Thursday, March 13, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Pink!
It's definitely come a long way, but it's not always easy.
Going through the academy and becoming Firefighter I and II certified, as well as my HAZMAT training was probably one of the most physically demanding things I've ever done in my life. Definitely top 10 on the "most proud moments," scale.
Anyway...
I've had these 3 certifications sitting in a file folder in my desk for almost 12 years. And that's not where they belong!
They are a serious accomplishment, and to be honest, I know that my body would not allow me to do it again right now. I'd need a personal trainer and a year of working out to even dream of it! ha ha
So, I had some dollar store frames, and some hot pink spray paint. It seemed like the perfect idea.
I think they show strength, yet are just pretty enough to be me.
I am SO happy with how they came out!! A simple, yet fierce reminder of who I am, where I've come from, and that I CAN achieve anything I want to do in life.
To use a phrase that I generally hate...Girl Power!!
My bolonga has a first name...
...it's O-S-C-A-R!
Since I just posted about Lucy's name, I thought I'd tell you how dudeman got his as well. It's hard to imagine him being called anything else. He just LOOKS like an Oscar. He is the definition of Oscar. When I meet other people with dogs name Oscar I just look at them weird. That dogs doesn't look like an Osc! It's much more of a Rover or Sparky or something!!
I got Osc when he was 11 weeks old. He weighed just over 2 pounds and was freakin cute. I mean stop you in your tracks cute. I had wanted
1. A female dachshund
2. A chocolate dapple '
3. Possible a long haired
And you see what that boy did to convince me otherwise of all those things. Male, silver dapple, short hair :) and I wouldn't have it any other way. I need to stop or I'll cry. This isn't a post about how much he and I have been through together, it's about his name. Pull it together!!
After Oscar convinced me that I wanted the complete opposite of what I was looking for, we put a deposit on him (no judging, see below*) and had to go get set him for him at home and make some arrangements at home. I was buzzing I was so excited.
I was like 10 ADHD kids on Christmas morning at Disney World.
I went straight to the store and got a crate, leash, toys, bowls, food, etc.
I got him the tiniest little lime green collar with a bell on it, to help keep track of him because of his size. I was so anxious and excited to pick him up the next afternoon that I wore the tiny collar (and bell...my coworkers were thrilled!) around my wrist all day at work!
That night before he came home, I named him Leo...short for Leonard from The Big Bang Theory. Couldn't wait to pick up baby Leo.
Picked up little Leo...and Leonard was just not a name for the snugly little baby in my arms. Leo wasn't cutting it either. He needed something more fitting.
We got home and I told my ex that he needed a new name. Everyone in the house, including myself started rattling off names...the only me even close to making the cut was Otto.
Otto is German. I liked that. And then someone said Oscar. I loved it. It's not German but it's actually kind of popular in Austria and Germany.
But I didn't think it would fly, so I hadn't mentioned it. You see, my ex father-in-law's middle name was Oscar and he sometimes went by Ossy. He had died 5 years prior to me getting Oscar. I didn't want to offend anyone by naming a dog after him. I'm sure there are rules about that??
But they didn't seem to mind, so Oscar it was, and Oscar it is. And he will always be the only Oscar to me :)
*Oscar was not a rescue. He was bought and paid for.
Since I just posted about Lucy's name, I thought I'd tell you how dudeman got his as well. It's hard to imagine him being called anything else. He just LOOKS like an Oscar. He is the definition of Oscar. When I meet other people with dogs name Oscar I just look at them weird. That dogs doesn't look like an Osc! It's much more of a Rover or Sparky or something!!
I got Osc when he was 11 weeks old. He weighed just over 2 pounds and was freakin cute. I mean stop you in your tracks cute. I had wanted
1. A female dachshund
2. A chocolate dapple '
3. Possible a long haired
And you see what that boy did to convince me otherwise of all those things. Male, silver dapple, short hair :) and I wouldn't have it any other way. I need to stop or I'll cry. This isn't a post about how much he and I have been through together, it's about his name. Pull it together!!
After Oscar convinced me that I wanted the complete opposite of what I was looking for, we put a deposit on him (no judging, see below*) and had to go get set him for him at home and make some arrangements at home. I was buzzing I was so excited.
I was like 10 ADHD kids on Christmas morning at Disney World.
I went straight to the store and got a crate, leash, toys, bowls, food, etc.
I got him the tiniest little lime green collar with a bell on it, to help keep track of him because of his size. I was so anxious and excited to pick him up the next afternoon that I wore the tiny collar (and bell...my coworkers were thrilled!) around my wrist all day at work!
That night before he came home, I named him Leo...short for Leonard from The Big Bang Theory. Couldn't wait to pick up baby Leo.
