Big Apple Whirlwind a Blowing

Man, do I miss writing in a blog...so hard to find the time though to make a moment to post.
So here I am, Labor Day, with a minute.  So let me tell you what I've been doing this afternoon.  I've been fretting over my trip (with Julia) next weekend to NYC.  That's correct, Julia and I will be going next weekend to NYC.  We arrive on Friday, and leave Sunday - a very short amount of time to try to drink anything in.

Our main thing on the agenda is to see "Phantom of the Opera" on Saturday afternoon.  All things will be revolving around the 2:00 matinee time.  If I had been thinking it through (we booked Phantom tickets before anything else was purchased, including the ever affordable Sky Mile tickets to get there).  Had I been thinking it through, I would have booked tickets to NYC sometime later on Thursday afternoon, and taken Julia out of school on Friday (allowing for all day in New York on Friday).  Instead, we don't arrive until 8:05 Friday night.  But Julia has reminded me that we will be in "the city that doesn't sleep".

So, after arrival and checking in to the Hilton in Times Square (another beautifully affordable fare from AAA that I can't seem to duplicate on their website now, and the third hotel I've made reservations for), we will head to our first order of business and go to the Top of the Rock observation deck at Rockefeller Plaza.  I have just booked tickets for a 10:00pm lift to the top.  That should be pretty neat - there's even an app to help us identify the things we'll be seeing that "the Rock" recommends we download for free - I'll be doing that.

I have planned for the hotel to have an M&M stuffed chocolate taxi and bucket of sodas upon arrival (I didn't forget about myself, I'll have a bottle of sparking water waiting too - and of course I'll make Julia share some chocolate with me - haha). Then whatever we feel until we wake on Saturday.

On Saturday, we will enjoy the sights of Times Square, possibly Macy's a bit further south, stores on 5th, we'll just see what happens until we go to the 2:00 showing of Phantom.  After Phantom we'll allow our feet to take us where they may again.  Maybe to another show thanks to the TKTS booth in Times Square that sells same day tickets at savings of 50+%.  Maybe not.  Maybe we'll just be so tired we eat and crash - hope not, but who knows.

On Sunday, our plane doesn't leave until 3:15, so I'm guessing an arrival at the airport may mean we should leave the city by 12:30 or 1:00.  But before that, we'll check out of the room, and hit Dylan's Candy Bar and FAO Schwartz (which both open at 10:00).  Depending on timing of things, and how much we have enjoyed those stores, we may be real industrius and try to at least get a glimpse of the big T-Rex in the lobby of the Musuem of Natural History (that may be being a bit overzealous, but that's on the radar at least), or a quick trip into the edges of Central Park (all near Dylans and FAO).

When we booked this trip - Julia made it clear that she didn't want to go in the window of any morning news shows (that was cheesy and she always felt sorry for those people), no Empire State building, and no Ground Zero.  No Double Decker Buses, but definitely Phantom, shopping and buying something from a street vendor.  Maybe even visiting the NYU campus (you know she is a budding actress, and that's Martin Scorsese's alma matter).

So - I'm a bit nervous (though I have been there once - TWELVE years ago).  Wish me luck.  I know we'll have fun!

Facebook is Killing my Blogging, but is There Something Else Killing Willis?

Facebook...I on it. I read it mostly. I post occasionally. It has ruined my blogging. Instead of coming here to write, I go to FB to be a voyeur. I feel the need to write about things, but I would never post it on FB for the world to see. Some of my friends on FB are just acquaintances from high school or elsewhere that I would not want to have here reading what I feel to be my personal and intimate thoughts.

And due to FB, my close and intimate audience here is no more either. Not because of anything other than I haven't given anything here to read. I keep trying to get restarted, and then the craziness of life happens to keep me from it.

Today I have decided I want to tell you about my dog Willis. You know her, she's the black lab pup we adopted in 2004 with the yellow lab Ella. Ella has since passed away, but Willis is still here with us - she's a sweet, sweet lass.

Last year, we adopted Eloise. A cute black lab puppy who is now a teenager dog. It wasn't long after her arrival that Willis aged, and aged rapidly. We've jokingly said she hates the puppy so much she's has become allergic to sharing us. She started developing hot spots, her hips began bothering her, and she all around became slow, cranky (at least towards the puppy), and generally old.

