It's cooling down a little this week…

 Monday was a good day in that we got everything done and Robby and I both got  a bath. I didn't get to get up, not how I like to start my Monday but I do plan on getting up the rest of this week. I just ended up resting. For breakfast I had a poached egg, a lamb patty and avocado. For dinner I had mahi tuna, quinoa and spinach. I remember hearing Karen this morning making a smoothie but I never saw that.

Tuesday the weather was beautiful. I got up and took Robby for a cruise through the lagoon and then came back because I friend was coming by to visit. I met her through my aunt's best friend, she is her cousin and we play words with friends a lot… she kicks my butt majorly at every game but I just love the play. We sat outside on the back porch and visited for a while, I just love being out in my yard because it is just gorgeous. I had my evening caregiver uncover all the furniture, we covered during the rainy season, and wipe everything down. Soon it will be barbecue season and we will be using it a lot, I can hardly wait. I had an appointment at Dominican rehab, about a half an hour away in my chair. My appointment was with a lifestyle manager to see if there's anything I can do to improve my health and possibly quit taking so many supplements. I have a really bad gas and bloating problem that is ongoing and I'm hoping she can help me with that. Of course the 1st thing they always do is eliminate stuff from my diet. For a week in the mornings I can have oatmeal, nuts and fruit… no coffee. Everything else I need to eliminate is pretty much vegetables, beans that give you gas. She thinks that possibly I have way too much yeast in my body and that's what's causing all my problems, I kind of hope it is. They put you on a special diet and then it's a breath test and if you have too much yeast than they give you medication, apparently you can store yeast in your body and not be able to get rid of it. I will try anything but I think that my body is just slowing down because of the spinal cord injury. While I was resting in the lobby one of the ladies that works there came up and said how sorry she was that Robby was attacked, she saw the article in the paper. I talked to her for a while, everybody that works there so nice.  I came home and Teresa put me to bed. She change the bandages on my legs and when she saw the pressure sores she was furious, she has not seen them since last Thursday and apparently they are twice as bad. It just seems like one bad idea can set everything way back and we really need to take pictures and send them to her when it looks even a little bit worse, she is the one going to school  to be a nurse. I really need to be a better advocate for myself. I'm definitely going to work on that. I'm always afraid that I will hurt somebody's feelings but I really need to look out for myself. This morning for breakfast I had a poached egg, lamb patty and avocado along with my coffee. I had a banana/mango smoothie for lunch and for dinner I had kale with wheat berries… my new favorite, mustard chicken… my all-time favorite and spinach… another favorite. The only thing that she took off of my diet that I really going to miss  is eggplant but thank goodness it is only for a week. No more coffee is really going to be hard but I can do it.

You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it!

Wednesday was another great day, the weather just keeps getting better.  Before I left I called Melanie from mosquito abatement and asked if she could bring some more mosquito fish for my pond. I met Melanie when I was cruising through the lagoon and we started talking and she said that she would be glad to keep my pond stocked with mosquito eating fish, I think the raccoons get in there any most or all of them but she is always happy to bring me more, she is such a nice lady.  Before I even got to the lagoon Karen texted me and said that Melonie was there with my mosquito eating fish, how quick is that? Robby and I cruised through the lagoon a couple of times and I noticed a sign that said the goats will be here on Friday, I love the goats. The very 1st time I cruised through the lagoon when they have the goats There eating the vegetation around the boardwalk the 1st thing that hit me was the familiar smell, it was familiar although I couldn't think of what it was until I rounded the corner and saw them all there. I used to have goats and I think that's where the memory of the smell came in. They would follow me around just like little puppies, even when I wrote my horses. We cruised to the end of the wharf and back and then through the boardwalk. This is the 2nd time this season that I have been asked if I got a tag for Robby, you're supposed to get a take for your dog before you can take him on the boardwalk and you have to show them this certificate. I used to get them all the time and then the last couple of times I was told that if the service dog had the service vest on I didn't need to get a tag so I quit doing it. I told the security officer that I would be glad to go and get a tag for my service dog and then I was really glad that he asked, he didn't see the best and told me that it was not necessary to go and get a tag. I was so excited and I wish more people would start questioning people about their dogs. On my way back home I got a call from James at CCI, it's time to recertify Robby again. He said that he would be in Santa Clara at the Valley fair Mall and when I meet him there June 7, Teresa said that she would take me. I'm pretty confident that Robby is going to do great. The only problem that he sometimes has is he forgets to ignore people, especially when they sneak up behind him and start petting him. Other than that we practice our commands and we try our best. Teresa waxed Karen and I and then I got a nice long hot bath and went to bed. It was a great day. I had oatmeal for breakfast with cinnamon and nuts, a smoothie for lunch and some tilapia, chart and wheat berries and asparagus for dinner. I am really starting to love wheat berries.

