Poison Me

Like in my post Zip Bee Do Da you know this year has been a bit rough on my skin. 

Two weeks after the fungi thing on my arm this happens

Big huge blotches that itch like crazy on both legs. My legs were swollen they were heavy and looked like kankles. I tried to fight out it out but when I went to the nurse that is at our office she was like you need more attention than I can give. I left early to visit the doctors' office.I receive a steriod shot in my upper butt/thigh and was sent home. 

By the next day most of the swelling had gone away but the itching, even a week and a half later is there and some of the red bumps. 

The doctor said it was probably poison ivy and I probably am just super reactive to it. That is wonderful because half my yard is filled with the stuff. 

So this was me ready to weed wack in my back yard. Long shirt, overalls, boots, and two bandannas. I will let you know I sweated my butt OFF!

But, no new marks on my face, arms, or legs so I will have to try this method again. Or goats, I really want to borrow some goats. 

Do you have a reaction like mine to poison ivy? If so please leave a comment below with any suggestions on how to avoid it, treat it, or just advice! 

Her name was Lola

By now it is probably something else but that is okay. This blog post is about the puppy I fostered for about 2 weeks named Lola.

I had the desire to see if we could be a two dog house hold. I wanted to see how Teach would do with a puppy. I wanted to do my part in volunteering and helping out somewhere somehow. I filled out my application, made sure all my pets were up on their shots and returned my application. About 4 days later I was walking out of the local SPCA with a little beagle hound mix. She did not have name at the time but it was less than two hours that she became Lola.

I left work a tad early, went and picked her up, brought her home and immediatly she started to annoy Teach. 

She was in his face, in his space, and all over the place. She was spacey, didn't listen, had no manners, and couldn't tell us when she had to pee. We have hard wood floors, so clean up is easy, BUT, not something that you really want to do. I really feel in love with Teach a bit more than I already do. I miss his cute little puppy face, but having a dog that knows his name, knows how to listen, sit, stay, be and not pee in the house is a blessing.

I would discriber her as stupid, loving, bold, and gutsy. Because Teach is spoild rotten we have toys galor in our house. She would go from one toy to another toy to another toy. Some of this was forced due to Teach stealing everything out of her mouth. She didn't always take it laying down. There was quite a few times she barked, growled, and jumped back at him. This is very impressinve seeing as she was 7 weeks old and about 8lbs. She was the samllest thing in our house. Lock, the devil cat weighs about 2.5 times that at 17lbs. Teach, is 50 pounds, and she wore his butt out. 

The first days were the roughest because we had no idea what we were doing. It was also a lot of first for her. First time away from her litter mates. First time in a cage alone. First time in this new space. Fist time meeting this new dog. She took it all in strides and did great.

We visited friends, both adults and little kids. Played in the grass, in the leaves, and had a grand old time. One time she play so hard and for so long that when she stopped to take a puppy nap, she peed in her sleep. Lucky for us, she was sleeping on blanket. So we washed the blanket and the pup.

The downside of puppies is their wake up time. They are like babies in the fact that they will be awke a ready to play at about 4am. I haven't  had that little of sleep in a while.  

New Dude, though he was not a fan of puppies, and says we cannot foster one again, (we'll see about that) was great with her. They took naps together, played together, and looked so cute togheter!

Lola and Teach together were quite a pair. Not because they were super friendly together but because they were so silly. Between Teach stealing everything out of her mouth, not because of possiveness as much as trying to get her to chase him. She didn't get it most of the time. They also made me laugh when he would be chewing on a stick as big as he was and she would be doing the same thing.

Puppies are so trusting, so loving, so full of life, even though they will drive you crazy they will steal your heart. They will make you smile, laugh, and cry all within the same hour. 

Little Ms. Lola was returned a little over 2 weeks that we had her. Even though the whole time I told myself she would  not be staying, the moment I brought her in the SPCA building, I lost it. Hot, fat tears started flowing and I couldn't stop it. I gave her a hug and a kiss, and told her that she would make a family very happy.

