Christmas...

Monday I went to see Claudia to get a manicure and pedicure, I got red with sparkles and it is time for Christmas. Teresa and Karen put permanent lights on my patio outside my bedroom door, it looks awesome. For Christmas Teresa brought me three lighted white Christmas trees for the front porch. I cannot wait until I get my new van in a couple of months. The van that I have now is 10 years old and very unpredictable, I don’t even know from one day to the next if it is going to start. I got a brand-new battery but it just keeps dying. I think because the van is so low to the ground that seems to scrape on every driveway or bump in the road that it has warped the door. I tried taking all the fuses out and got a solar battery charger but nothing seems to work, it’s just time for a new one.

Tuesday I got my weekly massage, took a bath and got up late. We were having a Christmas party that night so I didn’t want to be up for too long. My mom made lasagna and Teresa made garlic bread, everybody else brought something and of course we had food for days. Before dinner we played the Christmas exchange game, that is always fun. After the game we played cribbage and I think I lost every game, I got skunked one. There were about 16 people here, friends that we were introduced to by my aunt and uncle. We always have a good time.

Wednesday about 2 AM I got an e-mail from Teresa, a big oak tree had fallen on her house and broke a couple of windows and she was without electricity. She put me to bed on Tuesday evening and didn’t leave here until about 11 p.m. I told her to come and stay here but they have cats they were worried about. I was looking on the news but I didn’t see anything about it, I will keep looking because I’m sure they will have something. Teresa and I took care into the airport, she is going home to visit her family. We went to Chili’s for lunch and had a killer hamburger and french fries, shopping at world market and target and then back home. We were going to go to the Apple store in Los Gatos but we lost all track of time. Cassidy was going to put me to bed and I told her we would be home at three, it was 330 p.m.

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." 
--Roger Caras

Thursday was a beautiful day. The sun was out and it was warm so I got to take Robby a really long cruise. We came back just in time to see Kimberly, Kimberly worked for me about a year and a half ago but moved away... I’m so glad to see her back. She’s going to fill in for a couple of girls that are on vacation and help me out with a couple of other things. I can’t believe the excellent people that I found to help me out since I moved here to Santa Cruz. I remember some of the nightmare people that I have work for me in San Jose, except for the occasional oddball I have had really good luck. Everything about living here just keeps getting better. Karen is on vacation so Teresa has been getting me up in the mornings. I realized today that I was being very grumpy and stressed out and now I feel bad. I have had one person get me up in the morning for the last couple of years so I guess I get used to things done a certain way. Luckily Teresa is good at whatever she does. I’m really very lucky.

Friday Cassy took Robby and I to the Santa Cruz killed nursing facility for Christmas party, it was awesome. Everybody got a present and it was so touching to see everybody so excited. After that we went over to the Capitol Mall just to waste some time. I ran into Linda who is in charge of the organization that got me volunteering at Santa Cruz killed nursing, it was really great to see her. We came back and Teresa made me a KELLER Christmas Eve dinner, a game hen, brussels sprouts with cheese and bacon, squash and hippie rice pilaf... she is an awesome cook. Her and Jess joined me. I appreciate her so much.

Saturday was Christmas. It looked like it was going to rain all day and I was exhausted, I haven’t been able to sleep at all lately. Somebody told me it might be the beginning stages of menopause, I’m really looking forward to that. My family wasn’t going to be here until the late afternoon so I decided to just stay in bed. Heather came over and put in a roast that she got for me, it was the most beautiful 20 pound roast I had ever seen. She cut it in half and seasoned it and we kept half of it here and my aunt and uncle took the other half up to my cousins house. After about an hour you can smell it throughout the house, it smelled awesome and tasted even better. My aunt and uncle came back and also raved about how great it was. We watched the movie grown-ups and played cribbage and just visited for a while. It was a really great Christmas.

Sunday I got up and Teresa, Corinne and I went over to pick up Bella and took her and Robby to the schoolyard to play. It has been a couple of weeks and they were both so wound up it was ridiculous. They played for about an hour and they were a huge muddy mess. We took Bella back and hosed her off, she hates the hose and it sounded like somebody was killing her. We brought Robby back here and gave him a bath and he is sleeping like a puppy. My family left and Corinne stayed here to spend a week with us. Hopefully the weather is going to be nice but if not we will find something to do, she is always really cool to hang out with.

Santa Cruz SCI Christmas Party...

Monday turned out to be a really good day even though it was a little colder. Robby and I got to go on a really long cruise and it felt great, even though Mr. Mister pooped in the parking lot. He does really good but sometimes when you start exercising you just have to go. I usually take him out to go potty before we go for a cruise but I got distracted so we stopped along the way, he generally only poops in the backyard unless he can’t hold it any longer. When we got back Cassy took us grocery shopping. We skipped the standing frame today because the bruise below my knee still looks pretty bad, I don’t know if leaning against it would make it worse. Heather came by with some fresh rock cod and set it up so somebody can cook it for me tomorrow. I can hardly wait. My uncle came by to give us an update on everything. My cousin Rich is still on the mend and my uncle got some shots in his hands to hopefully help with his arthritis, I hope it works so we can play cribbage and I can take his money.

Tuesday even though it was really foggy outside Robbie and I cruised over to the lighthouse, it was so beautiful there. We came back and Teresa and Karen put up the rest of my Christmas lights, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. My living room smells like Christmas tree and the lights outside look awesome. Melissa came by on Monday and painted my windows and they are so beautiful.

Wednesday was a bad day. I got up but ended up going back to bed because of mechanical problems. I was supposed to go see Claudia and get my hair dyed in my nails done, I rescheduled for Monday. Cassidy said that she would take my van over to Whalers car wash and get it washed for me, she said they did a really good job. Heather made a killer fresh cod fillet and I had quinoa, asparagus and spinach, needless to say it was AWESOME. My mom and I watched the new karate kid movie, it was really good and of course she cried.

Thursday Teresa drove Karen, her boyfriend and I to San Jose. Karen’s boyfriend was flying out to Mexico so we decided to drop him off and make a Day of it. We went to the container store because I remember a couple of years ago they had really cool wrapping paper but I didn’t really see anything spectacular, I did see one that I liked but they were out of it. We went to Valley fair Mall, now it’s called Westfield, and found a Santa outfit for Robbie and Teresa got one for Gigi. Robbie wore it around the mall and then we had his picture taken with Santa at Macy’s, Robbie was of course a HUGE hit. We went to the cheesecake factory for lunch and it was as great as I remember it to be, we didn’t have any room for dessert and we were going to come back and get some to take home after we went shopping but we forgot.