Thursday was another great day although it was a little bit colder. Robby and I went for a nice long cruise through the lagoon where they had already let the goats go, most of them were babies and so adorable. They let them run loose in sections of the boardwalk by the lagoon to eat the weeds, they usually have them there once or twice a year and they do a great job AND they fertilize at the same time… how cool is that? Then we cruised down to the end of the wharf and back, through the boardwalk and back and back down to the end of the wharf and back again. I came home as Gabe was driving in with my van so I visited with him and his wife for a while, Gabe is just the sweetest guy ever. They called on Wednesday evening and said that my Van is finally ready to be picked up. Gabe agreed to go over with my uncle to pick it up so he could check on the progress. He asked them if they had checked to see why the battery was overcharging and they said they didn't even know that problem existed. That is why we took it over there and I asked the guy  in 3 different telephone conversations if they checked and they said they did, my mom said that my uncle also asked them to check. They told me that they had to replace the hoses because radiator fluid was leaking into the engine but they told Gabe that was heater hoses that they replaced, I just am thankful that Gabe went over and talked to them or else none of this would have been on the record. I was glad to have my van back  because I needed to get over to Dr. Hurray's office because one of the sores on my leg is getting worse. I had scheduled an accessible yellow cab to come and pick me up and I was really not thrilled about that, I was so glad when I got to call and cancel. It would have been a nice experience because then maybe I could do it more often and not be so nervous, same with the Metro bus but it's a shame when I have a van. I always love going to see Dr. Hurray and his staff, I have never met a group of nicer people.  Hurray not only usually works in his office until 5:30 PM, we were there after 6, but then he goes over to the hospital and sees patients there. After that we went by Charlie Hong Kong's to get something for dinner and then came home and ate and put me to bed, I am exhausted and I hope I sleep. I had oatmeal with bananas and nuts for breakfast, a smoothie for lunch and pad Thai noodles with garlic tofu for dinner.

  Don't challenge the cheetah!

Friday was a regular Friday, it's really hard to stay in bed when it's getting nice outside but today was kind of cold so that makes it better. I got my massage  by my personal care took so long that I didn't get my nice long hot bath, I will get that in the morning before I get up. Teresa came over to show Janea how to be very cautious when putting my evening he'll lift boots on again. The gauze  got bunched up again and I have to more blisters on the top of my ankle, when will it ever end? My uncle and aunt, Lee and Claudia and my mom and I played cribbage and my aunt was my partner… we won $2.  My nephew graduated today, I can't believe it. He is so handsome and funny and I just love having him around. For breakfast I had oatmeal with blueberries and nuts, for lunch I had salami and cheese and for dinner I had a salad with couscous, spinach, artichoke hearts and asparagus  that Teresa made and short ribs and chard that Heather made. I am so fortunate to have these 2 people cooking for me. Teresa makes a salad for her, her boyfriend and my mom and I. When you make salads usually have to make a lot and sometimes some of it is bad, I love her salads.

