Ok Ok Ok

As the Kittians say, "Ok Ok Ok"...I have been nagged enough, here goes my update...

Most of December was spent getting ready for Christmas. I wanted everyone to have a great family day, complete with Santa and a good old fashioned whoopin at checkers (which Brett begged for over and over). Jim and Brett arrived early Christmas morning, Santa had come and filled stockings and mom had a fresh spice cranberry cider warming in the crock pot. The smell throughout the house was soooo yummy.
We opened presents, smiled, laughed, showed Brett how to 'play Santa' and the funniest part was teaching Brett about POP ROCKS and watching his face as he tried them for the very first time!! He got a checkers board, and we played over and over and over and over. You know it's bad when you think a 10 year old is about to whip your butt at a game of checkers. =)
Then, on Monday I went home with Jim to NC where I stayed until Thursday. Jim had to work, so Brett and I hung out until he had to go back to his mom's. We had a great time together. We went and exchanged some pants and a game...and a movie that he had gotten 3 of (lol). Then, I decided to take him to the ceramics place and we painted a plate for his daddy.
I told him to pick out whatever he wanted to paint. As soon as he picked out the plate, we went and found a fire hydrant stamp that he placed in the dead center. Brett asked me what else he should do, so I said..."put Daddy on the top and put Brett on the bottom, here" then, that cute little boy says "I want to put your name on here, too". But, he says, "I don't know how to spell your name". So, I wrote it for him so he could see. Then, he practiced writing out our 3 names before he used the pencil to put them on the plate. We added the paint over the pencil and he told me what he wanted me to write on the back of the plate. That kid was sooooo excited when I took him there. He kept saying "I hope daddy likes it". Now I know what parents talk about when they see that grin and sparkle in their eyes.

The DOG BITES: Part I
Tally, aka Talisman, aka Good Luck Charm, aka Island Prince Cujo
Mom's dog, Hoosier, a nice even tempered and very loving yellow lab gets into a fight with Tally. Don't know what provoked it, all I know is we couldn't get them separated. Hoosier was hanging on to Tally's neck and I couldn't get them separated. Tally was hollering and Hoosier, I thought, was going to pull his jugular out. Hoosier was locked so hard on his neck, I was beating him in the head and pushing his eyeballs and he would not let go. Finally, Tally was trying to fight him off and turned around and got mom. We knew her hand was bitten, but didn't think we would need to go to the ER. So, I popped her a couple of my pain pills leftover from my surgery (because I knew she was going to hurt), then we got a good look at it and decided we needed to go have a doctor check it out. Turns out that giving her the pain pills was a good thing since she had to wait on the doctor so long. She was very loopy and not hurting by the time he got in there. So, lidocaine, a scrubbing, a script for antibiotics and pain meds and 5 hours later we were home. She nursed that over Christmas. VERY convenient that I cooked, cleaned before AND after the holidays because ' she couldn't'...haha

Like I said earlier, the Monday following I went to Jim's house. So instead of leaving Tally here for mom to deal with, I boarded him. Thursday, I return and pick him up from the kennel. I put him in the back part of the house. I start taking down the tree and cleaning. I go into the living room, Tally slipped by me and got into the kitchen where he and Hoosier faced off again...

The DOG BITES: Part II
Dogs locked on each other again...
Paula's calf is now on the receiving end. I knew Tally had gotten my leg, I felt it and I felt him shake his head like he had a steak in his mouth. We get them separated and I was a little shocky. I couldn't breathe and I was really shaking. I sat down in the chair and mom pulled up my sweat pants and looked and said "Oh God, we have to go to the emergency room NOW". I asked her how it looked and she said I didn't want to know and I didn't want to look. Well, I have a pretty strong stomach...I looked and said OH SHIT.
So, the longest part was about 4 inches by about 2 inches deep. A couple others and a few punctures. Lots of lidocaine, scrubbing, script for abs and pain meds...3 hours and I was home.
Of course DHEC comes and does all of the quarantine reports blah blah blah...I don't want to even get started on all that rigmarole. I think the lady realized that we were telling the truth about just 'being in the middle of a dog fight' because I wasn't afraid to get him out of the room where I have been keeping him since the fights. When I did get him, he was wagging his tail and full of those sloppy Tally kisses.

Some tears shed while thinking I might need to put him down, but decided I didn't need to since I leave here on Wednesday and he is ok with Magoo (my deaf and blind aussie). They will have a large yard to run and play in and I will leave him muzzled with a greyhound muzzle while I am gone to be on the safe side.


So, mom doctored my leg for me and so did Jim (while we were on our mini-vacation).
Jim and I had planned to go to Charleston this past weekend. Didn't know if I was going to be up for it, but no way was I gonna miss that! So, we went on down to Charleston..he drove and I put my foot up to keep the throbbing down.
We looked for 2 letterboxes on Saturday but didn't find them. Checked into a hotel. Of course, we got the one with a hot tub...now that I have sutures in my leg. Oh well, I got in anyway and just kept it propped out of the water. It was a BEAUTIFUL room with a gorgeous view of the bridge from Charleston over to Patriot's Point. Went to dinner at a crab shack that was next to the Market, we sat on the second floor and watched everyone all dolled up going to New Years Eve parties at the bars.
We ate and talked and talked. Then we took a stroll and looked at all the shop windows and went on back to the room.
Sunday we went after a few more letterboxes (with a little more luck this time) and then had breakfast at this cute little restaurant called Poogan's Porch. An old Charleston home that has since been renovated, but used to have a dog that was always faithful to that specific porch (even when the owners moved a few doors down). Scrumptious food, on a 65 degree gorgeous Charleston morning. I couldn't have picked it better for my first day of the new year.
Then we went over to the old naval yard where the Hunley is. Seeing the first submarine to sink an enemy ship during war was awe-inspiring. Knowing the history of 3 crews that died in that sub, trying to imagine what they went through, and realizing that the reason they met their fate is still unknown...really humbles a person.

This about brings me up to speed now. These past few days are getting a little hectic trying to get everything ready for my move to Indiana. I leave on Wednesday and orientation is on Friday 13th (ackk). I have the new tags ordered for Magoo and Tally's collars, the utilities all turned on, a new toolbox, a clock for my wall, -20 degree socks, good Gortex books, a 20 inch flatscreen tv, and a Stud book to read.
My mother framed the donkey print (that my sister bought for me as a surprise) from the island (I think most of you know which one I am talking about)...and that will be first on my wall. It will serve to ground me and remind me. I will keep on, persevere and come out of this on the other end as Doc P.

For now, I need some sleep!!!