Sad Mini Blog .... get out your tissues

Hello....

So yesterday was the first morning in over 17 years that I wasn't woken up by a wet dog nose. As you may have read in my last blog, my dog Jesse has been sick and on new medication.  She unfortunately took a turn for the worse on Saturday and I had to have her put to sleep that night.  Heart wrenching to say the least.  She has had this autoimmune disease for about a year, it's something that is seen in German Shepherds (even though I never heard of it) and usually can be treated and maintained. Unfortunately it progressed quickly and beyond medical control.

Here's a little background on Jesse for those of you who don't know....  In 2011, a neighbor down the street came to my house to see if my dog Gracie had gotten loose.  Since he was greeted at the gate  by both Gracie and Lucy (the other resident German Shepherd), he asked if I could help him with a dog that had been left tied to a tree in our neighborhood park.  This tiny, emaciated German Shepherd, was zip-tied (yes, zip-tied) to a tree and had been there for hours.  She wouldn't let anyone near her, so I went back home got food, water, wire cutters and a leash.  After an hour or so, she let me touch her.  I was able to cut her free and let her eat & drink.  After that we walked back to my house and I called the humane society.  I couldn't keep her because I already had two dogs here and she desperately needed to see a vet. She was in rough shape.  I took her to Lollypop Farm, threw money at them and told them to find her a good home.  After a few days I called to check to see how she was and they told me she was very aggressive, bit one of the attendants, wasn't fit for adoption and was going to be euthanized.  Well, we obviously know I wasn't going to let that happen.  So almost 10 years later, I sit here heartbroken telling you her story.  She was very possessive of me, had horrible separation anxiety, couldn't be around other dogs, paced back and forth, chewed tennis balls to calm herself down. She was a work in progress, everyday.  But she was also the most loyal dog, very loving, loved to cuddle, sweet, so willing to learn and please. She and I had acquired this bond that cannot be put to words.  We would just sit staring at one another, as if we could read each other's mind.  She thrived at learning new things, she took all of her commands very seriously.  Her best friend was a cat named Kitty Poo.  Jesse traveled with me, went winter camping and snuggled in my tent, swam in the ocean and rode the waves in Lake Ontario. As long as I was near, she was happy... and I felt the same about her.  When I had to put Gracie to sleep, she was my saving grace.  We grieved together and had to figure out a new routine for our days. Jesse always was smiling.  And this held true up until her time was done. As I lay with her Saturday night on the floor at the animal hospital, staring at each other like we always did, she was still smiling.  To say that I was grateful to have her in my life is an understatement.  Yes, she was a huge pain in my ass, but she taught me to be patient, to not rush through things, to love unconditionally and mostly that you can overcome the worst things in life and thrive.  She did that...every day. Everyone said she was so lucky to have been left in the park and rescued by me....truthfully, I am the lucky one.

So now I am stuck with Dracula. She is grieving as much as I am.  Her best frenemy is gone and she doesn't know what to do.  Maybe she learned as much as I did from Jesse. Maybe she'll be a more loving cat now that she is the lone animal for the first time since she was a kitten. All I know is that she hasn't stopped meowing and won't leave my side.  It's a bit much since she usually only wants my attention when she wants to eat or wants to steal my seat because it's warm.   I guess only time will tell with her.

So rest in peace Jesse 💗 (aka Sweet Pea, Sneaky Pete, Sweetie Petey Pie, Stinkerbell, Jester). You are missed more than you will ever know.

2012,  So Happy!

2020... Still Happy!

Kitty Poo and Jesse

Best Frenemies

Until next time, 

Jules

Okay, okay...I took some time off.... keep your pants on.

Hiyeeeeeeeee.....

In the 3 weeks I took off from the blog a lot of ridiculous things have happened.... Let's recap!

- Trump wanted us to inject bleach into our bodies. I encourage all Trump supporters to do so in honor of your elected official!!  Better yet, bring back that Tide pod eating challenge that was all the rage for a day.  And while you're at it, do a line of bath salts.

- An asteroid the size of a house safely flew by earth a couple of weeks ago.  One the size of a car came kinda close to us the other day.  And today one taller than the Empire State Building went whizzing by.  Does this happen all the time? I do not have time to worry about large space rocks taking me out in a fiery blaze every day.  I already have too much on my plate.

- The "WWE" is considered an essential service in Florida.  Yes, grown men pretending to wrestle is essential in the sunshine state.

- Beaches have been closed, opened, closed and re-opened.

- Melania Trump is all for mask wearing in public, Donald not so much. He even decided he didn't have to wear a mask when touring a mask producing facility in Arizona this week.  👍

- Trump declares he has ultimate control....our Governors respond with an "uh....no you don't"....Trump declares he will let the Governors control the states....our Governors respond with an "uh...we already are".

- The White House rejects the CDC's detailed reopening guide and says it's too "prescriptive". Prescriptive is defined as the  "enforcement of a rule" or in laymen's terms "how to do something".  So the White house asked the CDC how to do something, the CDC told them how to do it, and now the White House is saying don't tell me how to do that, you're not the boss of me. 

