April 27, 2009

Grey day

It’s dark and dreary today. We had a heavy storm overnight and are now enjoying a respite. I’ve just looked at the local weather radar and see that the bigger part of the storm system is still headed our way. (I’m close to Ennis on the map above. The storm is southwest of us and moving in a northeasterly direction.)

We’re so far out in the country that I can’t get any cell phone reception. I can see that I have voicemail messages waiting, but when I try to access them I get the same message every time - “searching for signal.” Since I’m still job-hunting I need to be able to respond to messages promptly, so I took my life in my hands this morning and went for a drive, heading in the direction of the nearest cell tower. I thought for a few minutes that I wouldn’t be able to get out of the driveway. It was hardpack dirt yesterday. Today it’s soup. I had to do some fancy maneuvering to get up the slope to the gravel part of the driveway, but had clear sailing after that.

About fifteen minutes away from the house I pulled over to the side of the road and called my voicemail again. I had three messages, but, alas - none was a job offer. I’ve applied for over thirty jobs in the last two weeks and had eight face-to-face interviews, but the search goes on. Maybe this week. Maybe after the storm clouds blow away they’ll leave their silver lining behind.

[tags]job search, Kaufman County, Texas, storm[/tags]

April 3, 2009

I met Laurie Pooh!

One of the bonuses of having online friends is that we sometimes get to meet in real life. Today I met Laurie Pooh. She lives up to her name - very huggable like a Pooh Bear! And yes - her eyes really are that blue!

We had a delightful time over Cajun Food, but both of us thought my Dirty Rice tasted sorta, kinda TexMex - go figure! I’m not going to say it was bad, but I know Dirty Rice and this stuff wasn’t it. Maybe they think Texas appetites wouldn’t know the difference, ya think?

Laurie didn’t come empty-handed. She brought me a “Welcome to Texas” goody bag. Isn’t she a sweetheart? That tee-shirt is important, so pay attention. Each year Laurie participates in the Dallas Breast Cancer 3-Day, a fundraising effort in support of Susan G. Koman For the Cure. Her readers (and some of mine) supported her last year and I hope you’ll do the same again this year. She’s having a major fundraiser on Thursday, April 16th and you’ll enjoy helping her out. If you live in the area, just go to On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina on State Highway 121 in McKinney for dinner that night and you’ll be supporting this great cause. The restaurant is donating a portion of their proceeds that night, so all you have to do is show up and eat. And hey - go early. The first 25 diners to show up with Laurie’s flyer (just ask - she’ll get you one!) will also get a goody bag. You already know Laurie does great gifts so go and get you some!

[tags]friends, fundraisers, Laurie, Laurie Pooh, lunch, Susan G Koman for the Cure[/tags]

April 1, 2009

You’ve asked about Lance

Mahalo to all of you who have asked how Lance is doing. He tolerated the flight from Honolulu to Dallas well, though he was a little subdued for a few days afterwards. His weight-loss continued for the first week or so that we were here, but I think he’s actually gaining a little of it back now. It’s taken a while to find a routine that works. He was having digestive upsets after most feedings and losing all of the food. Now I’m feeding him three or four small meals a day & that seems to work. I’m assuming that the liver tumor is causing the tummy troubles.

We’re staying with my cousin, who has five dogs and five cats. I think that helped Lance come out of his funk because he’s a very social critter. He can’t have any unsupervised social time with the other animals out in the fenced yard because he’s too rough in his play with the cats. He does well with all of them as long as there are folks around to calm him down when he gets a little overly-enthusiastic. He and Rock seem to be forming a special bond. Rock joins us on most of the walks we take each day.

When Rock finds the perfect patch of sun, he’s ready for a nap. Lance always seems hesitant to continue our walks without him, as if he thinks he should stand guard while Rock snoozes.

There’s ample reason to be on alert. The yard is full of coyote tracks each morning. Beagles are scent hounds, of course, and Lance is using his natural instincts each time we walk, whether in the yard or in the woods out back. He gets excited at the cottontails we startle from the underbrush and wants to give chase. I’ve seen a few snakes, but never when Lance was with me, so I don’t know yet how he’ll react to them. I’d be happy if we never find out! There are also raccoons, opossums and other critters nearby, but I haven’t come across their evidence yet. It’s the coyotes and rabbits that leave the most signs.

Mind you, I haven’t actually seen a coyote yet. The size of their footprints compared to the size of Lance’s paw have convinced me that knowing about them without meeting them is perfectly acceptable! I haven’t had any occasion to venture far from the house in the dark. Since the coyotes seem to rule the nights around here, I can’t imagine that anything short of a roaring house fire would persuade me to do so.

All-in-all Lance is doing very well for a dog with two serious health conditions. He’s adapted well to his new environment and seems contented. There’s one thing that hasn’t changed at all. Wherever I am is where he wants to be. You can’t see my foot under the quilt rubbing his belly, but he knows it’s there. I think he’d like it best if we stayed just like this, all day every day!

[tags]beagle, cat, country living, coyote, Lance, Rock[/tags]