Izzy The Wonder Dog.

Hi Folks, Izzy The Wonder Dog Here.
Mom is not well but she's working.

My mom and I do a lot during the day normally.
After my morning walk, I lay around until I get fed at 7a.
Then I take a nice 2-3 hour nap while Mom is at work.

I nap in my bed then I wake up and go back to sleep on the 1st landing of the stairs. I nap all over the house but this is my morning routine.
The bed and the 1st landing where mom put a sheet for some reason.
I think she thinks I'll stain the carpet or something. Doesn't matter to me, the sheet is cooler so I don't mind.

When I wake up I sit and shake my head so Mom knows I'm awake.
I jingle when I shake and that gets everyone's attention for me.
See I'm sitting here waiting for her after I shake.
She normally comes running if she isn't on that darn phone.
But she's moving slow, so I shook again and looked up there and waited.

When she comes down I take my stuffed animal and go outside on the patio.
She comes down and opens the back door for me. 
I walk from rug to rug. This new floor they put outside sure is slippery. I don't like it as they do. They have rugs and that helps me. Mom put a special rug by the garage door so I can sit and wait for Dad, it helps me a lot by being cooler. She says it looks funny there but she loves me and did it just for me. So I thanked her with lots of kisses.

Normally mom will take a quick break and sit with me for a bit.
Sometimes we have a tug of war with my toy and sometimes she just waters her plants and I sit and enjoy the sun on my face.  But lately, she just lets me out.
I miss her. She isn't playing as much and she lays down an awful lot lately.
I want her off that sofa or bed and to walk and play again. I miss her. Last night I showed her by being more affectionate than I ever have to them in 10.5 years. But something is wrong, I feel it and I want to make them feel better. I get more fun and treats when they are better.

Yesterday she walked me and she walked so slow. I kept looking back to make sure she was coming. She sort of bent down and rubbed me and said she was sorry.  I don't mind, I'm old and can walk slower for her. I walked right by her side and kept looking up at her to be sure she was okay. She is not acting like Mom so I will have to keep a close eye on her. 

We walked by the woods and she kept telling me to go here. I don't think she could walk much more. So for once I listened to her and went there. Then I watched her have a hard time picking up my deposit. But she did it and said, "Izzy I did it!"  I wagged my tail in excitement for her but gee what's the big deal? She does it all the time. Humans are funny like that.

It was pretty hot and I was tired of it all so I headed straight for home and Mom told me I was a good girl. I think she wanted to go home too.  
I got into the nice cool house and crawled into my bed. Pooping is exhausting and I needed another nap.  Mom said she did too but had to climb the stairs. She does that funny right now too.

I want my regular mom back who is much more fun and funny.
I know Dad misses her too. Not as much giggling going around in the evening and Dad seems lost. 

Mom sees another doctor on Friday. She thinks this will just be an assessment and then an MRI. Probably a ruptured or herniated disc in her back. 
But now that the muscle issue is gone she is only dealing with one pain at a time. That has made her A LOT BETTER.

The other night mom took a pain pill that the vet gave me. But they give it to humans too so what the hell.  Funny huh? But it took the edge off and helped so who cares. Went to the ER and got nothing except something she calls mansplaining. For heaven's sake she's not an opioid addict, she just needs relief, her eyelashes are falling out from the pain. And let's face it Mom is vain and that bothers her, she can be a bit shallow like that, but you all must know that by now.    

I have to say when they got home from the ER I have never seen Dad like he was. Oh, he saw first hand a doctor disrespecting a woman and mansplaining and poo-pooing her. When he told her to go home and exercise he told mom his head was about to explode. Hers too. I guess Dad gave that doctor a good bit of his opinion of him. Oh, mom must have died. She doesn't like that. She was in too much pain to talk to him so she just let them go at it. I wish I could have seen Dad. I have never seen him mad before this was not a good look for him. Scary. He has talked about it for a couple of days. Mom just says, yep. She's a woman and she has lived it for 60 years. But Dad was shocked. I am not sure why though, Mom tells him all the time but I guess to actually see the dismissive arrogant doctor really brought it home for him.

