She did it!!

Readers!!

Poppy

Poppy

She did it! She did it! Poppy walked up the plank and into the coop by herself. I still had to talk to her and block with the rake for a bit but she did it. Turbo had to go up and down the plank about three times to encourage Poppy to come in. When she finally got onto the plank, Turbo nudged her up and past her into the coop. She then followed her up. Now, I am sure I will have to continue to go up there for a few nights block her from going under the coop but I think they continue going in on their own. I don’t mind since I love to watch them wiggle on up! So proud!

New Pool Cover

New Pool Cover

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Today the guys from Aqua Vision came and winterized our pool and put the new pool cover on. This is the first time in nine years that we have closed and covered the pool. I am so happy we finally did this. No more raking out the gross leaves or finding dead things in the drains. EECK!

Whatcha Listening Too

I started a new audio book called The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. It is narrated by the author which is something you do see often. It takes place in England sometime in the 20th century, not to sure when. I am 1 hour and 32 minutes into it and so far I like it and think Gaiman is doing a good job. After I finish it, I will listen to Mr. Penubra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. Has anyone read these two? What did you think?

Squawk!

Boo.

Boo.

Today I took The Boy to see Monsters University at the local dollar ($1.75) theater. We stopped at CVS to grab some candy and got a bottle of water and a small coke (which was actually small) to drink at the theater. The movie was good. I liked the first movie and had actually been looking forward to seeing it. The Boy enjoyed it too. The head dean of the character is kinda gross. Kind of a cross between a cockroach and centipede. ICK!
IMG_3037Two minutes after this was taken, Panny reached our and touched Timber. I thought “They will snuggle now!” But Timber got up moved. I don’t know who was hurt bummed more, Panny or me.

The Girls

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It has been almost two weeks since The Girls have moved into their new coop/run. I think they are loving it! The love the hay I put in there and have made a few nests in it under the coop. This where Poopy and Turbo have been laying their eggs…not in the three nesting boxes I had made. Ok, then. Whatever. I have had been going up in each night at dusk to show them that they need to walk up the plank and go inside and roost at night. Well, the last few days at dusk Turbo has marched her sassy little but up the plank and gone on in. There is a reason she is head hen. Then we both start talking to Poppy. You should hear Turbo yell at her. I use a rake to make sure Poppy doesn’t go under the coop and use a soothing  tone to encourage her to walk on up. Tubor just yells. Then after a bit she (Turbo) walks back down and squawks at her more, gets all in her face. Finally I pick Poppy up and put it her in. Pickles. They squawk a bit while they make themselves comfortable and then they sleep! I am hoping that it clicks for Poppy soon.

Podcasts

Reader’s, do you listen to any Podcasts? Do you have any favorites? What are they? I am always looking for new one.  I start my day refreshing my podcasts to see if any have been updated and then listen to them while drinking coffee, checking/updating my e-mail, FB, Quicken and starting my work day. Here is what I am listening to:

NPR: Pop Culture Happy Hour

NPR: Fresh Air

60 Minutes

NPR: All Songs Considered

NBC Nightly News ( I end up watching Fox with My Man, so I watch “left” news to make sure I stay in the middle! :) )

NPR: Hourly News Summary

NPR: Books Podcast

Song of the Day

PRI: Arts & Entertainment

School Run French (This is geared for 5 to 10 year olds, so it is right up my alley!)

Live Your Life Now- (I just started it today.

I am always looking for new one, so please let me know which podcasts do you listen too.

Have good evening Reader’s!

 

 

Shrinkage can be a good thing.

Hey Readers!!

I know it has been a few days since I have updated. I got back from the hospital Tuesday evening. Tuesday was a long hard day. I just wanted to go home! I won;t go into it because I am home now and that is all that matters. What’s new? Well, that little shitty tumor is getting smaller! Woot! Woot! Heard from Dr. Read today who e-mailed me the report and it has shrunk from 2.8 x 6.5cm to 2 x 3.8cm. He was pretty happy with the shrinkage (what? what?) and is going to meet with the Tumor Board tonight and talk to the surgeons. He wants to wait a least three more weeks before surgery so it can have time to shrink more. Very happy about this news.

I have been able to spend a little time with The Girls in the morning the last two days. Timber and I go up there with a morning snack and watch them eat and do there things. I have made some notes on my iPad of a few things I want to do when I get stronger. I need to get some pine straw to spread around the front and side of the coop but also where the old one use to be. Looks pretty barren right now. The Boy and I are still having to go out each night at duck to help them up to the coop. They have made nests in the straw under the coop and Poppy has been laying her eggs there. I think she would sleep there if we didn’t move her. I read that it could take up to three weeks for them to start going up and in on their own. The move really messed with them! But over all I know they are happy with their new home.

I have added some pictures I have taken over the past few days here at home and at the hospital. I hope you are all doing well. Let me know if you have any questions or ideas of what you want me to write about.

