Tonight was the Wits finale over in St. Paul, and as we were in line for entrance (it's general admission), they had this brass band playing for everyone's entertainment (I think they were called the Brass Messengers, but I can't be positive). How awesome is this Tuba player?Anyway, the show itself was awesome because it featured Amy Sedaris (So! Funny!) and They Might Be Giants (Istanbul is Constantinople) and it was just hilarious. But not only was the show highly entertaining, but we had a gazillion friends in attendance and a) we could all sit near each other (ish) and b) we all went out for drinks after at Icehouse. Fun night.Memphis update: We got a little good news today as some of her kidney numbers came back and they looked better. However, her pickiness about food is getting worse, and we're trying to keep her from wasting away. Tonight, for instance, I mixed her kibble with pumpkin, blueberries and coconut oil, and she still didn't finish. Yeah, this might get tough.Merlin, however, is thrilled at the "bonus food" he keeps getting.
I had every good intention of not running a Memphis photo today, but I got home from dinner with my good buddy Stacy, and Jamie was toweling off our girl from the bath. AND HOW CUTE IS SHE WHEN SHE'S ALL WET??When she was a puppy, she loved the shower. Whenever you would take a shower, you'd be lathering up your hair and feel something on your ankle and you'd turn around and there would be Memphis the Puppy wagging her tail, just there to join you in the shower. Yup, that's when we had to start shutting her out of the bathroom. Now, she just prefers to nap on the bathroom floor and breathe in the steamAnyway, Jamie thought that she might feel better after a bath since, in general, that seem sto work for everyoneAs for her tests today, we still don't know much about what is causing all of this, but we do know that a) it's not lyme's disease b) it's not an infection c) Her kidney, liver, stomach and intestines all look normal on the sonogram. We're waiting on a few more tests that take up to a week, then we should know more. Until then she's on a ton of medication. Fingers crossed it's fixable
Wow, the hits just keep coming.After a really good day at the office, I stopped off at my favorite butcher to pick up some steaks and planned on cooking a delicious dinner (steak, red wine & mushroom gravy). While I was prepping, Memphis went outside to go to the bathroom. We'll just say there were some problems, and blood was spottedWe brought her in, bagged the sample (pleasures of pet ownership) and planned on bringing it to the specialist to address first thing tomorrow morning. We went about our business and then Jamie noticed a big pool of blood on the kitchen floor and dripping down her (wagging) tail*cue freakout*So now we are at the emergency vet waiting on test results. She is bandaged on both legs because she jumped during the blood withdrawal. It is stressful. But you know, she's wagging her tail and is just thrilled to meet all these new people. Golden retrievers are the happiest creatures on earth, I swear.
Last night, after I blogged and put my computer away, we got a call from the vet. I had a feeling it was serious because it was 8:45, and I doubt many vets make calls that late (except ours because a) she's awesome and b) we have probably put one of her children through college now thanks to Memphis).Anyway, sadly, my instincts were right. She was calling because Memphis' tests were back and her kidney levels had gotten a lot worse in the 2 weeks since our last bloodwork. She was calling to refer us to a specialist, and she wanted us to be seen this week. She told us she was very concerned, and she was worried it might be glomerular disease, but that the specialist would be able to better pinpoint the problem.So.... like any red-blooded American with a computer I went to Google. Man, I wish I hadn't done that. Turns out that dogs diagnosed with glomerular disease live between 42 days and 20 months after diagnosis, and the average expectancy is 89 daysYeah. So I'm a little out of it today because a) all I can think about right now is that I have this one summer left with my baby girl and b) well... I might have cried a bunch and my sinuses are now a wreck, resulting in plugged ears and headache.On a positive note, however, Memphis is loving her new food, is eating a ton of it really fast, and appears to be back to her old self... So at least she's not acting as sick as her bloodwork is making her out to beI'll keep you posted on what else we learn. People, hug your pets. Our time with them is just too limited.
Man, I love my summer blueberries. I eat pints and pints of them each week. They'll only be affordable (or, in season) for a few more weeks, so I'm taking advantage while I can. Beautiful, eh?And how about an update on Memphis! She was so much better today! I got home and she greeted me at the door wagging her tail and covering my face in kisses! That was a nice surprise. Then we took the pups to the pet food store to attempt to find some new food that Memphis will eat (we ended up with turkey, peas and sweet potato flavor), and on top of that she got to steal some treats out of the box and see a cat. Man, a good day for the golden retriever.
Our little girl here is sick. Still. Lately she's lost interest in food (unless it's our food... or food that she has previously barfed up. Yeah -- filthy creatures) and will barely wag her tail when you enter the room. Me entering the room used to be the Best Thing Ever! Sigh, I miss those days.We went back to the vet today for more tests and should know more by the end of the week. The highlight of Memphis' day was when she *almost* got to eat a baby bunny alive. But Mom interfered by screaming at her, and as she turned to glare at me the baby bunny (squealing) lept from her jaws and ran into the neighbors yard, apparently uninjured (minus the severe heart damage from being held in the teeth of a dog and surviving to tell the tale).I would like to point out, however, that while Memphis is not eating her food, should Merlin attempt to swing by and nibble the leftovers, she snarls and nips at him. So at least she's still go the "bitch" thing going for her. (And I say that in the most endearing way possible.)
I wanted to get a "real" photo of the bird's nest on our front porch before they hatched... and since I have no idea how long they've been there, I thought I better jump on it. It's a sparrow's nest, and according to google, the eggs take about three weeks to hatch, and then the birds stay around the nest for another two weeks until they learn to fly.Otherwise, this weekend has been MARVELOUS. Yesterday, every errand and date-type activity was walkable -- which is just another reason I love this city so much. We went to the farmer's market, the nursery and out to dinner at Tilia (wonderful, as usual). Today, we weeded and mulched the front garden (finally) and then I went to yoga. There was a huge music festival in town all weekend, and I could not be happier to have missed it. It was just glorious to stay in and nap and cook and read and nap. Did I mention the napping? So good.
So yeah, this shot is from yesterday as well. Maybe I should change the header to read "documenting each and every yesterday in photos."Anyway! This is Steve and his lovely wife who are expecting a baby in about 10 weeks. I had some amazing shots of this lady in the light with her belly as well, but since I showed you that kind of stuff