Whig Hill

The dog is good. I am doing better, but I still have no computer. Things, however, are looking up.

update

Since I left you with that anxiety filled post yesterday, I should probably give an update. Lizzie is fine. She looks so much better today. Back to normal, I’d say. She came in this morning to wake me up, which she hadn’t done the few days before. She got excited about walking around the block, grabbing her leash. She was more attentive on the walk and the real bad limp has gone away. She’s pacing around the apartment. I guess yesterday she was still groggy from the pain meds the vet gave and that the ulcer medicine is beginning to work. I never thought I’d pray the dog had an ulcer, but considering the alternatives, I sure am glad it seems that that was the problem. Needless to say, I feel a whole lot better.

health update

So last night Lizzie started fluttering her lower jaw and that seemed real weird. I looked to see if there was an obstruction or some other nuisance and didn’t see anything, then took her for a walk around the block because nothing cures a problem like a walk. That didn’t work and she still kept fluttering her jaw at an alarming rate. It seemed like nothing but I began to panic and took her to the emergency vet. The doctor looked at her and said with a condition like that they look for two things: abdominal pain or a neurological “event”. By this point I’m totally freaked and breathing shallow and sweating badly and getting light headed. We talked it through a little more and for various reasons decided that we’re probably looking at an ulcer. But they’re not certain and they said I could take her home and monitor her overnight for seizure-type behavior I said no way, if that’s going to happen, she needs to be at the doctor. She stayed, I went home and took a Xanax.

Picked her up this morning and the doctor reported that the fluttering jaw and abated, mostly, and she hadn’t exhibited any signs of a seizure or stroke. I took her straight to the regular vet and we also talked ourselves into a diagnosis of an ulcer. I have, after all, been giving her more Deramax—a well-known stomach irritant—than usual since the holidays and she’s been puking more than usual from acidic stomach.  But we didn’t get through that conversation without more talk of neurological issues and cat-scans and the specialty doctor. The vet said, “she’s about the age when brain tumors start developing,” and I went pale, and almost passed out right there. She saw that and was quick to add that she didn’t think that’s Lizzie’s problem, she’s just sayin’. It was too late, she already said it. But we’re treating for an ulcer. Lizzie has medicine to take three times a day in addition to Pepcid and special bland dog food. And we have to lay off the Deramax. That’s hard because in her exam this morning, Lizzie struggled very hard and got all bitey and jammed up her right front leg and now she has a real bad limp.

She seems to be o.k. now, though rather subdued. I still see the fluttering jaw just a little, but this medicine hasn’t really taken effect yet. I’m still pretty freaked and am going to go now and pop another Xanax.

Hello

Iron Furnace
Originally uploaded by natmaconjr.

Been a while. Sorry about that. Let’s do it this way…

Classes at Community College started last week. Eight a.m. and nine a.m. back to back. Fewer people this time around; about 35 in one and 29 in the other. And right out of the gate they seem altogether smarter, and more engaged than last semester. We’re doing Western Civilization II, starting with Renaissance Italy so I’m boning up on Botticelli and getting more out of More. Someone please stop me.

Myself, I am taking two classes this semester. One directed readings course, for which I’ve knocked out six of the fifteen books already. The other is a regular class, on the Atlantic slave trade. This will be my last semester of classes before I begin studying for the comprehensive exams next fall.

My laptop is dead. For real this time. I can’t get a new one because my student loan check hasn’t come in and won’t be here for another week. At least this time I have a bit of money to get me through, so I won’t be assaulting any mailmen… oh, I never told you about that? Well, some other time then. I will probably get a white 13” MacBook. I have been the last week without a computer and that just sucks out loud. Today I discovered students may check out laptops from the library for seven days and they actually had one available! So I have it at home and that’s nice. And I credit President Obama for the good fortune, of course.

Dog is fine. She just loves this cold weather. But she reminds me every day that none of this is as fun as vacation to Aunt Sylvia’s house.

I've had a cold, but it seems to be going away. I credit Obama for that. Obama also found a ride for Scott Riggs for '09. Go #36!

Oh, and here is the photo of the gravestone with the iron forge I promised but never delivered. Isn’t it cool?

And let me just say... I plan to live in this country and help "work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right." Oh, yeah.

	Woody Guthrie - This Land Is Your Land
	Found at skreemr.com