Friday was a lot of last-minute running around. I went to Hallmark to get a gift card for a long time friend of ours Helen. She is legally blind but makes her way every Tuesday to the Hallmark store in the mall to buy cards and gifts for people in her life. She knits stockings for everyone and fills them with Candy, they are so adorable. I told her that our support group was having a Christmas party so she gave me a bunch of stockings that she knitted to fill with Candy at hand out to everyone, how adorable is that?? We also stopped at Walgreens to get some candy to fill the stockings, CVS to get some wrapping paper and a centerpiece for the table, to cost plus to get a gift for Christmas party and having here on Tuesday and to Costco to get some croissant sandwiches, plates and napkins. Needless to say by the time I got home I was exhausted and ready for bed. I forgot to mention that it rained ALL day nonstop and Robbie and I were soaked. It’s nice to be in my warm bed, in my warm house and listening to the rain outside where it belongs.

Saturday I was so nervous that nobody was going to show up at the support group meeting/Christmas party at my stomach was a little upset. It was supposed to start at 1 PM and I was getting a little nervous when it was 1:05 PM and still nobody was there. All of a sudden a bunch of people started showing up and I was so relieved. There ended up being around 14 people there and we all had such a good time and it went by way too fast. One of the kids that has been going to the support groups for awhile didn’t have a computer at home so we presented him with one and it felt so great. There was two new people came with their families. A young kid from Salinas that got shot about three months ago and an older guy who is a computer expert who has been injured for a while. I felt so great when I left because of how well it went and I don’t think I’ll sleep tonight but that’s okay. Karen and Cassidy came along to help me set everything up and help the people that needed help, they are both so good at doing that. Karen took pictures, it’s nice to have the memories. After I went to bed my aunt and uncle came over to play cribbage for a while, my uncle was my partner and we won two and lost two, one of the games we got skunked... we are not ready to talk about it yet.

Sunday it started out raining like crazy. Karen, Teresa and I went to Aptos to where a friend of Teresa’s has a booth and a beauty supply so long. For Christmas Teresa got me a haircut so I couldn’t really turn it down. I have a lady that does my hair, manicure and pedicure regularly but how can I say no? After that we all went out to lunch to a place called Gayle’s, it was awesome. Teresa’s friend who did my hair is the girlfriend of the guy who takes care of my yard and he showed up while we were eating. We came back home and Karen wrapped some empty boxes to put under my tree so it didn’t look so bare.

Another rainy week...

Monday I wasn’t feeling much better than I was Sunday so I ended up staying in bed and of course it was beautiful outside, about 60°. I watched a lot of TV and try to make the best of it. I hope I feel better on Tuesday because I want to go get my Christmas tree. I watched Toy story three with my mom, we watched one two and three in the last three days. Very cute movies. My aunt and uncle have had company at their house for a while and they finally left today, they have some really good and long lasting friends. I saw the pet Smart ad and they are taking pictures of your dog last weekend, this weekend and next weekend so I’m going to take Robby over there next weekend to get his picture taken with Santa and I’m so excited. Last year he just kind of melted right into Santa and you could tell they were both really enjoying it, I turned around and looked and there was all of a sudden a long line and people kind of annoyed with us for taking so long.

Tuesday morning I got a massage, it had been two weeks and I was really stiff and sore. After I got up I took Robby for a short cruise in between the raindrops, I thought we were going to go get Bella and go to the park but that didn’t happen. Teresa took me to Home Depot to get my Christmas tree, I prefer a noble fur, we got the fullest and the most beautiful... I love the way they smell. My mom couldn’t get her printer to work so Teresa took me over to Kinko’s and we have a bunch of copies made of the Christmas letter and a really cute picture of Robby with his new Santa hat, he hates it so much. When we got back it was really late so no time for a long hot bath, I could have really used one but what we did was more important. After Kinko’s we went to Trader Joe’s and bought a wreath for the Center of our tables, now it’s really looking like Christmas around here.

Wednesday it looked like it was going to rain all day so I procrastinate as much as I could before I got out of bed. Cassidy took me over to target in Watsonville and I found a candle to go inside the wreaths, it’s really beautiful. I came home and Cassidy put me in the standing frame but we had a mishap so I was only in it for half an hour. She put the hip laterals on backwards so we decided to change them while I was standing, not a good idea, my hips shifted to the left and we could not recover them. We are still in excremental stages in trying to find new ways but we are getting there.

Thursday I got another massage in the morning, it felt so good. My left arm is so tight that it hurts for her to even touch side think I’m going to try the electrodes. I think because it’s cold and my muscles tense up. After the massage and took a nice long hot bath. After I got up and dressed and took Robby for a cruise through the lagoon and down to the soccer Park and back without getting wet. Teresa came by and her and Karen decorated my Christmas tree, it looks so cool. I think the lights are a little bit too big and too bright so I’ll have to find different lights for next year. I am ready for the girls Christmas party. My aunt called and said that they had been in the hospital with my cousin, Rich, most of the day. His heart was beating weird and he didn’t feel good, this is the third time he has gone through this. For the rest of the evening it was really hard for me to concentrate because I was so worried about him, I didn’t realize until later how hard it affected me and I cannot even imagine how worried his parents are.

Friday Cassy took Robby and I to the Santa Cruz skilled nursing facility, I didn’t get to go last week and I really missed it. When I first started going I was really nervous but everybody has made me feel so comfortable. We came back home and I took Robby for a cruise and then Cassy put me in the standing frame and then back to bed. The sun was out and it was a beautiful day.

Saturday it kept going from sunshine to sprinkles. I got up and went to the movies with Heather, we saw the latest The Chronicles of Narnia in 3D, it was really good. Sometimes getting me up in the standing frame is really easy and other times it’s just really hard to get it right, after a little bit more practice hopefully we will find the easy way. I woke up this morning with a big bruise on my right leg, the only thing I can think of that would give me a bruise there is the standing frame. I still love it.

Sunday I took a nice long hot bath and went back to bed, of course it was a gorgeous day outside. Teresa was sick and Karen had plans and couldn’t come back in the evening. I watched a couple of movies and visited with Heather. She took Robby out for a walk and played ball with him in the driveway. Today was Robby’s play date and he really needed it, it has been raining so the puppies haven’t gotten together for a while. Heather made me a killer BBQ pork rib wrap with spinach and some green beans.

Happy Birthday Teresa...

Monday turned out to be a gorgeous day. It was Cassidy’s birthday so we went to Mobos for sushi. We used to go once a week and I really miss it. In my opinion the best sushi ever. Robby and I cruised down and met Cassy and then we all cruised back. When we were coming out of Mobos a guy cruising around in a chair stopped us to ask about Robby and how he can get a service dog, basically what would be involved and how long would it take to get one. We came back and I went to bed early so Cassy could spend the evening with her family.