So here's to Friday and mom coming home Friday night with at least some pain killers and some relief. I miss my fun and happy home. The other night she wanted a picture of me. You know I won't let anyone get a shot of my face. But she got me. She was on the sofa and Dad and I were wrestling on the floor. We stopped for a minute and she called my name. I threw her a bone and looked right at her damn camera. She got me. Hopefully, that made her feel better.
I will share with you what that thing is under my eye. I got bit by a tick and that is the remainder. The vet said to leave it alone. Mom thinks it should be removed. I don't much care. I'm still pretty right?

Well, I've been up long enough. I need a nap. A dog's life is tough you know.
Naps, belly rubs, sunning myself and treats. You should try it. Oh wait, Mom told me that Mike who reads here does that already. Good for you Mike we know what the world needs, more naps.
😍🐶

Little Things

It's the little things, really, it is.

On the way to another medical appointment and feeling like crap.
I begin fighting with things in my purse.
I went into a compartment that I don't use often & that is where I found it.
A midge tootsie roll.💓

Yes, that's right you did hear angels sing!! 
I heard 'em too! 
I swear the light ray came through the window right on it like it was a miracle.
I unwrapped that 'who knows how old' tootsie roll and immediately shoved it in my mouth. 
It made everything better for a good while.

I love when that happens.

Some laughs

Because I am still not myself I am sending you some memes today.

Yes, it's lazy blogging but it's all I have.

I hope you enjoy. 

This first one is very accurate.

This one made me laugh

This is not like my mother -she will never get to use this lane. She never has it ready, always writes a check which holds up everyone. Who writes checks anymore? I don't even have checks. She makes me laugh as long as I don't have to be the person behind her.

I dare you not to smile when you look at these faces!

Long Time No See.

Hello fellow bloggers.
I am still hanging in there and today I have the energy to come to this site and write.

I am in the middle of tests. Funny how you go to the doctor for one thing and they find a few other things that need attention. Apparently, there is a lump in my neck. Who knew? I didn't much care. I was there to discuss my other issues.

She was persistent though and her cold hands kept feeling around my neck and throat until she asked, you don't feel this? Nope. This doesn't hurt you?  Nope. So apparently it concerns her and I have to have a scan on it Friday. Yipee.
But that is not what I was there for. We still have to deal with that issue. Stop finding new things, I'm old and falling apart, there are always new things. I don't need to look for them!

So I am plugging along.
When I have answers I will tell you.
But right now it just sounds like an old person chatting about her aches and pains and who the hell needs that? I don't!   So in the meantime, I am feeling a bit better and wish to bother ya'll.

I've had to take some muscle relaxers. 
They should be called pass out meds.
Oh my goodness if I take them I can't be awake, just won't happen. Within minutes I am out like a light. I told Rick I wanted to wait to take it.  
He was not in agreement with me. You see if he sees me in pain he wants to try to "fix" everything. He drives me nuts. I know it is so kind of him to care for me but honestly, he is a bit overbearing.  
He has this need to "fix".  It's a male thing. I get it but....

He brought me some soup and he sat on the bed and said, "Do you need more pillows, do you have your pills up here? Where is the heating pad? And the list of questions goes on. He runs around me in a swirl and I had to ask him to stop and sit. I explained that I appreciate all his attention, but you can't fix me, I'll get there, just help along the way babe is all I need. He can't help himself. I told him I would tell him if I needed something and for him to try to relax. It appears to be impossible until I am well. Now that I can be out of bed, you'd think he would stop. But no, until all tests are done and I am back to myself he won't be stopping.