Happy Fall Y’all!

Timber checking out The Girls...chicken butt on the right.

Timber checking out The Girls…chicken butt on the right.

Hanging out with Timber and The Girls

Hanging out with Timber and The Girls

Morning Snack

Morning Snack

Hello!

Hello!

Because a duel port is not enough

Because a duel port is not enough

Guess who is bored?

Guess who is bored?

Out for a walk

Out for a walk

My Man

My Man

Lunch at the hospital

Lunch at the hospital

Blueberries are my favorite

Blueberries are my favorite

Me and the Boy

Me and the Boy

No Pictures!

No Pictures!

The Girls

The Girls

New hanging food and water containers. I love the room they free up.

New hanging food and water containers. I love the room they free up.

Scratching the compost.

Scratching the compost.

 

Chemo Brain…I got it.

Happy Saturday Reader’s!

It looks like a nice day out here from my hospital window. I hope it is nice where you are. My 3rd chemo ended around 11:30pm last night. I was able to get a few hours of sleep before I was waken up at 2am and then again 4am. I think the doctor on rounds came in around 6:30 but I wasn’t really awake when she spoke to me. I then fell back asleep till the phone rang. Wrong number. Nice. It was 8:45am and my chemo was due to begin at 9am so I just stayed up. I then noticed My Man was gone. Seconds later I got a text from him asking what I wanted for breakfast from Rita’s Bluebird Dinner. Yummy! I gave him my order and 15 minutes later I was in heaven!

My chemo went well. I have two more cycles to go through. People ask how I am feeling. I am tired, run down. My brain isn’t working at full speed. You may have noticed while reading the past few blogs. Chemo brain, that’s what I got. I also get a tingling feeling at times but no numbness. And I pee, a lot. Which is a good thing but annoying. Good news is that my white blood cell counts went up yesterday! Woot! Woot! Very happy to hear that.

Today we are watching football. Can’t find the Alabama game on the TV here but are getting updates. doesn’t seem like much of a game anyway. RTR! We are watching Michigan State. They need to get their game on in the second quarter!

The Boy, my Mom and my Dad came down for a visit. The Boy went to piano and guitar this morning and my dad picked up some items for the coop/run. They have been having to put Turbo and Poppy on the ramp at night, so that they would walk up into the coop. My dad thinks part of the problem is that they can see their old coop and want to get into it. So this morning he and The Boy moved it so that they couldn’t see it anymore. They are having no problem coming out in the morning. My dad and I think it will just take a few days for them to figure this out. In the meantime, we will help them out. My dad and The Boy also moved some dirt into the run to make a dirt bath for the girls. He said they went straight to it and had a blast.

Not too much else going on here. Just ate my lunch of chicken salad with crackers and cheese and an apple. I bought all of it on Wednesday to bring in to the hospital. I have ordered only one thing from dinning, orange juice. And yes, it tasted terrible! WTH? It is orange juice! I couldn’t even finish it. 

Have a wonderful day Reader’s! Enjoy!

The Majestic

Hey Reader’s!

I am writing you from room 7129 at Emory Midtown. I am all checked in and have started getting my fluids. This will last for four hours before my first round of chemo starts at 8:30pm. My meeting went well with Dr. Reed. He did say my white blood cell count was a little low but that just means I may need to take more shots after I get home. I also will have to monitor my temperature, which I do anyway. I told him I have three thermometers, one in my office, one by my bed and one in the family room! I never know when I will feel the need to take my temperature!

The Majestic!

The Majestic!

Last night Matt, the chicken man, finished up with the chicken coop/run. It looks so great! I was so afraid it would not be ready before I went back to the hospital. The pictures are a bit dark due to the time of day but I will take more when I get home and post those.

I had Matt paint the door into the run red to match our red door. He also placed four roosting poles inside the coop for them to roost on at night. I hope they remember how to do that since their old coop did not have them. 

Around 7pm my Dad, Mom and I went to get Turbo and Poppy out of their old coop/run and move them into their new coop/run. I was able to grab Turbo pretty easily and brought her into her new home. Poppy on the other hand was a bit harder to get. My dad tried to grab her, I tried to grab her, nothing. She is a fast one. I finally came up with a plan. I had my mom use a rake to force Poppy into the coop, my dad locked her in and I opened the back of the coop and grabbed her. Once I got her she leaned her head into me, it was kind of sweet.

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To be honest, I think the girls were a bit overwhelmed by their new home. They didn’t have much time to explore before it got dark and it was time for them to go to sleep. We weren’t sure if they would know to walk up the plank to get into their coop. The Boy and I went up to check and sure enough they were in the back corner underneath the coop. I got down and climbed under the coop and grabbed Turbo. I then put her inside. Poppy came out from under the coop on her own and let me pick her up and put her in. They were both very chatty for a few minutes but then settled down and went to sleep.