They fixed her on a Wednesday and she found her forever home by Thursday. She was a sweet little girl that I hope will fill her new family with as much joy and happiness as she did New Dude and I. 

Fostering is always needed and is hard because even in two weeks the little fur balls and break your heart, but it gives them a chance they might not ever have had. As soon as we get a bit more time and our current dogs super chill with each other, I will be setting myself up for heartbreak again. 

Anyone else have a foster story they have? If so please let me know with a comment below. 

Catering Time

**Please note this was a blog post that was lost in my drafts folder so this is probably from March.** 

I have this problem where I always have more than one job.

I think it stems for my need to have a Plan B, pretty much always in motion. I also think it is because I've had a second job for so long I feel lost and confused without one.

That being said, the other motivation is my desire to try and pay my student load off before I am 40. Wow, I haven't said those words out loud before, that made me stop for a minute.

For my second job I work for Mission BBQ, which is a newer chain of restaurants with a big heart.

I was part of a 3 person team that catered for the press and staff at the last home basketball game for the season at Virginia Tech.

I have been to that campus a few times with friends, for their Remembrance Run, for other catering events. Everytime I go there all I can do is be amazing at size of the campus, the friendliness of the people, the support of both staff, students, and alumni. It very impressive to say the least.

The event was easy, the trip up with great, and working with my co-workers was a lot of fun.

I write this blog post as a remembrance for that day. It wasn't anything super special, but it was a day. I slept in, missed a run, cleaned my car, did some laundry, took a shower, watched the dogs play in the back yard, and made a to-do list.

Today was not an amazing day but it was a good day with blue skies, white clouds, chilly winds, flowers blooming, and nice people.

I would say that I left the funniest part of the day to the end. I was at home, after stopping at Krogers for some wine, went downstairs to put a fire in the stove. I was having a hard time getting this fire to burn, so after some help from the fan, some time, and more paper I had the flames/coals going pretty good. I went to add another stick to the stove and when I tossed it in, the glove I was wearing went in with the wood. It slid right off my hand into the back part of the stove. It was gone.

I told my brother-in-law I had some bad news and some good news.I told him the fire was burning, I let some smoke out, and I threw his glove into the fire. I owed him a new pair. He immediately started to laugh, He said if I had to buy him a new pair of gloves that was a solid way to make that happen. =)

Go me. Anyone else fail at fire lately?

Teach Can Swim!

This is a picture of a beautiful, beautiful thing. New Dude with Teach in a kayak.

The first weekend in July New Dude and I always get together with my family at the hunt club were married. It is a fun day in the sun with good people a pot luck lunch to boot.

My newest goal for trips is to make very simple, flexible, small goals. This trip my goals were to go for a run in the morning, take a nap whenever I was sleepy, and get Teach in a canoe or kayak. I was successful in all endeavors!

Teach in a canoe or kayak was the most shaky of goals because he LOVES waster but hate it when it comes above his belly. We had never brought him to the hunt club before just due to timing issues. Well, he, like the 6 other puppies there, walked right into the river and started to play.

One of the puppies love to swim so she just took off paddling all around. He tried to follow her but couldn't keep up because he had to jump out of the water to keep up. After about 20 more minutes of in the water, out of the water, in the water, rolling on the beach fun we looked over and this guy was actually swimming! Not very far mind you but it was more than he has before. The last river we tried to get him to swim in caused him to cry, bark, and whine like he was being murdered. This was awesome!

Trying to push him a bit more we coaxed him into a canoe. Our thought was that it was bigger, more room to move and stable. He did okay, defiantly need to stay away from floating objects with him in the canoe. He tried to jump out a few times but we stopped him. After about 10 minutes and job well done, we went to drop him at the shore and go out longer. We went to the beach and once close enough he jumped out. We took that moment to start to paddling away. Teach saw us and started to paddle after! We stopped paddling and he hooked his front feet on the side. We, more like I, was feeling super sad for him so we went back shore and took him out again in the canoe again.