Tuesday the massage therapist wasn’t able to make it again, her son had an ear infection and she overdid and her old relapsed. I can really tell in my neck, shoulders and arms when I’m not able to get a massage. She wanted to reschedule but this week is just too busy. I can’t wait until next Tuesday. It’s still pretty cold outside but I took Robby for a short cruise through the lagoon. Teresa and I went to pick up Bella and took them to Bayview elementary school and of course there was a bunch of kids at both ends so we tried a couple more high schools, same thing. We went to the soccer Park but somebody was practicing there also so we just went back to Bayview and of course the kids were gone so the puppies ran around for about an hour and were each other out, the best exercise for them both. We came back home and I took a nice long hot bath and went to bed.

Wednesday Rachel gave Robby a bath, he really needed one after playing in the mud with Bella for two days... unfortunately tomorrow they’re going to play in the mud again. I was finally able to get my manicure/pedicure, I got diamond sparkle silver. While I was there there was a couple of ladies with walkers and one of them had tennis balls on the end so of course Robby thought it was his toy and grabbed one, I told him to leave it and he did but everybody got a good laugh... good thing they have a sense of humor. Cassy took me over to Scotts Valley to get Robby’s food, Scotts Valley is the closest place that stocks it. Of course all the way back I had to stop and get some KFC. We went to Beverly’s fabric to get some small bales of hay and straw for my nativity scene, now I can just remember how to set it up... thank goodness for you tube. I also went shopping at Safeway and then home again home again...

Thursday was pretty cold outside. Patrick, the guy that takes care of my yard, came by and fixed my pond and while he was fixing it he found a huge praying mantis. I noticed it the last couple of days by my bedroom door, I just love to watch them. Patrick’s dog came up and sniffed him and he just fell over, Patrick said that they play dead when they think they are threatened so I watched it for a while and he was right... I saw him get up and move when he thought the coast was clear. I was so relieved that we were going to get Bella that afternoon and let the dogs run because it was way too cold to try cruising Robby around. There ended up being about eight dogs and they all got along really well and had such a great time. I came back home and I got to take a nice long hot bath and go to bed.

Friday I ended up staying in bed. I was going to get up and take Robby to the skilled nursing facility but I needed to get my chair to Watsonville so they can fix it and they didn’t want me in it so I just decided to take the day off. Cassy took Robby to the skilled nursing facility and then took my chair to Watsonville, I hope it doesn’t take very long AND I hope they get it fixed.

I thought Saturday was going to be another cold day but it wasn’t. One of my mom’s friends had a birthday party in San Jose and we were going to go but decided not to because of the unpredictable weather and my really old van, two of the tires keep getting really low and it doesn’t always start so I don’t like to take it too far from home... I cannot wait to get my new van in February. My mom had a couple of surgeries on her left leg and is still very sore so she shouldn’t be driving anyway. I went over to the world market and picked out a couple of Christmas ornaments for a party that my mom, my aunt and her friend are going to.

Sunday I just wasn’t feeling good. I have been excited all week to go get my Christmas tree today but we ended up putting it off until Tuesday. I couldn’t stop sweating for some reason and I don’t know why, we tried all of the usual symptoms and couldn’t figure out why so we decided to just stay home. It was Theresa’s birthday yesterday so Heather came over today and maybe a KILLER dinner of lobster, scallops with champagne and orange, awesome rice and green beans. I think it was probably the best meal I have ever had, vanilla cheesecake for dessert. I wish Teresa had a birthday everyday. We had a really good time visiting and then Teresa and Karen hung up my Christmas lights outside, I just love Christmas AND birthdays.

Thanksgiving...

Monday turned out to be a really good day. The weather was a little unpredictable but by the time I got home it was nice enough to take Robby for a cruise. I went to Home Depot to see if I could find some books that I could use to hang up my Christmas lights and keep up year-round, not the Christmas lights the hooks. I found some online but I thought maybe I could find some at Home Depot but I couldn’t find anything so I ordered the ones online, they are really nice and will last for years. Cassy took me grocery shopping at Safeway, this time I wasn’t hungry when I went so I basically stuck to what I have on the list. I got up in the standing frame but not as long as I had hoped, for some reason some days it just isn’t right and today was one of those days. My abdominal Binder slipped up and opened and my hips just wouldn’t sit straight.

Tuesday the massage therapist was catching a cold and her arm was sore so she stayed home and stayed in bed. I hope she feels better because I know she has a house full of people for Thanksgiving. I went grocery shopping with my mom and we got half of what we were going to have for Thanksgiving, my aunt got the other half. It looks like it’s going to be my brother and his family from Modesto and my cousin and his family. I’m so excited about spending time with my family and of course the food. I came home and Heather was cooking, I just love that. I got a new keyless entry for my front door and Theresa installed it, she did a really good job and it worked perfectly. I took a nice long hot bath and went to bed.

Wednesday didn’t turn out to be such a good day. I had a headache all day long that I just could not get rid of so I ended up staying in bed. It took a couple of Tylenol PM’s and tried to sleep it off and then later on in the day my uncle brought me over a mild pain pill, it finally went away. Luckily Cassy brought Jack over and he played with Robby in the driveway for a little bit. It has been really cold here so Robby hasn’t gotten the exercise that he’s used to getting and I feel really bad, he is just bouncing all over the place. My uncle and aunt came over to play cribbage with my mom and I, they killed us. I think they skunked us twice, we’ll get them next time. My brother and his family showed up and we visited for a while but they all looked really tired.

Thanksgiving turned out to be a really great day. Corinne, Lexi and I took Robby for a walk through the lagoon, I stayed on the dry land and Corinne and Lexi braved the water boardwalk. I did go back on it a little bit later to take a couple of pictures with Robby but it always starts wobbling because of the pylons that it’s on and it makes me nervous and I can’t wait to get back to dry land. We had an awesome Thanksgiving dinner at my uncle and aunt’s place. Rich and his family were also there and Karen took pictures, I love the memories.

Friday was a beautiful day. Robby and I didn’t get to go to the Santa Cruz skilled nursing facility because Cassy was collecting toys at Toys “R” Us for toys for tots, she is so cool. Robby and I took a really long cruise through the boardwalk, down the Levy, to Ross and back, it felt so good to get out and about again without freezing to death. I came home and Heather was cooking, my house always smells so wonderful when Heather is here. We got to visit for a little bit and then Alexia came over and then I went to bed.

Saturday it rained a lot. I kept looking outside waiting for a break in the weather so I can cruise around a little bit with Robby. Finally about 1:15 PM we decided to just go for it and the weather actually stayed nice until we got home. I was up in the standing frame for a while and then went to bed. My uncle came over and visited for a while.

Sunday turned out to be a really good day. We put away the Thanksgiving decorations and started decorating for Christmas, I thought I had a lot more Christmas decorations than I actually do but I have a lot. Dr. Owens went down south to visit with her mom, she just found out that she had cancer, so we went up to get Bella and took her and Robby to the park for a while. It was such a nice play date, at one time there was probably about 10 dogs there all getting along really nicely. Bonnie and her owner showed up, it was really nice see them. It started getting really cold and we were freezing by the time we got finished, no one wanted to be the first to say “let’s go it’s freezing out here”.

