Today's thoughts

Category: CREATURE FEATURES (Page 27 of 38)

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! (Plus dogs and cats)

Retirement is not without Hassles: Twist #618

Yesterday’s “Schnauzerthon”post (See #617), took on a new twist this morning. My wife and I went to the Soulful Giving Concert yesterday to benefit the Yoshida Foundation. It was a beautiful afternoon and evening with friends that involved several cover bands including Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, and Journey along with other groups that played Top 40 hits from the 80’s. We sat in lawn chairs under cover of the VIP tent, had a great lunch provided by several local restaurants, and enjoyed wine and of course the music. Part of the event was a silent auction that kept us engaged most of the day, and we ended up with a dog stroller for our aging pup, Tinker. Our friends bought a wicker picnic basket ensemble that we’ll all hopefully get some use out of on our frequent trips to wine country. We’ll all be together next weekend again at another outdoor, afternoon fundraiser, Polo Noir. It will feature “Nacho,” the polo “god” and the music of The Head and the Heart. Thankfully, there will be no silent auction to further drain our retirement savings.

From the minute we walked into the silent auction tent yesterday afternoon, my wife had her eye on this Air Buggy dog stroller, and frequently updated her bid while the bands played on. Our 100-year old schnauzer, Tinker has struggled on our last couple of weekend exercise outings that I just yesterday dubbed as “Schnauzerthons.” I run, my wife walks, and our two schnauzers get an hour-long airing each weekend morning to break-up their lazy condo-living routines. That all changed with the winning silent auction bid, as Tinker got to ride in her new Air Buggy rather than walk on sore feet this morning. Her schnauzer sister Tally I’m sure was envious, as she seemed even less anxious to run with me. I looped-back several times in an effort to coax her to join me in a sprint. Instead, she seemed even more protective of the pack and refused my invitations by sitting down to anchor any forward movement. I left her with my wife and took Tinker on a fast-paced buggy ride. Her ears were pinned-back by the wind just like when she was able to run, and I’m sure there was a grin on her face. This was the newest twist to the “Schnauzerthon,” that adds a little resistance to my run, especially on those up-hill segments. I do, however, feel a little silly pushing a dog in a stroller.

It’s like a fancy convertible, and looks far superior to the other baby strollers in the park. Tinker gets to sit up high and look down on even some of the tallest dogs in the park. Because of her appropriate nick-name, “The Poopingest Pup on the Planet,” we did have to stop on several occasions so she could do her stinky business. My wife apparently already recognizes her signals to “pull-over,” and we carefully lifted the princess in and out of her carriage, that comes equipped with a multitude of pockets to hold extra doggy-bags. I couldn’t help but notice the smug look on her face that erased the usual grimace of arthritic pain. My wife also felt like she got a better work-out since she could walk at a faster pace and enjoyed the resistance of the stroller as 26-pound Tinker’s primary limo driver. It was Good-Old-Tinker’s lucky day with new wheels thanks to my wife’s generosity, and the beginning of new “Schnauzerthon” twists and challenges that might be easier now that we’ve filled the tires with air. 

Creature Features: Schnauzerthon #617

While many active adults spend their weekend mornings running in races to collect medals & t-shirts, we do a “Schnauzerthon” first-thing each Saturday and Sunday. Those of you familiar with Triathlons and Marathons may not be have heard of this particular event because I just made it up. A “Schnauzerthon” consists of at least two schnauzers and two people walking and running together for about an hour. You simply hop out of bed, put on some tennis shoes, do some stretching, grab some extra doggy-bags, leash-up the pups, and head out the door. The dogs are usually more excited to go than you are, but all of you may quickly lose interest. Our schnoodle-schnauzer, Tinker, is a bit gimpy in her old age and walks slowly, while Tally, at nearly half of Tinker’s age, is much more adventuresome. However, Tally has recently slowed to match Tinker’s pace in an effort to keep the pack together. She is content only when the four of us are all safely within her sight while she guides us along the route. She also likes to blaze her own trail rather than just follow along, so that she can be “the leader of the pack.”