Going up and down the stairs, laying down and getting up from sitting, getting in and out of the cargo area of my car...those are just a few things that started getting tough for her. She has a dog bed in our room, but sometimes she would decide to just stay down stairs at the bottom of the landing (poor dog - our home is elevated so stairs have to happen in order to be in the house with the family). Again - we've all just decided that she aged due to the puppy and that her proximity to the young energy of Eloise has made her age more obvious.

Recently she developed an aural hematoma that had us visiting the vet on Saturday mornings for drainings and re-checks. Last week we loaded up to go have a re-check. Upon getting into the car (or her attempt at getting in the car) she fell back squarely onto her hips and then backwards onto her back. It was a hard hit; so hard she shook for about an hour afterwards. I felt bad for her.

Fast forward to yesterday (Saturday). Since last week, Willi's tail hasn't been untucked. She hasn't eaten more than a few nibbles of food on any day since she fell. Friday night ,after a whole day of having no energy, I once again decided to see if I could find a tender spot on her back or hips. That's when I realized that she had a large "dip" in her back. I then got afraid that she had broken a vertebra or slipped a disc. Her attitude was one of being barely here. I began to get truly worried and started the thing I'm known most for...crying. Bryan and I were convinced that she may not make it through the night and if she did, we were going on another trip to see the vet.

She spent the night in Julia's room - a very unusual thing - and we were thrilled to see that she had made it through the night. So, off to the vet Bryan and I went with Willis. I had come to terms with the fact that we may not be bringing Willis home, and I let the vet know that I was ready for that kind of bad news. Well I was lucky and got to bring Willis home. Fast forward through the appointment, we left her for tests, and because I was at "Wicked" with Julia, Bryan got to do the return pick up - we met him there. This is what he emailed me after the doctor called to say we could come get her...

"Blood work ok. There is a bony mass under spine on x-ray. Could be arthritis. Has not seen it quite so bad. Could be something worse. Can't tell without $200 ultrasound if its connected to spine, ok/bad/etc. Told him no on that because the fix is a specialist, etc. and we would not do that. Gonna put pain shot in her and see if she does ok. Need to get her around quitting time. I think we bring her home and give her paid meds. If she eats, drinks great - otherwise not sure what is left to do. Love you, "

The thing it could be the "something worse" is a non-invasive type of bone cancer.  So...the treatment, other than pain meds, would be seeing a specialist and doing back surgery or maybe even some chemo. NOT doing that with a dog that is a minimum of 9 years old. I also don't want to have a doped up dog ALL the time. So far, Julia has spoon fed her to get her to eat (she had lost 5 pounds in a week), and that seemed to jump start her and give her some energy. She's eaten several times since. She seemed to have much better energy today. We go for a re-check on Saturday to re-evaluate. Wish us luck. Say prayers for Willis.

Katniss & Rue

This is the video that Julia and her friends worked on last weekend. Please feel free to comment (on youtube), they are getting a kick of watching the "views", likes and comments increase. I made them re-name their channel - so I set them back about 70 views - bad mom.

This is from the series the Hunger Games. I'll post more later, I just wanted to get this posted for you.

More 3rd Grade Journaling

I've run across my 3rd grade journal again. Click here to read about it's humble beginnings. I am posting an insert below - in all its grammatical glory - for you to enjoy. This one's about my grandmother (my Mom's mom.)

AN INTERVIEW WITH MY GRANDMOTHER (pg. 7)

[Jewell Etoil[e] Slawson Stokes]

1. What can you remember about the earliest events in your life? My grandmother is 65 years old. She could remember when her sister who was 3 years yunger than her was just learning to crawl and her father put her footprint in the harth by the fire place. hhmmm - her foot or her sister's foot, I wonder?

2. What are some of the best things that happend to you as a child? My grandmother said the most injoyable thing was "Getting a ride in a car to go to school." She had to walk 2 1/2 mile usually.

3 What is the worst weather that you can remember? A deep snow 3 1/2 feet deep. She was about 9 years old.

4. What awards did you receive as a child? My grandmoth sad she got an award for highest grades in Math.

5. What great invintion or special event may have changed your life? Moving from Mississippi to Kannapolis North Carolina to make her home.

6. What can you add about how times have changed since you where a youngster? there is more of everylhing. I would like to note that the "t" in everything is not crossed on the paper.