I get so excited about the support groups...

Monday was another great day, I can’t believe how perfect the weather is. Robby and I cruised down to the lighthouse and then to the wharf, it was just getting too hot to be outside. While Robby and I were on our way back alongside the railroad tracks I noticed that Robby was limping so I tried to watch him a little bit to make sure I was not just being an overprotective mom. I saw one of the construction guys passing by and I asked him if he would take a look at Robby’s paw and he actually dropped his sandwich and drink to look at Robby’s paw, it is so funny how guys are so willing to pay attention to Robby because he is so adorable. After checking him out thoroughly from head to toe he decided that Robby was okay and actually thanked me and went on his way, it was so cute. I got up in the standing frame for about a half an hour and then went to bed. While Steve was here he gave me a couple of blown glass sculptures and I finally got lighted turnstiles for them and they look AWESOME, I just love playing here at night with the lights out staring at them.


“There are two things for which animals are to be envied: they know nothing of future evils, or of what people say about them.”-Voltaire

Tuesday was another really nice day. I got my Tuesday morning massage, which always feels amazing, while Karen cleaned out my kitchen cupboards. Karen has been working on the kitchen for a while, it was a real mess and looks so much better. After I got up Robby and I cruised over to Dr. Owen’s office to pick up a prescription. I saw this lung flute on the doctors show and it looked pretty interesting but when I went to order one you have to have a doctor’s prescription. After that we cruise down to the wharf to get some chocolate covered bacon, I saw it on the boardwalk website and decided I needed to try some. I got some with milk and dark chocolate, I decided not to try the one with cayenne pepper although it might be good. I came back and as I was cruising along the sidewalk I was thinking what a wonderful smell and when I came into my house I was so happy to find out Heather was here. I always love the way my house smells when she’s here, apparently the sidewalk in front of my house also. I took a nice long hot bath and went to bed. It’s supposed to start getting cooler and even rain on Saturday and Sunday, not looking forward to that.

"Yesterday I was a dog. Today I'm a dog. Tomorrow I'll probably still be a dog. Sigh! There's so little hope for advancement." Charles M. Schulz

Wednesday turned out to be a very disappointing day. My morning caregiver sent me a message on face lock that said she had a headache and wouldn’t be able to come in, I don’t have very many more days before is going to start raining so it’s very frustrating. I ended up sleeping most of the day and watched a couple movies but it’s really hard to stay in bed anymore, I used to do it a lot more. There is just so much to do out here in Santa Cruz and especially when it’s beautiful. I had planned on going shopping today and to cost plus to get my favorite gingersnap cookies, I have been out for a while. I guess I will go shopping on Monday. Of course Robby doesn’t like being cooped up all day either, he just wants to go outside and lay in the sun... tomorrow I will make it up to him.

Thursday for some reason I just can’t get myself warmed up enough to go outside for a long period of time. I took Robby for a cruise through the lagoon couple of times but it is just starting to get too cold. I had the heat in my house turned up to 76°. I did get to watch a lot of my TiVoed shows and a movie. Teresa came and brought me some Kale, mustard chicken and potato soup and it was awesome. I took a nice long hot bath and then my aunt came over with an out-of-town friend so we visited for a while, my uncle came over later with her husband. I was supposed to go get a manicure and pedicure from Claudia and I already feel like I’m getting sick and it was cold and there was nobody to drive me so I rescheduled until next Wednesday.

Friday was our day to go to Santa Cruz killed nursing. I am enjoying going there and seeing the people more and more each time I go, I think I keep saying that but it’s true. Today they were just taking special prayers for people, it’s kind of a combination prayer/party day and visiting pets. Most of the visiting pets are Chihuahua mixes and way too small for Robby to play with but there is one dog named Molly who is about half the size of Robby and looks like a lab and corgi mix, she is adorable but doesn’t really want to play. All of the dogs have a really good disposition, the Chihuahua mixes are surprisingly not shy and yapping all the time. After we left we went to target in Watsonville for a little bit of shopping, I needed a couple of shelves for our storage cube that I got in a couple of storage bins for the garage, I also got a couple of toys for the toys for tots bins that Cassy and her parents are putting together. We also went to Orchard supply hardware to get some hooks that I can put up outside for lights and decorations and keep up their year-round. I also got a couple of payday candy bars because I have been craving the last couple of days, of course I forgot to eat one but there’s always tomorrow. Usually we do the standing frame on Friday but it was already a long day and it was getting late so we’re going to do it tomorrow, Saturday might be a better day than Friday anyway.

Saturday was our peer support group meeting. I really like to cruise down there by myself but the weather was so unpredictable, one minute it was pouring down rain and the next minute the sun was shining so I asked Cassidy to give me a ride. The first people to show up at the support group meeting was Roger and I and I thought maybe because of the weather it would just be us two but then more people showed up, the weather didn’t keep them away. We always seem to have a lot to talk about and the Time goes by really fast. We talked about having a Christmas party here at my place or having one at the hospital where we have the support group, I always wonder if maybe we have it at the hospital more people might show up. I think I’ll send out an e-mail and see how many people would be interested in coming if I have one here, I think either way I would like to have one here, the Halloween party I had here was really small but everyone seemed to have a good time. I came home and got in the standing frame for half an hour and then went to bed. Heather made this awesome fish with artichoke hearts and capers, quinoa and yellow zucchini with mushrooms yesterday so I had that for dinner. Everyone in my family seems to think that I should leave my front door unlocked, they get mad and give me a lecture when it is locked. I believe that if everyone else wants to leave their doors unlocked then they should, it should be their choice. No matter where I have ever lived I have NEVER left any doors or windows unlocked, the news is just full of people who thought it would never happen to them. It’s very frustrating but it seems to be getting unlocked anyway so I decided to just get a keyless entry and maybe everybody will be happy. The weather was unbelievable. I can see the thunder and hear the lightning and hail really loud, I was glad I was in my nice warm home watching it outside. I love to watch the storms as long as I am safe and warm.

Sunday I got up a little bit late because I knew it was going to be a long day. Teresa and Adrian came to clean the house and stopped to visit for a while, I don’t really get to talk to them much so it was nice. I took a nice warm bath and got up but didn’t really do very much because it was cold and very unpredictable, I didn’t know form one minute to the next it was going to be sunny or a downpour. Teresa, Heather, Cassy and I went to dinner at the red room in downtown Santa Cruz. We have been trying for a couple of weeks but somebody has been sick and we wanted to all go together when everybody was doing good. It was really nice to get together with them and we had a great time. The food was awesome, I had shrimp, cherry tomatoes, asparagus and pasta. Last time I was there I had a mozzarella and prosciutto hamburger and I was going to have that again but I wanted to try to get something that I could eat myself so everybody else could enjoy their meal but I forgot that I don’t do very well with spaghetti pasta so Teresa and Heather had to help me anyways. We really need to do this more often and we swore we were going to.