With my current running streak at 3,506 consecutive days, I need to get in at least a continuous mile of running every day, so the “Schnauzerthon” is a compromise. My wife wants to move along at a brisk walking pace, and the dogs certainly need the exercise, so we all benefit from this activity. I will run ahead and then loop-back to take the leash of Tally to give her a chance to run with me. Tinker once was part of this exchange, but she can no longer keep up with my “blistering” pace. Tally is definitely ADHD, often stopping for smells, other dogs, squirrels, birds, and any other little distraction. I use a retractable leash because she will also suddenly halt if we get too far separated from the pack, and a whip-lash effect will literally stop me in my tracks as she stubbornly sits down on the pavement. While Tally is “running” with me, I’m constantly changing direction trying to keep her moving. I have the most success after taking the leash from my wife by back-tracking so that Tally has to run to try to catch-up with them. Also, if she can chase another runner or dog that is in front of us, she will actually pull me forward, despite her small size. I guess we all need that carrot of motivation.

After I complete my three-plus miles of running, I will then grab both dogs and walk them home. My wife will take an extra lap around the park at a much faster pace to make up for Tinker’s slowness, and will eventually join us for the home-stretch. At that point, Tally is relieved that the pack is back together. As we separate from my wife, she tends to drop behind me with her head twisted backwards, looking for any signs of her missing master. She does the same thing when my running path loops behind the three of them. My most important responsibility on the “Schnauzerthon” is to take any full bags of poop from my wife for proper disposal. Since we own Tinker, “The Poopingest Pup on the Planet,” this is a constant duty that I must fulfill along the route. Just doing my doggy-dooty.  (See Post #501).

As you can clearly see, the “Schnauzerthon” would be a tough challenge for any great athlete. It involves miles of quick turns, sudden loops, leash exchanges, and varying paces. On some occasions, I have a leash in one hand, an on-coming dog, and a heavy poop bag in the other hand. Other times, it may be just a poop bag in each hand and only a hill to climb. There is stop-and-go, followed by jumping over a twisted dog leash, or untangling one from around a mailbox or tree. Our former dog, Belle, would wrap herself intentionally around anything just to get out of running with me. Both Tinker and Tally used to “run like the wind,” with tongues hanging out and ears flapping in the breeze. Anymore, it’s just to chase a squirrel, and Tinker has a hard time now even seeing them. 

Creature Features: Steroid Sandwich #616

Our 100-year old dog, Tinker, is feeling better after a steroid sandwich every morning. Over the past year, we’ve tried a number of medications to ease the discomfort of arthritis. As in her feet. As a much younger 66, I can certainly relate to the aches and pains every morning and the need for regular doses of Aspirin. Tinker would resist each time I tried to take her outside to do her business, but with the title of “The Poopingest Pup on the Planet” she would eventually slowly limp down the driveway and sidewalks to a grassy spot. This had escalated to the point where we’ve had to leave her behind on some of our long weekend walks. Watching her awkward movements was as if every step was like walking on hot coals. We tried mild doses of pain relievers and even CBD oil until we finally decided to use Prednisone, an oral corticosteroid used to suppress inflammation. We’d been debating about using it for some time, but were concerned about side-effects. (See Schnauzer on Steroids Post #67). What happens to the “Poopingest Pup on the Planet,” when her urges are more frequent and deposits larger? Do we have enough Spot Shot in the house to clean any soiled spots on the carpeting? Fortunately, most of our floors are wood or tile.

My wife’s long-time, Chow companion, Belle, had temporary problems with an uncontrollable bladder when she first tried Prednisone. She would drink excessive amounts of water and have to go out in the middle of the night. I did not want to repeat this experience with Tinker. Our first step for Tinker’s discomfort was Cortisone that proved to be successful temporarily. After an injection of this “wonder drug,” she was bounding up steps again, but it never lasted for more than a week. Additional injections were unfortunately less effective. I prefer injections with Tinker because she fights off any attempt to take pills. Between her allergies, infections, and pain medication, we were forcing pills down her throat regularly. At first, I tried to hide them in her food, but she would spit them out and eventually stopped eating – a major sacrifice considering her voracious appetite.

To solve this pill ingesting dilemma we tried Pill Pockets, hiding them in turkey slices, and covering them with honey or peanut butter. Just when you thought you had solved the problem, a rejected pill would show up on the floor. It was frustrating for both of us, until we discovered her love of Tillamook cheese. My wife was buying these snack packets to put in the lunch she packs every morning. They are 1/4″ thick slices that are soft enough to allow you to press a pill in the surface and then fold it over like a sandwich. The pill will not fall out and is cleverly concealed enough that even a dog this smart has not figured out its hidden secret. The cheese must also disguise the bitter flavor of the pill because she gobbles down this “steroid sandwich” every morning without hesitation. The other half of the cheese goes to her Schnauzer sister, Tally, so they both get an extra treat as my wife heads out to work with her cheese snack.