Saturday was a little bit of a disappointment, if I had known it was going to be cold and overcast outside I would've just stayed in bed. I did get a nice long hot bath and got up to go for a cruise with Robby. We cruised to the lagoon, I wanted to sit and watch the goats for a little while but there was a guy there… obviously the owner of the goats… so I didn't want to stare or make him wonder if the goats were uncomfortable because of Robby. It was so cold and then driving the chair the breeze was just getting to me and I ended up coming back home. I got this silk hood thing that buttons around your neck so I thought I would try it out but the hood was way too big so I need to find a way to fasten it tighter. I came home and changed hats and tried it again but it's just too cold, my arms start to get sore and I can feel the muscles tighten up. We practiced some commands, Robby is such a smart boy. For breakfast I had oatmeal with blueberries, bananas, walnuts and almonds, for lunch I had salami and marinated mozzarella cheese and for dinner I had pork ribs, chard, kale and mushrooms.

 I want this in my garden…

Sunday was such a great day. Alice and Abe invited my uncle, my aunt and I to watch Alice's polo match, we missed Abe's the 2 days before.   I have never been to a polo match but it was awesome, I had so much fun watching everyone and learning about polo. I thought it was going to be really hot so I dressed in layers and for most of the day it was hot and then cold. Towards the end of the day the sun came out and it was just gorgeous. We stopped by Togo's on the way and I got a tuna and avocado wrap on a spinach tortilla. Right next to Togo's was this really awesome garden/patio store, it was closed but I'm definitely going back.

This is going to be a great week…

I am "Thankful" for all those difficult people that I have crossed paths with in my life... They have shown me "Exactly" who I do not want to be......... Live Life :)

Monday was like my Friday usually is. I got a massage in the morning and a really long personal-care session. My cousins little girls came over to get their birthday presents. My mom and I got them each a butterfly nightlight and a butterfly Mobile, they were so excited and they love them. After that my aunt took them across the street for a nap, I wonder if she had any luck with that? I have had some potatoes that she took out of her garden and brought them over to plant in my front yard, I think potatoes will pretty much grow anywhere. I still plan on having my own little garden in the front yard, I think it will be really cool. Heather can just come through the gate, pick what she wants to cook and then come on into the house. I just relaxed the rest of the day and watched a couple movies… joyful noise and the final destination, very different movies on the nice scale.

Whether You Say You Can or Can't....
You're Probably RIGHT!!!!!!!

Tuesday was just the perfect day. Robby and I cruised through the lagoon, through the soccer Park, up over the bridge… I like to look down and see how crowded the wharf and the beach are before I cruised down there. It was a little chilly on the end of the wharf and I noticed on the way back a dog sitting under the picnic table and I was surprisingly startled, Robby is actually the one who saw it 1st but he just wanted to play… I am so glad that that attack didn't change him. I cruised down to the boardwalk and went by a group of people with an unleashed dog, luckily the lady grabbed the dog as he leaped up… am I just noticing them more?? We cruised up and down the boardwalk a couple times, I kind of feel safe there because there's no dogs allowed. Then we cruised back down to the wharf but on the other side of the street because the group of people were still there. I saw a police car that nobody around. We cruised back home and practiced our commands for the day, Robby is so smart. The weather was nice and warm but unfortunately my arms hurt all day and I had constant shooting pain growing up my arms, I don't know what that is by just wanted to go to bed. I took a couple of Advil PMs and I slept really good for a couple of hours and just as I woke up my Bose system shut off in this time my mom wasn't able to turn it back on so I just listened to music  and an audio book, that's probably what I should be doing anyway instead of watching TV.

People keep telling me that when the dog comes up to Robby or I aggressively I should just ram them with my 650 pound wheelchair but I just can’t bring myself to do that, it’s not the animals fault… what I would really like to do is find the owner and ram THEM but that’s not right either. People know how their animals act in public and whether or not they are going to become aggressive around other animals are not but they always seem to act like they’re surprised, sometimes they even get mad at me because their animal acts aggressive towards me or my dog. I’ve had people say that the wheelchair scares their animal, just admit that you have an aggressive animal. I think that Robby being so submissive doesn’t help. When we went on our road trip we stopped at a couple of dog parks and the dogs always seem to go after Robby whether they want to attack him or hump him. Whenever it is I just can’t let myself be scared or cautious when we go out in public because it always is such an unpredictable situation. If I’m afraid all the time it’s going to radiate down the leash and affect Robby.