Another great week...

Monday turned out to be a gorgeous day, everything was so clear and fresh after the rain on Sunday. Robby and I cruised down to Dominican rehab, I had an appointment with Andrei. He is always so sweet and it’s always nice to see him. One of the laterals on my chair keeps breaking and we decided to keep it off for awhile and see how it goes. He raised up my joystick and straightened it out. He is the one who cut out of a hole in my armrest and put my phone there so I can use it, he is a genius. I was supposed to go out to dinner with Teresa, Heather and Cassy but Teresa wasn’t feeling well so we decided to go on Sunday instead. I didn’t get to do the standing frame is definitely on Wednesday.

Tuesday of course is massage Day. I used to have a lot of pain in my left arm and since I have been getting a massage once a week my arm is not sore anymore, my massage therapist says that my arm is not as tight and the tightness was what was causing the pain. Between the massage and exercise on the standing frame I feel GREAT. After the massage I got up and went for a cruise with Robby through the lagoon, up the trails, almost down to the lighthouse and through the empty Boardwalk. It’s hard to find a way to get around right now because all of the sidewalks are being repaired but I think I found a route. We came back home and I had a nice long hot bath and back into bed, it’s always so nice to get back into bed when it’s cold outside.

Wednesday turned out to be a really good day although it was a little cold. The trial that I usually use AND the sidewalk that is usually my alternative route are both closed so I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to get to the boardwalk/wharf. Another route is going through the lagoon but it’s muddy and I’m afraid that I will either get stuck or slide off the trail. We did manage to go for a cruise and got some exercise and fresh air. I came back just in time to meet a lady that is giving us a bid for the conversion part of my new van. I e-mailed Kevin again to see if he could give us a quote also but I think his e-mail got sent to my spam folder because I did not receive it. Of course I hope that I get to work with Kevin because he was always so faithful taking care of my van for several years before I moved.

Thursday was a little bit warmer than Wednesday. Robby and I worked on some commands for a while and then cruised down to the boardwalk and along the Levy. I always get nervous now when I see another dog coming towards us because I never know how that dog is going to act, this is from passing by too many aggressive dogs. I know that the dog whisperer says that my energy goes down the leash to the dog and I am afraid that Robby is going to get skittish, I try really hard not to have a reaction but I can’t seem to help myself. We came back to an empty house, that almost never happens, so I watch some TV and then when Teresa got here I took a nice long hot bath and went to bed.

Friday I was going to go to Santa Rosa to watch a friend of mine graduate with his new CCI dog but I ended up not going. It’s a three hour ride up and back and it seems kind of silly to drive all the way for an hour graduation, I need to lay back for 15 minutes every hour and it just makes it miserable to commute anywhere. Robby and I went for a really long cruise, our usual route, down to the end of the wharf and back, through the boardwalk, along the Levy to cost plus and then back through downtown. When I got home I had a craving for KFC chicken so Cassy took me over to get some. We got back and got ready to feed the dog only to find out there’s only enough dog food for that night, why doesn’t anybody tell me when I ran out of dog food? The only place around here that carries it is in Scotts Valley so Cassy took me over there to buy some more. I came back home and I was exhausted so I went to bed and try to watch a movie but fell asleep.

Saturday turned out to be a really beautiful day, the weather was perfect. Robby and I went for an extra long cruise past the lighthouse and stop to watch the surfers for awhile, to the end of the wharf and back and through the boardwalk... it was such a perfect day we didn’t want to come back home. I took a nice long hot bath, went to bed and watched a couple of movies. I hope tomorrow is just as nice, it is supposed to be.

Sunday was another beautiful day, puppy play date. There ended up being about six dogs there and they all play together nicely. I’ve been having problems with Robby not coming back to me when I call him when other dogs are around so I decided to take some chicken jerky dog treats, he NEVER gets any treats so I figured it would help and it did. After puppy play date we came back to the house. Teresa, Heather and I are going to go out to dinner for Heather’s birthday but she called and said that she wasn’t feeling good so we decided to put it off until she felt better. Teresa and I went to Costco and of course spent way too much money but didn’t really get anything that I didn’t need, I don’t get to go that often anymore and that’s where I get most of my supplies. We got a Cosco hotdog and came back home and Theresa put me to bed.

Happy Birthday Robby...

Monday once again I ended up staying in bed, of course it was a beautiful day and I would have rather been cruising around but stuff happens. I couldn’t figure out why Robby is so sleepy all the time and then Teresa reminded me that he’s taking antihistamines, I didn’t even think about that. Tomorrow he gets a bath and hopefully I will be able to take him off of them so he can beat his old lively self again. We started taking down the Halloween decorations, time for Thanksgiving.

Tuesday was once again massage Day, it should be a holiday... I guess it is for me. While Susan was here giving me a massage I mentioned that I would love to have a cornucopia for Thanksgiving. She came back about an hour after she left with two cornucopia baskets and some really pretty ribbon, she is awesome. Karen took Robby over to get a bath and find out why he is still itchy. The infection on his back has cleared up but now he has an infection in between his paws and on his lower and lip from scratching and linking. I hear him all night long licking like crazy but I have no idea he was this bad, we wash his feet every night and never even noticed. He has an appointment on Thursday with the doggie dermatologist, that even sounds expensive but whether you can do?? I got dressed and got up and went over to pick up Robby and talk to the doctor and then I took Robby for a cruise. I was going to go to the wharf because it was warm and I knew it would be cool there but it seemed like everything was blocked off. The sidewalks were torn up on one side of the street and there was a cyclone fence put up on our normal route. They are building some kind of Marine sanctuary and I think we’re just going to have to find a different route.

Wednesday I had an appointment with Claudia for a manicure and pedicure, I picked a light brown color with diamond sparkles in it. It’s the perfect color for fall. We came back and Cassy took us grocery shopping and then back home for the standing frame. I’m up to half an hour now and I love it. It really makes me feel great.

Thursday was Robby’s appointment with the dermatologist. It looks like he has a yeast infection in between his toes and on his lower lip, I guess I’m not the only one in this family that gets those. They took some blood for a blood test and put him on Diflucan, the same thing they give me. Hopefully this will clear it up. When Robby got back from his appointment we went for a cruise down to the lighthouse so I could FINALLY see how far away it is, 1.7 miles one way, I have been trying to remember to do that for a long time. We got back home and put the rest of the Halloween decorations away and got out the Thanksgiving decorations and put them up. While I was taking a bath last night my aunt and my mom came in to tell me that my other aunt was in a really bad car accident. She is really banged up, has for broken ribs... one of them punctured her lung and the other one collapsed. She also has brain damage but my cousin talked to her last night. It’s so frustrating because she is so far away but she has one of her sons with her and another son and two daughters on their way to be with her. This is so sad.