After her first week on Prednisone, Tinker seems to be smiling again.  Say Cheese…. Hopefully, she’ll join us tomorrow for a long walk. The medication also seems to have relieved some of her incessant itching that we treat with another drug called Apoquel. Apparently, you can’t mix the two. Apoquel is very expensive, so it would be great if the steroid works for both, but that might be too good to be true. Pet.Vet.Debt. Tinker does seem to be panting a bit more, drinking more water, and seeks a grassy spot with more urgency when I take her out, but thankfully sleeps soundly overnight. She still needs help getting up on the couch, in the car, and into our bed, so no miracles of returning to puppy-hood have occurred so far. However, with a few more cheesy “steroid sandwiches” maybe we’ll get a glimpse of her good old days. 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Date Night Memories #615

Last night, as we were approaching the restaurant that my wife selected for our weekly “Date Night,” my wife began to worry that she had made a mistake. She felt a gnawing hunch that we had gone to this particular restaurant before, potentially violating one of the basic rules of the “Date Night” tradition. By definition, it has to be a different restaurant each time – no repeats. The whole purpose is to try different places, in search of favorites to recommend to others or take them to when they come to visit. Wednesday nights were originally set aside for this purpose, since at the time we were both working, so it provided a mid-week opportunity to share some time together and compare schedules. On occasion, “Date Night” was moved to Thursday nights, if a meeting or travel interfered, but for the most part it was designed to be a “Hump Day” activity for just the two of us lovers. (See Date Night Poem in Post #55). 

As others became familiar with our “Date Nights,” I would gladly share our plans, as laid-out by my wife months in advance. As we discussed last night, it started because my “favorite foodie” would collect reviews and articles related to restaurants and stick them on our refrigerator, saying “we need to try this place.” We were living in a cramped apartment in Austin, Texas at the time, so it allowed us to escape any kitchen responsibilities, and enjoy quality time together. After a few months of doing this religiously, co-workers in both of our offices began to ask where we headed on that particular Wednesday night, and I began to print a schedule, including feedback on the restaurants we had already tried. It also became a popular topic of conversation with our friends and family, as my wife continued to add to our growing list.

Just recently I inadvertently deleted the list of over 1500 different restaurants all over the world that we’ve tried in our near-20-year relationship. I do, however, as the family “diary keeper” have a record of each one we’ve been to during this time frame. Yes, I’m a bit obsessive in the interest of a poor memory that is now retired. My wife, on the other hand, remembers most of these dates, including what both of us had to eat. She’s one of these people that has a special “chip” that allows her to remember dance steps, song lyrics, and food. My diary comes in handy on those rare occasions where she can’t think of the name of a restaurant where we dined ten years ago. As you can tell from the variety and quantity of restaurants that we’ve “frequented,” we’ve always been “frequent” diners-out. As a side note, I recently secured a hard-to-get table at the French Laundry in Napa that has always been on my wife’s bucket list. We’ll get a chance to critique it in a few months.

With my wife’s eidetic memory, it surprised me when she started to doubt our dining reservation last night. Would we break our streak of new “Date Night” restaurants, and accidentally return to a repeat situation? Instead, it turned out to be just a familiar location. We had, in fact, been to the building twice before, to restaurants with different names. In this case, we’d dined there a few years ago when it was Gustav’s, and then again when it was called Small Bites. This time it had just been renamed Bistro Agnes. Gustav’s was a very good German Restaurant, but now French chefs controlled the menu. Small Bites, a short-time occupantwas comparably unmemorable. Nonetheless, our “Date Night” streak remained intact, as it also inspired a conversation about how long we’d been maintained this dining tradition.

Once we got home last night after a great meal, I consulted the diary that I’ve kept through the years. “Date Night” started over 6 years ago (5/16/2012) at a restaurant called Foreign & Domestic that still exists in Austin. For the most part, the non-returning aspect of “Date Night” is not necessary a good thing for restaurant owners. However, in this case, we did return to this particular restaurant on “Non-Date Nights,” for special occasions and a celebrity chef event. Bistro Agnes may get second life as friends come to town, although there a several such “go-to” restaurants that we’ve found in our four years here in Portland.