Happy Girls!

Happy Girls!

Nesting boxes

Nesting boxes

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This morning The Boy and I took a flashlight out to take a peak at them. It seemed as though they had just woken up even though it was still pretty dark out. I was able to look out my window while I was getting ready and see Turbo walk down the plank. My Mom and I then went outside to check on them and Poppy made her way down the plank. You could tell she was a bit nervous and almost fell off but she caught herself and made it down ok.

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The Playground area

The Playground area

I love the “playground” area! Matt used the ladder and one of the swings from the play set to make roosting area for them to use. Turbo tried to get on one but fell off. She need some practice. I can’t wait to get home and watch them. My dad is going to get some regular dirt to put on top of the red clay, to make a dust bath area. I put a mixture of all-purpose sand and wheat straw inside their coop.

A reader, Tammy, wrote and suggested we name the new coop/run. Keeping in the spirit of Hotel Yorba, I have named it The Majestic. The Majestic is the club over the Magic Stick bowling alley where My Man and I first saw the White Stripes play.

We are so happy with The Majestic. Matt did a wonderful job. If you live in the ATL area and want a chicken coop, let me know!  

 

 

 

Getting Ready!

Good Day Reader’s!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Tuesday. Today I am getting ready for my last cycle of chemotherapy. I check into the hospital tomorrow and still have a lot to do. My parents are on their way over from Birmingham as I type. We are going to go out to lunch at Breadwinner where I will grab two containers of  yummy soup to bring to the hospital for lunch. We are also going to stop at Trader Joe’s to grab some things. Such as more chocolate! I knew My Man couldn’t help but eat most of what I bought last week. I am also going to by some yogurt and fruit. I am going to make a fruit of salad to bring for snacking and yogurt for breakfast. No more burnt bagels for me! Who knows what else I will get, it is Trader Joe’s after all. Just like Target, you go in for one thing and come out with thirty.

Me and my bother!

Me and my bother!

My brother is traveling for work this week and was in the Atlanta area last night. We met for dinner and he spent the night. We took our bald picture (it is staying in the vault) and one with my favorite hat.

The Boy and his new tent

The Boy and his new tent

The Boy is raising money for his school and will be participating in a fun run on Friday. The weather is supposed to be perfect for it. I am sad I won’t be able to go and watch him run, like I did last year but I know he will have a fun time. As The Boy received pledges, he won gifts. The last one he got was a tent. It is much nicer then I thought it would be. However, now that it is open, none of us can get it closed. Why does that always happen? They make these impossible to close!

The Boy

The Boy

The chicken coop/run is still under construction. I really hope he can finish it today. I wanted to get the girls all moved in before I checked into the hospital. However, when I go through all the still needs to be done, I just don’t see it happening. I will take some pictures this evening and load them on the computer, so I can at least show how it is coming along. It looks really good. I can’t wait till they are moved in. They are going to love it!

Ready for my new home!

Ready for my new home!

Have a wonderful day!!

Cancer is a Full Time Job…

Good Morning Readers!

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Sorry I missed yesterday. I had a pretty busy day yesterday. First Timber had to be taken to the Spa for his “fluff -n- buff”. The poor boy is shedding everywhere. While he was enjoying his day of beauty, I went to Target to grab a few things. One of those things was a Fall wreath for the front porch. I had been wanting to buy it for a week or so and it finally went on sale. Woot! Woot!

New wreath!

New wreath!

When we got home Timber’s new Zombie toy had come in the mail. It was much smaller than I thought it would be. She was a super cute zombie and squeaked! Timber was in love!

New Friend!

New Friend!

And then three minutes later, she was missing her left eye. Ok, so maybe she was too small for my big boy. I fear by the end of today she will in shreds.

Three Minutes Later...

Three Minutes Later…

Luckily we got our Bark Box yesterday too.

What is inside?!

What is inside?!

Have you ever wondered who clicked on the add’s in your FB news feed? Well, now you know one! I clicked on the Bark Box add about three months ago right after we adopted Timber. It included a coupon and I thought what the heck. I figured that if I knew there would be a goodie box for Timber coming each month, it would keep me from buying him toys and treats. For the most part, it has worked. We have had bought more balls for him. Timber loves to play ball…a lot.  We have lost a few over the fence and he ripped one apart. Plus to play ball with him you need at least two balls at a time.

We signed up for the extra-large dog box. Timber is a big boy! Each month you received a box with some kind of toy and three to four types of healthy treats. So far he had liked most of the treats and toys. Last month he got a toy shark that could float and be thrown.

Did not pass the Timber test

Did not pass the Timber test

Timber has not played with it once. Not sure why. Whenever I have thrown it to him, he would just look at it fall and walk away.

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I think this month toy’s looks as though it will last at least a week.

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I have been up and in the office since 4:30am. I think I see my self crashing soon. Have a wonderful day Readers!!