Friday turned out to be a really great day. We went to the Santa Cruz skill nursing facility and they were having a party, I guess they have a birthday party for everybody every couple of months. The theme for this party was the roaring 20s. It was so nice to see everybody having a good time, I just love the people there and they sure love Robby. After I went to Beverly’s fabric to get stuff to put into my cornucopia’s. I didn’t know that I had any but I think we found about four or five, three of them were empty. It was a lot of fun picking out the stuff to put in it. I also went to Ross to see if I could find some platters to put them on but I didn’t see anything so I will see what I have or just put them on the table. I came home and Cassy got me up in the standing frame for half an hour and then I went to bed. I kept falling asleep while Cassy was doing some chores but of course now that everybody has left I’m wide awake, Robby is sleeping like a puppy. I got a message from my cousin that said her mom, my aunt, is doing really well and they will move her out of ICU tomorrow and she will be able to go home in a couple of weeks after rehab, the best news ever.

Saturday turned out to be a really nice day. Robby and I cruised through the boardwalk, down the Levy and went shopping at the World Market and OfficeMax. I got a really nice frame for a portrait that I had made of Robby, I put it right above his food and water dish. Saturday night we played cribbage with some friends. Today is Robby’s birthday and he is three years old.

Sunday it was supposed to rain all day so I ended up staying in bed, it’s much more comfortable if I’m not going anywhere just stay in bed all day and watch movies. Unfortunately that means no play date for Robby, he is kind of stuck in bed also. I have a lot of errands tomorrow so hopefully we can make up for being stuck in bed all day.

Halloween 2010...

Monday Robby and I cruised over to the Boardwalk and then down the canal to pet Smart to see if we could find a dog toy that resembles bacon. Teresa and I are going to be witches for Halloween and Teresa’s boyfriend is going to be an egg with devil horns... deviled egg or bacon and eggs. Robby is going to be a devil so we were going to find him some bacon but I think I should’ve looked for an egg instead, did that make any sense? I got home and Heather made me some killer fish, spinach with mushrooms and mashed potatoes... of course it was awesome. I hung out in my standing frame for a while and then went to bed. Later on my uncle and aunt came over and we played some cribbage, my mom and I were partners and we took a dollar from them... what a great way to end the day.

Tuesday is always a great day, massage Day. After my massage I got dressed and got up and I had an appointment with Dr. jet. Dr. jet specializes in spinal cord injury patients among other things, I see her every six months. When I came home Adrian was cleaning out my garage. She has been working on it for a couple of days and it looks AWESOME, and I always feel so better when my garage is organized. I took a nice long hot bath and went to bed.

Wednesday I unexpectedly stayed in bed, I always get so cranky and crazy when I stay in bed... so does poor Robby. My morning caregiver came in and said she was late because she woke up really sick, just about the first thing I tell them is to not come into work if you’re sick. She took Robby out to go potty, fed him and then left. I called another caregiver but she couldn’t make it so there I was. Cassy brought Jack over and he played with Robby out in the yard for a while, that made Robby feel better. I ordered my new van today, it should take about three or four months and I am so excited. I have had the same van since 2000 and although it’s been a great van it’s time for a new one.

Thursday after I got up in my chair Robby and I went for a really long cruise down West Cliff, past the lighthouse. It was such a beautiful day, the weather was perfect. We cruised back down to the wharf and hung out for a while just watching the beautiful surroundings. Then we cruised down to the boardwalk and along the Levy. I love living here. We cruised back home and Adrian was finishing up for the day cleaning the garage, it’s looking better and better. I took a nice long hot bath and went to bed.

Friday I went to Santa Cruz skilled nursing facility so Robby and I could visit with everyone. It was really nice to see them, I missed it last week because my morning caregiver was late. After Cassy and I went to the Peach Garden for Chinese food, in my opinion the best around. We ate way too much and then came home and Cassy put me in the standing frame, this is the first time that she has done it all by herself and she did an awesome job. I was not nervous at all and I stayed up for 20 minutes, working my way to an hour. I got some leather braces so we can strap my hands on the glider bars, trying to exercise my arms are little bit. My arms are usually really sore after but feel really good the next couple of days. I went to bed and couldn’t keep my eyes open and now here it is 9 PM and I’m wide awake. Somebody told me today that as we get older we don’t need as much sleep, I really miss sleep.

Saturday I got up late, which turned out to be okay because it rained most of the day. I did cruise around for a little bit with Robby but they closed off the parking lot that we cross through to get to the wharf so we turned around and came back. We worked on some of our commands in the yard, we practice three commands every day to keep us both sharp. Cassy put me to bed and then gave Robby a bath, hopefully he won’t be so itchy.

Sunday was Halloween, one of my favorite holidays obviously. I got up and Robby and I went to our puppy play date and met about four new dogs, Robby was so worn out and it was awesome. We came back and rested for a while and then got dressed up in our costumes and went downtown to the red room lounge. Teresa goes to school with a guy who works there and was supposed to dress up as Lady Gaga but when we showed up we found out he wasn’t going to be there until about 7 PM. We decided to have dinner there and it was AWESOME. I had a hamburger with mozzarella cheese and prosciutto. We ended up staying long enough to meet her friend and I’m glad we did, he was a really neat person. After that we cruised around downtown and we ran into Karen and her boyfriend. What a great Halloween, spending the evening with Teresa and Jess, her boyfriend was one of the best evenings I have ever had.

Santa Cruz SCI Halloween Party...

Monday I decided to stay in bed all day. I have a really busy and long weekend and I cannot afford to get a pressure sore, I already have three blisters and I don’t want them to turn into something more. I always get really antsy when I have to stay in bed and of course it was a beautiful day outside, it has been overcast and raining. Heather came by and cooked a bunch of stuff and it smelled wonderful, I cannot wait to try everything she made. Cassy took back a ghost that I had bought it wasn’t working, I hope this one works.

Tuesday was massage Day, I love massage Day. On massage Day I don’t usually get up until around 1 PM and this day was no exception. I took Robby for a cruise and got back just in time to go to Costco with Teresa, I needed to get some stuff for the Halloween party Sunday and she agreed to take me. Of course we got a chicken bake. I took a bath and then went to bed.

Wednesday I really didn’t want to get up. Robby was scratching all night long and I felt so bad for him. He is on antibiotics and an antihistamine but still scratching like crazy, I noticed a little sore on the bottom of his lip the day before. Rachel gave him a bath with his medicated shampoo and he seems to be better. I had an appointment to get a manicure and pedicure, I got black for Halloween. And we cruised down the wharf, through the boardwalk, down the Levy to pet Smart and then back. I was supposed to get in my standing frame tonight but it didn’t happen. I swear starting next week I’m going to get up and it Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Thursday Robby and I went for a long cruise and ended up at pet Smart, Robby needed some more bitter apple spray. I hear him at night licking his paws and although I’m not sure whether it helps or not it makes me feel better. He has been a lot better since his last bath. I took a nice long bath and went to bed.

