Another Song Stuck In My Head

Oh well, at least it's not that Nicki Minaj song! This one is definitely getting replays over and over on my ipod. A great running song too!

This is going to be a short post tonight. I had a long drive back home after going to Birmingham this weekend to do another open house. We now have three different families that are interested, but have houses that they need to sell too.

Phantom went with us and enjoyed all the people that he thought were coming just to see him. He got lots of attention from them and from us all weekend. He decided to jump on the bed at 5a.m. every morning purring loudly in our face, ready to be petted. I almost died when Phantom climbed on the Murph's chest and started making biscuits with his paws while his face was right in the Murph's face. And he was purring very, very loud and sounded like a bumble bee on steroids.

While this is so NOT cool with my husband who doesn't really approve of cats on the bed, he gave Phantom a pass since the poor kitty has cancer. I am just so happy that Phantom seems to be feeling better and purring!

We are still giving him the Palladia every other day or so (I don't give it to him if it falls on a travel day) and the Advanced Immunity Restoration Protocol when I can get it down him. He doesn't like it and I haven't mastered the syringe yet. The syringe keeps sticking and something gets all screwy with the suction. I end up getting the concoction everywhere but in Phantom's mouth. I've tried sprinkling a little on a pill pocket and mashing it in and that works, but I can't get the full dosage in even three of those pill pockets. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the stuff down him.

Any suggestions?

The Celloquent is a power and he has to take 3/4 tsp and the vital pet lipids are liquid and he takes 1/4 tsp. I've been mixing it all together with a tiny bit of water and trying to syringe it in his mouth. It would work if the syringe was a little more friendly.

Phantom and all the other cats are eating only organic food with Nu Pet Granular super food  and some milk thistle drops sprinkled in it and drinking filtered or distilled water. I also give Phantom a few drops of Life Gold Cancer drops a day in a tiny bit of cat milk. He's still on the Atenolol and lasix for his heart too and seems to be doing fine there.

It's a lot of work and time, but it seems to be working.

And then, of course, there's prayer. Always prayer! None of the above things would ever work without it.

Accommodations, Appointments And An Open House

This week has been a bit hectic. Since the Boy is away at school most of the time, I'm just not use to it anymore. I can barely remember those crazy days when I was a single mom trying to get the Boy to school on time and me to work on time.

Rarely happened! I still patted myself on the back every single day that we made it to where we were suppose to go. It didn't matter if we were a little late, a little wrinkled and more than a little stressed out.

My bar was set low. How else could I be successful! A bar too set to high back in those days and I would have failed miserably.

It all started Saturday. We made our biweekly trip to Birmingham with the sick cat. Our mission this time was:

1.  To do an Open House on Sunday in hopes to find a buyer for our Birmingham house.

2.  Meet with AL Rehab with the Boy regarding his accommodations for Fall semester.

3.  Appointment with the Boy's doctor to go over ADD med and anxiety meds before Fall semester.

4.  Take Phantom to Auburn University on the way back to Pensacola for another round of blood testing to make sure the chemo was doing what it is suppose to and not doing anything it's not suppose too.

The open house went well. Lots of people came by, including coincidentally, the AL Rehab counselor that we were meeting with the very next day. She had no idea it was our house until she came inside and the Murph recognized her name. I overheard from the office/man cave and came out. She's downsizing too so our house was a little too much. It's a family house. It's too much for us now that the "kids" are grown. Her kids are grown too.

It's strange, but we get several empty nesters who want to "downsize" come look at our house. I guess downsizing is relative.

Phantom was very happy to be back. I started Phantom on the Advanced Immunity Protocol and it worked wonders overnight. It's a three part system that has so many different immunity building things in it that it blows my mind. All I know is after one dose, I got my Phantom back. Purring and happy and spending time with us instead of under the bed.

The meeting with AL Rehab went well. They provide some of the Boy's college financing and make sure he gets the accommodations he needs, such as extended test taking time, taking his tests in another room or at the Special Student Services building if needed. He can have a recorder, his laptop, etc. The Special Student Svcs Counselor provides a letter for him to give to all of his professors every semester. I have to get the letter or the list of accommodations to AL Rehab so they will continue to provide support. They will also transition him from college to the work force if needed.

The only snag came because the apartment the Boy lives in will no longer be billed through the university so the only way AL Rehab will provide a portion of the rent is if the management fills out a vendor application. That way AL Rehab will pay them directly. They never give the money directly to the students. Unfortunately it's almost impossible to get in touch with the apartment management!

