Beauty and the Boot

Miss Amber had toe surgery last week, and I have not had a chance to write about it until now.  We thought that Amber's toe was broken as a result of a racing injury over five years ago.  However, the vet suspected that she might have a tumor in the injured toe.  So, reluctantly I decided that we would be better off removing the toe.  

Surgery was scheduled for Tuesday morning.  I dropped her off on my way to work, complete with a mat for her kennel to make her comfy, her muzzle, and her Thera-Paw boot. I tried not to cry when I left, but I know how risky anesthesia can be for a dog her age. We agreed to go ahead and do a dental cleaning on her, since she would already be asleep. 

The doctor called me at 12:30 to let me know that everything was great. Amber's toe was not broken, but dislocated at a 90 degree angle!  Ouch!! I don't know how she was walking around all this time without yelping.  So, I felt good that we really did the best thing for her by removing that toe.  She is already feeling so much better, and I can't wait until next week when we can remove the bandages for good!

How Sweet It Is...

So, Saturday was the James Taylor concert at Chastain.  Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE James Taylor.  I have always loved him, since I was a little girl.  My dad used to play him for me, and I really do think that I know most of his songs. We actually traveled to Lenox, MA to watch him play when he was sold out in Atlanta one year. I have all of his "new" albums, which I think are some of his best, and I have more JT on my ipod than any other artist.

Newt says I like him so much because he reminds me of my dad.  True, I do associate JT with my dad, because he likes him as much as I do, and probably a little bit because they have the same haircut.  JT has a little more fringe than my dad. :)

My dad used to play the guitar, too. And, I noticed last night that they share some of the same moves while playing.  Dad reminders aside, I have to say that JT still has such an awesome stage presence.  He's down to earth and quite humorous, and his show was so wonderful.  He played several "money makers," as my friend, Amy, called them, and he brought out some covers and new songs, too.  Honestly, he could sing the alphabet, and I'd think it was great.

Chastain was fun. We took a cooler that was entirely too large for the table space we had, but we worked around it.  I think we've decided that we will just use the onsite caterer next time, and walk in with ourselves and a six-pack. :)

I don't know how old JT is or how many more tours he will do, but I know that I will pay whatever it takes to see him every time he comes to Atlanta.  It's like my own little piece of immortality, a blip in my life that takes me back to days where life was not necessarily better, but definitely much simpler. And of course, JT will always remind me of my dad. :)

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

On Saturday, Meg, Amber, and I set out to Newnan for SEGA's annual Bring Your Greyhound meeting. I've never attended a meeting before, so we were very excited. Plus, we planned to have some quality catching-up time with Allison and Matt and to visit the Meyer crew as well. After missing the turn on the way up, we finally arrived in the quaint little town of Newnan.  (Secretly, I'm wishing Newt could find a few pecan trees there to grow.) We let Amber meet Scooter - Michele's little white snowball of a dog, and they hit it off fabulously. We took a walk, and Amber wore her Thera-Paw boot. After a snack, we went to pick up Allison and drop off our stuff.  SummerWind Farm is less than two miles from her house, and we found it easily. Lais were plentiful, even Amber wore one! 

Meg had such a great time - she played with Audrey and Will at their house, served herself yummy food at the luau, visited all of the greyhounds in their exercise pens, did the hula all by herself, and even led Amber through the doggie limbo contest.  It was a hoot, though Amber was not the least bit interested, but completely a good sport.

We met some of the nicest people at the luau.  It was great to finally be able to put names and faces together and link them with their hounds.  SummerWind is a beautiful place, and I feel so privileged to have been able to visit there. I know that we will return for future SEGA events there. 