I’ve estimated that about 325 Wednesdays have passed since our very first “Date Night.” We’ve probably missed no more than ten weeks of doing this, if you don’t count vacations where you’re always trying new places. That means that over 310 restaurants have benefited from our dates. My weekly “Date Night” budget is $150 for the two of us, but we’ve well-exceeded that investment on many an occasion. Overall, you could say that we’ve spent in excess of $50,000 over this time period. It’s hard to believe when you put it in that perspective – all for the sake of our stomachs! In defense, I’m also glad to say that we are regular contributors to food banks and the homeless, among other important causes. 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Thirsty #602

It was a cool 48 degrees outside this morning when I started my run, so the warm sunshine felt good on my face as it popped up over the surrounding hills. I like the sensation of cold air in my lungs, reminiscent of the ski slopes. I was a bit hungover from last night’s Outstanding in the Field dinner at Archery Summit. The long table for about 200 of us was set in the midst of a vineyard overlooking the distant mountains, and the wine was flowing. One of my wife’s co-workers and husband-to-be from Austin are in town for a long weekend, and they had planned around attending this event. We will go to their wedding in a few months, returning to the Lonestar State for the first time since we moved to Portland. It’s been Texas-like hot here the past week or so, but more comfortable temperatures settled-in last night.

I’m looking forward to today’s “Leadership Luncheon,” a “tongue-in-cheek” title I’ve given to our end-of-week get-together at Buffalo Wild Wings. At one time in my business career, I used to attend Leadership brainstorming breakfasts and luncheons where we would offer solutions to city problems. The retirement version is much less serious and usually involves some day drinking. It will be an early start today because of the Cubs vs. Cardinals game on the big screens. There may be four of us today, which qualifies it more as a “conference.” If five or more show up, it’s a “convention.” The term “tongue-in-cheek” is a variation of biting one’s tongue to keep from laughing. Laughter is what “Leadership Meetings” are all about when you’re retired, like the majority of the attendees.

After running, my morning ritual currently involves watching the Tour de France coverage, trying to remember how long it has been since I’ve been on a bicycle. There’s one in the garage with a flat tire. I do have a tight-fitting rider’s jersey that I bought promoting the Ravenswood Winery racing team from Napa Valley wine country, keeping with the eating and drinking theme of today’s blog. I do have several friends that take their riding seriously, but I haven’t ridden competitively since Indiana University’s Little 500 back in 1972. That’s only 45 years ago and another reminder that my 50th high school reunion is coming up next year. This is probably why genealogy has become a recent fascination.

I took the pups on a car ride yesterday to break-up their daily routine a bit. Tinker has trouble getting in and out of the car, but her ears still perk-up at the mention of the word “ride.” It’s right up there with “hungry” and “go.” Younger Tally gets stuck in the back seat, particularly if I don’t have the elevated bed set up. Today will undoubtedly be a convertible day. Yesterday, we went to the library to pick up some more Ken Burns’ DVD documentaries. In retirement, I do make every effort to balance watching sports with continued education. The Central Park Five along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony will be next week’s history lessons. I’ve watched over 25 of his productions since I’ve retired, starting with Baseball, and have enjoyed the diverse nature of each and every one. (See Post #430). I guess I’m also thirsty for knowledge. 

Retirement is not without Hassles: China Grove #593

As we were headed to Portland’s Chinese gardens yesterday morning, I started humming “China Grove,” by the Doobie Brothers. Even though we saw them perform the song a few months ago at the nearby Moda Center, I was still thinking “China Garden” and had trouble working it in to the melody, until my wife corrected me. “It’s China Grove, not China Garden….!” I’m not really sure how she ended this admonition, but this is not atypical of my memory for lyrics (or anything these days for that matter). On the other hand, she remembers every word of every song, but was just glad that I was willing to be her companion on this great outdoors adventure.

As I’ve made perfectly clear, I enjoy staying home, but she wants to be very active on her days off work and is always looking for something to do. We discussed the Coast since it was such a beautiful weekend, but were concerned about Fourth of July traffic. After we took the dogs on their walk/run and I got my 3-mile daily run in, we decided to go to the Lan Su Chinese Garden. It was on our shrinking list of Portland destinations and just a short drive from our house. She reasoned that if I took the time to visit the Lauritzen Botanical Gardens in Omaha during the rain breaks of the College World Series, then I could certainly handle one of our local gardens. She knows that I “hate nature,” but at least step outside to run for 35-40 minutes every day. It’s more than enough of the great outdoors as far as I am concerned, especially after 5 different outings every day for the dogs. I much prefer air-conditioned comfort, so it’s surprising to most people that I have a dark tan. I do put down the top on the convertible and sit on the back deck, so I’m not totally against fresh air and sunshine. We also travel at least one week every month and these adventures typically take me outside my comfort zone.