Wednesday once again my personal care took a long time and I was really exhausted after. I took a nice long hot bath, that always makes me feel better and just watched TV the rest of the afternoon. They called me and said that my Van wasn't going to be ready for 5 to 7 days. They have to order a part from Germany, of course it can't be driven until it's fixed. Apparently a couple of the hoses are broken and radiator fluid is leaking into the engine. Somebody told me if 3 things go wrong with your new vehicle within a year is considered a lemon and they should take it back. Unfortunately they probably can't because I put a wheelchair lift in it. I canceled my appointment with my podiatrist tomorrow and I will have to reschedule when I get my van back. As long as it's ready to go by the time Tom and Kelly get here I will be happy. They said they have to tell people 5 to 7 days but sometimes it gets here in 3 days, wait and see. Heather brought me some leftovers from the Mother's Day brunch at the coconut Grove, she makes up an awesome menu and I am so lucky.

Thursday was a nice long beautiful day. Gabe came over and we visited for a while and then he invited me over to my uncles to visit for a while, my uncle was making hamburgers. My uncle and aunts garden is so beautiful and everything is just growing perfectly, kind of makes me want my own but mine won't get as much attention so I'm not sure… I'm still trying to decide. I wish that I had just eaten because the hamburgers smelled so good.  My aunt also made some potato salad, fruit and they had chocolate milk… I can't remember the last time I had chocolate milk. I cruised around with Robby for a long time on our regular route, a couple times actually.  People are starting  to recognize Robby and I around town, I hope it raises some awareness and people start putting their dogs on a leash, not one of those retractable leashes but a real one. Pretty soon it was apparent that Robby was getting too hot and he needed some water so we came home. As soon as I cruised through the door I could smell something wonderful, Heather was cooking some barbecued ribs. A dog trainer from Los Gatos e-mailed me because she saw the article in the paper about Robby being attacked. She wanted to talk little bit more about it so I gave her my number, I'm really looking forward to talking to her. For breakfast I had a poached egg, salsa chicken and avocado. I had a pineapple/mango smoothie for lunch and for dinner I had blackened salmon, asparagus and mushrooms/zucchini medley. It is so awesome to have Heather around.

Friday I had 5 people cancel on me. I didn't get my massage in the morning because Susan throughout her back, I feel bad because she has to stay in bed all day… I hope it doesn't ruin her weekend. Karen came in at 10 AM and we did some personal care and I got a nice long hot bath.  Luckily one of the 1st thing she does is turn on myself on because my afternoon caregiver left message saying that she wasn't coming in because she didn't feel good,  this means I couldn't get up even if I wanted to because there's no one to put me to bed. Teresa was going to come over and wax Karen and I, it had been a while. Teresa overdid it on Thursday helping out the nurse and she spent last week  spring cleaning her room so she was exhausted, she can't afford to be sick. She is going to be an awesome nurse but she does too much for everyone.  I didn't get to relax for very long and my uncle came in looking for cribbage game, even though Lee and Claudia canceled. We played about 4 games and my mom and I won again, $2. For breakfast I had barbecued ribs, a poached egg and avocado… I know ribs aren't really for breakfast but I couldn't wait to try them. I had a pineapple/mango smoothie and for a snack I had some salami and mozzarella cheese twist, I always get stuff for snacks for when we play cards but nobody wants to snack so I end up eating it during the day which I don't mind at all because I love that kind of stuff.

