Category: Tinker (Page 10 of 15)

I felt powerless this weekend, as electronic hassles dominated my time. The wine cooler wasn’t cooling, the garage door wasn’t opening, the internet was out, and the TV went dark. I could blame it all on sun-spots or aliens jamming the circuits, but some of it was my fault. All of the cable problems were the result of a plug in the closet that I inadvertently knocked out of its socket. As I was on the phone to Comcast it had suddenly occurred to me that I was rooting around in the closet where some of the equipment is housed. At least I didn’t pay for a repairman to come out to plug it in for me.

Not having the TV on in our bedroom caused my wife to lose a night’s sleep. She does not like any seepage of light into our room or any foreign sounds, but can somehow drift-off into dreamland with the TV on. I can’t tell you the number of times she forgets to set the timer, and I have to turn it off in the middle of the night. At least, I can still see the pets on the floor, so I don’t trip over them and disturb their sleep. We’ve installed plantation shutters on all the windows in the house, and if the TV is not on our bedroom is pitch black. Since she’s still active in the TV business, the late night commercials are appropriately money in her pockets, peace of mind, and music to her ears. 

We also solved the wine cooler problem, by redistributing some our recent purchases. It was either that or rebooting the cooling equipment that caused it to function properly again. Unplugging and restarting has become my quick fix for all things electronic.  If it doesn’t work- turn it off and on until it does! This did not work for the garage door opener, and a service visit was necessary. You hope that it isn’t something embarrassingly simple that just wasted a $100 bill, but you also hope that it’s a simple enough repair to keep it under $250. If it’s any more than $250, it may be time for a new one. In this case, it was a circuit board that will need to be ordered for a grand total of exactly $250 once they complete installation. In the meantime, we’ll be carrying a key.

Although our schnauzer Tally is not electronic, I just got a call from the “Pet.Vet.Debt” doctor. Fortunately, the biopsy sample we sent in revealed that she doesn’t have cancerous cells in her right eye. She also does not need a new circuit board. I do, however, have to pick up some pricey cortisone drops tomorrow and set-up some follow-up appointments. Tinker, her older sister, has run out of medication, and I will need to get restocked before we leave for St. Louis on Saturday morning. Couple all this with pet sitting expenses for the next 8 days and we’ll need a lottery win.

Steely Dan (minus Walter Becker), The Doobie Brothers (minus the doobie), and James Taylor (minus Bonnie Raitt) will hopefully keep us distracted from electronic hassles for the next two nights. All shows are at the Moda Center here in Portland. We’ll see how our seats turn out! (See Post #121). I just hope that their set-up crews have better luck with the electronics than we have here at home. We have our cell phones if we need a flashlight, and will take our keys so we can get back in through the garage after the show. 

I don’t know if you’re aware of the peanut butter crisis yet? If you’re a fan like me your interest has undoubtedly peaked, along with your blood pressure.  About 9 months ago, a case of Peter Pan Creamy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter arrived on my front porch. (See Post #219) I was initially worried about eating a whole case before the one-year expiration date, but we now only have a couple of jars left. We bought it through Amazon because the brand is not available in Oregon, and it was my wife’s favorite growing up. Any time we traveled back to the Midwest, she would buy a couple of jars of Peter Pan and bring them back in a suitcase. However, it became harder and harder to find, so this is why she was thrilled to find it through Amazon, but only by the case. In fact, I never even thought about an expiration date on peanut butter until this shipment arrived, realizing that two jars of peanut butter a month was a bit of a challenge for the two of us.

Fortunately, our dogs also love peanut butter, so whenever a jar is opened they are close behind. Our youngest schnauzer Tally likes to finish off the jar, securing it from rolling with her paws and maneuvering her long tongue into the bottom of the plastic cylinder. “Good to the last drop,” courtesy of Maxwell House was also her slogan, protecting her precious treat from her older sister Tinker. Tinker particularly likes it on Ritz Crackers, and is at my side whenever I go to the cupboard. Tally doesn’t beg like Tinker, so the nearly empty offering is my attempt to fairly equalize distribution. 