I spent several hours this morning outside on our back deck cleaning our grill and the white deck rails. My wife has done an outstanding job with her plants, trees and pots trying to provide us with a colorful garden of privacy. We lost all the tall pine trees around it last year, and it appeared naked and exposed before my wife went to work on it. I try not to take-on extra projects in my retirement, but after she served us a steak dinner out there last night I volunteered to improve the nasty look of our grimy, stainless-steel DCS. It’s easy to just put the cover over the top of it and leave the clean-up to the next time. There had been too many next-times, so it deserved my attention. As soon as I started, I began to regret that decision and slowly removed several years of grease and char. The railings surrounding it took another half-hour of me being exposed to the elements. I just wanted to sit down inside and write.

The Lan Su Chinese Garden turned out to be a nice compromise yesterday, because I got plenty of indoor time. It only took an hour-and-a-half with a slow-moving tour guide, who provided us with a lot of good information. About half-way through her enthusiastic efforts, we had to break-off on our own. We did learn that the garden is a joint effort between Portland and sister-city Suzhou, and that Chinese gardens, as opposed to Japanese, are built around homes. I could definitely relate to the fact that this design was planned for an owner who loved to stay home. He surrounded himself with elements of the forest, the mountains, and the water, so he didn’t have to travel to enjoy them. I liked his thinking! 

It was an active weekend that started with dinner with our dogs at Veggie Grill. We watched a movie at home, I Can Only Imagine, spent time with the dogs each morning, went to see Ant-Man and The Wasp at the theater, and enjoyed breakfast at Biscuits before our drive downtown to experience some Chinese philosophy as expressed in a home & garden incorporated as one. I also thought of one more song, “Garden Party,” by Ricky Nelson, but please don’t ask me to remember the words. 

 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: More Connections #589

I’m letting the dust settle from several “blasts from the past” over the past few days. First, I got a Facebook message from the sister of a grade school and high school friend of mine. His father was my family’s physician growing up, and we had stayed in touch up until about 20 years ago. It was great to see his picture, as it brought back many memories – good and bad. On the awkward side, I vividly remember spending the night at his house when I was very young, and being too timid to walk down the unfamiliar halls in the middle of the night to the much-needed toilet. It was not a pleasant experience to wake up in wet sheets. I’m sure his mom was livid when she discovered my little “accident.” I don’t remember being asked to come over again, but I can assure you that this has never happened again.

My friend’s younger sister, who I did not know as well, made an inaugural business trip of mine to New York City in the mid-eighties an unforgettable memory. She was Director of International Relations at the luxurious Plaza Hotel, and upgraded my reservation to a massive suite with a walk-in safe, 5-large windows overlooking Central Park, a conference table, multiple television sets, and a bathroom larger than my apartment at the time. There was oddly also an access panel to the plumbing that contained stacks of porn magazines that I doubt were supplied by hotel management. When I finally got the chance to thank her for the stellar accommodations, she apologized for being put in charge of Prince Rainier’s three-week (turns out it was actually King Rainier III) visit to the city, which totally consumed any possible free time she might have had to get together with me. She did say that his majesty was staying in a suite similar to mine on the next floor, so on my first visit to the Big Apple I was definitely treated like Royalty. She also confidentially told me that “The Prince (King)” had given her a huge cash tip and some diamond jewelry for her efforts, items that hotel policies prohibited her from accepting. I suggested that she keep the cash and turn in the jewelry, and told her that I could only afford flowers as a thank you. It’s still by far the best hotel room I’ve ever experienced. I think she followed my advice after I ran into her a few years later.

At the same time I was responding to her Facebook messages, I found some Portland area pictures posted by an old acquaintance of both my wife and I during our years in Indianapolis. I made impromptu arrangements to meet him and his wife for dinner and drinks tonight, even though I can’t really remember how we actually met. I know we were both involved in the radio business, joined Ad Club together, worked with my wife when she was with an advertising agency, and partnered with BRG Sports Marketing, the racing group I was once associated withon some Indy 500 sponsorship deals. I’m sure we’ll uncover the root of our relationship that I think dates back to South Bend, Indiana. My wife and I have know him for a long time, but not well, so I wanted to take advantage of his coincidental time in Portland thanks to Facebook. It’s one of many re-connections that I’ve made through social media sites. (See Post #232).  

