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25.5.07

Our Dog is Superhuman



Ericka's Update on Olive

Well, I might’ve mentioned that Olive was going to be spayed on Tuesday. And it happened. Sometimes I am regretful; no little Olive pups will ever run around our feet. However, the surgery seems to be a success. When I first picked her up she was drowsy but excited to see me and to be out of the wherever she was in the backroom. I was equally excited to see her. She was pretty sick and drowsy for the rest of the night, sleeping and such. I made her some dog-broth (hot water and soft dog food) and that helped to perk her up a bit. She was got really excited when Greg and his roommate Andrew came home. The next day Olive acted as if she had never even been under the knife. There was one time where you could tell that she had run around a bit too much and got really tired. But other than that, Olive has been acting like a super human/dog champion. She is no wimp when it comes to surgery! I’m proud.


Greg’s Thoughts on a Spaying.
We anxiously arrived at the Humane Society to be greeted by the yelps and barks of imprisoned dogs. At this discover I assumed that Olive the puppy would be set off to fearful shaking and whining. Yet, Olive remained excited and inquisitive. It was Ericka and I, being the human parents of the puppy that were nervous. Of course Olive had no idea that she would soon be incapable of having puppies of her own. She could not have known about the pain that was coming for her, nor the abandonment. It was these thoughts that raced through my mind as we checked her in and filled out paperwork. Ericka spoke sternly to the receptionist about making sure that Olive had pain medicine and anesthesia. The receptionist responded “Of course, we couldn’t do the surgery without it.” I completed the paperwork and we handed our puppy over to the humane workers. It was now a waiting game so Ericka and I did what we could only do at that point, and left for coffee.
We did not know what to expect upon our return for Olive. Unfortunately for me, time was against me and I had to be at work when it was time to pick her up. Thus, I heard the story from Ericka and was pleased to hear that Olive was okay and appeared to be without pain. When I got home Olive was up and walking and happy to see me but I could tell she had taken a severe hit.
She was not jumping or running in circles or biting my hands. She justwanted to greet me and be petted. Ericka and I took her back to her blanket on the floor in my bedroom where she laid down and grunted. It was hard for her to get comfortable so she sat up and appeared to be drunk. Her eyes were glazed and half-open. She swayed back and forth as she sat on her hind legs. Then without warning she threw-up. Of course, this was due to the anesthesia so I didn’t get upset about the carpet. She lay back down with a grunt and rested. Ericka left for the grocery store and I stayed behind to watch over the resting pup. While I was sitting next to her on the floor, I was only a distraction. She couldn’t rest because she wanted to be aware ofwhat I was doing. Thus I decided to read on the bed and soon after, Olive made her way under the bed where she likes to resort. Ericka returned from the grocery store with a movie and some gourmet dog food which we would use to conceal Olive’s pain pill. Again, time was against me and I had to go to my second job but I knew Olive was in good hands with Ericka.The next morning it would seem that the puppy had never had surgery at all. Olive was back to her normal self. Full of energy, ready for breakfast and her morning outing. This was a bit of a concern to me because there is supposed to be a three day recovery in which the animal should not be physical, lest the sutures unbind. This seemed to be impossible for the puppy Olive. It was decided that she would have to be crated for the most part of the day to reduce the ability to be physical. When I returned to give Olive her lunch, she was even more energized and I knew that the puppy took the surgery like a champion.

18.5.07

ericka is moved in and makes hummus!

so i now live in my own apt. and that is very nice. it turned out very nice. it's all in sage green, white, and some black. it works. i'm getting another bookcase tomorrow. my old crate and barrel one. lovely.

i am on my summer break right now, but i start summer school may 29. which is good. it'll give me something to do this summer and i sometimes like learning. right now i am on my summer vacation. but it is more like home-fix-upness. i like that stuff though, fixing and organizing, decoration. greg's been a big help. he takes out the trash and puts on my showerhead and stuff like that. he's better at folding laundry and washing dishes.

i baked cookies from scratch about twos ago. i blame my oven and my un-measuring skills for them. they are good, just not cookie texture. the orange-raspberry ones are like mini-breads with caramlized orange rinds on top and the sugar cookies are like chewy-sugary-buttery goodness. but no cookie texture.

i also made hummus today. and that turned out goooood. spicy and great.

2 cans of drained chickpeas
some spicy mustard.
like a billion cloves of garlic
and 1/2 of lemon
oh, olive oil

yea, didn't use tahini. oh well.

greg and i bathed olive again tonight. she was very good except for when she decided she had had enough and tried to climb out over me. i proceeded to get soaked.

we drove around looking for houses tonight. not for us. for greg and his roomate and our friend robert. that is fun for me. i love looking at houses.

and then we watched the Dog Whisperer for awhile.
speaking of dogs,
olive now knows "sit." did i already mention that? well, she does. that's great. she's only 3 1/2 months and knows sit!

10.5.07

olive, greg, and ericka

here are some pictures of recent activities.


olive after a bath! her first bath!





us and olive!



polaroids!






night of greg's show.




old but a favourite.









9.5.07

Love Transforms

Love Transforms

I’ve always heard there are stages in relationships and that there are ups and downs. There are times when you don’t feel in love anymore and times when you “fall in love again.” Right now, I am still way “in love” with Ericka. Yet, I know, that if all the experts and all those that have gone down this path before me, say that a time is coming when you just don’t feel it. I suppose I have headed the warning. I can see how things beyond our control can get in the way as well as things very much in our control. Emotions, insecurities, things from the past can come up and try to force a wedge between us. I’ve seen that our relationship can’t stay in the same place. We have to synchronize towards a common destination. As much as I would like to stay in the comfortable shelter we have built for our love, I know we will out grow it, or a storm too big will one day come and tear that shelter down. We have been having some stressful times, but we have been able to help each other. We have been able to make stronger, deeper bonds that will give us strength for the storms to come. Our love is expanding and this thrills me. It adds dimension knowing that if I am in a terrible mood or if I am completely stressed out, that Ericka is not scared away, she is there for me and vice versa. Our love is expanding way beyond just getting to know facts about each other. Way beyond physical attraction and emotional nurturing. I am discovering more and more of who Ericka is. I look forward to the days to come, the celebrations we will share together, the trials we will overcome together, the stories she will share while we are apart from each other and the stories we will acquire together. It gives me great hope knowing that I have Ericka with me for whatever life will bring. She is a gift from God to me.

8.5.07

A Time of Learning and the Rocks

Greg and I have been going through what I call “a time of learning.” Which also can be translated as a rocky time.
The rocks have not necessarily hit Us directly, but as individuals and we must learn how to deal with them together. I am sitting outside with our puppy and watching him work as I write this. Never have a loved anyone more than I do Greg.
We both have our various stresses and issues that have to deal with and since we are a unit of two, it is impossible to not drag them into our relationship. In fact, I am grateful for that. I want to help Greg with his problems and I know he feels the same about me. Two are far more better than one. He is my rock and my comfort. He is my joy and my relief. Last night, after a particularly grueling night of studying I found myself headachy and stressed (it’s finals week) but the moment I hugged Greg all of that washed away. Besides Christ, I have never found such solace in a person. It is amazing that I have been given such a gift that is Greg.
I can not wait for this time to pass, although there will always be something that will cause a disturbance in our eden, we will eventually learn how to not make it such a center issue. A time of learning.

I move into my apt this weekend. I am way psyched.
Olive is also doing well. She has grown tremendously and is more rascally than ever. Chewing chewing chewing.

And we, Greg and I, we are good. We are great. How could you not be when you have love?