- This whole thing is exhausting.

- Land O Lakes butter will no longer have the image of the Native American women on it's products.  Of all the times to make a statement, why now?

- To the people and law enforcement of Indianapolis:  Let's all stop being lunatics.  We are all scared, we all have rules to follow, we all have common sense....

- The Pope thinks Scotch is the real holy water, not once, but twice. I knew I liked this guy.

This made me laugh!  

So did this.... 

So what does May have in store for us? I guess we will have to wait and see, but I am pretty sure it's going to be more of the same and way more of the ridiculousness!   I can tell you that I am back to work full time landscaping (even though they are calling for snow tomorrow) and I cannot be happier. The best thing about working outside all day is having an ice cold beer in a super hot shower when I get home.  It's those little things that make me smile.

In all seriousness...this Covid nonsense is not going away any time soon.  I am shocked by how many people think that this virus is just going to disappear.  There was a protest in Rochester the other day by people who feel the need to congregate (without masks) and chant about reopening our city. One gentleman took the time to make a sign that read "Reopen Roc, I Need a Haircut".  Well, there you go.  Let's definitely risk lives so this man can go to Super Cuts and get his hair cut.  And I don't know about you, but when New York opens back up again I am not going to want to run out to eat or go sit at a bar and drink.  Every time I go to the grocery store I am disgusted by the people just milling around and not wearing their masks correctly.  Let's go over this.... the mask is to cover your mouth AND your nose, at the same time. Not your chin, not your neck, and you can't choose if you want it to just cover your mouth or just cover your nose.  I am all for a "mask nazi" at all stores. If you can't wear it right, you should be escorted out of the building (and injected with bleach).   Again, this is common sense... we are all going through the same thing, we all have rules to follow...... it's not time to rebel.  I don't want to wear a mask ... my glasses fog up, sometimes my breath is less than desirable ... but I do. I do because A) I don't want to get sick  B) I don't want to get you sick.  People keep forgetting that you can be symptom free and still have this virus. Let's take our time with this, let's make sure we have enough tests and we have the right "prescriptive" measures to take to reopen our towns, cities, states, country.  Let's not rush to open every thing up just to have to turn around and shut everything down.  Yes we live in a democracy, yes we live in a country where freedom rings, yes we live how we want...but what all of those statements have in common is that you are "living".

One last thing ...

I am disgusted it took so long for the Georgia Bureau of Investigations to arrest the father/son murder-vigilante-duo who hunted down and shot to death Ahmaud Arbery.  Mr. Arbery, a 25 year old African-American, was out for a jog in February, near his home, when he was chased by two white men (Gregory McMichael/a former cop and his son/Travis McMichael) in a pickup truck and then shot to death for no reason.  At first, the "good ole boy" network in Georgia tried to sweep this under the rug saying that the father/son had "solid first hand probable cause" he was a suspect in recent string of burglaries in the neighborhood.

These are the facts:
- There was not a string of burglaries in that neighborhood. There had been one burglary reported in the past few months leading up to the day of the MURDER.
- The father (a FORMER police officer) has no legal right to apprehend someone suspected of a crime unless he is witness to said crime.
- The McMichael's  grabbed their firearms and chased this innocent man;  who in turn was shot  several times for no reason.
- There is a horrific video that shows Mr. Arbery jogging down the street, running AROUND the pickup truck to avoid any confrontation with these men, and then fighting for his life with a shotgun pressed up against his body.
- Three shots were fired in about 5 seconds.
- Mr. Arbery was unarmed.
- There is no excuse for this.

Georgia is a death penalty state. I am a true believer in "an eye for an eye" ONLY if someone's guilt can be proven with science and science based facts.   If there was ever a good time to be pro-capital punishment, it would be now.

This is so hard for me to wrap my head around ... I was brought up in a very humble, liberal household. We were taught there were "good" people and "bad" people, regardless of their history. My father was in a very diverse R&B band, my mother's brother (my Uncle Charles) was gay.... we never questioned people of different color, ethnicity, religion or sexual preference.  If they were a good person, they were accepted, no questions asked.  So for me to think that a father & son saw an African-American man jogging down the street and automatically assumed he was up to something illegal, is beyond comprehension.

Ugh.

Okay, here it is... the daily dos dose of Dracula.....

First week without Jesse 

Second week without Jesse

High five from afar....
Jules

I'M ESSENTIAL ..well that's what the governor says.

Hello again....hello!  No this is not Neil Diamond, sorry to disappoint.

So I just heard that the Governor has said that all landscape companies are considered essential businesses.  I can't wait to get to work on gardens and outdoor projects.  I have started several seedlings for my vegetables indoors and am planning more outdoor gardens in my backyard. I am REALLY excited to get my hands back in the earth.  I am NOT SO excited about having to teach some of my older clients to use paypal or venmo for payments. A lot of them like to physically hand me payment and then make small talk about the neighbor's dog barking all hours of the night.  I'll let you know how that goes....

