Million dollar dog
Foxtail season is here, and it arrived this year with a bang – the sound of my jaw hitting the floor at the vet's office when I went to pick up my darling yesterday and learned that the total would be a whopping eight hundred dollars. True, I did also get just about everything else done that has been needing to get done for the last year or so (in addition to removing the foxtail from his sinuses we had his teeth cleaned and a little dental surgery performed, plus feet, butt, heartworm testing and meds, not to mention three different kinds of anesthesia, post-operative pain relief and not one but two kinds of antibiotic treatments) – so all in all I guess it shouldn't have been such a surprise.
Still. Eight hundred bucks. That hurt.
He's worth it, though. I know I must've said this before but I'll say it again: My feelings for this dog are the most clear and uncomplicated feelings I've never had about anyone in my life, and I've never had a millisecond of regret or a single second thought about him. That kind of clarity is so rare for me; usually I see so many different angles on every relationship.
We went for a long walk tonight and it was glorious. It got suddenly so hot this week, so unimaginably and unbearably hot (after just last week having to wear my winter long johns again and put an extra blanket on the bed), that I haven't done much of any kind of exercise for five days. Tonight as the sun went down though the air finally started to cool a bit and since the moon was out and the mosquitos were not, we walked up and down the road until it got too dark to see (no street lights out here).
What else? I'm still busier than I like to be at work, but I don't expect that will last much more than a few more weeks. We went to the community garden this morning and picked up three new varieties of tomato plants to try – Mortgage Lifter, Anna's Noir and Black Prince – plus a jalapeño, some red onion starts, a yarrow and a few more strawberry plants. I also went by my old garden plot and took some starts from a favorite old salvia of mine that is still growing there. I don't know what it's called but it gets about 6 feet tall and has the most beautiful sky-blue flowers – kind of unusual, and reasonably drought-tolerant, which is a must for any ornamental plant we grow on the property, since water's so scarce and expensive these days.
On week three of the leg-waxing experiment I finally broke down and waxed them again, on my own at home this time. The little hairs that were too short to get caught in the wax the first time were finally long enough to both drive me insane AND get caught in today's application of wax, which I applied rather messily while standing on a mat of old newspapers with my leg up under the spotlight above the kitchen sink. The results ... I can't tell yet, but I think they should be about as good as the salon. It is a very hot and sticky proposition to wax your own legs though, so if I do continue to go this route I might end up going back to the nice lady who did them last time.
I also forgot to mention that during week two, there was a period of several days during which my legs were itching so badly I thought I might scratch myself to death in my sleep before those little ingrown hairs finished growing out. If it happens again I might have to give up on waxing altogether. I am a little bit hair-obsessed, but I also have a very low tolerance for itching of any kind, especially when the whole point is supposed to be increased comfort and ease.
And finally: Yesterday I was walking up and down the aisles of the grocery store looking for the cottage cheese (the doctor-recommended meal for dogs coming out from under anesthesia, which makes them groggy and nauseous) when suddenly I heard a familiar song on the PA ... The Hustle! I don't know why but that song makes me so happy, and it was all I could do to stop myself from breaking out into a little dance right there in bulk foods. I kept walking, and when I turned a corner I saw two people dancing – and then in the next aisle, another person was getting down to the music! And then a little girl! And then – me! It was a great little community moment right there in the dairy aisle.
Still. Eight hundred bucks. That hurt.
He's worth it, though. I know I must've said this before but I'll say it again: My feelings for this dog are the most clear and uncomplicated feelings I've never had about anyone in my life, and I've never had a millisecond of regret or a single second thought about him. That kind of clarity is so rare for me; usually I see so many different angles on every relationship.
We went for a long walk tonight and it was glorious. It got suddenly so hot this week, so unimaginably and unbearably hot (after just last week having to wear my winter long johns again and put an extra blanket on the bed), that I haven't done much of any kind of exercise for five days. Tonight as the sun went down though the air finally started to cool a bit and since the moon was out and the mosquitos were not, we walked up and down the road until it got too dark to see (no street lights out here).
What else? I'm still busier than I like to be at work, but I don't expect that will last much more than a few more weeks. We went to the community garden this morning and picked up three new varieties of tomato plants to try – Mortgage Lifter, Anna's Noir and Black Prince – plus a jalapeño, some red onion starts, a yarrow and a few more strawberry plants. I also went by my old garden plot and took some starts from a favorite old salvia of mine that is still growing there. I don't know what it's called but it gets about 6 feet tall and has the most beautiful sky-blue flowers – kind of unusual, and reasonably drought-tolerant, which is a must for any ornamental plant we grow on the property, since water's so scarce and expensive these days.
On week three of the leg-waxing experiment I finally broke down and waxed them again, on my own at home this time. The little hairs that were too short to get caught in the wax the first time were finally long enough to both drive me insane AND get caught in today's application of wax, which I applied rather messily while standing on a mat of old newspapers with my leg up under the spotlight above the kitchen sink. The results ... I can't tell yet, but I think they should be about as good as the salon. It is a very hot and sticky proposition to wax your own legs though, so if I do continue to go this route I might end up going back to the nice lady who did them last time.
I also forgot to mention that during week two, there was a period of several days during which my legs were itching so badly I thought I might scratch myself to death in my sleep before those little ingrown hairs finished growing out. If it happens again I might have to give up on waxing altogether. I am a little bit hair-obsessed, but I also have a very low tolerance for itching of any kind, especially when the whole point is supposed to be increased comfort and ease.
And finally: Yesterday I was walking up and down the aisles of the grocery store looking for the cottage cheese (the doctor-recommended meal for dogs coming out from under anesthesia, which makes them groggy and nauseous) when suddenly I heard a familiar song on the PA ... The Hustle! I don't know why but that song makes me so happy, and it was all I could do to stop myself from breaking out into a little dance right there in bulk foods. I kept walking, and when I turned a corner I saw two people dancing – and then in the next aisle, another person was getting down to the music! And then a little girl! And then – me! It was a great little community moment right there in the dairy aisle.
Labels: dogs, gardening, hair blogging
2 Comments:
I love the names they give different tomato cultivars almost as much as I love tomatoes! 'Mortgage Lifter' is a great one. Last year I had 'Bloody Butcher' among others. Sadly, growing tomatoes in Portland is an iffy proposition, at least for me and my garden. I've had a few varieties that performed stellarly (is that a word?), but many more that put did not put out as I would have wished. I hear that steer manure is supposed to be great for toms, so maybe I'll try that.
I love that people started dancing to the Hustle in the grocery store! That's great. I haven't heard that song in 30 years, I bet. Funny how some songs from that era (e.g., anything by Tom Petty or Steve Miller) is still on the airwaves constantly but thing like the Hustle or Popcorn (by Hot Butter!) disappeared completely).
P.S. I have that blue salvia you mentioned. It is wonderful. I think the flowers look like parrot beaks.
Daisy cost us $600 in December! Ay yai yai. But what'r'ya gonna do?
I love your community moment! I even love the phrase "community moment."
Here's to more!
--g
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