I HIDE YARN

Tap...Tap...Is This Thing On?

Is there anyone still reading or looking at my blog for updates?  All you are going to find here are lame excuses and cute dog pics.  If you came for the knitting, you must return my knitting mojo.  Then I promise to show you some knitting pics.

I have been extremely busy these days...

• cuddling with the puppy on the bed
• watching Dish TV until 3 a.m. (so many channels - so little time...so many channels showing Cops, which of course, I only watch for the theme song.)
• getting up around 6-6:30 a.m.
• watching the hair on my legs grow (it's not quite to the totally gross length where people would begin to doubt if I evolved fully - but it's more than it should be.  I will spare you the pics)
• I may be growing the hair on my legs because the hair on my head is till coming out BY THE HANDSFULL!  (When your hair is waist-length,  that's not funny.)
• Cisco has lost his long puppy coat, and has only retained the long hair on his ears, and 4 long hairs on his chest.  He has two balding spots on either side of the white stripe on his head.
• The two of us are considering joining the hair club for men.
• Or, we may attempt a transplant of my leg hair to our heads.
• We are both hoping our long hair returns soon.

Can you feel the excitement?  Yeah.  Me too.

Cisco has turned into a total little love bug.  He whines if I leave him on the bed and move to my computer only a couple of feet away.  If I go out of his sight, he gets frantic.  Yes, I have created a monster.  I wonder how my doctors feel about me packing the pooch in my handbag during medical exams?  Although I appear to have his undying love, I occasionally have to play second fiddle to Remy, who Cicso totally adores with leaping, wild puppy abandon.

Here are some pics of Cisco...

Who wouldn't love that little face?


Here he is admiring himself in the dresser mirror.


Here we are in a stare down. 

When he decides I have spent enough time at the computer, and it's time for me to get back over there and play with him - he gives one sharp bark.  The only time he barks.  Then we stare each other down to see who wins.  Usually he does.  Could you refuse that little face?

In other news, hubby is back to work now in his third week.  He's doing very well.  Basically it's just the dogs and me in the house, after my caregivers leave.  Winston has begrudgingly made his way back to the spot under my computer table at times.  He is afraid of the puppy, and will not get on the bed if Cisco is there.  Winston is quite happy to be held as long as I am away from the puppy, and seeks me out immediately whenever food might be involved.  Sachi and Remy love to play with the puppy. 

So, most of my side effects from the medication have resolved, except for the excessive falling out of the hair and brittle, breaking fingernails. 

And that's all the news that's fit to print.  I don't think the networks will be calling me anytime soon.  However the last time I got on the scale, I'm pretty sure I could hear the circus calling.  Holey moley!  I didn't believe even I could gain that much weight sleeping 18 hours a day for a few weeks.  Apparently my body only required about 12 calories a day, and I didn't get the memo.

While I Was Sleeping...

I have missed a lot of January, and most of February so far.  Pfffft.  Gone.  Technically I was here, but I was sleeping for the most part.  It seems my joy in having no side effects from the Avonex injections for MS were short lived.  Although I still have not had the horrible flu-like symptoms so many endure, this is a partial list of side effects I have muddled through in hopes they would dissipate...

fatigue (as in sleeping about 18 hours a day)
hair loss (coming out by the hands full)
itchy red eyes that feel like I am in a sand storm
blurred vision
two upper respiratory infections (caused by immune system suppression)
daily asthma (something that had been totally under control once I was home all the time)

This seems to be one of those "the cure is worse than the ailment" meds - although technically Avonex is not a cure for MS - it is supposed to lessen progression.  I know you wish you were me - heh.  I still have not knitted a stitch, nor read knitting blogs.  First, because it is hard to do when one is sleeping.  Second, I seem to have no desire to do much of anything.  This is so not me that it is very disconcerting.  I am going to take a couple of weeks off from the injections to see if I regain my normal spunk and attitude.

DH is doing very well.  I believe he is on his next to last leg.  Hee!  Meaning he is on his last training leg, and I believe the next one will be his actual permanent prosthesis.  He has discovered he can drive just fine with it, with no need for adjustments like hand controls.  Soon he will have to retake his CDL (license) so he can get back to work driving the Bookmobile.  I don't know who is more ready for him to back to work...him or me. 

Thankfully Cisco has gotten quite used to playing and napping on the bed with me.  His pad lined litterbox is at one end, and he uses it dutifully.  Last night I rolled over and thought we had a broken bed spring in our fairly new mattress.  I wiggled around trying to get more comfortable, and my butt squeaked.  That's when I discovered it wasn't a broken bed spring I was lying on, but a squeaky toy hot dog.  Hee!

Yes, his name is Cisco (aka The Cisco Kid.)  That has evolved from Bo...Bocephus...and various other names.  I will close with a couple of pics of Cisco.  He is now 12 weeks old. 

Yes, there are still other dogs in this house, but they don't spend much time in here now that Daddy is home all the time and homesteading a recliner in the family room.  Sachi and Remy come in to play with Cisco on occasion.  Winston is still pretending he does not exist.

Introducing the Newest Member of the Family

During my hiatus I have gone insane.  Why else would I get ANOTHER PUPPY!!!!

Our newest baby boy - a tiny long haired Chihuahua - yet to be named...



He Isn't nearly s big as he looks in the pictures - only about a pound.

Sorry for the long absence.  DH is doing well, hopefully going back to work in a few weeks.  Things have been crazy here, to say the least.

As for the new puppy...Sachi has found mother instincts we had no idea she had.  Remy wants to play with him.  Winston is pretending he doesn't exist.

Flyby Post

Just a quick note to let you know DH is home.  He is doing quite well navigating with a walker.  They took his first cast off and put another one on last Thursday.  This one will be on until January 10th.  He is handling the temporary prosthesis very well.

For those of you who have followed my story of struggling in a wheelchair in a multi-level house that is not handicap accessible...he's beginning to "get" it.  His wheelchair won't fit through the door, so when he has been out to the doctor - he has to switch to my chair to get through the door.  He also thinks getting a handicap van would be a great idea now (only something I have needed since 2001.)  He's getting a taste of what it is like to be totally dependent on others for certain things.  One example is food.  (No one is starving here, believe me.)  However you get fed when someone feels like cooking, not necessarily when you are hungry.  I wish he could have had this empathy without having to go through the trauma of amputation.

Unfortunately there has been no knitting here - none.  Hopefully I will be back to "normal" soon.  I am very grateful he is doing as well as he is, and appreciate all of your comments, emails and prayers.