I spent 5 hours Wednesday and 16 hours yesterday painting in the rental! My 21 hours combined with the many hours of my friends and family has made it possible to clean and tape and paint 2 bedrooms, the kitchen, and the bathroom! We are over half way done!!
I have some painting pics to post but I haven't had time to upload them to the computer!
This old house has sooo much molding! Big 10 inch molding around the floor and molding around all the doors and the ceiling in some rooms. I'm getting really good at using the paint brush!
My Dad, Brother in law, Sister, and friend Dia came and we taped and cleaned on Tuesday Night. We also finished painting the small bedroom.
Paul came yesterday morning after working all night and helped patch the millions of holes in the walls and then helped me paint the other bedroom. This wonderful man stayed up for like 23 hours straight to help me paint yesterday!
Thanks to my good friend's Andrea and Ross we finished up the kitchen and bath at 1 AM last night. Andrea came early and helped me clean and tape and get started painting! Ross stayed until 1 AM and painted all the hard corners and crap. I have video of him shakin his booty on top of the refrigerator!!
Now we just have the two living rooms. They have tons of molding around the windows and doors and on the walls. I still have paint in my hair and on my skin after my shower to get to work this morning. I didn't sleep well and woke up late!
I'll have my Dad and Paul to help me again tonight and my tenant will be moving into the bedrooms and the kitchen today. We need to hang blinds tonight and clean up the drop cloths and tape from the kitchen and bath so he has space to live the next few days while we finish the rest of the house.
I'm hoping that tomorrow night will be the last night! I am SOOO very tired!! I just want to go back to bed right now!
D&M have been so neglected the last few days. They are lucky to have Paul who is taking them out this morning for me. I just haven't had much time for anything more than food, water, and potty breaks.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
That Cute Curly Haired Kid!
I try to keep this blog to mostly dog stuff so I don't write much about my family. I'm pretty close with my parents and I can't help but adore my curly haired nephew, Ammon.
I took this pic on my new phone last night. We were at a family wedding and Ammon was making faces at me! He's a funny kid with lots of personality. He and my sister live with my parents so I see him pretty frequently when I go out there to visit.
Those big blue eyes and curly blond hair are so dang cute! I can't believe how much having a little one around has changed the dynamics in my family. It seems all my four sisters and mother adore him and my Dad finally got a boy to play with (he had five daughters and no sons of his own)! He loves his Grandpa so very much and his uncle is one of his favorite playmates!
I'm the special visitor with the big dogs that he will hopefully learn to love! Right now, they are still a bit intimidating. Dylan is also a bit intimidated being around a toddler but we monitor them closely and I think it's good exposure for him to get some pets and attention from Ammon on occasion. I have to be very careful that Dylan doesn't get cornered or approached in a way he deems threatening though. He's never bit a human but I don't dare take any chances! Marley's a precious girl for him just as she is with everyone else. She loves cleaning up after he eats since there is always lots of yummy food on the floor! She also likes to lick his face since there may be leftover food there too! I try to be careful to watch her as well. Ammon isn't pulling hair like he did when he was young but he's attempted to tug on an ear or a tail on occasion! Kids just need to be monitored around dogs!!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Working with Alzheimer's...
We had an interesting visit last night to a local Alzheimer's center. Marley was squeaky clean and dressed in her therapy dog garb. She was excited to go. She was a little stand offish with some of the patients but it was her first visit in a while. Hopefully within a few visits she will get back to feeling comfortable enough to snuggle up with the people who are very different than those she interacts with daily.
Last night Marley showed some stress signals with the woman who was reaching out to her and mumbling very loudly. Three months ago Marley would have been snuggled up with her. The woman seemed ecstatic about the presence of an animal. I couldn't understand her but I understood that she was excited about having a dog nearby. She got louder and louder and her excitement level rose. Unfortunately this made Miss Marley nervous and she could only tolerate this for a few minutes and we had to move on. Luckily, I was armed with treats and rewarded her for being calm in the presence of someone that made her a bit nervous.