Last night, in this spontaneous flurry of messages from long-lost “pals,” I also heard from a much more recent co-worker through Linked-In who wants to get together for drinks next week. We’ve already have reunited twice since I’ve retired, but in the process of changing jobs he had not responded to a message I had sent over a month ago. The timing of his note, along with these other re-connections has been one of the joys of retirement. By the way, this all was happening while we were meeting the “boyfriend” of my wife’s daughter for the first time, another new connection in life that we hope continues. 

I’m not seeing the same people every day at the workplace anymore or doing business networking, but rather renewing past relationships and making new connections through websites like Ancestry.com and 23andme that are assisting me in solidifying family ties. My wife, someone that I do see every day, has been very supportive of both my curiosity and social nature. It keeps me busy, while reminding me that friends and family are the most important things in life, even though they may come and go like the wind. 

Creature Features: Bang! #588

Creatures of any kind do not like loud noises  so I was pleased to see that the country of Italy was touting “silent fireworks” to reduce animal stress during this year’s celebrations. Obviously, they are not celebrating Independence Day today as we are in America, but rather Liberation Day on April 25. For Germany it’s May 23, the United Kingdom May 1, Greece Feb. 3, Portugal June 24, and Turkey Oct. 29, just a few of the occasions around the world for lighting firecrackers and scaring pets & small children. Our two schnauzers, Tinker and Tally, are wearing festive red, white, & blue collars in anticipation of the big bang.

Tinker will probably not hear the bottle rockets, M-80’s, and roman candles that are inevitable in the neighborhood tonight. We intend to drive downtown for the Blues Festival fireworks that we’ll be observing from a quieter distance, so both dogs will probably ride along. Tally freaks at any loud noise, so she’ll probably be on my wife’s lap. Frankie our cat will be hiding under the bed, as she does every day. Of all the pets we’ve owned together, my wife’s first dog Belle was the most sensitive to noise and usually required some sedation. Like Tinker, as she got older her hearing began to fade and the Fourth became less frightening. We would later discover through X-rays that there was a “BB” lodged in her leg, so at some point prior to adoption, she was shot. As a result, she would always associate fireworks with pain.

I would prefer quiet tonight, but there were times in my life when I enjoyed making things explode. (See Post #107) We would also make frequent stops in Tennessee on our way home from Florida to buy legal fireworks, and illegally bring them into Indiana for Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve fun. I used to collect colorful firecracker labels like Black Cat, Dixie Boy, Lion, Silver Bird, Double Dragon, and Lone Eagle, and would display them on a bulletin board to show-off their unique oriental designs. It’s ironic that most of the brands featured animals that we now realize are the biggest victims of the noise. Fireworks were not the only insensitive thing that I did as a young boy, but at least now I’ve outgrown it. Anymore, firecrackers are nothing but dangerous noise pollutants.

Prepare your pets for a noisy night, and be thoughtful of those who earned us Freedom. Our soldiers and Veterans have made it possible for this night of celebration. However, the sounds of fireworks probably only remind them of the terror that they faced in battle. They fought for peace and instead we honor them with loud noise. “Thank you for your Service” is the only noise that I want to make tonight. Happy Fourth, and may your pets be safe on the Fifth. 

Retirement is not without Hassles: My Life by the alphabet: #586

If I had to describe my life alphabetically, this would be my answer:

A Adam my only son; A- blood type; Albion College Sigma Chi; 5-year Austin resident; Alpha Media President’s Club

B Banister at birth; Burt my dad; Baseball cards; Burger Chef & B.J. Thompson; Blue Blazers; Beardsley Bombers

C Certification with RAB & IAB; mother Cathy; NewsCenter 17; ACBJ Chairman’s Club; Colts; Coverdale Lake

Dee loving wife of now 17 years; Daytona 500 w/grand kids; Detroit Marathon; Diet Coke; George Dickel; Disney

E Eliza, my daughter-in-law; Elkhart High School graduation; Eagle Lake; Ernie Banks; Ford Edsel

