Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Moving!!
I've moved Inspired Procrastination to it's own domain!!! Here's the link to the new site: http://www.inspiredprocrastination.com/blog/.

Please adjust your Blogrolls and any other links you have for me. Then come on over and see the new site!! I'll look forward to hearing what you think. It was designed by the wonderful Lilly at Happy Fun Blog.
 
~the Procrastinatrix got around to it @ 10:47:00 PM~#~~


Calling on the Experts:
I have a couple of blogging technical questions, if anyone cares to help me out.

1. I want to move over to my new MT blog on my own domain soon, but wonder about my blogroll. Do I have to start a totally new Blogrolling account and re-input all my favorite reads OR can I just change the URL on my existing Blogrolling account and insert the code on new blog. The thing I'm worried about is when all the people see my wonderful new blog and want to blogroll me (HA!!), will they be able to use the "Blogroll Me" link and end up with the correct link? Does that make any sense?

2. I seriously need help importing my Blogger archives to the new site. I've tried to follow the instructions provided by MT, but end up with blank entries instead of my archives. Any help would be appreciated.
 
~the Procrastinatrix got around to it @ 2:43:00 PM~#~~


Big and Little
Big and Little dogs went in for their yearly routine exam and heartworm test last week. It went well, but it is finally time for me to swallow my fear and have their teeth cleaned. I'm afraid because the last time I took Big in to do it, she had a very bad reaction to the pre-anesthesia meds, went into shock and nearly died. There are no words to describe how afraid I was that day. I've avoided the dental work ever since then. Well, I can't anymore. It's become obvious that their teeth are bothering them and interfering with how they eat. Little needs her food softened in water now, and she didn't before. Big has a spot on her gumline that has deteriorated terribly. I feel very guilty about this, but I'm still so terrified that something'll happen to them on the operating table. Little will be done at the regular vet's, but Big is going to the University animal hospital. While she is under the anesthesia, she'll have her teeth cleaned, then surgeons will also close up some sebaceous glands that have erupted and caused big sores for a couple of years now. There has been nothing to do about these cysts before because they required surgery to close the gland that kept opening up the sore, causing it to be unable to heal. The only way to fix them would have been surgery and with such a big dog it's a risk neither I or the vets were willing to take. Now that she has to be under for her dental, we'll fix the cysts, too. I can't help fearing for both of them, but I know it's finally time to get it done. We're waiting on an appointment call back from the University for Big, and I'm calling Little's vet today to make hers.
 
~the Procrastinatrix got around to it @ 9:50:00 AM~#~~


Baby Update
This past Saturday I spent an hour making a giant calendar to put on our wall. I cut apart a hanging calendar and taped all the months together side by side (4 across and 3 down). I've done this so we could have a visual reminder every day of just how little time is left before the baby comes. It'll help both of us get going on any one of the bazillian things to be done before the little guy gets here. We made special marks on particular days (Prenatal visits, Ultrasound, told the family, etc). On April 8, we're able to write that I felt the baby move for the first time!!! I lay in bed each night, concentrating to see if I can feel him and finally I felt something that was NOT a gas bubble or my stomach rumbling. I definitely felt 4 kicks, then a long pause, then a few more. For the first couple days after that, I could only feel him when I was laying still, concentrating. The last couple days though I've felt him while I was driving once, once last night while sitting at a bonfire with friends and many times while I've been seated at the computer typing. I think the way I lean in while I type makes him more active, prolly cuz he gets squished some. It's not a strong enough feeling for the Rock Star to feel it yet. It's a very nice feeling and makes me happy. I'm enjoying this part of the pregnancy so much. It feels like a time to dream and hope and wonder about the life of this child...

Update: I've added a baby due date countdown to the About me sidebar (near the top) at the request of Suzy and with the advice of Zam. Yup, I'm 20 weeks this week. Halfway there!!!
 
~the Procrastinatrix got around to it @ 9:41:00 AM~#~~


They Were All My Friends...
Last week I got word that one of my oldest and dearest clients went to dog heaven. Theo was a grouchy old Shar Pei when I met him back in 1997 and he remained so to the end. By grouchy I don't mean mean or anything. This was a dog who just wanted to get out there and sniff everything, then pee on it, and keep on going. He wasn't interested in having people pet him, something they always wanted to do when they saw him. He had the wrinkly face and stubby body of a Shar Pei and passersby always wanted to touch him. He tolerated it, but really just wanted to be on his way. It's hard to explain how you end up truly loving some of these dogs that don't make themselves very lovable. We had a very companionable relationship and I walked him every day for several years. When I took over the business, I passed him over to another pet sitter and she came to respect and love him the way I did. A couple of weeks ago, his dad called to say he'd been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, but was on meds and the prognosis was fine. I had deep forebodings that this was the end for good old Theo, and on Tuesday of last week got the message that his parents had taken him in to be put to sleep. He'd lost a lot of weight, and had none of his old appetite for life left.

Theo was a good old dog and I loved him. I will truly miss this dear old friend. Please spare a thought for the life of a fine dog and wish him Fare Well with me. *crying*
 
~the Procrastinatrix got around to it @ 9:30:00 AM~#~~

Thursday, April 08, 2004

Hellboy
Rocked!
 
~the Procrastinatrix got around to it @ 11:11:00 PM~#~~


WoofDa!!
Sorry I haven't updated since Monday. I've been totally wiped out by doing a full dog walking route every day. It has been fun, seeing so many dogs each day, but it's tiring. Getting in and out of the car, walkies, trying to keep to a schedule, etc.

The bird feeders are starting to get lots of traffic. The first day a pair of purple finches were the biggest customers, but the last couple of days the sparrows have been flocking around. The finches are a lot more skittish and will fly off if some one walks by on the sidewalk. The sparrows are much more cheeky and don't let sidewalk traffic scare them. There always seem to be 5 - 10 of them around, either on the feeders or on the porch rail. They also seem to like the suet feeder, while I haven't seen the finches touch it. The thistle feeder has seen no takers yet. I'm hoping for goldfinches and wrens there. I've seen no cardinals or humming birds. Cardinals I know are here because I see them in the back yard all the time. I wonder if they like another kind of food better. No matter what I am very, very happy with my little sparrows and especially the finches. The male purple finches are all rosy right now, cuz it's mating season. Regarding the poop on the porch problem, I just figured I'd go out there and hose it off once a week or so. It's really not to bad right now after 5 days of being up, so maybe I'll only have to hose once every two weeks. I'll definitely have to sweep up the sunflower seed shells, though. A lot of the shells and poop drop down into the yard outside the porch and that's the dog's potty yard anyhow, so it's ok. Once we move upstairs, I'm moving all the feeders to the back yard, but for now, this is where I can watch the birds while I'm at my desk.

Ok, well, time to get out there and bring happiness and joy to the dogs of Minneapolis...Hope you all have a great day!
 
~the Procrastinatrix got around to it @ 10:09:00 AM~#~~


Inspired Procrastination