I had a very interesting conversation with a woman who seemed so lost. She tried to hook me up with her son that lived in North Carolina. He's single and handsome and young and I am guessing 20 years older than me. LOL. She gave me his full name and then spelled it (she did this with her own name too) and then asked me if I knew him? Logic would tell a person that some random stranger would not know her son that lived all the way across the country. Often times, it seems logic never comes into play for the Alzheimer's patients. It makes my heart ache when I think about these people were once functional members of society like myself. This woman was so lost that she said she was in North Carolina and can she stay here because she doesn't want to burden her son any longer. I told her yes that she was welcome to stay and she asked me to bring her some canned food so that she would have something to eat while she stayed here. I advised her that they would deliver her meals to her and that she had a roommate who we had just met in the hall. The woman seemed to have no recollection of having been there before or of the roommate that she had been living with for sometime.
I felt bad leaving her but Marley was ready to move on. She wanted to give me some phone numbers for her son and his address in North Carolina so I could stop by to visit him. It made me wonder if she ever had visitors from her family and I really hope they are not all the way across the country?
Visiting with Marley has put a lot of things in perspective for me. I feel guilt for not visiting my Grandma more often when she was old and unable to care for herself. She lived for years in and out of facilities much like the one we visit. She had multiple strokes and to my young and irresponsible self; visiting felt like a chore. She was old and grumpy and I can't help now but feel saddened that she didn't have enough family around her to keep her company. My mother was a saint and was there nearly every day. I never understood how she could give up so much time and energy for her mother who was always boring and grumpy. It felt impossibly selfless. I was in my early twenties and was self centered and focused on partying and having fun. Family wasn't a focus for me at that point in my life.
I'm glad to have these experiences at this point in my life. It puts things in better perspective. I've already grown much closer to my family in the past few years but it reminds me of the importance our family members play. I know now that I want to play the role that my mother played. I want to do everything I can when the time comes that my parents can no longer care for themselves. It no longer seems impossibly selfless. My parents gave up so much for me when I was young. There's no reason why I shouldn't do the same.
I really hope that the Alzheimer's patients we visit have children and family there sometimes to visit. We often run into family who love to play with my princess Marley. I hope the others get some visits too. If not, at least they get to occasionally love my little girl. Hopefully she will want to love them back too.
Last night Marley showed some stress signals with the woman who was reaching out to her and mumbling very loudly. Three months ago Marley would have been snuggled up with her. The woman seemed ecstatic about the presence of an animal. I couldn't understand her but I understood that she was excited about having a dog nearby. She got louder and louder and her excitement level rose. Unfortunately this made Miss Marley nervous and she could only tolerate this for a few minutes and we had to move on. Luckily, I was armed with treats and rewarded her for being calm in the presence of someone that made her a bit nervous.
I had a very interesting conversation with a woman who seemed so lost. She tried to hook me up with her son that lived in North Carolina. He's single and handsome and young and I am guessing 20 years older than me. LOL. She gave me his full name and then spelled it (she did this with her own name too) and then asked me if I knew him? Logic would tell a person that some random stranger would not know her son that lived all the way across the country. Often times, it seems logic never comes into play for the Alzheimer's patients. It makes my heart ache when I think about these people were once functional members of society like myself. This woman was so lost that she said she was in North Carolina and can she stay here because she doesn't want to burden her son any longer. I told her yes that she was welcome to stay and she asked me to bring her some canned food so that she would have something to eat while she stayed here. I advised her that they would deliver her meals to her and that she had a roommate who we had just met in the hall. The woman seemed to have no recollection of having been there before or of the roommate that she had been living with for sometime.
I felt bad leaving her but Marley was ready to move on. She wanted to give me some phone numbers for her son and his address in North Carolina so I could stop by to visit him. It made me wonder if she ever had visitors from her family and I really hope they are not all the way across the country?
Visiting with Marley has put a lot of things in perspective for me. I feel guilt for not visiting my Grandma more often when she was old and unable to care for herself. She lived for years in and out of facilities much like the one we visit. She had multiple strokes and to my young and irresponsible self; visiting felt like a chore. She was old and grumpy and I can't help now but feel saddened that she didn't have enough family around her to keep her company. My mother was a saint and was there nearly every day. I never understood how she could give up so much time and energy for her mother who was always boring and grumpy. It felt impossibly selfless. I was in my early twenties and was self centered and focused on partying and having fun. Family wasn't a focus for me at that point in my life.
I'm glad to have these experiences at this point in my life. It puts things in better perspective. I've already grown much closer to my family in the past few years but it reminds me of the importance our family members play. I know now that I want to play the role that my mother played. I want to do everything I can when the time comes that my parents can no longer care for themselves. It no longer seems impossibly selfless. My parents gave up so much for me when I was young. There's no reason why I shouldn't do the same.
