I Love My Dogs, But Sometimes I Want To Strangle Them

 I used to be a cat person. I had five cats when I finally decided to get a dog. Remember back around 1998, when Taco Bell had that cute chihuahua in all of its commercials? I think that might be what caused me to want a dog. I got a mini Dachshund, Rose, and fell in love. I not only fell in love with Rosie, I also fell in love with dogs, in genera. I mean, I've always loved dogs, but never wanted to own one.

Skip several dogs forward and I have found myself getting torn up on a regular basis. First, about two years ago I adopted Charlie, a black lab mix. I had forgotten how sharp puppies' teeth and toenails are. Being a large breed dog, I was always getting big scratches on my arms and legs from Charlie trying to jump on me to play. It wasn't so bad in the winter when I could wear sweatpants and avoid most of the scratches but, in the summer I looked like I was being frequently attacked by the scratch monster.

Charlie has grown out of that phase (the sharp teeth and claws) and doesn't want to jump up and scratch me most days. He still does jump sometimes, but never causing the injuries he used to cause.

Charlie has a lot of energy so I decided to find a playmate for him. I had forgotten about the teeth/claw issue until finally found a candidate. Enter Benny, a very mixed breed who looks like he will end up being just a little smaller than Charlie who, at last weigh-in weighed 106 pounds. Benny is a very playful puppy (born approx, Nov.1, 2021) and he loves to jump up on me, which results in the same painful scratches I got from Charlie. To show you exactly what I mean, here is one of most recent scratches. It's getting very warm in central Texas so I've been wearing shorts.

Remember I said that sometimes I want to strangle my dog(s)? This is why. Both pix are of my right leg. (I know you can figure that out on your own, but I wanted to save you some time.)

This is Benny.

In case you're wondering, here is Benny's DNA report.

So you can see that Benny, as I said, is a very mixed breed. 😁 I love him very much. 💜

A few things

Okay, first, I've been eating the Activia. Today I forgot, but I suspect it's okay to skip one day.

I got the Verma-Plus in the mail and have started using that. I'm supposed to take it twice a day on an empty stomach (which is harder than one might think) and again before bed. I don't know how long it will last, but before it's gone I will order the Para-Key so I'll have it when the V-P is used up.

The V-P is a liquid that probably tastes awful, but I add the 1/4 teaspoon dose to about a half cup of water and drink it quickly. It doesn't taste bad that way.

I quit drinking the cranberry juice and eating the pumpkin seeds, although I still have some left and will finish them off. I've come to like my little 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds treat.

Incidently, for a very refreshing drink, mix equal parts of (diet) 7-Up and cranberry juice and serve on the rocks!

By reading the label carefully, I have come to realize that "100% juice" doesn't mean 100% cranberry juice. I've always been careful to buy the 100% juice thinking I was only getting the juice that was listed on the front of the bottle - cranberry, or cranberry raspberry, or cranberry grape, etc. Not so.

Other Stuff

I got a new toy. I have all these fun things that I can do with my iMac, but was limited because the iMac doesn't have a DVD burner. Well, mine doesn't. I guess the more expensive ones do. A couple of days ago I got a DVD burner with Lightscribe. Now I have to do creative things so I have a reason to burn DVDs.

One thing that I have decided to do - which doesn't require a DVD burner, but that I think might be fun and interesting - is to record my life story. I will sit at my computer and video myself talking about my life so far, starting from the beginning. And I'm not going to pull any punches. I don't even care whether anyone will ever be interested. I'm just going to do it. And then I'll burn it onto a DVD (or two) with a cool Lightscribe label!! I'll put it somewhere obvious so it will be found whenever I finally kick the bucket. (Hopefully that won't be any time in the near future.)

Teeth

I have finally made an appointment to see a dentist. When I was in the Army I used to see the dentist regularly. I never had any problem with dental visits. I went to my semi-annual exams willingly, and would make an appointment whenever I had the first signs of a toothache.

I retired 15 years ago. I haven't been to a dentist since, except to have my last wisdom tooth pulled several years ago. My mouth is an embarrassing mess. One tooth has broken down to the root. Two others are on their way to doing the same. Still others have started chipping and breaking.

I have been paying for dental insurance since I retired, but have never taken advantage of it. I can't say why not. I just haven't.

Oh wait. Maybe I do know. When I left the Army I was part way through gum surgery. They had fixed half of my mouth, but half still needed surgery. I HATE gum surgery. I'd rather have double root canals on all my teeth than to have gum surgery. And I know when I go back to the dentist that gum surgery crap will come up. Yeah. So that's it. It's the surgery. But I'll go to this appointment because I don't want to look like a poor southern woman - in other words, toothless!

The wrap-up

Okay, that's all for now. I'm very sleepy. I've tried to cut down my caffeine intake, hoping that, too, will further my pursuit of good (intestinal) health!! And of course I'm getting sleepier, earlier.

G'nite.