I recall when we were young and just starting out I would bitch about something and he would tell me to do this or that. 
But you see, I wasn't asking him about what to do. 
I handled it. I wanted to vent. So I had to explain to him I just need to vent and you just need to listen. You don't have to "fix" everything. 
So here it was again while I'm sick. So I reminded him of this issue from 30 yrs ago and he laughed and realized he was doing it now and said he can't promise but he'll try to not "fix" it.  I reminded him that he can't fix me. He said, "I know that is what is bothering me most. I hate seeing you in pain and I want to fix that"

God love him. I get him. I really do. I don't always like what he's doing but I get why he is doing it. Like a parent, he is doing it with love and I'm pretty damn lucky to have him in my life to love me and annoy the shit out of me.  
And he's doing a damn fine job of both. 😋

I'll be around

I need to take some time away from my blog. 
Having some medical issues - nothing serious but I just need to work and sleep right now.

I'll check in to everyone's blog when I can and update you on me when I can.
I may be fine enough by the end of the week, it may be longer. Not sure just yet.
I just need some downtime after work - all about me right now. 

I haven't been able to get this song out of my head for weeks. 
Doesn't that drive you crazy? The lyrics kill me
Me, the rocker chick, listening to this play on a loop in my head all weekend.
Where was AC/DC or Seger?
I am not dying for Pete's sake. Just not feeling well. 

I enjoy getting your emails and posts but I'm not writing right now.

I'll be around, I hope you all have a wonderful week!!
Here, you can get this tuck in your head. I'm tired of it.

Friday

Its been a long week for me. This week has felt like 2 weeks.
Not a fan of the weeks that feel like they will never end.
They never happen while on vacation you know.

I've got nothing, this pool is drained.

HAPPY FRIDAY FRIENDS.

Last One....I promise

There are a lot of things I do not understand.
Today we will delve into the shipping from my Etsy debacle
After I wrote the post yesterday I received what I ordered.
It is awful. Fabric is all faded and 1 of the pillows is nothing like I ordered.
But I am not going back. It is what it is.
But what really confuses me is the tracking.

It shows that it began or originated in Hendersonville NC.
The woman says she lives and makes these in Omaha NE.
Hmm...

Originated in Hendersonville NC and from there they went to the DHL distribution center in Raleigh NC
From Raleigh, it went to the distribution center in Maryland.
This is where they sat for one week.
From there it went to another city to be transferred via USPS again in Maryland.
From Maryland post office it arrived in Virginia last evening.

Now if you drove that route folks would tell you that you are passing VA on your way to Maryland and that makes little sense. But none of this does make sense so why start now.

So she told me more than once that these come from her home in Nebraska where she makes them but not once did these touch ground in Nebraska.

I also can read the tag and something tells me she doesn't know the language on this tag. There are 2 tags. One in English and one in a language I am unfamiliar with. Not Spanish!

It stated on the order the following that I am copying here for you to read:

Overview

Materials

created and made when you order, double-sided print, mildew proof and waterproof, fully stuffed and sewn shut, outdoor pillow, Order by Dec 7 for Christmas Delivery

More

Handmade item

Made to order

So if they were hand made after I ordered how did they fly out of Nebraska to North Carolina with no tracking of such flight what so ever.
Something smells fishy. Because they didn't start in Nebraska. They started in a country overseas, probably China. Then DHL Int'l sent them to Hendersonville NC. The originating point in the US. From there, they went to Raleigh, Maryland and then VA. Whew. The quality is Walmart at best. Horrible.

Product not great, service was far worse.
While I do not like the pillows sent to me I am keeping them because she doesn't allow returns and who knows if I'd ever get the correct ones.

I will now only shop at well known online stores.
This woman was not transparent. She was prompt in answering questions but I shouldn't have had to ask most of them. For example, I had to ask for a tracking link.  Others just send me the link.
Lesson learned!!

To answer a few questions others have asked me.
I did not go to PayPal for a refund because I could see they were being held hostage in Maryland. I was going to give this another full week to get here, even though it is less than a 2 hr drive away. If I had not received them by the end of this week I surely would have just gone through PayPal.  I don't use my credit or debit card with people I don't know and this gal was certainly not someone to trust.

I am not returning them because they look like crap because I'd have to pay to send them back and she doesn't take refunds. Doubtful after my review she'd do an exchange.  So no point in it really. I am stuck with patterns I did not order. Honestly, I don't wish to go through this all over again and have to reorder and wait a month and all that crap. I think they would still be as bad even if I got the correct pillow pattern.

