AUGHT...AUGHT...AUGHT...

No pushups, pullups, or crunches for the month of March...

Why?

I have a ruptured disc in my cervical spine. I have numbness in my right thumb, forefinger and middle finger.

The injury happened while I was lifting drywall back in July 2016. Freak accident. I knew something wasn't right.

Sometimes there is a sharp pain that shoots down my arm to my fingers.

My right pectoralis major has atrophied.

I went to the chiropractor with no significant improvement. I had an x-ray, MRI, and CT scan done since then.

I can still use my right arm but sometimes I cannot carry anything heavy without eventually dropping it. Just ask Sasha, she knows. Poor thing, I dropped a log on her because I couldn't get a strong grip and it slipped from my grasp. She is okay, but she is very wary of me when I bring wood into the house.

According to the neurologist who performed an EMG, there is no irreparable nerve damage, but surgery will be necessary to correct the problem.

I have a consult with the neurosurgeon on April 5. I will see what surgery will be necessary to get me back to doing the pushups and pullups.

Rise, fall down, rise again...

PARCH MARCH?

For the month of March 2017

5: 0.93 inches
6: 0.04
21: 0.52
22: 0.33
23: 0.01
24: 0.84
25: 0.64
27: 0.12
30: 0.16



2017: 3.59 inches

2016: 9.30
2015: 0.62
2014: 2.40

WELCOME TO "THE HOOD"...

This is wooden structure will hold our range hood.

Back...

Front...

It will be stained a medium walnut and clearcoated.

It is pretty awesome...

SPOILED, BUT NOT ROTTEN...

We have decided that since the weather is warmer and temperatures not dipping into the mid- to upper 20s, both dogs have been banished to spending the nights outdoors on the porch with their pads...

It was actually my wife's idea to banish them and I tried to make my case that they are inside dogs. My argument failed. My wife prevailed.

So, now my wife has been spoiling the dogs since March 28 with two whipped eggs to mix into their breakfast bowls. I pour the eggs into their bowls and the dogs get crazy.

She says she feels sorry for them. Yeah, right.

I used to mix in a shot of chicken broth each into their bowls. Sometimes, I manage to put some bacon "juice" (fat) into their bowls if we have any bacon fat left over.

The dogs are content with their breakfast. I suggested we get the "unorganic" eggs to feed the dogs instead of our organic eggs. Organic eggs are expensive.

I will prevail...

FIVE YEARS PASSING...

It has been five years today since beloved Papou passed away.

What our lives would be like if my father and my wife's father were alive today.

I imagine a lot of fishing, billiards, ping pong, "May I," and playing Pinochle.

DISHWASHER SAFE...

We ran the dishwasher for the very first time in our home.

Why the big deal? We haven't had one operational since we purchased the home in May 2012.

We brought this dishwasher with us when we moved from 31217 BRW.

When the cycle was complete, there were no drips, no leaks, and no issues...

Nothing but clean dishes and silverware.

All is good again...

The little things we took for granted...

Now, cleanup won't be an issue anynomore...

That frees us up to do other things like finishing up the kitchen which is nearly complete.

When the kitchen is done with new cabinets and tile flooring, the house interior will finally be complete. Maybe a few punch outs which include baseboards and crown molding and that will be it...

FINALLY!

LITTLE DID I KNOW...

It was 10 years ago today when I first met my "future" wife.

Little did we know that both of us would be married 113 days later.

Happy anniversary, Honey!

LITTLE DID WE KNOW...

Two years ago today, a three-month old puppy came into our lives.

We saw her online, then went to see her at the kennel, signed the paperwork and had to wait a couple of weeks to bring her home.

She was named Precious. We renamed her Sasha.

Little did we know we would bring her brother home with us, too. He was known as Ray. We renamed him Drake because he looked like Dracula.

Back then, Sasha weighed around 28 pounds. She now weighs close to 70. Drake weighed about the same as Sasha, but he is now close to 55.

10 YEARS PASSING...

Today marks the 10th year of my father's passing.

I miss him, we miss him.

We wish he were around to see the home we have renovated and to play a couple games of 8-ball.

WHO GOT BALL?

This is one of the many balls that keep Sasha and Drake happy. They have red ones, blue ones, and green ones. Who says dogs are colorblind.

Every evening when we come home, either dog will have this ball in the side of their mouths wanting to play. It looks like a big wad of chewing tobacco when they tote it around

On the weekends, they are both outside and one of them will have this ball in their mouth.

"Come play with us! We wanna play!"

They will drop the ball at my feet. I will either kick it or throw it and they go running off to retrieve it.

If Sasha gets the ball, Drake will take it away from Sasha and parade around like he got it first.

He will then drop it about five yards away and then Sasha will pick it up and drop it at my feet.

Eventually Drake will start to grasp the purpose of the drill and drop it at my feet.

"Who got ball?"

"Drake got ball."

"Sasha got ball."

I have purchased at least five of these balls. Somehow they get mysteriously lost. These could be anywhere and we cannot find it.

I am sure as I start cutting the grass after all of these rains we have been having I will stumble upon one or all of them.

I am sure the dogs will be next to me waiting for that to happen.

They really love this ball...

"Who got ball?"