VANCOUVER HERE I COME!

Leaving tomorrow.... have dog stuff all done so Alicia won't have any problems and looking after them will be easy!

So much to do to get ready.... thank God for Alicia....

Only so much to do cause away for almost 4 weeks and in such different settings... had to take stuff for cold and hot! And, of course, all the crap that goes with it!

Am doing well in all things... mailed off the letter to Insp. Catonio yesterday but I am not expecting a response... which is okay... maybe better than okay! Have some work in Calgary when I get back and that's enough for now!

Excited.... won't be taking my laptop so no Facebook nor blogging for awhile... and that's okay too... need a real break from the norm!

TESS'S DAY....

She's doing better today.... what do I mean by that? She doesn't run away every time I head in her direction... does that mean she's forgotten me trying to ram meds down her throat? Maybe.... she's just one weird dog! She's still sleeping downstairs but is upstairs more and more during the day....

Had acupunture treatment today.... wow! Very intense! Haven't felt a treatment in exactly that way before. Lots of stuff to release after working 21 years in crisis!
And, then, of course, there's all the "stuff" about retiring! But we won't go there tonight - I'm too tired to care!

Bought a lot of second hand books today.... hopefully will discover some new authors... can't wait on my favourites' next book any longer.... don't have enough of them!

Only 5 more days and I'm off on my "road trip"! So looking forward to it... especially now that I know Tess will be okay until I return... then we'll see...

Off to bed.... to read!

STORMY DAY!

Start of another week... and what a day.... thunder so loud the dogs and I scrambled to get under the quilt!

Pat came over to read my letter to the LRPS re training - then we went for lunch at the Country Club where Pat plays golf.... lovely lovely food!

Starting to get serious about packing for Vancouver trip as I'm gone for 26 days - cooking food for the dogs so it's easy for Alicia to feed them..... paying the bills etc....

Feeling more clear that my challenge is to stay in today... not get sidetracked by emotions or events.... I believe that's how I'll get to the "next" step... day by day....

TODAY....

Beautiful weather again.... could get used to this! Leaving on the 19th for Vancouver... still worried about Tess but decided to put her back on her regular
food and forget it until I return from Vancouver and then I shall go at it again.
I understand that she is controlling the situation but am unclear about how to deal with it. I know I could take her and force her - probably painfully for her - but that makes me cringe... even knowing it will help her.... she won't come near me now...hides in the basement all the time and if I go near her she backs off...for a dog that was attached to my hip and was such a suck, this is very very difficult.. probably more for me than her although I'm not sure about that either... all in all it sucks!

Bought a backpack finally... it's got tons of pockets and seems light and roomy... shall break it in on my Vancouver trip.... so much easier when I am using the cane all the time now....

Later....

DAYS LATER.....

Had to stop trying to write everyday... was giving me the heebejeebies! Interesting weather this year... last year it was so hot at this time one could hardly breathe..and it stayed that way right into August...

Had a bit of a shock yesterday... found out some things that have been happening at the Service that blew my socks off.... so I have decided I can no longer..with any integrity... go back and do contract work for them.....am working on a letter to my ex-boss advising.... want to be explicit as I refuse to be held responsible for the demise of anything....! All that has occurred has done so because of the decisions they are making.... time to take responsibility, guys!

Anyways, other than that I am trying to find something that Tess will eat that is actually good for her and will stop the kidney stuff.... spent $50 at Tail Blazers - a natural dogfood store.... so will try all the things I bought... one down already... doesn't give me much hope for the other stuff.... feel very powerless about getting her to eat properly so she feels better!

Getting excited about going to Vancouver though... 9 more days and I'm off.... and won't be back until August 15th at the earliest!

Payout on vacation owed, etc., was better than anticipated so think that will definitely pay for Vancouver and probably most of Australia expenses (except fare, of course).....

Later.....

Have had several lazy days.... taken dogs to groomer and Tess to the vet... she hasn't been well for awhile and my "old" vet didn't seem to get it.... my groomer recommended a vet in Fort McLeod so out we went today.... one urine test - yes, you should have seen me walking her and coaxing her to pee! Anyways, she has to be given a medication morning and night and it took half hour to get it down her throat tonight.... it's pill form.... so must phone vet tomorrow to see if an easier way...she has no "favourite" foods that I could bribe her with... she's high maintenance no matter how you look at it!

Other than that I've been doing very little... I'm okay with that but if I don't do my wash soon I shall have to hang out in pj's and that wouldn't be good as they are all saggy and baggy.....

Going to the theatre tomorrow night to see a summer musical revue.... they are such fun!

SEVERAL DAYS LATER....

Seem to have lost my momentum.... overwhelmed by the retirement party the team gave me... beautiful over the top gifts... and more gift cards! So lucky! First time I felt any real emotion after leaving my job... but it was about the individual team members and my connection to so many of them .... I know I'll see some of them ongoingly .... but it's still saying goodbye to many of them as they have very busy lives and they are on the team to contribute to the community....

Weather is so heavy.... feels like there should be a huge storm... lots of lightning and thunder and a bit of rain so it stays heavy and close....

Cleaned up the aftermath of the party today.... just have the booze to sort out and I need a box for that!

Another week and I shall be on my way to Vancouver!

ANOTHER CELEBRATION!

... but the last, I think! My ex-team are coming for a barbeque tomorrow night so cleaning cleaning.... and would you believe, it's a 30% chance of rain... after all this beautiful weather day after day... 40 people inside the house... yikes!

I feel so lazy all the time.... it's the "i don't have any deadline" thing I do believe... strange but lovely in its very own way!

Officially retired now.... am a "fixed income" person... not sure how I feel about that but not up for looking for anything but doing nuttin'..... surprises me but am happy about it at the same time...

Obviously don't have much to say tonight so I'll sign off and tell you all about the barbeque tomorrow night!