Allison and Matt have a beautiful home in a beautiful neighborhood with plenty of room for guests.  Amber and Meg just settled right in. I know Matt and Allison will make great parents one day, as Meg just couldn't get enough of either of them. She did not want to leave to come home!  She wanted me to go get her fishing pole instead! I can't wait to go back this summer to spend a little more time.  It's always great when we get together - it's like no time has passed at all.  Allison is still one of my best friends, and I imagine that she always will be :)

I enjoyed my daughter so much this weekend.  When she's out of her everyday routine, she is actually a very funny little girl. It took her a while to warm up to each new situation this weekend, but she was a comic once that happened.  I was pleasantly surprised that she was polite in public - lots of "please"s and "yes, ma'am"s. That made me feel good.  I loved spending time with her, and I think she enjoyed me, too.  I look forward to many more girly weekends with some of my very favorite people, and hounds.

A Well-Rounded Girl

Miss Meg - five going on about thirty-five most of the time...

This weekend Meg had her annual dance recital at the Pettigrew Center.  She was very excited as she had two costumes this year instead of just one! She was the only child in the whole production who did not have her hair in a bun.  I even took her to a professional to have her hair pulled up, but we were not successful.  On our best attempts, Meg looked like one of those gymnasts with what seemed like dozens of those tiny clips and bobby pins holding on for dear life. So, we gave up and opted for a shorter cut instead.  This way her teacher would surely know that there was no way under the current laws of physics that Meg's hair was going up :) 

Meg did a great job - she is clearly ready to advance to the "blue" class with her buddy, Anna Kate. This is a point that Meg brings up frequently.  

On the flip side of this girly girl, is my tomboy (sort of).  Meg had her first t-ball game this week.  She plays second base and actually caught two balls in her first game.  She also had two hits. I won't mention all of the times she was spinning in the dirt, but she managed to pay attention when it really mattered. Sometimes Meg surprises me so much.  She is so scatterbrained and disorganized, but she totally understands both sports and dance.  She has great respect for her teachers and coaches, and I know that she has learned so much from them. I'm sure Meg won't grow up to be a dancer or a sports star, but right now she wears a ball cap and tutu at our house! What a girl!

Much Needed Therapy

Today Amber went to school with me.  My students had a big project that was due last Friday and they did a great job with it. So, their reward was Amber, and I surprised them!  They were so happy to see her. They all had a great day.

Road Trip

So, Meg and I had our first experience as greyhound transporters today.  "Bug" has a broken leg, and needed to go from Birmingham to Ocala.  After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon, Bug's trip began early this morning at the track.  Meg and I picked her up at Hartley Bridge Road at noon from Teresa. Teresa handed me a bag of treats, Jiffy-Puff Marshmallows, a disposable camera and a card to send along with Bug. At each transfer we were to sign the card and take a picture of ourselves with Buggy. Meg and I were up to the challenge!

As soon as Bug was settled in the back of the car, we set out.  On the entrance ramp to the interstate, Meg and I noticed a foul odor.  Guess all those eggs for breakfast clashed with Bug's stomach.  She gave us three or four really stinky bombs during the ride, but Meg and I just laughed and cracked the windows.

Meg brought an entire bookbag filled with stuff to eat and keep her occupied.  She played games, looked at trucks, and occasionally fed Bug a marshmallow. (I'm sure these didn't help the gas situation...) We talked about lots of things and sang along to Victor Vito.  It was good for the two of us to do something together for a change.  She is such a daddy's girl, that I don't get much one-on-one time with her lately. She seemed to realize that what we were doing was important, and she was excited about that.

We reached Tifton by 1:30 and met Bryan, who owns two greys, and is deaf.  I went along babbling and gesturing wildly (I'm sure he thought I was an idiot), and finally asked him for a piece of paper to write things down.  He was super nice and Bug settled in nicely in the back of his car.  We said our goodbyes and took our photo.  We know Bug is on her way to a successful surgery and a forever home.  That's what it's all about...

We grabbed a Starbucks for the ride home.  Meg had a rice krispy treat that was the size of her head which she promptly polished off by the time we reached Cordele. We talked a little less on the way home - I think we were both tired. But it was a good day.  I'm glad I got to spend it with my little girl and a dog.