Yard work

This weekend was our last free weekend until mid/late April. As per usual we both go into tech at the same time. It is hard enough to flip flop techs, but time stops at home when we are both in tech. So if we have a free weekend before the madness we do our best to make it count. I knew I needed to get caught up on laundry, and try to do some meal planning (when we are in tech we eat 2-3 meals outside of our home each day, I try to keep us in leftovers to save money and hopefully keep us eating a little healthy). It is also our last chance for a bit to get some work done on the house.

We finally had a weekend of decent weather and decided our house project for this weekend would be yard work! I was excited, as I love puttering about the yard. Now, our house had about 10 years of neglect that we have been working on reversing, I think our yard had at least that much, if not more. Adam decided we should start at the corner of our house (the corner of Lansdowne and Violet). We had a large section of shrubery that was pretty much dead AND it blocked the view for our neighbors leaving our street.

As we worked away many of our neighbors stopped by to introduce themselves. We got to visit some with Nancy (she lives behind us) and we got to meet her dog Jasmine. Tom (who lives in the old Pennock Mansion at the end of the street-side note: The Pennock family lived in our house while they were building the house Tom lives in) stopped by to say hello and let us know that he was hoping to throw a party for us to get to know everyone on the street once it gets warmer. Leo said hello to Adam as he passed by our house. Alice (from one street over) stopped by with her dog Naomi to tell us of a great place nearby to take Molly. Al, our postman, also chatted with us for a bit. Papa Joe (or just Pops) came by to check on us too, he is the caretaker for the Apartments next to us (which he very oddly refers to as the hotel). All in all it was a great day. And we got 20+ bags of debris cleared. We hope the trash men won't be too upset at us.

I also thought I would share with you a list of the things we found hiding in our yard:
--I stopped counting at 6 water bottles
--1 orange juice bottle
--an empty 40 oz of beer
--an empty pint bottle
--a pill bottle
--an L shaped pipe joint
--a small pink t-shirt
--some hair extensions
And last but certainly not least:
A Sony cassette tape player--it was a really nice one in its day. It was actually buried in the middle of the dead shrub.

I can't wait to find out what is in the rest of the yard.

She's Crafty

So, Molly has a partially torn ACL on her back left leg. I seriously thought only basketball and soccer players got those. When I stop to think about it, I don't guess I really ever even considered the possibility of a dog having knees. I mean I know she bends her legs to walk, but maybe I just thought it was magic or something.

Anyway, it is no secret that Molly LOVES to run. When I go running outside I take her with me, and she has a blast. When Adam and I take her to the dog park she does nothing but run and chase all the ball dogs (they chase the balls and she chases them-she cares not for balls). Bill (Adam's Dad) takes her to a big off leash park and she and Riley run like crazy. And the whole time she is running she has the BIGGEST, GOOFIEST grin on her face (see photo for goofy grin). She loves it!

She was out running in the park one day, and well, she's a dog, not a rocket scientist (it's the Lab in her). I'm sure she was running and not paying attention and tripped over something or stepped in a hole, or any number of dumb things, thus creating a little tear.

We now have two options:
1) glucosamine treatments (yup just like you see on those arthritis commercials) and strict rest forever. This means no running-yuck!
2) glucosamine treatments and surgery (yuck for mom and dad's wallet)

Either way she will most likely be on glucosamine treatments for the rest of her life. Apparently this is rather common for athletic dogs.

Molly does not like to take pills (and because she is allergic to many things we're not supposed to hide the pill in a treat). We usually need to pry her mouth open, hold down her tongue and throw the pill down her throat, then hold her mouth closed while she swallows. No wonder she doesn't like to take pills, would you? Despite her dislike she mostly takes it like a champ, although there is a lot of sulking involved. (see photo for sulking-this usually is accompanied by a lot of heavy sighing)

Last night I went to give her the evening dose, and she was unhappy but had clearly swallowed. I usually take my hands away from her face keeping them nearby as a test. If she hasn't yet swallowed her pill she will take this opportunity to spit it back out. She was done-good job, now she gets a treat. She sat pretty for me as I loaded her kong. I gave it to her and turned my back as she ran off to enjoy her treat. A couple minutes later Adam pointed to the unswallowed pill on the floor. THAT SNEAKY LITTLE DOG hid the pill in her mouth and FAKE swallowed to trick me! I couldn't believe it. I have to admit I was as impressed at her craftiness as I was upset that she outsmarted me (that's the Pit in her).

I don't know maybe she is a rocket scientist after all. I clearly have underestimated her craftiness.