No more talk of this. I'm done. Thanks for letting me vent!

Now to  Rick's finished product.
Here is the deck he painstakingly worked on in 96+ degree heat.
He did a great job and even with some wonky issues that arose, it is complete with the exception of the job to cover/hide the air conditioner.
He has a plan he tells me.
I will await his plan. This ought to be good.

We have been enjoying it a great deal. We've had a few days reprieve from high humidity. I mean it's high but not 90% high right now. So people can go outside, breathe and enjoy your life.
Don't have as many flowers this year but it's all done, ugly pillows and all.

Rick took a few photos and a video which I can't seem to get from his phone to our computer. Here is a quick view of his work. Don't the floors look good?

 Izzy's favorite spot in the morning with the shade. Note how she is on the rug.

Yes, the floor does get hot for her and she will walk from rug to rug and it's kind of funny. Because in the morning I am on it in bare feet and I know it's not hot. But she takes no chances. 

 My favorite seat with my not so favorite pillow. Yes, the colors work but the design of this fabric is not my cup of tea. The other side and the tope are faded like they were used in the sun already.

Sea of petunias.  Yes, its late in the season so getting something good was difficult to find. But next year it will be better. Basil, geraniums and begonias are doing well.

 Rick's peppers. The light ones you are seeing are Cubanelles. Tons of jalapenos and hot banana pepper on the left.  

In the past, Rick made planter boxes.
Since they were 19 +yrs old they were done at the same time as the old deck they weren't in great shape.
This time we bought them. Got a great deal on hayneedle.com.
They came out of the box that horrible orange that you see the Begonias in by my chair. I stained the other two with a stain we had in the garage....AKA Rick's hardware store. The 3rd one I left orange. Don't love it but was tired that day and thought I'd do it another day. After it sat a couple of days I realized I didn't mind it as much as I thought and I'd live with it.  While the planter boxes look fine they won't last as long as Rick's previous ones did. Rick used better wood and pressure treated and they were lined but I don't wish to live here that long.
So by the time they need to be changed, I won't be living here.
That sort of made up my mind for me. Along with the budget.
These were far cheaper than anything Rick could make.

Now having said that you need to know that Rick could make cheap ones but he won't. He's a pain in the ass that way.
You can hear his big bellow now, "If I'm going to make them Margaret I am not going to do a half ass job!" 
If only the laundry getting into the basket was as important to him in "doing a good job" is.  I think there is only so much he can do. 😇

My order has still not arrived.

I still do not have my Etsy order.
Because she refuses to refund me I am stuck.
I know, it's my own fault.

I ordered them on June 25th. I was told it was a 1-week wait.
That was in the fine print and before I ordered I emailed to verify.
It's been a bit longer than 7 days. She told me 5 business days, which she stated was longer than normal.
As I write this it is now 14 days.
I honestly don't think I'd be upset if I could just get a straight answer from a human. 

But no, humans don't answer phones, you must go through automated hell and then get no information. I am so angry that I was so stupid to think this would work this time. Never again with Etsy. NEVER.

Apparently, it is now in Maryland or so tracking tells me, but I am still not convinced. 
According to tracking, it has been in Maryland since June 29th at the DHL warehouse facility. Now I could drive there in 2 hrs. 
I could then have what I paid for. But I have no address or contact or a number so I can tell them to just leave it there because I'll just come to fetch.
I tried calling the post office but they don't actually answer the phone it too goes into automated hell. Through automation, I was told there was no such USPS tracking number. (I have 2 trackings, one DHL and one USPS)  I called so many numbers for DHL - none could help me. Same with the post office.

Wouldn't it be better to build your own website and take the orders yourself than be a part of the Etsy community? You could keep all your own money and not give a cut to Etsy. You could control how when and where your ads are going. But I suppose there are a lot of sleazy things like this on Etsy which hurts the ones who are good. (Damn I never find those people) . I've found 3 so far and the 3rd time is the charm for me.
I will not be stupid a 4th time. I promise.