Friday I ended up staying in bed again. My morning caregiver overslept and came in about two hours late, she’s hardly ever late. I was supposed to be over at the Santa Cruz skilled nursing facility at 11 and there was no way I was going to make it so I had Cassady take Robby over there and then she drove to Scotts Valley to get his dog food. Friday night my uncle and aunt and Lee and Claudia came over to play cribbage with us, I just love playing cribbage.

Saturday I was supposed to go to a CCI new grad seminar in Santa Rosa but I decided it would be best not to go. I’m starting to get blisters on my butt and it’s about a three hour ride each way and if we stop every hour so I can relieve the pressure for 15 minutes we would probably have to leave here at 5 AM, my caregiver comes in at 6 AM and I’m usually not up in my chair until 10 AM. I’m really sad that I’m not going to be able to go but is for the best. I ended up taking Robby for a cruise over to the boardwalk and they were having their first annual chili cookoff. If I would’ve known that before I would have come later to taste the chili but it sure did smell incredible. I remember hearing about it and even seeing the advertisement for one of the contestants on my friends face book, I did get to see my friend and say hello really quick. I came home and Cassy gave Robby a bath so he could be all white and fluffy for the Halloween party on Sunday. It looks like it’s going to rain so I have a feeling that none is many people will show up as originally planned but whatever happens we will have fun and definitely lots of food and drinks.

Sunday was our Santa Cruz Spinal Cord Injury Halloween party here at my house. I have been so nervous about it and I haven’t been able to sleep but it was really nice. Not a lot of people showed up but we had a really good time. A therapist from Dominican rehab, Terryn, a lady I met at Dominican rehab and at Santa Cruz skilled nursing facility, Karen, a couple that I knew from the support groups in the Valley medical center center, Marv and Connie. Marv is going up in a week to get his CCI dog, I am so excited for him. I’m going up in two weeks to watch them graduate. It was windy and rainy, that’s why I was so afraid that nobody would show up to the party. I was the only one, well Robby and I, to dress in a costume but that’s okay. I’m pretty sure I’ll sleep much better tonight. We are going to try it again Thanksgiving and Christmas I hope.

All decorated for Halloween...

Monday I had my mammogram, I used to have it every year on my birthday but since I moved here they just give me such a bad time because I’m in a chair that my prescription keeps running out. I finally got the right person on the phone, or whenever, and got it over with. Luckily the lady who was helping me, the lady that was taking the x-rays, had experience maneuvering a wheelchair because her sister is in one. She was very creative and tilted everything just the right way and got it done really fast. By the time my appointment was over it was already really hot so I just came home and went back to bed. Heather came over and made an egg plant, portobello mushroom and artichoke heart casserole with marinara sauce... needless to say it was awesome. While it was cooking she took Robby for a walk so everybody was happy.

Tuesday was my weekly massage from Susan, always a great experience. My massage is usually at 8:30 AM so Karen doesn’t come in until 10 AM, that means I’m not usually up in my chair until 1 PM. I got my home automation system back from Dave and Teresa installed it back for me, you don’t realize how much you miss technology until it’s gone. Robby and I went for a really long cruise past the lighthouse on Westcliff Drive and then down to the wharf. And then back home for a nice hot Jacuzzi bath and then off to bed, it doesn’t get any better than this.

Wednesday I had an appointment with Dr. Owens to get my Depo-Provera shot and my flu/h1n1 shot. I like going up there a lot better since I found an alternative route, cruising my chair all the way down Mission St. is really dangerous. After I left the doctor’s office Robby and I cruised down the wharf and through the boardwalk. Robby is out cold right now.

Thursday I had no plans so I just decided to take Robby and cruise around for awhile. Rachel gave him a bath so I took him out without his vest to the wharf and back so he could dry off. I came back and put his best on and we cruised back down to the wharf, through the boardwalk, down the Levy and I went into OfficeMax to see if I could find a clipboard. When I came back out it was cold and foggy, I didn’t put on a sweatshirt because I thought it was going to be very warm so Robby and I cruised home in the cold. When I got home Teresa and Cassidy were here to finish putting up my Halloween decorations, my house is so cool. I can’t wait for the Halloween party a week from Sunday.

Friday I didn’t make it over to Santa Cruz skilled nursing. Cassidy forgot that we were going over there on Fridays, we used to go on Mondays, so she was late getting here so we just took some stuff over to Goodwill and then went over to the Spirit store to get a couple more things that I needed. We were both having a really bad day so I just came home and went to bed and watched movies. I watched million Dollar baby. I remember when the movie came out my aunt was really worried about me watching it but I really liked it, I love Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank.

Saturday was our fourth support group. There were six people there, one new guy that I met for the first time. Apparently he used to go to the support groups when Roger had them years ago. He works for Plantronics and gave me a Bluetooth earpiece to try out, it has a very light touch and is easy to use if you have a limited use of your hands... I’m really excited to try it out. I am so awful with names so I’m not even going to try. Roger asked me to take over the e-mail part of it, I told him I had plenty of time on my hands and I would help him in any way that I could. We have a face book page but decided it would be a good idea to have an Internet website, not everybody has faced book. So many exciting things are happening with the support group. After the support group I met Heather downtown and we went to the taco bar and then went to see Secretariat, it was a really good movie and I actually stayed awake the whole time.

Sunday I couldn’t believe it was raining, no puppy play date. We kind of sat around thinking of what to do. We decided to go to Woodworm party store to get a couple more spiders and then go to Costco to get sodas and a cake for the Halloween party. The first party store that we went to didn’t have very much so we decided to go to the other one and they had a lot, we never made it to Costco. I came home and had a nice hot bath and went to bed. We got all the decorations for Halloween up so there’s just a few things that we have to do before the party, I’m so excited.

My new toy...

Monday I took a bath and then went back to bed. ATG rehab was coming out to fix my chair and they needed me to not be in it. The casters on my chair have been making a really loud clicking noise, remember when we used to playing cards in the spokes of our bicycles? It was really annoying. Also the armrests on my chair were really loose. Apparently they only got in one of the parts to fix my armrest and it was the last one, the right one is the one that is the loosest. He changed the casters in the front and said that he would recommend I change the ones in the back also. Now that it’s not making a clicking noise he said that he could hear the engine whining, probably not a good and probably very expensive I would guess. The sidewalks and we do have here in Santa Cruz are in really bad shape for the most part. I generally ride in the street but I don’t like to do that because it puts Robby in between me and the cars that pass by. Last time I went to Dominican rehab Terryn suggested that we make a list of the worst sidewalks but we never did, one of these days we will. maybe at the next support group.

