RIP Waggs

How cute is the new Red Bull ad? The one with the dogs. Red Bull always had the best ads on tv, but lately they haven’t been up to much. They seem to be back, though. I saw it last night and thought it too cute for words. So that’s how the little devil got it right…

I still think Boston Legal is the best program on tv. Last night’s episode was brilliant, to say the least.

Yesterday was my father-in-law’s birthday. They invited us with to eat out with them, which was lovely. The restaurant is at a nursery, and is very pleasant and peaceful. It’s just a long walk in from the car-park, but I managed fine, surprising myself with my stamina. I’m walking just about normally, give or take the odd speed-wobble.
Unfortunately, though, my lower legs and feet are very numb. Not that this in itself is a problem, I mean, who needs feeling in their legs anyway? But I’m worried that my hands will follow suit. I’m very aware of the situation, though. I’m keeping a handle on things.

A sad thing that happened yesterday was that my parents’ dog, Waggles, died. Her intestines twisted and even though my dad rushed her to the vet, it was too late. It happened so quickly. Her gut bloated, she started foaming at the mouth, and within an hour she was gone.
She was only 5 years old, and a fine watchdog. She was the best dog we ever had. She was my dog, too, as my dad bought her while I was still living at home. He named her Waggles after the Patti Page song: Doggie in the window. The first two lines go, How much is that Doggie in the window?
The one with the wagg-ely tail…

Hence the name: Waggles, as she sure did have a waggly tail, even though it was only a stump. She had a funny wag. Her whole tail rotated in excitement.

Waggles, when she came to live with as, was timid and looked a bit malnourished. If there was a word to describe her, then it was appreciative. She obviously so appreciated the place she had come to live. I think she came from a bit of a poor family, and looked a tad neglected.
My dad says she chose him when he came to pick out a puppy from her litter. There was another one that he fancied taking, but Waggles made the choice for him, crawling towards him on her belly, and saying, ‘pick me’.
They had a special bond from the word go. Waggles would wait at the gate for my dad to come home from work. She’d go for rides with him in his bakkie. Very well-behaved. He was leaving one day, and she jumped right over the tailgate to go with him.

She was the only dog I ever knew who could ‘high five’ a person. Honest. That paw would come up, and if you didn’t high-five her, then you were just as likely to get it in the crotch, lol.

Waggles was great with kids. They all loved her, a real family dog.

She could bark at the moon endlessly. That won’t be missed.

Waggles had what looked like a mask on her face. We called her Mask of Waggles, in parody of The Mask of Zorro. Sometimes, just ‘Mask’ for short. She’d come to the kitchen window at night for a little snack, like a piece of bread. You’d be at the sink washing up, and suddenly you’d see this mask glowing in the dark. Then, she’d take the bread so gently, and hold eye-contact for a few seconds. It was so obviously a ‘Thank You’.

I’m tearing up as I write this, remembering.

She had this long face. She looked a bit like a horse, actually. And she come run like one, too. One day, she scaled the (high) fence around the property in pursuit of a cat. I saw her do it once, and you really had to see it to believe it. Just like a horse. One day, she didn’t make it quite over the fence, and landed half on, half off it, badly injuring her from leg. Somehow, the maid got her off, but that leg was hanging on by a thread. Nonetheless, she allowed my mom and sister, who arrived home shortly after, to load her onto the back of the bakkie. She was as brave as a lion. She got stitched up and was soon as good as new, even thought the vet proclaimed it to be one of the wort injuries he’d seen.

It didn’t stop her scaling the fence if she got a chance…

Waggles had one litter of puppies and was a born mother. We kept one of the pups, Mac (later to be called Big Mac, as he became HUGE). They were never a day apart, all his life. And Waggles loved to play with him. Every evening, the two would run around, and mock-fight in some elaborate game of their own. Mac spent the whole of last night crying for his mommy. It would break your heart.

She was a bit of a comedian. Michael and I bought a fake meerkat for my dad’s putt-putt course in the backyard. The first time she saw it, she thought it was real and raced around and around it, with a volley of barks. She was mortified when she realized it was a fake, and walked off, head held high, as if she’d known all along.

Last weekend was a bit of a family reunion. We wanted to take a pic of all the grandkids together, so we asked them to pose for us. Waggles obviously thought she was a grandkid, because she went and stood right in the middle of them for the photo.