Picked up little Leo...and Leonard was just not a name for the snugly little baby in my arms. Leo wasn't cutting it either. He needed something more fitting.
We got home and I told my ex that he needed a new name. Everyone in the house, including myself started rattling off names...the only me even close to making the cut was Otto.
Otto is German. I liked that. And then someone said Oscar. I loved it. It's not German but it's actually kind of popular in Austria and Germany.
But I didn't think it would fly, so I hadn't mentioned it. You see, my ex father-in-law's middle name was Oscar and he sometimes went by Ossy. He had died 5 years prior to me getting Oscar. I didn't want to offend anyone by naming a dog after him. I'm sure there are rules about that??
But they didn't seem to mind, so Oscar it was, and Oscar it is. And he will always be the only Oscar to me :)
*Oscar was not a rescue. He was bought and paid for.
I in NO WAY condone puppy mills, puppy stores, etc...but I didn't know any better at the time. I did what I thought was right, and would appreciate it if you kept your opinions to yourself about this. I KNOW the dangers of breeding, puppy mills, puppy stores, etc!
I AM very involved in Dachshund rescue now that I know better. Lucy and Lyla were both adopted from reputable rescue groups and I'd love to talk to you about them!!
Just another day in paradise?
I had an appointment at UVA with my neurologist on Thursday afternoon. It's almost 2 hours from our house to Charlottesville and as of Thursday morning, I didn't have anyone to take me and I was kind of freaking out, so I was already very stressed.
Christopher needed to be in the office, but thank goodness he was able to leave at noon and come get me. I seriously don't know what I'd do without him sometimes. I'm a 29 year old toddler.
Anyway.
I felt like crap. My head was pounding, I felt like my heart was racing (it was...that's a whole other issue. They screwed up my appointment and she couldn't see me but when they saw how I was breathing and took my pulse, they sent me straight to ER. It was 140) and my chest felt kinda weird.
So I got up and dressed, tried to look half presentable, and took the dogs out. Osc did his business as usual and Lucy just peed a little bit. Brought them in and fed them since would be back late. Then I smelled pee.
Ugh.
So I scrubbed the carpet near the door where I thought she had gone. When I went back into the kitchen to put that stuff away, I came back and found her pooping in my living room.
Cheeseandrice Lucy!!
So I sprinted full speed back to the kitchen to get a paper towel, trying to beat Oscar to the poop. He looooooves him a good pile of fresh poop. Nom nom.
I slipped on the wet spot on the carpet and landed flat on my face on the kitchen floor. Knocked my glasses off, and my nose started bleeding. I had to get up quickly. Even though it hurt really bad and I wanted to just lay there and cry until Chris got home!! I was still trying to beat my shit-eating dog to the pile.
I got the poop, flushed it, came back with the cleaning spray and when I bent down to start scrubbing the smell gagged me and I jumped up and had to run to the kitchen again because I was going to vomit! Ughhhhhhhhh. I can usually do this stuff. I'm a medic, people. I've worked with people exploding out of orifices for years. I think its my meds, or the headaches, or maybe I'm loosing my touch. Either way...ugh.
Well I missed the wet spot, but just as the puke was coming out of my mouth and all down the front of my t shirt, I threw myself over the sink...where Christopher had left a steak knife pointing up in a cup.
Right into my palm. Eff. But I did manage to get the rest of the vomit into the sink and rinse that away with the blood that was coming out of my hand.
By the time I finally got the shit cleaned off of my floor, I just sat there and sobbed. I haven't cried like that in years. Oscar just sat there in my lap and wouldn't let Lucy near me. I'm pretty sure he knew that she caused this insane chain of events.
It funny now, like hilarious....when I got to the ER at UVA they asked if I had thrown up today and I just busted out laughing. Then I had to tell them, and the nurse was laughing too.
Just another day in paradise...right??
Christopher needed to be in the office, but thank goodness he was able to leave at noon and come get me. I seriously don't know what I'd do without him sometimes. I'm a 29 year old toddler.
Anyway.
I felt like crap. My head was pounding, I felt like my heart was racing (it was...that's a whole other issue. They screwed up my appointment and she couldn't see me but when they saw how I was breathing and took my pulse, they sent me straight to ER. It was 140) and my chest felt kinda weird.
So I got up and dressed, tried to look half presentable, and took the dogs out. Osc did his business as usual and Lucy just peed a little bit. Brought them in and fed them since would be back late. Then I smelled pee.
Ugh.
So I scrubbed the carpet near the door where I thought she had gone. When I went back into the kitchen to put that stuff away, I came back and found her pooping in my living room.
Cheeseandrice Lucy!!
So I sprinted full speed back to the kitchen to get a paper towel, trying to beat Oscar to the poop. He looooooves him a good pile of fresh poop. Nom nom.