First time I thought it was just a fluke. Then the 2nd time I did it because everyone bought from her and she was so great, yadda yadda yadda. 
Big mistake, one should never go against their gut from the peer pressure. The 2nd one was great at never sending you anything and you had to go to PayPal to do the fighting and to get paid. So then being stupid you did it again after all the empty promises in email and her bio info. 

So if you're stupid enough to do this more than once then I guess you deserve this Margaret. You will never see these and PayPal will have to fight it out for you.

I don't know if this is her only business but she sucks at it. 
I get the impression as I have done some more homework she buys this fabric from China. She does nothing. So this is coming from China. (DHL International) "she" is in Nebraska. I say "she" because this could just be somebody posing as a female that makes decorative pillow covers. I don't think for a minute he/she does a lick of the work. She is throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. 

Here I thought if I went onto Etsy I would be helping/supporting a small business. This is not the kind of small business I wish to support.

I reached out to her again this weekend. 
She said, "I'm sure you'll get your items eventually."
That was her response via email. 
Gee thanks 'Becki' for your empathy and help.
Nary a, gee sorry for your trouble or inconvenience. Nothing remotely customer service oriented.

I asked if she had a contact or sales person she works with at DHL Int'l. 
If so, does she have a number she could give me to contact DHL Int'l so I can discuss with them what they are holding for me in Maryland?
I told her I only could find an automated line and I have tried dozens of numbers. 
She wrote back and just wrote, "No, can't help you with that."

What the hell can she help me with?
Oh yes, taking my money.

I know, I know, this is all my fault. I went to Etsy again. I hear you.
I just need to vent about my stupidity for thinking it would / could ever work. I'm slow, but finally, lesson learned!

Holiday Hangover

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

I had a few days off and that was wonderful.

But I now have a lot of work so I am leaving some Memes 

for today's post.

I sort of feel like I have a holiday hangover.

I hope I haven't done any of these before.

Not to my knees...yet.

 this is worth the read. It made me laugh at how stupid FB really is.

Vacation.

Everyone is on vacation but me.
Woe is me.
It's slow this week. Always is and always will be
We used to go to the lake at this time when we had our house there.

Rick is working on the 4th.
We have a neighbor who asked him to do her cabinets.
He has no time so he will be working on the 4th and the weekend to finish.
Me? I'll be walking Izzy and just hangin' out at home alone. Poor Peg, drinking rosé and watching "girl" shows on TV. Too damn hot to sit on the patio until evening. I only like 98 degrees when in the water. (or on a boat) 

We have a vacation at the end of the summer for the same week we always go to the lake. I miss having a house there but I don't miss having a house there.
Make sense? 
I miss just running down for the weekend and having a pretty place to stay that I know is clean. I hate renting places to stay.
I miss just hanging off our dock in a floating chair and watching Izzy "fish"
I don't miss the upkeep, the constant work when we arrived instead of just playing. I also don't miss the big mortgage payment. 

We are also going to visit Rick's newfound sisters in January.
Remember he met his sisters 2 years ago when he did his DNA.
They have been bugging us to come out since they have been here.
But it's not cheap and if we don't work, no money comes into our home. So we have to go when it is normally slow. The dates we gave them didn't work for them. It's been a long battle but finally found dates that work for all people and I bought tickets yesterday. 

My husband has been all over northern CA but never southern California.
I have been many many times so I asked him, "what do you want to definitely see or do?"
I want to see my friend Rusty, spend time chillin' with my sisters and going to an In 'N Out Burger. 
Oh, the man has lofty goals, doesn't he?
I told him he was a simpleton. He had a hearty laugh and asked what that says about me then if I married one?  Shit, good point.
I know he is going to love it and he'll want to move there. 
But we can't afford to retire in California unless we somehow get millions.
We are leaving an area with the same prices of real estate and the same traffic. Our goal is to get away from traffic and outrageous house prices. 

His sister Erin said "of course you are staying here!!"
"No, we are not."
Rick tells her, I can't have hotel sex at your house.
That made her laugh and back off.
Good one Rick.