A little while later we came back to the shore and I was done. I am not a huge fan of the sun when it comes to water and squinting.

New Dude had the option to borrow a fishing kayak and he took Teach out with him for a while. I tried to have him in a kayak with me but it was too small and unstable. He couldn't sit still.

New Dude said he did really well and only jumped out once. If we brought him with us again, which we will, we will invest in a puppy life vest. Not because of the life saving capabilities as much as the handle that you can use to bring the pup pup back into the water vessel.

Anyone else enjoy water sports with their animals? If so leave a comment below!

Zip Bee Do Da

Oh this year has been full of ups and downs. In the 3 months I have been to the doctors for skin issues. This is from about two weeks ago. This little thing went from the size of a blotchy half dollar to a full hand print towards the end of my work day.

I left work early to go visit the doctors to be prescribed a medicine I already had. They said it was a fungal infection of what who knows. I lean towards the fact that both locations were where I was stung by my bees. However, they did not agree. Okay, whatever, just a really, really weird coincidence I guess.

The older I get three things I have been learning about modern medicine.

1. Most skin rashes they have no idea what it could be or what caused it.
2. If you ask them ways in prevention they don't have much to say.
3. Every time you go into the office yes you want an answer but I don't think it always needs to include a trip to the drug store.

I would really like to know better how to take care of issues, but for me they always seem to go from eh to Holy Wow.

Also I tend to lean more on the hypochondria side of the scale, however, when I've shown people my ailments they look at me like a crazy person. I need conformation I am not blowing things out of proportion now before I go. It isn't really helping much but I feel less insane.

Anyone else having a rough summer?

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Peanut butter jelly time. Peanut butter jelly time

Peanut butter jelly time. Peanut butter jelly time

Peanut butter with a baseball bat. Peanut butter with a baseball bat.

Oh, that dancing banana was so much fun. Why, like all popular YouTube videos, there is no logic.

I start this post as my welcome back to my blog. I have been gone for a while and both apologize and regret my absence.

This sandwich is one that I made at work a few days ago. I had gone kayaking down the river with New Dude and my friend J. We had planned for peanut butter and jelly for lunch but ended up at Cracker Barrel. I was running behind that Monday so just grabbed some bread, peanut butter and jelly from the river float.When I went to make the sandwich I learned about the big hole in the middle of the bread. I have no idea how it had a hole in it. New Dude said he didn't bite it.My guess is one of the animals some how got a hold of the bread or we squished the middle out of bring it from river to home to work. It tickled me so much I had to take a picture and share.

If you are curious, yes, it was extremely difficult to eat because the jelly kept leaking out everywhere but it was super tasty.

Ah, what wonderful new posts to come.

Running over time

I first started running about 6 or 7 years ago. I was not a runner in high school. I didn't run in college. I started running a few years ago because I needed to lose weight. I started running because it was something new to try. Every race, every new distance, was a new exciting challenge.

I started out slowly celebrating half a mile, then running  a whole mile, then my first 5K, 8K, 10K, 14K, 10 miles, and then half marathon,

Each race I pushed a little harder, ran a little faster, and slowly as the miles added on my times per miles actually went down. It was going really good until I broke myself in a soccer match. I was substituting for another team and hurt my knee.

I bring this up because it knocked me out of the running game for a while. It is hard to run when you cannot walk without a limp.

After about 6 months of recovery time I was back on the greenways again. However, my times slid back dramatically, my motivations had changed, and my over all running mindset had changed for me.

I was no longer there just to beat the last race's time, I was there to run with the people I asked to run with me. Well, as long as I could keep up, I was there to chat with them for each mile, to encourage and cheer on. I was there to talk and laugh and just enjoy the day, the moment, the run.

Yes, I still care about my times, but it isn't the only thing I care about when I run any more.

This picture is from February 25, 2017, when I was running with my mom, sister, and New Dude. I went from running all by myself, to running not only with friends but with family. How beautiful is that?

Winter, spring, summer, and fall, if you want to go for a run, all you have to do is call, and I'll be there, with you one step at a time.