Month: March 2017

Weekend Roundup

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Friday (3/24) evening we decided to check out the fish fry at the local golf club and invited a friend to join us. I am not a big fan of fish so I ordered the manicotti for $9.99 and was able to access the same salad bar that came with the fish fry. The food itself was just ok. There’s no full-time bar/restaurant in the place so that might have been why it wasn’t better. They only serve food there during Lent. In any case it was still nice to do something different and catch up with our friend.

Saturday (3/25) morning we went to Schaumburg so I could check out this store called At Home. It used to be called Garden Ridge but apparently they changed them all to At Home so it’s the same everywhere. There was one in Arizona that we browsed when we were there which I liked. We purchased two different sized coffee table trays (a small one for $8 and a larger one for $10) since I wasn’t sure which size would work best on the coffee table.

We also checked out Home Goods and The Container Store for a ceramic crock I could keep the remotes in. I had seen a nice setup in an organization video on YouTube and wanted to do that on our coffee table too. We didn’t have much luck, although we did get some travel containers at The Container Store so we don’t have to spend extra money buying travel-sized saline and contact lens solution anymore.

I felt a little guilty leaving Wookie home alone so soon after her surgery but to be honest she won’t calm down and nap when we’re home so it was actually better for her that we left the house. She’s really good about just napping whenever she’s alone.

Since it was a rainy day I spent the entire afternoon reading books I had borrowed from the library that morning.

Sunday (3/26) we didn’t get out of bed until 9 or something which is crazy for us. We did some shopping at Walmart and then I started a batch of stuffed pepper soup in the crockpot before we went back out to Pet Supplies Plus to get Wookie a different food. It seems all the puppy food has chicken in it, however, so I’m not sure how much switching her food is going to help but we got a bag of Wellness puppy food for small breeds which was on sale for $10 for a 4 lb bag.

After stopping at the grocery store we spent the rest of the day watching tv and then watched Sing in the evening. It was an ok movie; nothing too spectacular.

This morning after cleaning I went to Savers to browse. I found a bunch of sweaters and pajama pants to try on but wouldn’t you know it, none of them were all that flattering. I did buy a game called Last Word for only $2 though.

I decided to stop at Target and found a ceramic crock for $3. It had a little handle which I just removed since it was a goldish color I didn’t care for. Here’s how organized the coffee table now looks:

I’m thinking about buying some contact paper to put inside the tray since the finish scratches easily but for now I just used the non-slip stuff I use for inside drawers and other containers. It’s not as pretty but it’s functional at least. Honestly, I wish they had nicer color trays but the only options were black, white, or teal so we went with black. A deep purple would have been cool. Oh, and that’s the smaller tray. I think it works better to leave more space for books and magazines on the table.

Wookie’s Surgery

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Yesterday was Wookie’s spay surgery. I was so nervous but everything turned out fine. We dropped her off at 8:45 am and they weighed her and then gave her a sedative. She was then put in a holding cage and her name was put on there. She was next to a very tiny Shih-Tzu who was barking up a storm. I guess her sedative hadn’t kicked in yet. I liked that they involved you in that whole process instead of taking the dog and you not seeing where they go, so that helped ease my mind a bit.

I ended up running back in to ask if I could remove her harness since I was worried it would be uncomfortable for her. At that point there were a total of four dogs there waiting for surgery. She was also wearing her other collar with the (scratched up) name and rabies tags because Joe had made me nervous when he wondered a few days before how they keep track of the dogs. So I put that on her just to be cautious.

As we pulled away from the facility I cried. I was so worried she thought I had abandoned her, plus I was afraid something would go wrong. I’ve grown very attached to her over these past four months and I really didn’t like leaving her there all day but what can you do?

To distract ourselves, we decided to go see a movie. After a stop at McDonald’s for breakfast we ended up seeing Logan. I had no desire to see it, so of course I loved it! I wasn’t expecting it to be so graphically violent, though. Since there were only two other people in the theater way in front of us I didn’t feel bad about not silencing my phone and leaving it in my lap to check the screen frequently in case the place called for any reason.

I don’t usually pay too much attention to how long the previews are but since we were on a schedule I was keeping a close eye on the time and noticed the movie start time was pegged at 10:35 but it didn’t actually start until 11:00 am. Twenty-five minutes of previews and ads are a bit much!

