Lily: Update Again

Lily had her follow-up appointment today and apparently, she is still sick. She has been prescribed a third antibiotic until the culture results are back in 5 days. At that time we should know the exact bacteria and the exact antibiotic. They are also stating that they need to conduct an x-ray of her abdomen to rule out stones. After getting a second opinion from our previous vet whose private practice opened just a few short days ago, Hubby and I are weighing our options. As you can imagine we are going on 2 months and $1000.00 and we were both hoping for better news by now.

Lily: Update

Lily had her second urine analysis today which gave some confusing results. Due to this confusion, she will be going to the vet again on Monday to have urine extracted directly from her bladder and tested. Once that happens, they are going to culture the bacteria which is causing the urinary tract infection and treat with a more specific antibiotic as the broad-spectrum antibiotic is not working. In addition, we have finally decided on a prescription food and both dogs are now eating Purina Veterinary Diets: Weight Management. Although both are the appropriate weight, they need a food that is VERY low in fat content due to their high triglyceride levels.

San Diego: Day 3

The final day we were in San Diego we spent at Ocean Beach. Hubby and B rented wetsuits and boogie boarded while C, Liam, and myself enjoyed the cool sea air from the comfort of the sand. It was an overcast day and our faces were burned by the end but as I always say, if you aren't sore, crippled, and burned than it wasn't a very good vacation.

San Diego: Day 2

As a joke we picked up a baby sized Arizona t-shirt for Liam before heading out of town. Since B went to ASU it is quite common for a rivalry to ensue between us. So, after Liam awakened and his parents were busy, we quietly dressed him and brought him to the living room to play. C thought it was great, B pretended to be angry and called his son a traitor for the remainder of the day.

That morning the five of us went to the San Diego Zoo. I had forgotten how big that zoo is! We only got a small portion done in the few hours we had before heading to the bay for fireworks.

After leaving the park, we briefly went home to change before heading to the downtown/bay area in order to board the U.S.S. Midway (Part of the Maritime Museum). B was able to purchase tickets for the five of us to sit on the flight deck of the Midway and watch four separate fireworks displays.

San Diego: Day 1

B and C moved to California right after Liam was born in January but we hadn't gotten the opportunity to visit them yet. Fourth of July seemed like a fitting time, as C and Hubby both had time off. So we headed off to San Diego over the holiday weekend for an outrageously good time and amazing weather!

Coronado Beach

Introducing The Adventures of Yoda

When Hubby and I went to Disneyland I had to buy a Yoda backpack. He was both awesome and convenient! You probably remember seeing him in some of my vacation pictures. Well, it got Hubs and I to thinking. What if we took pictures of Yoda at all of the places we visit and than post them? It would not only commemorate all of the places we have been but would also be incredibly funny! So I introduce to you: The Adventures of Yoda

http://adventuresofyoda.blogspot.com

Most of the photos will be from our vacation trips but some will be from jaunts around town. I hope you find it as entertaining and silly as we do!

Star Trek Podium

It took me a little while to decide if we were going to bring the podium we purchased at the Las Vegas auction into the house or do the repairs first. I decided to bring it in, figuring the repairs can always be done later. For now, we can enjoy our little piece of Trek history.

Father's Day Cake

My sister and I baked a cake for our dad for Father's Day. The white cake was dyed using gels that can purchased at any craft store (the gel ensures a deeper, more vibrant color than regular food color). We chose to experiment with red and blue and eventually will expand out to make a rainbow cake. Tree made the icing from scratch and it tasted amazing!!

Lily: Update

After completing the first round of antibiotics a few weeks ago, the vet requested that I collect an urine sample from Lily to confirm that she was on the mend. Sadly, the analysis showed that Lily has made a slight improvement but her infection is still evident and will require another course of antibiotics. So, we begin the process again tonight.

Interfaith Community Services

I decided that rather than rot away at home watching soap operas and judge shows all summer vacation that I would get out and volunteer. I found a group called Interfaith Community Services, they are a conglomeration of churches and faith-based organizations from across Tucson that pool their resources and their volunteers to help others. They have a huge variety of opportunities but I chose to assist the elderly. My "job" starting next week will be to pick-up and drive elderly folks to their doctor appointments, grocery store trips, hair appointments, etc. I will be using my own car but will be reimburse for mileage.

A lot of people have asked me why I decided to volunteer but more, why work with the elderly? Well, I was at Target about a week after school let out and an old lady called me over to ask me where the toilet paper was. She made a funny remark about how old people need to plan their trips around the store a lot more efficiently than us young folk because of energy etc. I was overwhelmed with sadness that she was shopping alone when she really should have a family member with her to help her out. So, I went home and found ICS. Now, I hope, I will be able to help people like her stay independent awhile longer!