Saturday was just a huge disappointment. I had planned on going to the James Durbin concert for a long time and I wasn't able to go. Yesterday my weekend evening caregiver called in sick so I just assumed that she would still be sick today so I stayed in bed. I have a friend coming over from San Jose to go to the concert with me and she still wanted to come over after she found out that I wasn't going to be able to go but it just makes me uncomfortable when people come to visit me when I'm in bed, I really feel invaded upon. Teresa said  that she would come over and put me to bed but I think I was just annoyed because the evening girl didn't come in and I didn't think that Teresa should have to do it, she does so much. There's really going to be a lot of people there and I probably would've had to get there really early in order to see anything and it's really hard to get around when it's so crowded, even during the chili cookoff it's standing room only so I can only imagine how crowded the boardwalk is can be. Last year when James Durbin played they only advertised it pretty much in Santa Cruz and there was over 30,000 people. It would have been really nice to be a part of it. Karen left at noon and I got a message from the evening weekend girl at 1 o'clock asking me if I wanted her to come in. I asked her if she was still sick and she said “a little”. I can't risk having sick people around me, hopefully she will feel better tomorrow so I can get up and cruise around a little bit. For breakfast I had a poached egg, more of those killer barbecued ribs and avocado. I had a banana smoothie for lunch.  Karen filled out the paperwork for my appointment with the dietitian, they call it “life management classes”, next Wednesday. They want a pretty detailed description of everything that you eat for 3 days.

Sunday was a really great day. I got up and cruised around with Robby for a really long time until he just looked like he was getting too warm and then we came back home to rest and get some water. We cruised around the lagoon after Robby cool down a little bit and then came back home again. We practiced the day's commands, we practice 3 a day at the least. I like to cruise back and forth through the boardwalk  for a couple of reasons, one is because there is no dogs allowed and I know that he will not be attacked and the 2nd is because it's good practice for him to ignore and to be ignored. I'm getting better at just telling people “I'm sorry but he is working and he can't be distracted” most people understand but there are those that I hear say as they're walking away “that poor dog” are they saying this because they don't get the privilege of their attention? Sometimes I get really annoyed and asked them “why do you feel sorry for him, where is your dog right now” they usually say “my dog is at home” and I tell them “who would you say is the lucky one? The dog that is stuck at home or the one that is out cruising around?”. For breakfast I had a poached egg, Carnitas and avocado. After I got up I had a strawberry and banana smoothie with coconut water, walnuts and almonds, lactose-free yogurt and soy banana Mango fruit juice. For dinner I had barbecued ribs, Carnitas  and eggplant. It sounds like I need a lot but I always use the small saucer plates.

It's starting to get so nice outside…

"Those that discuss why they cant should spend more time talking of how they CAN!" --- Kjell

Monday was a pretty busy day, I love busy days. I got up and took Robby on our regular cruise and then went down to by where my dentist is to Quest Diagnostics  to have some blood taken for food allergy test. It was a little hot so I was trying to decide if I should come home and get Robby some water or just cruised through downtown, a lot of the businesses have dog water bowls outside but of course today they didn't. When I got to Quest a lady offered Robby water from her water bottle and I think he drink that +3 other small bowls full… poor guy was really thirsty.

Tuesday started out to be a really good day but ended really bad. The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too cold. I went to Claudia's shop and got my hair touched up and trimmed and got a manicure and pedicure. When I was leaving I cruised down the wharf, over to the boardwalk and on my way home I stopped to lay back for 15 min… I'm so glad I looked at the time. After I started cruising back home as I was going by one of the benches I saw a dog but assumed that it was on a leash either held by its owner or attached to the bench. As I got closer I saw the dog lunge towards Robby and I realized he didn't have a leash on. He attacked Robby and they rolled into the street and almost got hit by a Metro bus. The 2 guys that were with the dog went running after them and brought their dog back, I looked at them and said “are you kidding me?” The guy said “I'm really sorry” and walked over and sat down and said to his dog “bad dog”, Robby's leash was all twisted up and nobody even tried to help me… Robby couldn't get the leash and hand it to me because it was all twisted up. When the other dog attacked Robby it ripped the leash off of my arm and left a bunch of Burns and a lot of bruising. Finally the lady stopped and helped me and I went home, not even thinking about dialing 911 for stopping by the tollbooth and having them call the police… attacking a service dog is a misdemeanor. I came home and Teresa drove back  but of course the guys and their dog were gone. We went down to the police station to file a report but it was closed. I called my friend Gabe, he used to fix the buses and knows everyone at the Metro station, to see if he could help me find out who the driver was and if he witnessed anything. I also called the CCI representative in this area and I'm heading back down to the police station again tomorrow to file the report even though I have no clue who these people were. I just want to know what I can do if I see them again or if it happens again. This is about the 4th or 5th time that Robby has been attacked and I don't want to get to the point where I am afraid to leave my house and I'm already fearful of what could happen to Robby. I'm really sore and stiff and Teresa said everything is going to look a lot worse in the morning but nobody really got to injured. I'm just tired of it and I don't want it to happen again.

