Snapshots

Here are just a few of the many snapshots we've made with Casey's new camera. Prepare for picture overload in the next few days.....

Molly and her "bling".

Shingo

Trixie

Lucy

Crazy Week

It's been a crazy week, and events haven't really inspired me to post much. So let's see....a recap....

On Sunday Casey and I did make it up to the Nashville flea market. A lot of the booths weren't filled. I suspect it was from the cold weather. It had been a long time, since I last went to the flea market. I had never seen so many socks for sale in my life and over the counter meds for sale. Too weird. They didn't have too much that I was interested in Sunday. I'm hoping that will change with the warmer weather ahead. I did buy Molly a really pretty pink collar with her name all in bling really cheap. She's so cute with it on.

On Monday, I just really relaxed. I'm still really tired from my new workouts, so I decided to take it easy. I spent a lot of time napping on Monday. I do feel better this week, so maybe I'm finally getting used to it.

On Tuesday night, Shiloh woke up about 10:00 p.m. making this hoarking sound between her nose and throat. She just didn't stop. By midnight she had finally settled down and slept. She was quiet all night and was resting well, every time I checked on her. When we got up yesterday, she was started up again, but not as bad as the night before. So, we loaded her up in the car and took her to Dr. K. She has an upper respiratory infection. They did a chest x-ray, and found that she had an early case of heartworms! Now people, you guys know how I am about my pets. We give the heartworm medications for the recommended time periods for the area in which we live (May - September). One pesky mosquito has snuck in during the lapse time!! I'm so angry with myself. I'll never again skip any month of heartworm preventative!! So, the lesson of the day is: ALWAYS GIVE HEARTWORM PREVENTATIVE, NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF YEAR IT IS!!! She is still at Dr. K's today. He is prepping her to begin the heartworm treatment. He feels that she is a good candidate for a full recovery. Please send those good thoughts and prayers our way, that everything goes well and she recovers fully.

Oh yeah, Casey's new camera is here! We spent quite a bit of time last night taking pictures of the Richardson Zoo. So, there will be many pictures posted later today.

The Weekend

Well, it's been a quiet sort of week. I've just been basically working and working out. Casey and I got our cash from good old Uncle Sam yesterday, so we've been getting a few things that we needed. Since the battery to our point and shoot digital camera won't hold a charge, we decided to purchase a new camera, especially with the cruise coming up. Casey got a Nikon D40x SLR. It's supposed to come in next week. I can't wait for all the new pictures that we're going to have!

Last night, Caesy and I went out with our friend Loki for dinner. We went to one of the local Mexican restaurants, Casa Mexicana. Casey and I both had the Nacho Supreme. I really like their chicken nachos. They use fajita chicken, instead of the shredded chicken. Loki had the fajitas. We had a great time just visiting and catching up, and it was a great way to end the week. We are thinking about going to the Nashville Flea Market tomorrow. I'm not sure. I guess it depends on how we feel, when we get up. We'd like to just go and hang out in Nashville, but I'd also just like a day to just veg out. I have a lot to get done on Monday. We'll see.... Everyone have a great weekend.

Antifreeze Bill In Tennessee Legislature

Haley Ham from Sevierville, Tennessee needs your help. Last year Haley's dog, Sam, was poisoned intentionally by someone who used antifreeze. Haley, who is 11 years old, was devastated and has worked very hard to keep others from suffering Sam's fate. Haley collected 1,100 signatures to petition the Tennessee Legislature to pass a law requiring the antifreeze companies to add a bittering agent. Haley was on the hill in Nashville Tuesday to tell lawmakers her and Sam's story. The bill, HB2008, is being sponsored by Janis Sontany of Nashville. The bill has already been passed by the full Senate ( SB2399), which was sponsored by Raymond Finney of Maryville. Unfortunately, it was delayed in the House for 2 weeks. The reason for the delay sights that further studies need to be done on environmental impact. California has had this law in place for the past 5 years, has seen no environmental impact. Haley is now asking for everyone's help. Please contact your local representatives and ask them to support the Haley Ham Act of 2008.

For more on Haley Ham's story click HERE and HERE.

To look up your state representatives, click HERE.