I have already received my first two assignments for next week:
Hannah and Margaret need to go to the grocery store and Bette needs a ride to a doctor's appointment.

Letter to NBC

The Today Show has been a part of my morning routine for as long as I can remember, but as of this day I am no longer a viewer. Here is the letter that I sent to them:

Dear Today Show Executives,

I am writing to inform you that I am done with the Today Show as of this day. As a faithful viewer for many years, I simply cannot take it anymore! The last straw was a segment (which aired today 6/25/10) regarding “fun summer drinks” where the host ran through the segment so fast (under one minute) that it was pointless to even have the segment at all. I cannot tell you how tired I am to be directed to your website to “get more information”. Your website shouldn’t be a replacement for an informative segment. Viewers barely have time to sit down and watch portions of your show let along hit your website to fill in the missing information. If you deem it important enough to talk about, than give the viewers enough time to enjoy it.

I might have been able to get past Meredith Vieira’s condescending attitude and ridiculous guest questions, I might have been able to get past Al Roker’s stupid jokes, and I might even have been able to get past Natalie Morales’ constant interruptions of the guests, but I cannot get over the shear and utter waste of time your program has turned into.

I, frankly, am looking for some hard hitting questions and informative interviews. I don’t need to see the mother of an abducted child who can only weep through the interview as one of your hosts asks ridiculous questions like “do you think he/she is still alive?” or “what do you want your child to know”. We already know the answers and all you are serving to do is upset the mother further and bring heartache to the viewers. In addition, the-cousin-to-the-brother-of-a-neighbor-to-the-suspect is not an “exclusive” interview; it is your show’s desperate attempt to be relevant.

The transitions between stories are also a source of great irritation and disgust. If you insist on doing a story about a bludgeoned-to-death college student, do not immediately follow it with a story of a lost turtle, or worse yet transition straight to the "funny" weather guy. Your executives might be able to adjust their emotions at the drop of a hat, but as a general rule the at-home audience needs a little more than 2 seconds to digest and reflect on the horrible story you just showed.

I recognize that the Today Show is geared towards “soft news”, stories about puppies and kittens and tropical vacation spots with a touch of the real world mixed in for good measure, but this show is so ridiculous and so out of touch with what real Americans are worried about and, in my opinion, vacant of any real substance, I cannot for one more minute waste my life watching a single segment of it.

Proof that I am not completely off my rocker: the Today Show's top stories for today include a year dead child molesting celebrity, a lost turtle, and tips to beat the summer heat. I don't know about you, but I couldn't live without this information.

Difficulty Adjusting

I was so excited to go to Disneyland that it was my one singular focus for weeks. Now that I am home I am having a very hard time adjusting, not due to churro detox or coming down from ride-induced adrenaline but because of the weather. The weather in Southern California is amazing!

While in California:
I didn't sneeze one single time.
I didn't suffer from a single bloody nose.
I applied chapstick to protect my lips from the sun, not from the air.
My hair was soft and silky, not dry and brittle (and it curled).
I didn't have to apply lotion to my arms and legs 15 times a day.
I could breathe easy without the assistance of medication.

My one singular focus now is figuring out a way to get back to California as soon as possible. I cannot stand being in Tucson for one more excruciatingly hot, summer day.

As my sister quoted from the movie "Away We Go" about Tucson: "Yeah, its pretty hot. No, no, I mean literally like an oven. It's almost like God is trying to melt us all down and make something better."

Lily: Post Vacation

Approximately 5 days before we left for Disneyland Lily began vomiting. We didn't panic since she is prone to eating lizards and regretting it later. Days went by feeding her a bland diet of chicken and rice but she continued to vomit off and on, without any real pattern or apparent reason. We left our little girl in the very capable hands of my mother-in-law and shoved off to California. When we returned we came home to a very sick little girl. Apparently my mother-in-law spent a majority of her time cleaning up vomit and urine from our carpets and trying to console a very sick puppy. I called the vet first thing Wednesday morning and they got her in right away.

Lily has a UTI which spread to her bladder, which than spread to her kidneys and has affected her liver function. She is on antibiotics, anti-nausea medication and a special food to help her feel better. They also ran her bloodwork and her triglyceride level is through the roof (schnauzers are genetically predisposed to high triglycerides). Normal for her would be around 300, her number came in at 2700. She is and will continue to be on a very specific diet and if her levels have not come down to normal in 3 months she will have to be put on daily medication, kind of like Lipitor for dogs. She already is making vast improvements and getting back to her playful puppy-like self but she is one very ill little baby!