Wednesday was a really great day. I was still stiff and sore but I had a couple of Advil PMs the night before so I said pretty good and I slept pretty much through my personal care, I love it when I wake up and I'm already dressed. I met Theresa and Karen down at the police station and of course they were no help, they will not help me unless the dog bites me… even though it's a misdemeanor to attack a service dog. I also called to have an officer come over to fill out a report but of course nobody ever called me back. They referred me to animal control. I e-mailed them more control and haven't heard back from them either. I contacted the CCI rep in this area and she suggested that I contact the local news and try them. She said it is really not a good idea to have a service dog keep getting attacked by other dogs because it's going to make them fearful and change their attitudes, that makes a lot of sense. I'm going to write an e-mail to the local news and see what happens. Wish me luck. After we left the police station I took Robby and went cruising around all over Santa Cruz, I'm trying so hard not to let this one don't bother me but I found myself watching the ground everywhere I go for dog feet and moving all the way over out of the way when I see them, that's probably not good for me or Robby. It will take me some time but I will get back to not being afraid around every corner. Heather came by and we chatted for a while and then decided to go get some tacos, I have been craving them for a while and although they're never as good as Heather's they were pretty good. I came back and hung out for a while. Phil came over earlier to finish the work that he was doing on my porch and hang  up a couple of In the hallway by the bathroom, I really need to start wearing hats and I figure if they're right here I will remember… we will see. I have never really been a happy person but now I'm getting older and getting lots of weird looking barnacles on my face so I need to be extra careful.

Thursday I got up and took Robby for our regular long cruise. I have to be back here at 2 PM because the editor from the Santa Cruz Sentinel was coming over to interview us about what happened on Tuesday. I talked to her for a while and the photographer didn't show up so I guess I will meet with him on Saturday. Apparently they contacted CCI because one of my team trainers called me this afternoon to see if everything was okay. Teresa came by and we went down to the animal shelter to file a complaint and then went on to my doctors appointment. It sounds like this time hopefully something will happen. A police officer called and of course gave me another number to file a complaint.

Friday I didn't get my massage, she rescheduled for Monday. I was really tired so I slept most of the morning but got a nice long hot bath, that just made me more tired. While I was sleeping Karen made some bacon brownies, I saw the recipe on Pinterest and just had to try it… needless to say they were killer,  how could you go wrong with brownies and bacon? Lee and Claudia, my uncle and aunt and my mom and I played cribbage… my mom was my partner and we won $3. I was really tired while we were playing the game but after I was wide awake, why does that always happen? I need to get up early on Saturday to do the human race and then meet the photographer from the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Saturday I was once again reminded why I promised myself that I would never do the human race again. I really liked doing it and I love hanging out with the CCI people and their dogs but it's way too early and went to cold, walking along the ocean makes it even colder. It was really great to see Risa, Linda, Susan and of course  Robby's grandma Inez. I didn't get there in time to get a T-shirt and a bandanna for Robby before I met everybody at the beginning of the natural Bridges Beach Park. It was kind of cool sitting there for an hour and watching all the people going by, they get so creative with their groups.   I made it as far as a lighthouse and the sun was coming out so I decided not to go back to natural Bridge's Park and just go home from there, I was just a couple of miles from home and I was FREEZING. I did run into foster Anderson from shared adventures on the way to the lighthouse. It is always really nice to see him, he is such a sweet man. I got about halfway home and the photographer for the Sentinel called and said that he would be at my house and about half an hour to take our picture for the article. That only took a couple of minutes and he was on his way and I was back in my house trying to get warm. It seems like if I get too cold or too hot and always takes a really long time to get my body to feel good again.