Tuesday the massage therapist came at 8 AM, I just love massage Day. I didn’t get up until 1 PM so Robby and I went for a cruise down to the lighthouse and then back home. By then it was time for my first time in the standing frame at my house. Teresa taught Cassy how to get me up because I think she is going to be doing it most of the time. It was really exciting to know that I can go into standing frame whenever I want and it is sent up to fit me, we don’t have to readjust it every time.

Wednesday was my appointment with Claudia to get a manicure and pedicure, I decided to go with dark brown with sparkles... I got to have the sparkles. After that Robby and I went for a cruise past the lighthouse to the dog Beach. We were above looking over at the water, it was so beautiful. For some reason I decided to take the bumpy path back to the trail and of course I got stuck in the soft dirt. I tried to call my cousin but for some reason Skype kept coming up and wouldn’t let me make a phone call, my cousin deleted Skype when I got home. Eventually a gentleman walked by so I asked him if he could give me a little push because I was stuck, he was very nice and helped me. I think I’ll be a little bit more careful where I cruise my chair from now on.

On Thursday Kelly and I went to Mobos for sushi, we both looked up place. After that we went to Palace art supply store and I got some cobwebs to hang up outside and of course I found a couple of other things that I couldn’t do without. We cruised around downtown for a while and then went to Beverly’s fabric to find some plastic canvas sheets to cover the motor in my pond, it keeps getting clogged with leaves. We came home and I got to get up in the sanding frame again. My uncle came over so that he could help if Cassy needed it in the future. I ended up standing for about 20 minutes while Cassy and my uncle exercised my legs with the glider. I took a bath and then went to bed and slept great.

Friday it was time for my cousin to go home, it was so great to have her around and her husband. My aunt decided to take a trip back to Florida with her so they could finally get a chance to catch up, either one of them sit still for very long. This was my first Friday at the Santa Cruz skilled nursing, I usually go on Mondays but Friday’s they have pet therapy day so I decided to go then. There were four other dogs there, all Chihuahuas and they all got along really well. Everybody was really sweet and I’m really glad I decided to go on Fridays instead of Monday’s. We came home and Cassy gave Robby a bath and found something that looked like a tick on the side of him. We look up how to get it off and the Internet said drowned in with olive oil and then pull it out. I haven’t had anything to do with ticks for a very long time so I panicked, did we get the head out? I called the vet and they said to bring Robby and and the tick that they would tell us what we need to do next... it was a skin tag. They stopped the bleeding and put some antiseptic on it and sent them back home.

Saturday I got up and took Robby for a really long overdue cuise. We cruised through the lagoon, down the wharf, down the boardwalk, along the canal, back and to a car show. I remember seeing the advertisement for the car show on TV but I forgot all about it. They have a lot of really cool cars there and the weather was perfect so we hung out for awhile and then cruised back home. Friday night some friends came over and we played cribbage. It was a great day.

Sunday I had to cancel puppy play date because I wasn’t sure if I should take Robby while he is still taking medication for his skin infection. I didn’t take him for a long cruise past the lighthouse and down to the wharf, it was pretty warm today and he was pretty tired when we got back. We did some more decorating for Halloween, it looks awesome. We’re going to do some more on Thursday, hopefully finish up.

A great puppy play date week...

Monday my brother and I decided to go to Best Buy to get my mom a notebook computer, she has wanted one for a long time and my brother was here to switch everything over so it was perfect timing. As we got ready to leave the ramp on my van broke once again, this is getting really old. He wasn’t able to fix it but he was able to manually work it but he’s the only one who knows how to do it so I’m stranded for a couple of days. I had to cancel Santa Cruz skilled nursing facility visit. A bunch of us went to the wooden nickel in Watsonville for dinner, as usual it was awesome and we all had a great time.

Tuesday I had an appointment at Dominican rehab with Terryn to adapt my phone so I can use it in my chair. She had a couple of really good ideas and then Andrei came in with an awesome idea. He cut a section out of my arm rests and embedded my cell phone, it was genius. I also ran into Roger and we all talked about the spinal cord injury support group Halloween party, it is so exciting. I couldn’t get my phone to work so I called Tom and Kelly to come and pick me up, I thought it was going to be a lot hotter than it was and I didn’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere without my phone. I had a dentist appointment at 3 PM but it’s kind of far away and I didn’t want to go out there in this heat and my van is not working. I came home and took a bath and went to bed, there is nothing better than a nice hot bath.

Wednesday I had a dentist appointment to get my teeth cleaned. I have them cleaned every three months because I’m really not that good about flossing. I meant to use the odometer on my cell phone so that I would know how many miles it is but of course I forgot, I know that it takes me about half an hour to get there in my chair. It didn’t take her very long and she said that my teeth look really good. After the dentist we went to pet Smart to pick up a couple of balls for Robby to play with, there is really only two things that he will play with. One is a big rubber ball with holes all over it, which is easy for me also to get a hold of AND an empty water bottle. I came back home and found out that Gabe fixed my van so that I could use it but has to rebuild the moving parts inside the door so I will be able to use it, Gabe is awesome.

Thursday I had an appointment at Dominican rehab with Carl and Livnot to get fitted for my new standing frame. It was incredible. I got right in and was comfortable, only a few adjustments. I was able to stand in it almost instantly, in the past it has taken me up to three or four visits to just stand up. I came back home so excited and Carl delivered it that evening. I have been working on getting a standing frame since before I flap surgery.

On Friday I took Robby for a really long cruise and it was really great to get out. We went along Westcliff Drive and there was hardly anybody out at all, it felt like we had it all to ourselves and it was so gorgeous. I came home and Heather made me a killer dinner and then went to bed.

Saturday Kelly took Karen and I to Cosco to get a bunch of stuff that I have needed for a long time, mostly medical supplies. After we came back and unloaded and put everything away Kelly and I went to Ross, cost plus, OfficeMax and bed Bath and beyond. We were looking for a couple of barstools for my mom and a double drawer filing cabinet. We found a filing cabinet and OfficeMax and ended up going back there and picking out a couple of barstools. Of course I got some Halloween decorations at cost plus and Ross that I couldn’t do without. Kelly and I went out to dinner at Ristorante Italiano. We had both been there before and as usual it was a killer dinner. Kelly had cioppino and I had Veal Piccata with the calamari appetizer, of course we brought about half of everything home for lunch tomorrow.

Sunday was puppy play date and Robby and I both were so glad. We missed the last two weeks so Robby had a lot of pent up playing to get out of his system. Robby and Bella ran around like crazy, it was so cute. When I came back we were supposed to go to a neighborhood block party but we ended up not going, it was time to decorate for Halloween and it was too cold. I got my living room decorated and it looks awesome, we will start on the outside and the rest of the house next weekend. I really love Halloween.