Month: February 2017

Secluded Sunday & Domestic Monday

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Joe and I are both introverts, so after our very social Saturday we didn’t want to deal with people on Sunday. While I was eating breakfast Brother B called and invited us to see a movie later that afternoon. As much as I like hanging out I had to turn him down. I don’t think he quite gets the whole introverted thing so to spare his feelings I told him I was just too tired. That wasn’t a lie either, but it wasn’t the only reason for saying no – I just wasn’t in the mood to socialize anymore this weekend.

After our hour phone conversation I got a stew ready for the crockpot and we ran to Target for bread. We really didn’t want to leave the house but we needed it, so we tried to make the trip quick. The rest of the day was spent lounging on the couch watching the movies we had gotten at the library the day before.

The crockpot beef stew turned out delicious but I will definitely have to make the recommended 2 lbs next time instead of just 1 lb since it wasn’t enough for more than a meal and a half.

Today I’ve just been cleaning the house and trying to decide what toothpaste I want to buy for Wookie. I didn’t realize how bad it is to not brush a dog’s teeth. Not only can a lack of brushing cause health problems which in turn can take up to four years off their lifespan, but my vet told me that for little dogs especially they would need annual dental cleanings and would have teeth pulled as they grew older. I’m not excited about the idea of having to brush Wookie’s teeth every other day but I also don’t want to neglect her health.

Speaking of, she’s been having some potty training setbacks lately, and I’ve been noticing her licking her private area a lot. I was initially concerned she might have a bladder infection but now I’m starting to think she’s going into heat! Apparently it can happen anytime between 5 and 15 months so it’s not totally unheard of at her age (she just turned 5 months on the 21st). If she is that might be perfect since I read that it’s actually better to spay dogs after they’re sexually mature and have had one heat cycle. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about that, however, so even if she isn’t in heat I’m still going to have her spayed in a month.

Social Saturday

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Saturday was quite the busy day for us. After getting some groceries we stopped at 7-Eleven to take advantage of free small slurpee Saturday. I got the black cherry Pepsi and Joe got grape. He wanted the Skittles sour apple but it was liquefied in the machine. Ew! I’m glad they were free (much to the irritation of the clerk working there it seemed) because neither were all that great. We then went to the library and grabbed a handful of movies. Our library is strange in that they don’t care about people bringing in food and drinks. In fact they have vending machines that sell both!

After a lunch of chicken salad sandwiches we took Wookie to Petsmart for her second puppy training class. Two of the five dogs didn’t show up – Rizzo and Pumpkin. I didn’t care for how the trainer was telling us the details of her conversation with Pumpkin’s owner because it’s none of our business. In any case, we learned that the trainer will be on vacation next Saturday so there is no class. It was encouraging to see Wookie trying to greet Thor (the white German Shepard) instead of hanging out by us all scared. I don’t think she was shaking at all! As far as the training goes, we went over not jumping on people and how to walk on a leash without pulling. Wookie has problems with that which is why I’m ordering her a new harness that has a clasp at the front since I read that can help. Her issue at Petsmart was that she wanted to stop and smell EVERYTHING so she wasn’t paying attention to me or treats (a first) at all. It was a bit frustrating but I tried to remain patient. Patience and repetition are the two biggest things needed when training a dog.

After feeding Wookie at home we left and headed down to Oak Lawn where we had a late pizza lunch at Palermo’s with Joe’s kids and ES (K’s boyfriend). At first I was worried a large pizza wouldn’t feed all five of us but there was a little left over, thank goodness. I didn’t say anything at lunch, but I don’t think I care for Palermo’s anymore. I don’t know if we just found better pizza elsewhere or theirs has gone downhill, but I won’t be in a hurry to have it again. It was interesting to see their dining room, however, since we’ve always gotten takeout. I always enjoy conversations with everyone, particularly ES because he and I have the same taste in comedies. Plus he’s a good conversationalist and actually listens instead of just waiting for his turn to talk. I’ve probably mentioned that before but it’s something I really appreciate since most people just like to talk.

After we ate E took off to rest at home before his evening plans and K invited us over to see their two guinea pigs which they just got a week before. They are so cute! Just little babies right now and very soft too. I was never too interested in owning guinea pigs but after seeing those two I would consider it. I particularly like the one who looks like he has permanent bedhead. Plus he has one front paw that is completely black (nails included) whereas the other one is pink with white nails. It looks like he’s wearing a glove, LOL!

Our next stop was Dunkin Donuts before going to my parents’ house to celebrate Brother B’s birthday which was earlier this month. My mom said to be there between 5 and 6 but since whenever we get there at the earlier time no one is ready, we ended up getting there a couple of minutes after 6. And arrived to a dark house. We were both annoyed and confused. I was happy I remembered to bring my keys so I could open the door. And that’s when B jumped out and scared me, that SOB! LOL. They decided to scare us (although they didn’t get Joe since he had already headed back to the car to get more stuff) for being late. Can’t win with those people! Everyone had already eaten too which is funny because whenever it’s the other way around they wait til B gets there (since we’re usually there first).