I slipped on the wet spot on the carpet and landed flat on my face on the kitchen floor. Knocked my glasses off, and my nose started bleeding. I had to get up quickly. Even though it hurt really bad and I wanted to just lay there and cry until Chris got home!! I was still trying to beat my shit-eating dog to the pile.
I got the poop, flushed it, came back with the cleaning spray and when I bent down to start scrubbing the smell gagged me and I jumped up and had to run to the kitchen again because I was going to vomit! Ughhhhhhhhh. I can usually do this stuff. I'm a medic, people. I've worked with people exploding out of orifices for years. I think its my meds, or the headaches, or maybe I'm loosing my touch. Either way...ugh.
Well I missed the wet spot, but just as the puke was coming out of my mouth and all down the front of my t shirt, I threw myself over the sink...where Christopher had left a steak knife pointing up in a cup.
Right into my palm. Eff. But I did manage to get the rest of the vomit into the sink and rinse that away with the blood that was coming out of my hand.
By the time I finally got the shit cleaned off of my floor, I just sat there and sobbed. I haven't cried like that in years. Oscar just sat there in my lap and wouldn't let Lucy near me. I'm pretty sure he knew that she caused this insane chain of events.
It funny now, like hilarious....when I got to the ER at UVA they asked if I had thrown up today and I just busted out laughing. Then I had to tell them, and the nurse was laughing too.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
In the sky with diamonds...
She has a name!!!
Meet Lucy!
It meets none of the criteria I had set. I wanted something that "went" well with Oscar. Like another "O" name (Olivia? Olive?? Or another "wiener" name (Vienna or Mya...as in Oscar Mya, get it? Haha)
Then I turned to my favorite TV show/obsession...Grey's Anatomy. I was thinking Arizona, Jo, or Zola?
Our German friend, Stephan, tried to help us think of a good German name, since she is a dachshund after all. But they were too long, or serious sounding.
When we went to get her, we were down to Mya, Zola, or Vienna. We tried each in for size. Tried calling her them for a day or so...but they just didn't work.
Then I was thinking back to when I got my other doxie, Lyla. I remembered the same thing happening with her, but I couldn't remember the original name I had picked out for her. Then I was talking to my sister and she remembered it was Lucy! Hannah had also wanted to name her Chihuahua, Penny, this as well...but changed her mind after bringing her home.
Lucy was cute, and it had the long -ee sound at the end like her foster name (Eevee) so she could probably adjust well and recognize it! Chris liked it ok but we were going to try it for a day and see.
Then we were watching one of my favorite shows on Netflix...Oddities.
It was the episode when it was Mike (the shop co-owner's birthday, and his wife takes him to a special place he has always wanted to go...
Josephine Harrin Park in Margate, New Jersey to visit
You guessed it...Lucy the elephant!!
You can read about Lucy the elephant
Right here!!!
We both died laughing. We were literally talking about naming her Lucy JUST as they came on TV and said "LUCY the elephant!"
So that's what we had to go with :)
Her middle name? Honey badger, because she doesn't give a damn.
It meets none of the criteria I had set. I wanted something that "went" well with Oscar. Like another "O" name (Olivia? Olive?? Or another "wiener" name (Vienna or Mya...as in Oscar Mya, get it? Haha)
Then I turned to my favorite TV show/obsession...Grey's Anatomy. I was thinking Arizona, Jo, or Zola?
Our German friend, Stephan, tried to help us think of a good German name, since she is a dachshund after all. But they were too long, or serious sounding.
When we went to get her, we were down to Mya, Zola, or Vienna. We tried each in for size. Tried calling her them for a day or so...but they just didn't work.
Then I was thinking back to when I got my other doxie, Lyla. I remembered the same thing happening with her, but I couldn't remember the original name I had picked out for her. Then I was talking to my sister and she remembered it was Lucy! Hannah had also wanted to name her Chihuahua, Penny, this as well...but changed her mind after bringing her home.
Lucy was cute, and it had the long -ee sound at the end like her foster name (Eevee) so she could probably adjust well and recognize it! Chris liked it ok but we were going to try it for a day and see.
Then we were watching one of my favorite shows on Netflix...Oddities.
It was the episode when it was Mike (the shop co-owner's birthday, and his wife takes him to a special place he has always wanted to go...
Josephine Harrin Park in Margate, New Jersey to visit
You guessed it...Lucy the elephant!!
You can read about Lucy the elephant
Right here!!!
We both died laughing. We were literally talking about naming her Lucy JUST as they came on TV and said "LUCY the elephant!"
So that's what we had to go with :)
Her middle name? Honey badger, because she doesn't give a damn.
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