Journal

I started redoing my wedding portfolio so I could display my better photos from this year and offer a more photojournalistic presentation.  That's what I like best and so far, my weddings for next year really like that style too.

I'm definitely getting more self confidence as I go through my work and see what I've done.  It was an expense to have almost 500 photos printed and yet it will pay for itself when the deposit from the bride and groom come in this week.  They loved the new portfolio even more than the online show (which is the next to get updated).  This time last year, I think I only had one wedding set up for the following year.  Already though for next year, I've got 6 or 7.  It's so wonderful!  I'm loving it and am looking forward to the season starting up so I don't have to struggle for rent money and the many other monthly expenses.

My dog Chloe has been having trouble eating.  She's been depressed since Lucy died and that caused an intestinal problem.  She did better for a couple of days and now today, she's not eating again.  She is acting normal outside and wanting to play out there in the bitter cold.  She just doesn't want to eat.

Today, I've been working around the apartment and getting some more stuff sorted, put away, ready to give away, consolidated, etc.  I talked to maintenance about my radiator situation.  What a nuisance it is to have the heat keep going off.  It's included with the rent and so it's a matter of them getting the boiler to the right setting.  I just get so cold in my apartment every time they adjust the boiler because my radiators stop working right.  They were going to fix this earlier today but it isn't fixed so I may have to contact them again.  I don't want to be a pain and I've given them days at a time to fix the problem earlier even though I was freezing.  It just feels like a very fine line between taking care of my needs and being a thorn in their side.

So, I'll walk that fine line and do what I can when I think the timing is right.  Oy Veh!!!!!

Time to eat something before I have to leave to go to my workout.

Love Carolyn

Well, it's been a week minus one hour since my dog Lucy had her first seizure.  As 9pm nears, the memory of that first seizure from start to end runs through my mind and the pain of it has returned.  It's been a pretty good day otherwise.  I got more stuff put away and put up on the walls.  I got heat in one more of my 3 radiators.  (Can't understand why I can't get heat in all 3 radiators) so the place is a bit warmer. 

My dog Chloe started out feeling really sick this morning and hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon.  She was shivering and so I thought she was sick.  She even refused tuna fish which is the first time ever!  She had a ton of gurgling in her belly but no bloating.  Her stools were softer and wetter than normal but not diarhea either.  Inside, she just moped and layed on the bed, uninterested in just about anything.   Outside she seemed to have energy and wanted to play and mark her territory through the neighborhood with her pee.  Still, after Lucy dying just 6 days ago, I felt beside myself that there could be something life threatening going on with her.  I called my friend and off we went to the vet.

So in the car, she's still refusing to eat anything and is shivering pretty intensely.  We get to the vet and they gave her a treat.  She gobbled it up making a huge liar out of me.  In fact, she gobbled every one of the many treats they gave her.  I told the vet what happened with the other dog and that Chloe had witnessed the seizure and then never saw Lucy again as I had taken her straight to the vet.  I told the vet how Chloe had been depressed this week and it made complete sense to him.  He said that because of the stress of the other dog's death, she had gotten a bacterial overgrowth in her intestines and it was causing great discomfort which was making her not want to eat.  He gave her a pill and told me to just keep trying to distract her and give her as much attention as I can to help her through the transition.

What great news that was.  On the way home, I stopped and bought her a bunch more cheap toys as she had already destroyed the two I bought her this week.  I also bought some more treats.  He said it would be good if she could gain a couple more pounds too.  She had finally put on a few pounds after being treated for worms that she got while living with my surrogate folk's home.  Still, you can see that she can handle a couple more so I'm just going to get that digestion going and spoil her as much as I can.

When we got home, we took a decent size walk and then played several times inside with all the new toys she got.  She was sooooo excited about the toys.  She just kept running from one to the other and playing with each one.  Each time we played since then, she would pick out a different toy for me to toss.  I'm about to give her the evening dose of medicine and some more treats and more playing.  Then I think another walk is in order.  She'll love that.  She LOVES the outside so much.  It's cold outside but I really don't mind that at all.  Knowing that my dog is happy out there warms me up considerably.

With that, I will get to distracting us both and have some fun with my beloved Chloe.  Have a great night everyone!

Love Carolyn