I set up my mom’s new computer and showed her how to use it (since it has Windows 10 which is all new to her). I’m making her use Chrome now since it’s faster than Firefox. After the computer stuff I finally got around to eating a bit before B opened his presents. I got him a $25 gift card to Groupon since he loves that site and a $15 Dunkin Donuts card. We played a new game he brought over called Joking Hazard which is made by the guys who do the Cyanide and Happiness comics. It was fun, but just like Cards Against Humanity, it gets stale pretty fast. I took my winning cards and made one big epic comic with them:

Joking Hazard Comic

We didn’t get home until after midnight and I felt guilty about Wookie being cooped up while we were gone so I played with her for about an hour before going upstairs. Despite taking a Midnite, I didn’t fall asleep until sometime between 2:30 and 3 am.

Quest Diagnostics & Dog Expenses

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I’ve never been a fan of Quest Diagnostics, but my insurance told me it would cost me less out of pocket to get my blood drawn there than my doctor’s lab, so that’s where I went Friday morning. My doctor had forgotten to give me the order for my lab work so I picked that up earlier in the week. I didn’t really give it a good once-over until Friday morning and that’s when I noticed it didn’t include a urinalysis even though we discussed it to check for blood in my urine (a sign my interstitial cystitis is acting up). It was too early for the office to be open so I went to Quest and asked them whether it showed one on the order and they confirmed it didn’t. I asked them to take a urine sample anyway and I would just go to my doctor’s office afterwards (they are only a couple blocks away) to ask them to fax an updated order. They were agreeable to that which was nice. Everything else not so much. I mean, the man who took care of me and drew my blood was nice enough but I have a big bruise there now. He was trying to tell me it’s because of how my veins are but I’ve had blood drawn and not been bruised so I just think he’s not very good at it. The thing that threw me the most, however, was that they required my credit card beforehand. I was told it will only be charged for whatever the insurance doesn’t cover, but that just screams opportunity for being over-billed to me. But what could I do? I needed to get it done. I hope they don’t screw it up. I just don’t like Quest because the people there aren’t the friendliest, plus their offices just seem dirty to me. Not really what you want from a place handling bodily fluids, know what I mean? They didn’t even give me a towelette to clean “down there” before peeing in the cup. That’s called hygiene 101. Ugh!

After my blood draw I was going to stop at Costco since it was just down the block to grab a rotisserie chicken but I forgot they don’t open until 10 am and it was only just after 9, so I went to my doctor’s office to take care of the order mix up and then spent the next 45 minutes walking around Hobby Lobby to kill time. They have a lot of interesting decor there so I was taking photos and attaching captions to them before sending them to Joe.

Once Costco was open I got my chicken, then stopped at the vet to pick up a flea and tick preventative called Nexgard. I purchased a 6 month supply for $125 and got two months free which is great because apparently with how the weather has been the past few years it’s getting to the point where the vet recommends they are on the preventatives year round. Owning a dog, assuming you want to take good care of them, isn’t cheap!

I also finally bit the bullet and made an appointment with Fox Valley Animal Welfare League to get Wookie spayed and microchipped. After reading the FAQ on their website I’m not as concerned that she won’t receive good care. And it will cost me nearly a fourth of what the vet was going to charge – $140 vs $500. I was also informed that pre-op bloodwork isn’t necessary at her age since all it looks for is liver or kidney failure, so it’s only necessary for dogs over eight years of age.

Once I got home I made homemade chicken salad (which we ended up eating for dinner), worked on setting up my mom’s new computer (a small Dell I had ordered the week before), and baked some lemon cupcakes (for a party on Saturday).

Weekend Recap

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Friday 2/17

While Wookie was at the groomer I stopped by Dollar Tree to find a container to keep her toys in. They had had their Easter stuff out which included containers of all shapes and sizes in my favorite color – purple! Needless to say I picked up more than a few, but here’s the one I got for her toys:

Wookies Toys

Then I went to Bath & Body Works to use my coupon for a free small lotion. I’m glad they had Warm Vanilla Sugar in stock because I’m not a fan of most of the scents.

Later that evening we stopped by Panda Express for dinner since we had coupons for free Fire Cracker Chicken breast and a drink.

Saturday 2/18

My Jetta had what should be its last oil change at the dealership because I plan on getting a new car soon. I know I keep saying that but now that Joe is working again it’s time.

The dealer moved to a new location on the same street just further away and it’s really nice. What’s not nice is the price of an oil change – $70!!! We paid a little less than that thanks to a coupon but seriously? Joe will be changing the oil himself on my next car. It just wasn’t very cost-saving on the Jetta because the oil filter price is ridiculous.