Sunday was a really great day, it's always a great day when I can get up and cruise around. Robby and I went on our regular cruise and as we were coming down the hill we ran into Max Montgomery from the best day organization, I went to high school with Max and I knew one day I would run into him and it was great to see him again… he hadn't changed a bit. The best day organization takes disabled kids and puts them on surfboards, on boats… pretty much anything fun to do. I just love watching all the pictures, the kids have so much fun. It was pretty cold out but not as cold as yesterday and of course when we got home the sun came out so we rested and got some water and went out for another cruise before my evening caregiver came. 

The nice weather is back…

 A couple weeks ago I went to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned and she told me about this water/air flosser, her husband and the  receptionists husband got one and they love it so I decided to get one. I have never flossed my teeth because it's too hard and frustrating for my caregivers, they are afraid they're going to hurt me. I LOVE this thing in my mouth feels so good after using it. I also got a tongue scraper, I brush my tongue really hard all the time but you would not believe the sludge that comes off with a tongue scraper. The next time I go to get my teeth cleaned she is going to be really surprised. I go every 3 months because of the fact that I don't floss my teeth.

Monday was such a great day. My uncle took Claudia, Karen and I shopping in Los Gatos. Now my uncle's idea of great shopping is the thrift stores and he knows where the best places are. There is this place called Happy Dragon and there is The Cancer Store and they have the greatest finds. I found some dog tennis shoes at the Happy Dragon, well actually my uncle found them, and I noticed Robby was laying his hand on them on the way home… he was probably trying to decide if he should hide them now or later. When I Went to The Checkout The Lady Gave Me 50% off of Everything, It Really Pays To Have a Cute Dog Like Robby By My Side. After That We Went to  Original Joe's For Lunch, They Have Really Awesome Food There. The Portions Are so Big We Split a Cheese Burger And Steak Fries… Man Was a Good. I Came Home And Teresa Was Here Organizing and Cleaning My Bathroom, It Looks so Good And Uncluttered… It Was Really Driving Me Crazy How Cluttered It Was. I Don't Know Why My Voice Type Is Capitalizing Everything And I Don't Know How to Stop It.

‎"One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you're feeling blue is that he doesn't try to find out why." by Unknown Author

Tuesday was such a beautiful day. I live in such a gorgeous place and it feels great to get up and out every day that I can. Since it's the weekday and the boardwalk is closed there were not a lot of people around. We cruised through the lagoon, to the end of the wharf and back, through the boardwalk and back, down to the summer deck that they build by the arcade, to the end of the wharf and back again and then home… neither one of us really wanted to go home. I watch them build the summer deck last weekend and couldn't wait to try it out, it's a beautiful wooden deck and I can get that much closer to the water AND I had it all to myself.

 ‎"Some of our greatest historical and artistic treasures we place with curators in museums; others we take for walks." quoted by - Roger Caras

Wednesday was another beautiful day. I got up and went for an extra long cruise with Robby. A lot of the stuff at the Boardwalk was roped off because they were trying to fix everything up for the grand opening. Most of it is open now and all of it is open on the weekends but presume it's going to be summer vacation and it's going to be open all the time, open and very crowded. We took the long wait through the lagoon, to the end of the wharf and back, to the end of the boardwalk and back and then back towards the wharf and cruised all the way down there and back again. I ran into a gentleman at the end of the wharf and talk to him for a long time, actually he did all the talking but he was very interesting. He was a homeless guy and he had been all over, he was even on the Montel Williams show, I used to watch that show all the time,  I probably saw that episode. We cruised back home, although we didn't want to, and Theresa took us to my appointment at Dr. Hurray's. He said that everything was looking great and it should only be a couple more weeks and my sore will be totally closed up… hallelujah. We came back home and Teresa put me to bed… did I say how much I LOVED my new water/air flosser?? My uncle came over with some popcorn, my uncle makes the best popcorn in the world, and I turned it down. It's crazy but it's true.