The real reason is not having met her husband before and the others and because we like having a place to retreat.
What if we just need to get away? What if everyone is great but we just need a break? Some alone time in our room and our shower etc.
We both feel her husband is a jerk from the stories and his photo.
We could just be horrible people who are prejudging him. (I'll let you know, I am not normally wrong about my "feelings")

He looks like someone who would watch fox and believe it as news.
So Rick said that after spending hours with him and if he gets on my last nerve we are still stuck in his house. He went on to say he thought it was best to be with them all day and then retreat to our hotel.  I loved the idea because I don't care to stay in peoples homes so it worked for me. 

I know what I go through when people stay here. The menu's, the rooms, the linens, the cleaning, the everything to make sure they are comfortable.
I also know that his sister who asked us to stay, Erin, will fret about my being celiac and what foods I can and can't eat. She will make herself a wreck. I don't wish to do that to people. I get it done to me enough to know first hand it can be so stressful that the visit sucks. She will be running around doing all this work. This way she doesn't have to worry about doing half of it. I won't be eating there. We will probably go out more than not.

When Rick was on the phone with her, I heard him say what he said about hotel sex I gasped. I turned to him like, "what the hell are you saying to her?"
When he was off the phone he said, "No one has a response for that and she instantly stopped bugging me about it. It didn't go on. End of story." 
Okay, that worked.

We don't even stay at my parents before they had cats.
(Now it's because of cats and heat)
My parents keep their house so fucking hot.
Yes, fucking hot is the only way to describe my parent's house.
They don't open windows, they don't turn on the air conditioning and in winter the heat it is up to 80 and the rest of the humans are dying but my parents are chilled.

One Christmas we went to visit them and to have the big Christmas family dinner. I had on a pair of winter white wool slacks and a sweater. Rick asks me if I really want to wear this? I said you don't think this looks good? Oh no, he tells me, you look great but isn't it warm? Do you want to put something under that sweater so you don't die of heat there and you can take the sweater off? I did not heed his advice and did not put anything under my sweater but a bra. I thought I'd be fine. HA! What the hell was I thinking?

Then I see Rick dressing. He put on a pair of shorts, a Hawaiian style shirt and over top of that he put on sweat pants and a sweatshirt. I said you are wearing sweats to Christmas dinner? Oh no, I'm not wearing sweats, I'll take them off when I get there and will have on my summer clothes because between the ovens being on and the thermostat it will be like Hawaii in there.  I just left the room and laughed. I can't tell this man what to do so let him wear his summer clothes. 
In my mind, he was going to feel foolish when the rest of the family is all dressed up. 

But I was wrong.  We get to my parent's house and we are greeted in the foyer and mom takes our coats. I am taking off my boots and Rick is taking off his sweatpants.
My mom slaps his hand and says, "What are you doing Rick? 
Keep your pants on for Pete's sake it's Christmas!" 
That line to this day makes us laugh.
Apparently taking off your pants on any other day is okay though in her eyes.

When she saw that he had his docker style shorts on and his Hawaiian shirt she slapped his arm and called him an ass. She knew what he was doing.

But let me tell you what happened - everyone who came loved that Rick was dressed accordingly. My cousin said he changed before coming to just have on a shirt instead of the sweater over it because he knew it'd be hot. I had now changed and I got an old T-shirt from my mom that was my fathers because I had water dripping down my back. So much for the gorgeous clothes I was wearing.
I looked ridiculous but I was cooler. 

My father kept saying it is not that hot in here.
As all of his daughters, son in laws and others who were there had a collective LOUD moan.  
Dad laughed.

We never stayed at my parent's house because of the heat. Rick couldn't take it and honestly neither could I. When I was there in the summer they would never turn on the air. It wasn't so much the cost, trust me, it was the fact that they were always cold. I used to worry I would end up like them. But I am now the age they were when this went down. I use my A/C and I never keep the heat above 70. The dog, Rick and I prefer being a bit cool and putting on a sweater than being hot. Thank God we found each other.