I think it was finally taken care of after many phone calls, emails and faxing and refaxing, but I really don't know yet because they never answer the phone. Now that the Boy is back, he can go by the office in person and make sure it's done.

The doctor appointment was fast and basically we just got another 1/2 years worth of prescriptions. I'm hoping the Boy weans off the anxiety meds and starts something more holistic. The doctor said there isn't anything as good as the conventional meds. It has made a tremendous difference on the Boy's entire attitude so I'm good with him taking them for now.

The Boy didn't stress me out one single time. He has matured so much! No more meowing, biting me, poking me, getting all in my personal space until I just want to scream! We actually had adult like conversations and I really enjoyed being around him. He got a new car and his dad taught him how to drive a stick shift in one day. I rode with him most of the way back to school because he was nervous about driving with the manual transmission. Also, he hasn't driven in almost a year!

My job was to keep him relaxed, he said. He also warned me that it was going to be a bumpy ride.

He did great! We all made it safely home and the Boy is ready to start another school year. This Fall he actually has a paid internship. This is one reason why he needed a car.

Because of all the things going on with the Boy, we had to reschedule the trip to Auburn for Phantom. Instead I made an appointment with a local vet in Pensacola to do the blood work. They will fax it to Auburn. I have conflicted feelings about giving Phantom the chemo type drug, Palladia. He seems to be doing great on it, but I have concerns about long term use. His appointment with the local vet is tomorrow so I will decide then if I am keeping him on it or going entirely holistic.

It's a tough call. I hope I do the right thing!

Sunday By The Numbers

Sleep deprivation, unhealthy eating, very little exercise, another long road trip - That was what my Sunday was like. On a positive note we did have to come back for a second showing on the house. This couple seems really interested. We have another showing tomorrow with different people so that makes three total showings on Sunday and Monday.

Also, we are taking Phantom, the cat to an animal Oncologist Tuesday to see if there is anything else we can do for him. Fingers crossed! I went by the vet and picked up his x-rays and they've already faxed everything else over. This was not how I saw my summer going, but you have to be flexible and adapt to whatever life brings you. Poor Phantom has been great during the process and I know he doesn't like going to the vet or long car rides.

Someday soon I'm going to need a vacation from this vacation.

Here's my Sunday by the numbers:

10 Minute miles. About the pace of my run today. Okay, I lie! It was really more like an 11 minute mile pace (my legs felt like wet noodles), but since this numbers post starts with 10, I'll just say 10 minute miles.

9 The number of times I've tried to call and/or text the Boy with no response. Could he possibly be IGNORING me??

8 Minutes. The amount of time it took for Phantom to stop watching me from his car carrier so I could eat my sausage and egg biscuit without torturing him this morning on the way to Birmingham.

7 The number of times I got up to check on Phantom during the night.

6 O'clock. About the time Cadence decided to loudly throw up and wake us up. Like I was sleeping! Ha!

5 Hours. About the total amount of sleep we got Saturday night if that much.

4 Hours. The amount of time in the car driving back to Birmingham.

3 Miles. The length of my "long" run today squeezed in between house showings and vet visit to get Phantom's records.

2 House showings. Both with small, very wild children who went after the cat.

1 Bottle of wine. Yes! Bring it on!

0 The number of long runs or bike rides the entire weekend. My training plan is SCREWED!!

It Got Worse Before It Got Better

Just when I thought this painting job was not an inconvenience in any way, it suddenly became one. The painters started upstairs and that was no problem. Then they moved to the Boy's "apartment" downstairs. Still no problem.

But today they hit the main floor area. Big inconvenience. We were dodging around plastic all day.  And they covered up my phone so I couldn't find it. Phantom was a little unsure when he had to walk over the stuff to get downstairs to his litter box. He seems a little more off today than he has been since he got back from the vet.

All the other cats ran for cover the minute the doorbell rang.

The painters finished today and tomorrow the cleaning service and the carpet cleaner are coming. All the carpets upstairs are cleaned. The only thing left is the downstairs carpet where Phantom was puking all last month. I've gone through two cans of Resolve, but the carpet is going to be a challenge! Good thing we waited to clean it last because the carpet cleaner would never come back if he had to clean that one first.