She was so playful. Michael has a fond memory of her, too. Once, during a time of heavy rainfall. The area next to the pool was flooded. Literally knee-deep in water, on the grass. Michael and Waggles were tearing through the water, up and down and having a fine old time, until Michael’s feet slipped out from under him and he wiped out. Waggles stopped in her tracks and stood next to him looking for all the world like she was having a good laugh.

My dad called her ‘Waggelina van Tant Siena’. She was his dog, through and through. A real champion. The only thing she couldn’t do, was to catch tidbits thrown up in the air for her. The other dogs were very accomplished at this, and she found it so mortifying that she couldn’t catch, that she refused to even attempt it. She purposely look away in another direction. Or put her head on the ground and cover her muzzle with her paws. Poor Waggles.

I’ve never known a dog with so much character. Her favourite game was rushing to the gate, braking at the last second to terrorise passers-by. She loved that. Unfortunately she nipped out and bit someone, once. Fortunately, not very badly. She was a superb watchdog. Quite a legend about the place. The little kids who live around there knew her name and would call her. Waaaaggles! Then they’d pose for photographs with her, though they were standing on the opposite side of the gate, obviously.

Waggles loved chasing birds. She never caught one. I think the thrill was just in the chase, for her. She was extremely social, and loved nothing better than a family gathering.

We sure are going to miss that dog!



I’m worried about Michael. He is working extremely long hours, as the agency he works for has expanded. It’s a lot of stress, getting it off the ground. I’m trying to be as supportive as possible. He worked from 5am to after 8pm yesterday.

Today, we went to the Pancake Man for lunch. I was actually planning on fasting today, but it was too much to pass up on the chance of going somewhere with him. He worked the whole weekend, as it is. So we went. I told him it’s the best fast I’ve ever been on, lol. I had a Margherita pancake and we shared a banana caramel one for dessert. Very yum.
Afterwards, we went to the mall, because I wanted to buy a cd. I am completely besotted with The Phantom of the Opera. I’ve watched it about 5 times this month since it showed on tv. I can see why it was the most successful musical ever. I knew the obvious songs, like All I Ask of You, Phantom of the Opera, Music of the Night, and Wishing You Were Somehow Here again. But I’ve gotten to know the others too now, like: Think of Me Fondly, Angel of Music and Learn to be Lonely. The latter plays as the end credits are rolling, and it’s sung by Minnie Driver, who plays La Carlotta. My, but does she ever have a stunning voice! I was never very impressed with her as an actress, but I was quite taken with her portrayal of la Carlotta.The Phantom himself, played by Gerald Butler, had maybe not the best voice ever, but quite a presence. Patrick Wilson’s Raoul was quite divine and Emmy Rossum, who was only 17 at the time of filming, was quite breathtaking as Christine Daae. Anyway, I wanted the cd. Thought that seeing as how my back is feeling so much better and my exercises are going so well, I might as well forego the trip to the physiotherapist and buy the cd instead. Happily, they are roughly the same price, lol. But do you think I could get hold of it anywhere? Still, it was lovely going to the mall with Michael, we had a good time. My walking was so good that I didn’t even get any sidelong glances from people mistaking me for a wino! Afterwards, I had furious pins-and-needles in my legs and numbness, but dare I say it was worth it? Six months ago, I could barely walk at all.

Glass half full today, lol

My legs are feeling slightly better today. Just as well, I didn’t really feel like going to hospital today, somehow.

I’ve decided to do a short juice fast, starting today, to see if I can’t stall the cortisone drip for a week or two. I need to work on having as much time between cortisone bouts as is safely possible. But I won’t play around with it if it is, as I suspect, a spinal-chord lesion. If my legs are affected, then it’s just a matter of time before I start losing sensation in my hands, and that I won’t tolerate. As it is, doing up buttons on a shirt has become too much of a challenge. Almost every item of clothing I own has a zip.

On the plus side, my hips really are feeling better at last. The improvement has been so slow and subtle that at first I wasn’t sure, but they are definitely on the mend. They’re still sore, but it’s discomfort on a level that I can live with. The exercises that I am doing are working like a bomb. I’m surprised how much I missed exercising. I used to be a very active person. For a long time, I couldn’t have exercised, even if I had wanted to. Being able to do these basic exercises is really lifting my spirits.

Sometimes, thinking up a title is so dreary...

I’ve only just returned to my emotional equilibrium (defaulted to chirpy) and now I need to take cortisone again. It’s very soon after the last session. Not even a month and a half, never mind two, which for some reason became my goal. But I’m not breaking my head over it this time. The question is not will I take the meds, but rather when will I do so.