Thursday was a nice day only because I got to get out and cruise around with Robby but it was overcast and sprinkled on and off. We actually got to cruise around for several hours so that was nice. I don't know if I'm just getting older but when I 1st moved here I was smiling and saying hello to everyone and now I try to cruise around as fast as I can and hide when I need to lay back for 15 min. I think mostly it's because if I stop and talk to everyone who says hi like I did when I 1st moved here and Robby will get no exercise and I have to keep thinking of excuses to get away from people… maybe it's just because more people in this area recognize us because we are cruising around so much. We came back and hung around for about a half an hour, practice some of our commands and then cruised to the lagoon again. Trees are brought over a Swiss chard, wheat Berry, onion and garlic salad that was KILLER. Before I left on my trip she was bringing over a couple of salads a week, trying a bunch of new salads and it was great. She makes salads for her, her boyfriend, my mom and I so nothing ever goes to waste… when we make a salad here it lasts forever and a lot of it goes bad. Heather came over and cooked a bunch of wonderful stuff, it smelled really good in the kitchen. The bedroom however does not smell very good. Robby has had the worst dog gas I have ever witnessed in my life the last couple of days, I don't know what it's from but he really needs to stop… maybe I need to get him some charcoal?

Friday was just the same old Friday but it looked like it was cold outside so I didn't mind not getting up. By the time Karen was done with my personal care it was 4 PM and time for the next shift to come in, I will get my nice long hot bath in the morning.  Janea came in although her brother is not making any real progress. I think about them all the time and I really hope he gets out of the hospital fast, I'm sure everybody would be a lot more happier if he was home. I know his cats really miss him a lot, they probably don't understand why he's not there. My uncle and aunt came over to play cribbage with my mom and I and brought some killer Bean soup. My aunt was my partner and we played 4 games but only lost a dollar, not bad?

“Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them, filling an emptiness we don’t even know we have.”

Saturday was a great day, the days just get better and better. I got up and Robby and I went for a really really long cruise. I stopped by my uncles to check out their garden and it is just gorgeous. They have 3 big planter boxes  and a bunch of fruits and vegetables planted around them, up Tressel's and along the fences. It really makes me want to get my own planter boxes and start my own garden, I would love to have fresh fruits and vegetables. The wharf and the boardwalk were both really crowded but I guess it's good practice for Robby to leave everyone alone, even though people can't seem to leave Robby alone. We came back and rested and got some water and my mom told me that we were invited to a birthday party across the street for my cousins 2 little girls, my aunt mentioned going over there for dinner tomorrow but I didn't realize it was for the little girls birthdays, we missed the other little girl's birthday a while back. Robby and I took off again to go downtown to look for something to give them for their birthday. My mom wanted me to find a couple of night lights because they love the ones that she has upstairs but I couldn't find any. I went downtown and found a couple of really cool butterfly mobiles and brought them home to wrap them up and my aunt called and said that they were going to postpone it until next Sunday, a week from tomorrow, so I looked on Amazon and found a couple of fiber optic butterfly nightlights. I love cruising around here and everybody is always so nice and friendly and really willing to help. I keep my money in a little wallet in the side of Robby's vest and I'm always afraid to ask somebody to help me but people really are so willing to help, I need to just stop being afraid to ask. I saw a couple of things in the window of one of the shops on the wharf that I would love to have for my porch and I haven't gotten them yet because I'm afraid to ask somebody to help me. I also saw the same thing that bunnies downtown but Robby was knocking everything over, it's really narrow in there, so I just left.

 "THOSE WHO SAY IT CANNOT BE DONE SHOULD NOT INTERRUPT THOSE DOING IT!"

Sunday was a really long personal-care day but at the end of it I got a nice long hot bath, you really can't beat that. I thought about it really hard and just decided not to get up, it's not worth it to get up for a couple of hours… if even that long… before I have to go back to bed. I had a couple of movies that I wanted to watch and I made a list of places to go and things to do when Tom and Kelly come to visit, they will be here in July and I can hardly wait. My mom and I were supposed to go across the street for a barbecue but it got postponed until next weekend. It's a good thing because I am exhausted.