Loving Myself

I am enjoying my new workout program, and I'm starting to see a few tiny results. However, I think that I may be overdoing it just a bit. I've been SO exhausted the past week, and I can't seem to feel rested at all. I talked with my swim coach yesterday, and she suggested instead of a 5 day workout, I should settle for a 4 day workout for now. After I get used to that, I can add the extra day back in. I don't know. I feel that I'm copping out in a way, but I am doing LOTS of different things now. I think my body is trying to tell me something. In addition to my 3-5 miles a week swimming, I've added a couple miles of running, yoga, and weight workouts. I'm starting to get some nagging aches and pains in my ankles that remain, instead of going away. I'm afraid I'm starting out with too much. My worst competition is myself, and I'm trying really hard to let that go. So today, I'm just going straight home to relax. I'll be back in the pool tomorrow.

Sleepy Head

This new workout schedule is going to take me a while to get used to. Last week, I ended up running over 2 miles, swimming 2 miles, 3 weight workouts, and 1.5 hours of Yoga. By the time the weekend got here, I was totally wiped out! The weather was just yucky on Sunday morning. The puppies got me up a little after 7 a.m., so around 11:30 a.m., I was ready for a nap. I ended up napping on the couch until nearly 3:00 p.m. I guess I'm still getting over the lung stuff too, and I'm not really back to my normal self. By the time I got up from my nap, it was a beautiful afternoon. Too bad, that I didn't go out and enjoy it. I ended up going to bad farily early that night and slept like I hadn't napped! I must have been REALLY tired!

Yesterday, Mom took me out to a local Mexican restaurant for a GREAT lunch. We try to go out on Mondays and catch up. We had a good time and enjoyed our visit. Afterwards, I went home and caught up the laundry and cleaned the house. My usual Monday fare. Casey cooked spaghetti for dinner and afterwards, we watched the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I'm REALLY liking that show. I've loved the Terminator movies for a long time, and I like that they are sticking with the old story line.

So much for weekend excitement!!

Friday!

Casey and I had a lovely Valentine's dinner. We got there early and were able to make it to the early showing of Jumper too. I really liked Jumper. It was just action packed and the effects were good too. There wasn't a lot of character development, but that's the way the book was written too. Now, I just hope they come through with that sequel. After the movie, we went to Marble Slab Creamery for some ice cream. Casey had the Double Dark Chocolate with almonds mixed in, and I had the Swiss Chocolate with fresh strawberries mixed in. YUM!

There's not a whole lot going on today. I'm about to go run in a little bit. On Tuesday, I ran for a mile the first time in my life! I'm going to try and do it again today, but I'm a bit sore from the weight workout. So, we'll see. Gotta run!

Best Day At the Movies, EVAH!

...or a really good one anyway. Tonight, for Valentine's, Casey is taking me out to dinner and to see Jumper. Today is also the release day of the Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull teaser trailer. The Indiana Jones trilogy is second only to my love for Star Wars. Good Morning America premiered the trailer this morning, and it premieres in theatres nationally today. Go HERE to have a look at the trailer:

Now, I really can't wait!

EDIT: Now that all of the trailers are out, here is a much better quality trailer:

Valentine's Day: Often Not So Sweet For Pets

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Even though Valentine's is a sweet treat day for most of us, please remember that it can be deadly to pets. Some tips include:

-Don't feed your pets chocolate treats.

-Don't feed your pets food sweetened with the artificial sweetner xylitol.

-Valentine's bouquets sometimes contain flowers that can be deadly to pets.

-Take extra care with lit candles.

And there are many more. Click HERE for a list Valentine's Tips for Pets from the ASPCA.

One of Those Days

Getting the paperwork stuff together and done for this cruise is making me C-R-A-Z-Y!! Since Casey and I have NEVER left the country before, we are first time passport seekers. We went at lunch yesterday, with the intention of turning in our applications for passports. I spent most of the two weeks before tracking down paperwork that we needed to take with us. I made a LOT of calls trying to make sure that we had EXACTLY everything we needed. As soon as we get there yesterday, we were informed that we had the wrong forms of birth certificates. ACK!! (This was after two different places told me what we had was fine!) Since we wanted to give them plenty of time to get back, we didn't want to have the birth certificates that we needed mailed to us. Instead, we headed off to Nashville to pick them up in person.