That’s just one of the reasons Volkswagen wasn’t in the running when I was thinking about which car I might want. The other reason is they are way behind in technology. I’m more than likely going to be getting a Subaru which has a huge LCD screen and syncs with my phone. Plus it comes standard with a backup camera and I can add on heated seats which is a must have for me. Once it gets warmer out I’ll be doing a second test drive of the Impreza as well as the Crosstrek. I might even check out the Ford Focus five door once more although for the price, safety, and resale value, I’m definitely leaning toward Subaru.

As noted in my other entry we spent the afternoon at Petsmart with Wookie and then came home and opened up all the windows because it was uncharacteristically warm outside. It’s been in the 60’s now for a few days which is just wild in February. Wookie was acting a bit odd later in the evening and I don’t know if it’s because she smelled something outside like a coyote, but she was shivering (it wasn’t cold inside) and walking around with her tail between her legs. It could be that she’s teething too, so we’ve just been keeping a close watch over her.

We were supposed to go to my parents’ for Brother B’s birthday party, but Brother J is sick so that was cancelled.

Sunday 2/19

Savers was having a pre-Presidents Day sale so everything was 50% off. Of course despite taking 7 tops into the dressing room none of them fit well but Joe found three t-shirts he didn’t need. LOL We did get a game called Logo Board Game for only $4. Technically it should have been $2 but for some reason it didn’t ring up as 50% off. I emailed Savers this morning to ask why.

Logo Board Game

Still not a bad price for a game that sells for nearly $30 on Amazon and was in great condition. We plan on taking it to my parents’ house the next time we visit.

After lunch we decided to take Wookie on a walk at Northside Park in Wheaton. She really sucks on a leash right now so that is the next major thing I need to tackle. She just pulls and weaves back and forth and you practically trip over her. But we wanted to give her the exposure to all the people and dogs that we knew would be there due to the nice weather. It was very crowded and we spent about an hour there.

Wookie at the Park

That afternoon Joe also installed a child lock on cabinet under sink so now I don’t need to move the garbage can in front of it when I let Wookie run around the kitchen. I can rest easy knowing she can’t get into any cleaning products. I’m going to have him put the lock on the cabinet where we store the saran wrap and baggies too.

Monday 2/20

Right now I have stuffed cabbage cooking in the crockpot. I really hate the prep because even with Joe coring the cabbage last night it was still a bitch to tear off the leaves without ripping them which makes rolling up the meat mixture inside a bit difficult. I might make this cabbage casserole I found online next time instead. It’s basically the same thing without worrying about the size of the cabbage pieces.

Speaking of a the crockpot, I had a total fail a couple of weeks ago. I tried making the stoup in it vs on the stove and I will never do that again because the taste was completely different and not good at all. Lesson learned.

This day has flown by because I slept in until 7 am, had to deal with the cabbage, which included a trip to Walmart to buy lemon juice since ours was expired (but I was smart – I froze the new stuff using the ice cube tray my brother got me for my birthday), clean the house, and run to my doctor’s office to pick up my blood work order they had forgotten to give me before.

Petsmart Puppy Training Class – Week 1

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Saturday afternoon was Wookie’s first training class at Petsmart. I think it went pretty well. When we first arrived there was only one other puppy there, but by the time class started we had four others besides Wookie:

Rizzo, a female Golden Retriever
Stormy, a 2-month old male American Eskimo
Pumpkin, an 8-month old female Bichon Frise Shih Tzu mix
Thor, a male white German Shepard

I don’t recall the ages of two of the puppies listed but I assume they were young based on their size since they are large breeds.

All the dogs behaved pretty well except Stormy. He started the class by pooping on the floor and ended it by peeing on it. In between he tried humping any dog he came in contact with and Wookie was two seconds away from biting him (I could hear her growling and she was showing him her teeth) before he was pulled away.

We went over the commands Sit and Watch Me (although we say Look At Me so we stuck with that verbiage). I was proud of Wookie for not hiding under the chairs even though she was nervous. Instead she said between us or in front of me.

It was interesting to note some of the things people were doing incorrectly, like holding their dogs on their laps. I’ve been trying to read up on dog behavior and I learned doing that reinforces their fear. Considering how fearful Pumpkin was of other dogs I don’t think her owner was helping by putting her on her lap so much. I think the trainer should have addressed that with her.

Speaking of the trainer, she seems to know her stuff but I could have done without the long-winded explanation of how she transferred from a different Petsmart to ours because of a conflict with the other store manager, or how none of the managers know the password to the voicemail if you call the 800 number. Especially because the class started late. Plus, I don’t think it’s wise to talk negatively about your employee to a group of people paying said employer for services. But other than that I do like her and I’m excited to see what we learn over the next five weeks.

P.S. When we signed up for another two year membership to the arboretum we got a coupon for a free gift. Last week at the chocolate fest I finally redeemed it. One of the choices included a black tote which is now Wookie’s bag for all her stuff whenever we take her out.

Black Tote

It’s perfect! I love when things happen to work out that way.