove him crazy for a while bowing and barking at him through the crate door. However, he soon began to snore content to be home and in his own little den.
Tonight I’ve been alternating between cuddling a still whiny dog (the sissy), taking him out, and putting him in his crate to continue to sleep off the anesthesia. .
Since I rarely go to bed before four in the morning, I stayed up to take him over at eight. We made it in the door and easily weighed him. Then the tech came out with the hospital lead to take him to the back. I offered to do it but she said she could handle it and I could leave. I know my Chicken Dog, so I chuckled as I walked outside. I didn’t leave instead I stood where he couldn’t see me and peered in the window.
A couple of minutes passed and I didn’t see the tech hauling him across the slippery floor. Next thing I know another tech came to the door and asked me to come back in. There was Chicken Dog Gavin backed under a chair and not coming out, no sirree not him, not for anyone. He’d managed to back under the entire row of chairs like a rocket in reverse. The techs were giggling about that.
As soon as my hand touched the lead, he obediently followed to the back room and the waiting cage. I had him in the cage and locked down in mere seconds. Oh, yeah that one is a Momma’s boy for sure.
Posted in Dog related
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
The death of a theater?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I finally had a chance to see the new Harry Potter movie. The time went quickly G and I quite enjoyed it and can’t wait for the final one.
Our favorite theater will likely close one of these days. We practically had the place to ourselves. We were two of six people at the show. The attendance is bad enough that they canceled the early matinee, which we had arrived to see, and we had to go kill some time before the next show.
That also meant we didn’t get home until after seven tonight so DH had a late dinner. However, he did feed the dogs so Gavin got a meal before his seven p.m. no-food-after instructions for his tooth extraction kicked in. The poor boy will shrivel up and die without his breakfast in the morning. I wouldn’t want to be the techs at the vet’s when he wakes up hungry. He will let them know all about it.
Posted in Dog related, Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
No, I’m not a holly jolly person
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I haven’t been reading lately. I have three books sitting here with bookmarks in them at various stages. There’s another stack sitting on an end table waiting too. You would think with the cold weather settling in that I could find some time to curl up in my comfy chair and read.
However, this is not the case. The same goes for the writing, it’s not moving forward as fast as I’d like it to. Nope, it’s stalled. The mind boggles or rather, is boggled, bogged down, over worked, over stressed, and over tired.
I’ve tried all my usual jump-start techniques to no avail. My muse needs her ass kicked or something.
Then again, it could be the holidays. They always fill me with a Bah Humbug attitude. They have for many years. This is NOT my favorite time of the year. No sirree, when you are feeling all holly jolly I’d rather ignore the whole month.
Posted in Holidays, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Tree rat invasion
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Squirrels are invading the yard and trying to take over the suet feeders. It’s driving the birds crazy especially the wrens that have only recently discovered them.
I was sitting at my desk today and heard the pair of wrens raising quite a ruckus outside so I went to the window to see why. Sitting on a branch above one of the feeders was a very fat squirrel. I grabbed my coat and went outside. The wrens continued to scold and gave me a chance to sneak up underneath him.
I hollered and clapped my hands. Have you ever seen a squirrel look as though he was having a heart attack? I swear he clutched his chest. He shot up the tree, dashed across a branch, leapt onto our roof, and disappeared. As I walked back into the house, I could hear the wrens and this time they sounded happy.
I spent the rest of the day checking on the feeders to keep the furry invaders away.
Posted in my garden
Tags: Author, birdfeeder, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Squirrel, Wren, Writer, Writing
Meanwhile, back at the vet’s office…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Chicken Dog willingly hopped into the car to go for a ride. Getting him out when we got to the vet’s office was not as easy. I went in to tell them Gavin was there.
“We’re ready for him, come to the side door.”
I went back to the car to get him.
Paws braced against the crate bars and head down Gavin as good as said, “Nope, not gonna come out of the crate. I know where we are.”
“Come on let’s go.” A few tugs on the leash and he relented.
He had to stop and pee on a bush. As soon as his nose passed the doorway, he tried to back up. “Oh, no you don’t.” I kept him moving. Once we got into the exam room, he began to tremble and look for an exit.
I decided to make a dash for the car and get the back massager. Back in the exam room with Chicken Dog, I plugged the machine in and began to run it up and down his back. He didn’t melt as usually does but he did stop shaking.
Dr. O came in laughed and said, “I wondered what that noise was coming from this room.”
“Back massager. I was hoping to relax him enough for you to get a good look at his tooth. DH can’t run this on his own back without giving Gavin some time under it.”
I’m here to tell you that even though Gavin was not in melt mode, he did allow Dr. O to check his tooth and take a blood sample without a fuss. Tuesday it’s back to the vet’s office at eight in the morning for a tooth extraction and he’s having the rest cleaned.
Posted in Dog related
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Another vet visit with Chicken Dog
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gavin has a vet appointment on Thursday. Oh, fun. I get to take chicken dog in to the place he likes the least. This time I have a plan on how to keep him relaxed. I’m going to take the back massager along.
It will crack the staff up to see Gavin melt. He’s normally so tense at the office that he loses enough hair to knit another dog. He’ll still lose hair but he might not be his normal basket case self.
He’s not going to be thrilled because I’m pretty sure they will keep him over night, remove a tooth, and clean the rest. He hates sleepovers. He’ll be even less happy when I tell them that while he’s out for the tooth I want them to trim back his claws.
Maybe I should leave the back massager with him…
Posted in Dog related
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Chicken Dog, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Veterinarian, Writer, Writing
Pull up your big girl panties and quit complaining
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’ve heard many complaints about the security measures taken by TSA. Personally, they don’t bother me. Walking through a scanner is the least invasive way to ensure our safety. I’d rather get to my destination alive, wouldn’t you? Walk through the damned scanner instead of whining and holding up the lines.
How short term is your memory. There are people out there who want to kill us. They don’t care if we’re young, old, male, or female. They want us dead.
I want to live long enough to whack a few caregivers with my cane. They can scan me, search my luggage, and pat me down all they want if it stops one person from blowing up a plane.
Now pull up your big girl panties and quit complaining. Go ahead, walk through the scanners, and thank your lucky stars that you ARE ALIVE.
Maybe it is because, as a retired cop’s wife, I see the point of heightened security. There’s a lot you can do to be more security conscious.
It’s common sense, people. Use it or lose it. If you don’t have it, learn it.
Let us not be victims in the air or on the ground. Start at home.
Lock your doors at night. Heck, we lock ours in the daytime too. Many thefts happen during the day when the homeowner is out in his/her back yard and they leave the doors unlocked.
Ladies, when you are in the grocery store, do not leave your purse in the cart and walk away from it. You are begging to have someone steal it or, at the very least, take your cash and credit cards. You keep it in your hand or on your shoulder any other time, don’t you?
Always be aware of your surroundings—look up from your fancy damned phones and pay attention.
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Security, Transportation Security Administration, Writer, Writing