I really hope that the Alzheimer's patients we visit have children and family there sometimes to visit. We often run into family who love to play with my princess Marley. I hope the others get some visits too. If not, at least they get to occasionally love my little girl. Hopefully she will want to love them back too.
Friday, July 18, 2008
A HAPPY GIRL!
This is Lydia and her dog Kade. She is my cousin's daughter. Her mom sent me this pic last night after we were chatting about her dog and how to train a recall. I absolutely love how happy little Lydia looks with her puppy kisses. I put it on my wallpaper because it makes me smile to look at her happy face!
Sometimes I forget how much children can bond with dogs. Lydia and her sister Sarah always come and give me hugs and tell me all about their dog whenever I see them. I'm glad they have a furry friend to spice up their lives!! It looks like he is glad to have them too!!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
No News is good news...
I haven't had much to post the last few days. I figure no news is good news. My mom is home and doing well. She's gonna be on a new diet and all that.
Marley is on her way to getting better. She is still limping but it getting out and walking and doing well.
My tenants gave notice and my rental will be going vacant in 2 months. I'm glad they gave me so much notice and I am sad to see them leave. It's part of having a rental property though. I dread having to find a new tenant. I want to repaint though and am reconsidering whether or not I can allow dogs there. Fargo was the perfect tenant but having her there resulted in Marley getting seriously injured. Maybe my dogs just aren't well suited for sharing property with another? I have a few months to decide for sure. If I allow dogs, though, I will be very picky about which dog to accept. It's tough having to guess right away how a dog might react to my own.
My knee is still messed up and I am anxious to see the doctor next week. I get the stabbing pains randomly but at least they aren't as often or as intense as they were a few weeks ago.
Marley is on her way to getting better. She is still limping but it getting out and walking and doing well.
My tenants gave notice and my rental will be going vacant in 2 months. I'm glad they gave me so much notice and I am sad to see them leave. It's part of having a rental property though. I dread having to find a new tenant. I want to repaint though and am reconsidering whether or not I can allow dogs there. Fargo was the perfect tenant but having her there resulted in Marley getting seriously injured. Maybe my dogs just aren't well suited for sharing property with another? I have a few months to decide for sure. If I allow dogs, though, I will be very picky about which dog to accept. It's tough having to guess right away how a dog might react to my own.
My knee is still messed up and I am anxious to see the doctor next week. I get the stabbing pains randomly but at least they aren't as often or as intense as they were a few weeks ago.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Life changes so fast.
I keep thinking I am at the end of the streak of what seems to be one major issue after another. Yet then I get surprised by yet another. Life seems to change so fast when you aren't expecting it.
My mother had a heart attack today. I guess there's been some ongoing issues the last week that she hadn't told any of us kids about. I knew she was sick over the weekend but Monday she emailed and said she was feeling much better. Today I got the call that they were on the way to the E.R. because she was having chest pain and had been having high blood pressure every time she checked it the last week. Over the weekend, her blood pressure was so high that they said she was at high risk for a stroke.
She is doing well and says she is feeling fine. They will do an angiogram tomorrow and hopefully fix any blockages. With luck, she will be able to come home Friday.
On a lighter note, Togepi is home from the vet. She has a bladder infection and an ulcer on her eye. They also did some x rays and found she has hip dysplasia in one of her hips. Nothing life threatening. Hip Dysplasia obviously won't be able to be healed but at least they can now manage the issue. . Hopefully she will get feeling better soon.
My mother had a heart attack today. I guess there's been some ongoing issues the last week that she hadn't told any of us kids about. I knew she was sick over the weekend but Monday she emailed and said she was feeling much better. Today I got the call that they were on the way to the E.R. because she was having chest pain and had been having high blood pressure every time she checked it the last week. Over the weekend, her blood pressure was so high that they said she was at high risk for a stroke.
She is doing well and says she is feeling fine. They will do an angiogram tomorrow and hopefully fix any blockages. With luck, she will be able to come home Friday.
On a lighter note, Togepi is home from the vet. She has a bladder infection and an ulcer on her eye. They also did some x rays and found she has hip dysplasia in one of her hips. Nothing life threatening. Hip Dysplasia obviously won't be able to be healed but at least they can now manage the issue. . Hopefully she will get feeling better soon.
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