A few weeks ago the mail carriers had their annual non-perishable food drive and we put several jars of Peter Pan in with our other food contributions. They turned out to be precious cargo because the product is no longer available. As my wife tried to reorder, it was out of stock on Amazon so she contacted Con Agra and got the bad news. Suddenly, our last remaining jars were now hers, as she tried to preserve a precious childhood memory. As an option, how about just a “whiff of Jif?” She bought the dogs and I some home-made fresh ground peanut butter from Zupan’s Market, and put her Peter Pan under lock and key. It’s too bad that it will expire soon, and another link to her early years gone forever.

When I looked up Jiffy peanut butter, I did learn that the smell of peanut butter, according to a 2013 study out of the University of Florida Brain Institute, can be an test for early onset Alzheimer’s. Researchers believe that the disease starts in the brain’s region that controls our sense of smell, and that the odor of peanut butter might just be an inexpensive diagnosis. The study found that those showing signs of early-stage Alzheimer’s had one thing in common – trouble smelling the peanut butter out of their left nostril. I’m glad that I passed this sniff test, but I’m still having trouble with my memory. By the way, I don’t have a favorite peanut butter, but I do like crunchy, so maybe the next time my wife will buy me Jif, Planter’s, or Skippy crunchy. To them, this is not a crisis but rather an opportunity.

One of the cruel realities of retirement is that the past slowly disappears as friends, family, and familiar products are no longer part of your life. Somehow, no other brand of peanut butter will ever taste as good to her as Peter Pan, and to her this is a crisis. For me, it’s “nuts” to believe that peanut butter even has an expiration date. Apparently, oxygenation will eventually ruin it, but probably won’t kill you. What will be the next childhood favorite that will become extinct? Hopefully, it’s not Diet Coke, Oreos or Volcano Pizza. 

Follow up note: Since I don’t have an editor, and sometimes fail to get my point across, I still strive to be fair. In reading this post, my wife felt that I had unfairly put Peter Pan out of business. To clarify, they simply dropped their Peter Pan Creamy Reduced Fat product, not their entire line. To my wife, it’s still a crisis as she searches for an alternative. I like crunchy with extra fat, but I don’t wear the peanut butter pants in this family. Sorry, Peter Pan brand and parent company Con Agra if I misrepresented you as Petered-out. 

Another day, another trip to the vet. In this case, it was an eye specialist for our youngest schnauzer, Tally. She is 8 years old, and as healthy and happy as any dog can be. Unlike, her 6-year older sister, Tinker, she does not have allergies or aches & pains, but during her annual physical the doctor noticed a growth on her eyeball. We thought we better have it checked out, so I set up an appointment for this morning. The results from the biopsy won’t be available for another week. For once, it was Tinker anxiously sitting in the chair next to me, worried that the doctor would surprise her with a thermometer. It’s typically Tally who’s sitting there casually observing the poking and probing.

As I watch Tinker grow old, I’m beginning to see my own mortality, as she quickly approaches 100 dog years. I’m nearing 67 human years and every movement is an effort. Tinker’s feet are sore and sensitive, as she struggles with our 3-mile weekend walks. Stairs are difficult, and she needs our assistance getting up and down from the bed, couch, or car. Tally is still a bundle of energy, but is reluctant to move too far ahead, so she’ll suddenly stop and refuse to move until the pack catches up. A few days ago, we tried to walk them separately, but neither one could go a step forward without looking back for the other. 

We’re certainly worried about the biopsy report, knowing that cancer cells can tragically shorten any dog’s life. In the meantime, we’ll be applying antiseptic drops to her right eye. As our canine medicine cabinet content mutiplies, I was hoping that both dogs might be using the same drug – but no. Tinker has an eye infection, in addition to ear infections, so we’ve accumulated many bottles, tubes, and swabs that never seem to be interchangeable between pets or malady’s. As a result, we’ve compiled an expensive array of useless drugs. Until today, none of them had ever been prescribed to Tally.

You’ve heard me quote the phrase, “getting old is not for sissies.” The same applies to pets. Older dogs and retirees require more care and attention. Between food, treats, monthly heart-worm preventatives, annual physicals, shots, vet visits, and medication, we are now spending about $900 a month on pet care. Also, since we’re away from home at least 7 days a month, this adds another $600 in pet-sitter expenses. As a recent retiree, this is becoming an unexpected retirement investment that is certainly worth it, but also troublesome. With my wife still working, this means that Tinker, Tally, or I may need to get a part-time job!

Once again, it’s been another “Pet.Vet.Debt. kind of day.”