After the movie we stopped at Red Robin for lunch and our favorite waitress, Angela, took care of us. We’ve had her three times but I guess we don’t visit often enough because I could tell she didn’t recognize us. Oh well. Then we went to Petsmart to get an e-collar for Wookie. I also picked up these adorable Peeps squeaky toys for her Easter basket.

We also stopped at Petco in case their collars were cheaper (they weren’t) and I got a $3 bunny toy for Easter. I’ll be putting together a basket for Wookie just like I do for Joe and the kids. I can’t wait!

By the time we got back home it was nearly 3 pm so I quickly cleaned the kitchen floor and prepared Wookie’s playpen and then we drove back to the place to pick her up. In addition to the spay and microchip, they also removed three retained baby teeth so our total came to $150.00 ($110 surgery, $25 microchip, and $15 for the teeth removal). I had checked off the box to get pain medication for $5 and while they gave us some they didn’t charge for it.

Wookie was pretty groggy so I rode with her in the back seat. I had to put the collar on her right away because she wanted to lick at her area. The incision is actually higher up than I was expecting – I assumed it would be closer to her privates but it’s at least an inch or so above it.

When we got home we left her in her playpen so she could nap but after awhile she started crying so we brought her into the living room. She was just walking around and standing staring into space but wouldn’t lie down. She looked so cute and pathetic in her cone of shame.

She drank a little water but we couldn’t give her any food until later and then she went nuts on the small pieces I fed her which I had softened with some water since I figured her mouth would be sore. I also took advantage of her grogginess to remove a mat I found in her fur near her tail. I pet her and brush her frequently so I don’t know where it came from but I was happy to get it out.

This morning we both fed her about an hour apart and she ate with gusto. I’m sure she’d eat more if we let her but I don’t want her to get sick.

Speaking of… last night she threw up bile before I fed her. I knew that would happen at some point. Poor puppy.

She’s acting pretty normal today. She wants to run around and I’m trying to keep her from getting too hyped up so she doesn’t rupture her stitches. It’s gonna be a long day with a very bored puppy.

3-Day Weekend Roundup

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Posting the weekend roundup today since I’m working Mon-Wed this week since Wookie’s spay surgery is on Thursday. It feels so weird only having three days off (I know, I know, cry me a river).

Friday (3/17) I took Wookie to the vet for pre-surgery bloodwork. Everything came back normal which is a relief. We ended up paying for a vet visit too since I had a couple of concerns including her increased itchiness, how she chokes on water sometimes or when she pulls on the leash, her vomiting bile overnight, and her having a possible ear infection. The vet spent a lot of time with me answering all my questions, and I learned that one of her ears was a little irritated so I’ve started putting in the medicine again. The vet also felt the itchiness could be diet related so we’re going to try a different food with beef or fish since she’s currently eating chicken. She also said it’s ok to free-feed Wookie to prevent the vomiting as long as we keep track of how much total she’s eating to ensure she doesn’t get overweight. In addition, the vet agreed that the new harness I bought is not good for Wookie – it’s too heavy and tugs at her neck which caused her to choke. It’s too bad since it’s actually really nice. She’s wearing it in this photo I took of her in the backseat of my car.

I also asked about clipping her nails and they said the groomer was available so they whisked her away to have that done. I have to admit, I’m not really happy with the results. She supposedly clipped and dremmeled them but they felt much rougher than the last time and the charge was $20 which is rather high for how quickly she did it. On the plus side I didn’t have to leave a tip since they included it on the overall bill which was $173 (yikes!), but that did include $80 bloodwork, $53 visit fee, $10+ toothpaste and toothbrush, and $12 to remove the hair from her ears.

I introduced Wookie to the new toothpaste and brush and she seemed to like them both much more than the vanilla mint toothpaste and finger brush I tried using before. I was actually able to get the brush, with paste, into her mouth and rub against her teeth a bit. I think with time it will be easier. She still has some baby teeth so I can’t give her any of the dental chews yet. I have 13 Greenies and one sample chew from the vet which I plan to use once the time is right.

I also made corned beef and cabbage in the crockpot like I do every St. Patrick’s day but I wasn’t really happy with the results. The corned beef didn’t fall apart like previous years so I took a picture of the kind we got so we don’t get the same type next year.

We also made a minty shake with peppermint schnapps but I wasn’t really impressed.

Saturday (3/18) morning we went to Target to take advantage of the sales on Easter candy so we can make baskets for the kids (and each other).