Now, is where it REALLY gets interesting. When Casey was 21 he officially had his name changed to his mother's maiden name, since he hasn't had any contact with his father. When the court order was made, he changed his social security status and his driver's license. The court was supposed to handle everything else. No one told him that he was supposed to go and have his birth certificate changed. Luckily we figured since his birth certificate said one thing and his driver's license another, we had better have an official copy of the court order with us through all of this. When we got there and explained everything with the court order, they said that "technically" since his birth certificate had never been ammended, that he was not "legally" who he had said he was for the past 15 years! YIKES!! Talk about an identity crisis. Luckily, we were in the right place to get all of that fixed. We payed them some money and the ammendment was underway. Now, he has to drive back in today and pick up his new official copy of his birth certificate. They were so nice in the office there. They had us all fixed up in a matter of minutes. I did leave with my copy, so that's one down and one to go. WHEW!!

I guess that we really got lucky that I was told the incorrect information. Better now and get it ALL fixed, instead of having his passport denied and missing our trip. It made for a REALLY FRUSTRATING day though. We were a touch grumpy by the time we got home. Hopefully when we go to the passport office tomorrow, everything will go smoothly: at least I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Shingo Says Hello!!!

Here's a couple of shots of Shingo this past weekend.

Notice the nice confetti that Shingo and Molly made me this weekend. Maybe I should start giving them my old bills....hmmmm....

FDA Indicts Seven Associated With Pet Food Recall

On February 6th, the FDA indicted seven, which included a US based company, its CEO and its president associated with last year's pet food recall. The jist of the charges is that these individuals knowingly imported contaminated products to manufacture pet food.

"...for roles the parties played in a scheme to import products purported to be wheat gluten into the U.S. that were contaminated with melamine. These products were used to make pet food."

For more info and to read who indictments were handed down against, click HERE.

Moday, Monday

I had a fairly good weekend. This past week, I started a new workout program through work. I get to meet with a personal trainer once a week, a nutrionist, and a lifestyle coach. I also get to take all kinds of free exercise classes with my participation. I've signed up for a really good Yoga class, and I've also started a running program. I ran for the first time last week and really liked it. My trainer told me the first two weeks are the most difficult, so I'm half way there. The Yoga class is fantastic, and I'm really enjoying it. I've added these new workouts to my regular swimming routine. Hopefully after a few months, I'll see some more differences in my health and weight.

Yesterday, I volunteered at Bedford County Animal Control. They had a special adopion day yesterday. We adopted out a cat and a dog in three hours time. Aftewards, I just came home and tried my best to stay warm. Casey and I watched a movie and watched the Grammy Awards.

Today, I have my usual Monday fair in order: housecleaning, laundry, and errands. My Mondays always fly by. I just wish that I could lounge around all day today. I feel particularly unmotivated at the moment. Oh well. I guess I'd better go ahead and get moving......

UPDATE: Helping Animals Affected by TN Tornadoes

In case some of you don't read comments, I wanted to make sure that I shared this information with you. I got a really nice comment from Mr. John LoDuca from American Pet Cross about how the animals are being helped after the Tennessee tornadoes last week and requests for items needed:

Hi Sheryl,

I'm with the American Pet Cross www.americanpetcross.com and this week we've been collaborating with American Red Cross, the Executive Director from your state's Humane Society, the State Vet, DART volunteers and Purina to help out in your state.

As you'd mentioned, kennels, leashes and all other pet equipment and materials (even blankets) will be needed for the folks who have lost everything....

But what may come as a surprise to some of your readers is that what's of dire urgency is that we need hey and land to house all the displaced cattle right now. It's actually a big problem.

Please help us spread the word, we need some help with hey and land to house cattle.

PS Came across your blog and really like it!!!

Thanks

Jon LoDuca

American Pet Cross

Thanks Mr. LoDuca! I'm glad that you like the work I do here.

If anyone would like to help out, please contact any of the agencies listed above or The Nashville Humane Association at (615)352-1010. Also the Sumner County Humane Society is mobilizing to help displaced pets.

