Our AC compressor died, and then it was super hot at work. A coworker referred to Keeper as a "puddle of dog." I wet down her ears, inside her legs and got a fan pointed at her and she perked back up. We're also about 20 degrees cooler, which helps. Thank goodness my window AC never died, or Keeper and I would have had to go to a hotel. Neither of us can handle the heat.
The last week has been a busy one. My brother, his lady love, and their 16 pound poodle came to visit my cousin's newborn. That also meant my aunt and uncle came down, and then the cousins and the toddler and the newborn came over. So many people. I was actually grateful to go to work on Saturday to give my brain a break. Keeper got caught up on her sleep there, to give an idea of how much busier it is in the house with family.
We went to the Nelson Atkins museum of art, the WW1 museum, out for food, and work on our usual schedule. Unfortunately, I managed to tweak my bad ankle, and ran over Keeper's toes with a scooter at both museums. She forgave me, I still feel guilty. (Also, the WW1 museum has much better scooters!)
I'm really pleased with how well Keeper rolls with the changes. It did take her a bit to warm up to my uncle (who is very tall) and the toddler (who had grown and moved differently than last time we saw her), and Keeper wants nothing at all to do with babies (strong instincts not to mess with "puppies" that are not her own), so it wasn't perfect. However, she was a rockstar in the museums, handled a whole new restaurant without a worry, and was reliable and there when I needed her.
By Saturday, though, her energy was pretty well tapped out. Usually I say "let's go to the computers" or "let's go find a book," pick up her bait bag, and she's up and ready to go. Not this Saturday. I had to bribe her with a cookie the first time. After she got some more sleep, we were back to our usual. The only other time she refused to stand up was the Sunday after we did a full day of work Saturday and then 6 hours in the ER.
I just checked, I never wrote about that, or my surgery, or her surgery, it looks like. It's been a crazy few months. Mom nearly choked to death, Dad did the Heimlich, and when that failed, stomach compressions that saved her life. We ended up in the ER for 6 hours as they did x-rays and gave her 3 liters of fluids and tried to get her heart to behave itself.
I went in for abdominal surgery where they kept me overnight. I would not have been able to walk Keeper, so Dad brought her the next morning. She looked like she was marching to a firing squad, but she behaved herself with him. Saw me, all the happy wags. We did the laps of the hallway needed, and I was released to go home.
Keeper had a bump on her head, and went in for surgery a week after I did. The lump was benign, and we were stitches sisters for a while.
2016 has been an overly eventful year, and I've been depressed for most of it. Medicated well enough to keep doing what needs doing, but just lacking in motivation to do anything fun without an outside spark. Keeper's making most things possible. She's not my ideal, nor is she perfect, but she is a very good dog. The more I get out and do, the more I am grateful for her help.
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