Wookie’s puppy training class was at 1 pm and she actually played with another dog this week! It was Stormy, the humper, which is funny to me. They only played for a couple of minutes but she was way more outgoing than she usually is so I’m happy to see her adjusting better.

Today (3/19) we ran a few errands, including dropping off the Amazon return (Wookie’s harness) at an Amazon locker in Caputo’s. Now we’re just waiting for E to arrive. He’s got some stuff going on with his ex so we invited him to come up and hang out. He’s been wanting to see Wookie again so it works out nicely. We plan on going to Half Price Books since they have a 50% off coupon even though Joe and I went earlier before we knew E was coming up. We’ll probably have some wings over at Bulldogs too since they are discounted on Sundays.

Red Lobster & Homemade Dog Biscuits

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Friday (3/10) evening we decided to finally use the gift cards my mom had given to us (one almost a year ago and the other last month) and went to Red Lobster for dinner for a nice date night. It’s a good thing we got there just after 5 pm because we had totally forgotten it’s Lent so the restaurant got packed quickly; there was a line out the door when we left.

We used to love Red Lobster but not so much anymore. I feel like the best items on the menu were removed and most of food is bland/mediocre with the exception of the sweet chili shrimp appetizer which we love. Compared to the wood grilled shrimp tacos I ordered which were meh (although they did taste better cold the following day). Although I will say the strawberry lemonade is pretty awesome. Joe accidentally ordered it thinking it was what he usually gets (nope, it’s the raspberry lemonade) but it turns out the strawberry lemonade is considered a premium drink so they charge $3 for it and there’s no free refills. I had a couple of sips and could see seeds in it so it’s probably not a powdered mix like the bottomless lemonades. Our bill after tip was around $56 – thank goodness we had $75 in gift cards. Overall I think I’d rather go there for lunch and just share two appetizers and some drinks. With what was left over from our cards and the balance from a different Darden card we’d probably have enough to do that one lazy afternoon.

Saturday (3/11) was Wookie’s 3rd puppy training class. Two of the people in our first class have seemed to permanently drop out since neither were there again (the golden retriever and shi tzu mix). Bums me out there aren’t more dogs for Wookie to socialize with, although we also had a 3 pm puppy orientation so she got to meet a small shi-poo named Abby whose poor owner really needed that class. She was letting the 10 week old dog just run around the house freely. Between myself and the trainer I think she walked away with some good information. The dog was just adorable but Wookie seemed scared of her which is hilarious since she’s a third of Wookie’s size. Wookie did have fun being chased by the lady’s two year old daughter, however. When we got home she passed out in her crate for over an hour due to all the excitement.

Sunday (3/12) we visited a new to us grocery store called Butera. It’s a little drive but not bad considering it was close to Meijer which we planned on visiting anyway. I had seen Butera’s sales ad on an app called Flipp and they had corned beef and cabbage on sale for a great price – $1.99 lb for the beef and $0.14 lb for the cabbage. We had to get some for St. Patrick’s day since I love making it in the crockpot. They had a bunch of produce on sale as well as beer so we got a lot of stuff there and then went to Meijer for the rest of stuff we needed. I bought supplies to make Wookie some homemade dog biscuits. I even got a $0.79 cookie cutter in the shape of a bone. Isn’t that adorable?

Homemade Dog Treat Supplies

The rest of the day we lounged around watching tv and reading. Wookie took turns running around the living room and playing with her toys and napping in the crate we have in there for her. Also, Joe installed the new gate I ordered from Woot! for the kitchen. It was $36 with shipping.

Gate

We had been standing up part of the second playpen we had purchased and separated into two fences. The problem with that is we had to push stuff against either side to prevent her from getting out of the kitchen. Plus we tripped trying to get over it, so this is a much safer option for everyone.

Today (3/13) I slept in until 7 am and then made Wookie’s treats. Here’s a photo of them before going into the oven.

Biscuits - Before

I think I cut most of them too thick but it’s kind of a pain in the ass rolling out dough! I don’t really do it often and believe it or not my arms are sore! That being said, they are a hit. Wookie liked the sample I gave her and started whining for more.

Biscuits - End Result

While the biscuits were cooling I emailed the vet to ask if I can take Wookie there for pre-surgery bloodwork before her spay in two weeks. After doing further research I decided it would be prudent to have it done even though the guy at the animal welfare league said it wasn’t necessary. Better to be safe than sorry! I’m already nervous about having to leave Wookie there all day. The vet understood my reasoning for going elsewhere for the spay and is fine doing the bloodwork portion. I am so relieved! I really like her but couldn’t justify spending $500 on Wookie’s surgery when it would be $140 at the welfare league.