The thing is, I have too many fires to put out at this stage to get myself revved up on this point. My hips are maybe feeling a bit better, and quite frankly, I’d like to keep them that way. I’ve gone to a lot of effort and expense to get them half-way normal again. I’m not taking the chance of getting a full-blown relapse again, which will undoubtedly stuff them up from the word go again.

The reason I suspect that I’m heading for trouble is this: I’ve had this very disturbing, buzzing feeling in the back of my head (at the nape of my neck) for the past couple of weeks. Then, yesterday, I started getting that all too familiar tingling, pins-and-needles feeling in my legs, especially the left one. Now, today, they feel numb and quite dead. Also, alarmingly enough, I have near permanent goose-flesh on my left leg. How weird is that? Haven’t had that symptom before.

I am faithfully doing the exercises prescribed to me by the chiropractor. I have the three sets up to 120 repetitions. And it does feel as though it’s working. Next week, I’m going to see the physiotherapist to get a full exercise program. My muscle tone is not what it should, and for the first time (courtesy of agony in hips) I am getting concerned about this. I have gotten away with being inactive for about three years, but apparently I need to address the situation urgently, before something else packs up.

I can’t even go to the bother of feeling upset over all this anymore. It’s too damn boring.

Think I’ll go eat something…

New car

A sad day, but a joyous one.

Michael went to fetch our new car on Friday (at another town). After much deliberation, we settled on the new shape Jetta 5. As Michael has driven a Jetta 2 (1986 model) for 11 years, it seemed fitting.

We absolutely love our new car, but we are having a hard time letting go of our former trusty steed, which we dubbed ‘The Groen (green) Jetta.I have such fond memories of that car. Back when I worked for Michael’s parents, but before him and I were an item, I used to wait at lunchtime for the nose of the green Jetta to appear in their driveway, and when it did, my heart would swell with pleasure, for it would be Michael. We’d flirt a little, and chat, and I was so in love, it hurt. The car came to represent that for me. So yeah, it’s hard letting it go. Michael is even worse. He tears up at the mention of letting the car go. We’re far too sentimental for our own good. Tomorrow, the car goes to its new owner. Somehow, though, it’s not quite as hard as I’d thought it would be. Not when I look at its replacement.

The above picture is us with our two babies, old and new.

The temperature tonight is almost sweltering. I’m actually getting hot as I sit here, typing.

I finished my new Marion Keyes book. It was so, so beautiful. I enjoyed it more than I’ve enjoyed a book in a long time. I did spend most of the time bawling my eyes out! It dealt with death, bereavement and grief. Not the most cheerful topic, but it wasn’t all doom and gloom and it was so well written.

Return to blog-world...

Long time, no post.
don't know why, guess I just kinda detached from my alter-ego in the Land of Blog.

Not that much has happened. Not much to report.

I've felt depressed these past two weeks, and it's not a term I use lightly. I actually feel a bit fraudulent, using it with reference to myself. I wouldn't go so far as to call it actual, clinical depression. But only because it was temporary, and strongly linked to hormones. But that knowledge didn't make me feel any better at the time. I was tearful, morbid about the future, and the weight of the world hung heavy on my shoulders. Everything seemed pointless, and the worst was the total lack of motivation to do anything. I'm more or less over it now, thank heaven.

Not 100% back to my perky self, however. I've lost interest in my No.1 hobby for the past five years, i.e. my health (and how to get it back). I've got a bit of an annoying, hopeless attitude towards it at present that I hope will go away soon.

Tomorrow, Michael and I get our new car, a candy-white Jetta 5. We're excited at the prospect, but very sad, nostalgic and tearful about giving up our trusty green mobile. We're way too sentimental for our own (collective) good.
Frankly, it's all the same to m what we drive. The one thing that persuaded me to go into debt for this new car was the safety features. I have a secret phobia of people that I love being involved in car accidents. It's on my mind quite a lot. I'll just feel a whole lot better about Michael driving around with ABS brakes, airbags, etc.

I thought I'd gone off reading. It took me absolute ages to finish the book I was reading. But now I realise that this was due to the crapness of the book in question. I am now reading my new Marion Keyes book (she remains my favourite author) and absolutely loving it. I'm devouring it and savouring it at the same time, if such a thing is possible.

Baby Rylee is beautiful. I was so moved when I saw her after she was born, still in the incubator. i look forward to watching her grow up. And little Aiden is just the sunniest, sweetest girl.

Little Christopher is growing like a weed. He is so beautiful and healthy. I definitely have no shortage of gorgeous and adorable kids in my life!