Things I LOVE About This Past Weekend

1. Hanging out with my whole family. Seriously. A lot of people don't enjoy hanging out with their entire family, but this past weekend was special in a lot of ways. Too many ways to mention, it would literally take all day:) LOVED IT!!

2. Three-day weekend! Woo-Hoo!! I had to work last Sunday (boooooo), so I had Friday off (yaaaaaaay). NICE!

3. Friday Night Girls Outing: mom, Em (sis), Sarah (niece) and moi...dinner at Bravo (delish) and A Christmas Carol at the Clarence Brown Theater. AMAZING!! Such a great play. What a great way to get into the Christmas spirit!

God bless us, everyone!! -Tiny Tim

4. Got to pick Buster back up from the vet. Gosh, how I missed that little stinker:) He's doing well, by the way.

5. The BEST Saturday night ever with the hubby: we couldn't decide what to do for dinner. I needed to run to the grocery store to get a few things, and Russ decided to go with me. We basically decided to get a bunch of frozen appetizer-ish items and cook them all for dinner...extremely healthy decision! This included: hot buffalo wings, honey BBQ boneless wings, potato skins, mozzarella sticks and onion rings...all with the necessary dipping sauces. And leftover pasta from Bravo, too. Bon Appetit! Then we watched Stepbrothers. LOVED IT, TOO!! Super funny. So glad Russ is my B.F.F. (besides Ali)

6. Christmas outing with the girls from work: lunch at Wasabi, which included some delicious sushi, and a fun Secret Santa gift exchange! I got a much-needed heatable neck wrap and fuzzy socks from Bath and Body Works. Can't wait to use that stuff!

7. Knowing that I only have to work Monday and Tuesday of this week, then I'm off for the rest of the year! HECK YEAH!!

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year, too!!

Tough Times Ahead

Say a prayer for the Patsels. I took Buster to the vet yesterday for his weekly check-up, and the vet informed me that we have to re-do Buster's surgery this coming Monday. He slipped and fell, and the tendon popped. Poor Bus...I can't believe we have to start all over again.

Russ and I are devastated. Our little man has to suffer even longer than we thought. Please keep B-Man in your thoughts and prayers, and please pray that this won't happen again.

Sixth Time's a Charm

Sushi Spot...try number 6...successful...delicious...boycott withdrawn!

Oops I Crapped My Pants

Not literally, but almost, after I was borderline attacked by a Rottweiler yesterday right in front of my house. It was undoubtedly one of the scariest moments of my life...

I was walking Bus McGus yesterday when all of a sudden, a huge Rottweiler came running and barking at me out of nowhere (actually from behind the neighbor's house). I was able to bend down and scoop Buster up in my arms before the Rottweiler reached me and jumped on my back. I immediately started crying and tried to walk slowly away from him. Then the owner appeared and said, 'Rogue, come'. Are you freaking kidding me!? A Rottweiler named Rogue is trying to attack me!?

Then, through tears, I asked her, 'will you please come get your dog?'. Her response (in a semi-sarcastic tone): If you'll quit moving, I will. Excuse me???? Did you really just suggest that I stop moving??? Will that make me an easier target for your EXTREMELY SCARY animal??? What planet are you from, lady!?

I can not even begin to explain the fear and anger I felt at that moment. She didn't even apologize or ask me if I was ok. If it had been my animal that just did that to someone else, I would be apologizing profusely and hoping to God that they didn't report me. Which we did...to Animal Control. Ha! Take that, mean Rottweiler lady!

Anyhow, I survived without any bites and so did Buster. I can't even imagine what might've happened if she hadn't been outside or if I hadn't had time to pick up Buster. I just thank God and my lucky stars that we both ended up uninjured.

Unfortunately, as a result, I no longer feel safe walking my dog in my own neighborhood anymore. And on top of all this, my dad and stepmom went by the house earlier today to tend to Bus, and when they pulled into the driveway, they saw the lady and her yet again unleashed Rottweiler out in the middle of their driveway! The nerve of that woman...

I thought we were ready...

My hubby and I recently decided that we're ready to have a baby (despite some of the labor horror stories I watch on Discovery Health's Special Delivery every morning as I workout). Now, this doesn't mean we're currently trying to conceive. We've just decided that in the next few months, we'll 'see what happens'. Well, after the last week or so, the whole 'let's just see what happens' thing may be a bad idea.

It all started last Tuesday when our son, Buster (a.k.a. Best Dog in the World or Teeta Pan, take your pick), had to undergo major knee surgery. He suffers from patella luxation, or what I like to call wobbly (sp?) knee syndrome. Like several other Chihuahuas, Bus suffers from this condition that causes the knee cap to slide all over the place and stay 'out of joint'. If left uncorrected, it will lead to permanent lameness. Well, when we found that out, Russell's first response: I do not want a lame dog. Um, no one wants a lame dog. So, $1500, 4 medications, 3 daily walks, 3 daily range-of-motion exercise routines, once-a-week Vet visits and 3 daily ice pack sessions later, Buster's knee is fixed. Now we have the next 12 weeks to look forward to, during which he must be crated or on a leash at all times. AT...ALL...TIMES... WTF!? How in the heck are we going to keep this rambunctious creature calm for the next 3 months?! Not to mention, Russ travels all the time with work, so a lot of this therapy and recovery is on me. Outstanding. If I freak out a little bit about nursing a 10 lb. Chihuahua back to health by myself, how in the beep am I going to be able to take care of a baby?! I don't know, maybe every mother goes through this. Hopefully I'm not alone, even when it comes to taking care of a dog.

Next up in the 'maybe we're not ready' tale would be our trip to Atlanta for Thanksgiving. Now don't get me wrong. I love, love, LOVE spending time with my in-laws. I really do. They are awesome people, but what my poor hubby endured last Friday (see Audrey's 'Black Friday Recap' post and the Miss C screaming fiasco) definitely made the two of us rethink this whole baby thing. Maybe the peace and quiet we experience every day in our home is something we're not quite ready to give up yet.

Then again, maybe we are ready. Who knows...I'll keep you posted! (pardon the pun)