I also called the insurance to find out why Quest Diagnostics billed me $100 for the blood work I had done a few weeks ago. Turns out they submitted it with the wrong coding so I should be getting a refund after the insurance re-processes the claim. I really hate Quest. I wonder if the insurance can tell me what it would have cost to go elsewhere. If it’s negligible I’d rather not go to Quest again.

Now I need to motivate myself to clean the upstairs and submit some rebates for the alcohol we bought over the weekend. It snowed overnight and there’s more snow on the way. I am not happy about that at all.

Whirlwind Weekend

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Friday (3/3) was my follow-up visit with my doctor. I brought along some previous test results I found stored on my computer and he decided to prescribe a low dose of Lyrica to help with what he suspects may be Fibromyalgia. I’m nervous about taking a new medicine but I’ll give it a try if I’ll feel less achy all the time.

After the doctor I stopped at Target for a couple of items and noticed they do have a few cheap dog toys so I got Wookie a pink rubber bone and another rope since she loves playing tug of war so much.

Saturday (3/4) we were up early to swing by our old physician’s office to get our medical records and then to my friend’s house for a morning puppy play date. Her older dog just passed away two weeks ago which is sad. Wookie was more relaxed on this visit than before although she still won’t play with the other dog, Teddy. She also vomited in the car when we were only about five minutes away and vomited again when we were about five minutes from home. She’s fine on short car rides but apparently 40+ minutes is too much for her stomach. I guess we can try not feeding her beforehand, although in this case it would have seemed cruel since she hadn’t eaten since the night before.

We stopped at home so Wookie could pee (she holds it the entire time we’re out, even though we brought her pee pad and also visited my friend’s backyard) and were planning to take her with us to Petco to buy a dog tag. Since we had a few other stops, and she was exhausted from her adventure, we decided to leave her home instead so she could rest.

We stopped at McDonald’s for lunch since the app had a deal where you buy anything and get a free medium item from their McCafe menu, so we both tried the chocolate Shamrock shakes. I liked it, but plan to get a regular all-mint one before they stop making them.

That evening I traumatized Wookie putting a different collar with the new tag on and she decided she didn’t like me for few a hours. She actually went into her crate in the living room and just glared at me. She also kept chewing the tag and has already scratched the part with her name and my phone number. She then got it stuck between her teeth so we took everything off and plan to get a collar where you can have the info stitched directly into it instead. Plus she will be microchipped soon.

Sunday (3/5) afternoon we met up with my brothers and Brother B’s girlfriend, R, at the Hollywood Palms Cinema in Naperville to see John Wick Chapter 2. My brother had a Groupon so we only had to pay for our food. I got the $5 sangria special which wasn’t bad (I don’t normally like wine) and Joe got the mushroom burger. Every theater has a theme and ours was Egyptian which was interesting. I was teasing my brother that had we seen the earlier showing we would have been in the ocean one which looked really cool (from the outside at least). Despite our reservations we had a very nice time. On the way there we were kinda dreading it because we can be a little weird if we feel like we’re being ripped off and based on the menu and prices that’s kind of what it felt like beforehand. However, we tried to reframe the experience in our minds – going out to lunch and seeing a movie, at the same time no less, with family. My only complaint – the chairs are so thick that sitting normally my feet couldn’t touch the floor so I had to recline to be comfortable. It was definitely an experience, though, and I wouldn’t mind going back there again. Also, even though I wasn’t thrilled about seeing the movie because I didn’t care much for the first one, it was really good.

After the movie everyone came back to our place for dinner (tacos) and to see Wookie. She was growling at Brother J which is crazy since she’s met him before and liked him! I think her socializing is paying off because after getting over her initial attitude she was running around the living room in the middle of everyone instead of hanging off to the side scared. By the end of the evening she was actually playing with R and jumping on her arm with her toys. I think overall she prefers females to males.

This afternoon I met up with my friend at Steak and Shake for lunch and then she came back to the house to see Wookie. She’s been here once before but it was months ago so I guess Wookie didn’t remember her. She was growling and barking up a storm, even after we brought her into the living room with us. She stopped after a few minutes and by the end of the hour was playing and licking my friend’s fingers. She’s so funny how she can go from being so angry to friendly.