The worst part about carpet cleaning is that the first thing one of the cats did after the upstairs carpet was cleaned was run up there and puked a big hair ball up. That was Ed this time, not Phantom. The Murph can't be mad at me if it was his cat that puked, not one of mine!

Phantom hiding out but not puking

Friday we start showing the house. We already have several people who want to see it and the inventory in this area and price range is extremely low now so I don't think it will take long to sell. Hopefully it will be under contract before we move to the coast and we won't have to list it with a realtor. Especially since I am a realtor, just one who has her license inactive right now.

When I sold my own house last year I listed it with a friend I use to work with because I was inactive and living at the coast to be near the Boy as he started his first semester in college. I paid the commission. I guess it was worth it at the time since I really didn't have a choice if I wasn't in town. Maybe this will make up for it.

Tonight is a two plus glass of wine night! I think I've pulled a muscle in my back from all the heavy moving. Boxes and furniture. We have another load to go to charity. Probably won't be the last. I must be doing pretty good on the sorting of the stuff and deciding on what I'm keeping and what is going to charity because the Murph hasn't complained too much.

The Murph was outside talking to the Larry across the street today while I ran to Home Depot to get more drawer pulls for the cabinets in the bathroom. He bought some several years ago because his interior designer told him too but he never changed them out. All this time he's had ugly white knobs circa 1970's.

Old knobs

New knobs

I knew he was talking about me when I pulled in and Larry made what looked like a cross sign like back away vampire girl. I interrogated the Murph about it when he came in and he admitted that he was indeed talking about me and wondered how the heck I knew. He was complaining to Larry about my "hoarding" tendencies and Larry actually defended me and told the Murph that I wasn't hoarding I was "nesting"'. Women tend to do that according to Larry.  Larry's wife does this and poor Larry has a houseful of stuff. Some of the stuff belongs to his son and daughter who are now grown. He also pays $200 a month for a storage unit for the stuff that won't fit in the house and has been doing this for years.

The Murph did NOT want to hear that. No way!

So there you go! I'm not a hoarder, I'm just doing what comes naturally to women. I'm "nesting".

Good bye House!

Busy day today!  Finally sold my house and had the closing today.  Now I am totally focusing on the holidays and then we wlll get the Murph's house ready to put on the market next year.  I am hoping to be somewhere tropical by the summer.  Yea!

We had to get the Boy's 1996 jaguar towed because it has been sitting in the yard for a year and the battery was totally dead.  Couldn't even open the trunk to get to the battery to charge it.  Now they are saying it needs a new alternator and the total cost of towing plus recharging battery and replacing alternator it $445.  A lot for an automobile the Boy was planning on selling for under $2,000.  It's one thing after another!   At closing, the buyers said they were kind of hoping I would leave the Jag there for them.  Funny!  I don't think the Boy would have liked that too much!  Of course, now we have this alternator issue.

So good not to have to worry about my house anymore.  It needs a family with small children.  It was a great home for me and the Boy.  The new family is young and is just starting their family.  They have a new 3 month old son.  The house is perfect for them,  Yesterday the Murph and I were at the house late waiting on the painters to finish the ceiling that the Murph almost fell through while cleaning the attic the other day and we saw the mother deer is back.  This time last year I had a mother deer and two babies that would come into my backyard at dusk.  I left deer food and water out for them and a salt lick.  Apparently, she or one of her offspring is back this year.  I told the new buyers and they were excited.  Hope they feed them!

I will miss the house for sure, but I am ready to move on to the next adventure.

Goodbye House!

Goodbye guest bathroom!

Goodbye guest room with the same curtains that were in the house when we moved in 20 years ago....I'm thinking the new owners might want to go with plantation shutters....

Goodbye office!  Sorry about the patched holes in the wall where we had to go in to save the baby squirrel....

Goodbye Master bedroom!  I really enjoyed this teak floor.

Goodbye Gala Pink Master Bath!

Goodbye Boy's room minus the red, white and blue confetti wallpaper and the airplane ceiling fan...  he grew up!

Goodbye Living room!  Hope the green furniture and rug enjoy their new owners.....

Goodbye Family room!   This leather furniture is one of the few things I kept despite friends and family that wanted it when they found out I was getting rid of things.  Even the new buyers asked if I was leaving it.  Sorry!

Goodbye Kitchen!

Goodbye Breakfast area!

Goodbye Dining Room!

Goodbye Foyer!

Goodbye Half Bath!

Goodbye Room!

Goodbye House!



(sorry I got a little carried away here!)