F France trips, Future European travel, Final Fours, and World Series Finals

G Gavyn my first and only Grandson; Greek Parthenon visitor

H Homes in Indy, Sarasota, Edwardsburg, Union, Zionsville, Decatur, Austin, and Portland; Hall of Ivy

I  Italy, my favorite country to visit; Indiana born Hoosier; Indy 500 team member; Indy Ad Club President

J Johnston name for life at adoption; Judy, my sister’s name; johnstonwrites.com 

K Kitties named Marilee, Macey, Dimey, & Frankie; KXL, KINK, KXTG, KUFO, KUPL, KBFF, WE 96.3; Kidney Stones

L Lin Television retirement pension, Love of sports; Sherm Lollar; Lake Decatur; Lookwell Dairy; Limoges Boxes

M Megan & Miranda step-daughters, Granddaughter Maddux; Marriott Rewards; Middlebury Independent; Mustang

N Nora Grace my youngest Granddaughter born this year; North Side Junior High; No Alaska or Maine

O Over 40 years in the media business including agency, radio, digital, newspaper, magazine, & TV

P Politics, religion, & Bobby Knight not to be discussed; Portland current home; Poet; John Purdue Club

Q Quit working last year to retire at 65; Qualified blog writer 

R Running Streak of 10 years; FOX 12 Hood to Coast Relayteam; Reggie Miller Pacers fan; Rice Krispies; Roxie

S Schnauzers: Gizmo, Tinker, Tally, and Roxie; States lived: Michigan, Indiana, Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Oregon. Sherm Lollar fan.

T Toastmaster’s DTM, TV GM; Travel enthusiast; Toyota Solara; Taylor Univ. Jr. BB camp; Timbers; Top Dog Award

U University of Indiana (IU) diploma; Ukulele player wanna-be

V Viking Cruises to Normandy, Athens, and soon Egypt; Volcano Pizza

W World cruise on bucket list; White Sox, Bears & Cubs; WYEZ, WTRC, WIBC radio; WISH, WLFI, WAND TV

X-Wife Marcia of 27 years

Y is for Yesterday the last book that my favorite author Sue Grafton wrote as part of her alphabet series

Z Zanna my 96-year old Mother-in-Law 

Creature Features: CBD #579

CBD Oil is quickly becoming a popular pain and anxiety remedy, even with pets. We were concerned about putting our schnauzer Tinker on steroids to relieve her joint pain, as her abilities to maintain mobility has further declined in recent months. Cortisone seemed to provide temporary help but an injection would only last for a week. We were thinking about Prednisone, but my wife’s dog Belle, who passed away years ago, had to relieve her bladder frequently, leading to several unfortunate accidents. Tinker is already the “Poopingest Pup on the Planet,” so we weren’t exactly excited about adding any more Pees to her title. There have been a few accidental discharges of poop, but for the most part she has been able to wait. Also, she’s learned to confine these misfires to our tile floors. This was not the case in her early years, as she came to us without proper potty training and ruined several areas of carpeting. We do not want a relapse in this form of behavior.

Before we take this serious steroid step, we decided to try CBD oil. So far, it’s made her so calm that we sometimes have to carry her out the door. We cut back a bit on the dosage, but she apparently is still too stoned to care about going outside. She does not like to walk down the rough stone bumps that form the steep incline of our driveway, and likes to scrape her itchy butt against its surface. It’s almost like we have to drag her to the smooth pavement of the street below. In the meantime, Tally our other schnauzer is already half way down the street, while their leashes are stretched out to the max in both directions. A passing motorcyclist or pedestrian would need to worry about being clothes-lined. Tinker must really enjoy being dragged down our driveway, and continues to scoot her rear-end along the street, or pause frequently to itch, as we lead her to that grassy target of bladder relief. She’s very good at controlling her water intake during the day, so often the five times a day that we take her outside is just too much anymore. However, she still manages to poop on almost every trip, maintaining her “Poopingest Pup on the Planet” reputation. We’re not sure where it all comes from, since she only weighs 26 pounds.

If the CBD experiment eventually works for her, I may try it myself, since several of our friends have found some benefits in its use. Tally could probably use some calming, as well. She pulls us along on the leash anytime she’s free of the house. Tinker just can’t keep up anymore, so I see separate walks in their future. Tinker has just passed one-hundred dog years in the past few months, so to presume her to be pup-like anymore is beyond anyone’s expectations, with the exception of her prolific pooping power. 

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