Sumner County Humane Society

16 Volunteer Drive

Hendersonville, TN 37075

(615) 822-0061

Shelters for displaced pets have also been set up at these northern Tennessee locations:

-Sumner County Animal Control (615) 452-2400

-White House Animal Control/Police Dept.(615) 672-4903

-Goodlettsville Animal Clinic (615) 859-1277

-Hillcrest Animal Clinic (615) 865-4413

-Metro Animal Clinic (615) 862-7928

Helping the Animals Affected By the TN Tornadoes

As you all know, many parts of middle Tennessee were greatly affected by the damaging tornadoes Tuesday night. While there are many agencies available to help the folks that lost homes and give them shelter, often their pets are overlooked. Displaced residents are not able to take their pets with them to the Red Cross shelters, which adds even more worry to their stressful situation. There are also all of the animals that were frightened and bolted, along with the injured. The Nashville Humane Association has stepped in to lend a hand to the affected families and animals of middle Tennessee. They are helping set up animal shelter locations, as well as collecting monetary and supply donations. Supplies consist of leashes, collars, crates, dog/cat beds, dog/cat food, cat litter, etc. If you would like to make a donation of any kind to help these families and their animals out, please contact:

The Nashville Humane Association at (615)352-1010 They will be happy to direct your call based on the type of donation.

This is a good time to remember to update or make your family and pet disaster plan. Click HERE for Disaster Preparedness tips from the American Humane Association.

Go Orange for Animals

This year, April 10th is the ASPCA's Go Orange for Animals Day. This event celebrates animal victories across the country and gives pet lovers a way to celebrate their pets. So GO ORANGE!!! Click the banner below to learn more or to get your very own orange gear.

The Raging Storms

We had some wild and wooly weather in Tennessee last night. We had, at last count, 12 fatalities and climbing, much devastation, 1 natural gas plant on fire, 1 college campus heavily damaged, folks trapped under a wall at a Memphis mall, 20 car pileups on the interstate, and LOTS of downed trees and power lines. Just check out the homepage of one of our local news stations and read about how much damage was done. Several of my blogger friends also live in the area. Could you guys just comment and let me know, if you're o.k. Also, anyone else that was in the path of these storms. I know they affected Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Arkansas. By the time the storms got to my area, they weren't as bad. We had lots of thunder and lightning, wind, rain, and hail. Damage was very minor, compared to what happened across the state. We're VERY lucky.

Now I'm sitting at work, desperately trying to stay awake. I didn't get in bed, until the storms blew through around 3:30 a.m. this morning. That totally sucks, because I get up at 5:00 a.m.!

Catching Up

I got so far behind last week, that I'm just now tunneling out. I haven't done a whole lot besides catch up and rest. It's amazing how illness can really take it out of you. I'm feeling MUCH better, but my stamina is still low. I took the last of the antibiotics yesterday. That always zaps my strength, so I think I should feel even better by the end of this week.

Other than digging out, Casey and I went over to a friend's house on Sunday to watch the SuperBowl and pig out on junk food. The food and friendship were both fantastic, and I have to say that I was pleased that the Giants won. I can't stand the Pats, so the outcome was good for me. Yesterday was a full housecleaning to get all of the sick out. I just felt like everything needed washing with Lysol. Last night, Casey and I had to go to a humane meeting. This year is the humane's 30th Anniversary, and we're planning a special reception. Casey is in charge of the food, so I basically went with him to play secretary.

Today, it's back to the old grind. I can't really complain. It's WAY better than last week. I'm also going to go swim this afternoon, if the stormy weather will cooperate. Until next time....

Lung Rot

I can't believe it's been an entire week, since I've posted. I've been at home suffering from bronchitis all week. I felt a little iffy last Friday, only to wake up Saturday and wish I were dead. By Saturday night, my fever had inched up over 102. I hate those little men and the baseball bats they used to beat me! It's been a long time, since I've been this sick. By Monday morning, I had had enough. Casey took the day off and ferried me to the Dr.'s office. I received some meds and by Tuesday, I was feeling a little better. The Dr. refused to let me come back to work until today. I am finally better, but I still have the lingering effects. The cough is finally better today too! Hopefully, I'm on the road to wellness.