I have been getting some of the weirdest headlines in my google newsfeed lately... here are a couple that popped up (and these are actual headlines).

- "With zoo closed to visitors, pandas finally bang after 10 years"  - Shanghai.ist
* This article's headline was set above a picture of the two panda's actually banging.

-"Trump says he will 'take a look' at Tiger King Joe Exotic pardon"  - New York Post
* I'm sorry, he has time for this????

- "A text message is the best way to break up with someone (even when there's not a
pandemic)  -  Insidehook.com
* I hate millenials. 

-  " 'Top Gun: Maverick' release date pushed back"  -  CNN
* Thank you.  Hopefully if this pandemic goes long enough, they will forget to release this    altogether.

- "Breaking News: The CDC advises all Americans to wear non-medical masks, President Trump  said. He added: 'I'm choosing not to do it. It's only a recommendation."  -  The New York Times.
 *Ummm, okay Don. I'm okay with you not wearing a mask.  But I'm thinking if you wore an orange one, it would camouflage on your face and we wouldn't even know you were wearing it. Just sayin'.

- "Family members get into a fight when one accuses the other of hiding toilet paper"  -  CNN
* A son actually punched his mom in the face because she was hiding the family's stockpile of toilet paper.  The mom said she was hiding it because the son was using too much. Gross.

Speaking of asses... My poor dog Jesse is pretty sick.  She has an autoimmune disease that is causing a lot of problems in her caboose.  At this point, she hasn't pooped in a couple days. An 80lb German Shepherd who eats constantly, CAN....NOT.....POOP.  I took her to the animal hospital and they changed up her medicine and they want me to incorporate canned pumpkin (cannot find) and miralax laxative powder (plenty of that in stores).  So she has had 3 doses of miralax and now I sit and wait for the explosion. I am a very sing-song person. I will make up words to any song to fit the situation I am in.  The number of songs I have come up with tonight incorporating the words "Jesse" and "pooping in the backyard" is pretty impressive.  Jesse, on the other hand, is not as impressed with my creative lyrics.  She has had enough and is dead asleep in her bed.  Her stomach is making some crazy noises like an old squeaky door opening up to a vat of boiling lava.  It's going to be a long night for us.  If she only liked coffee......


So I found a cat who may take Dracula's spot as the worst cat ever.  I have been following her story online and she has been adopted by someone. But I need to applaud the person who set up her facebook posting.... A+ for creativity and brutal honesty.   Plus, I have never seen a cat with such a disturbing resting bitch face.

I think Perdita may be my feline doppelganger. 


What is happening in Georgia? The internet must have been down for the past 2 months. Or they forgot to 'spring forward' their clocks.  Governor Kemp (R) had no idea that asymptomatic carriers of the virus can spread Covid-19. And Senator Thompson (R) tested positive for the virus, was sent home from the hospital to quarantine, but instead proceeded to take several carloads of people to his beach house in Florida. Both claiming ignorance that they had no idea the severity of this pandemic.  So on April 2nd, the Governor of Georgia issued a stay-at-home order, only essential businesses stayed open, school's closed, beaches closed and he deputized several sheriffs to make sure people comply to the order. Then on April 6th, he re-opened the state's beaches to the public.  I'm confused. So, do not go to work, do not send the kids to school, only go to the store if necessary, do not visit grandma in the nursing home...BUT, pack up the family for a fun day at the beach!! BUT, don't bring your chairs, tents or umbrellas. 

Dear Governor Kemp,
Please pick a lane and stay in it.
Sincerely,
Jules


Well I think I am done for the night. Jesse is still sleeping (and gurgling).  Time to watch some The First 48, you know easy tv viewing to fall asleep to.  I will leave you as always with....

Your daily dose of Dracula.....

Goodnight!
Jules

Social Distancing....All the Cool Kids Are Doing It.

Hello again!

Welcome to the second installment of my Calmly Welcoming Insanity blog. And truth be told, I welcomed insanity years ago, but I like to renew the membership as often as possible.  So much has happened since my last post..... let's get right down to it.

My household consists of myself, my 18 yr old nephew Matt, a German Shepherd named Jesse and the maine coon cat, public enemy #1, Dracula.  Also in the mix is my boyfriend Jamie, who conveniently lives across the street.  It's a good dynamic. We all have a good sense of humor, can take being the butt end of a joke, have different skill sets and overall work well together. So being holed up with a teenager so far is working.  There are hiccups of course... Like how I need to hold a weekly tutorial of how to load the dishwasher so everything actually gets cleaned.  Or how I have to be Captain Obvious and say things like "when was the last time you were outside?" or "don't eat the whole package of oreos in one sitting" or "try to have something for dinner that is green, not beige".  All in all it is a great learning experience for us.  I, as stated in my first blog, am not a fan of the children.  So having a teenager in my house has been eye awakening to say the least.  I have learned the following:

- The phone is in essence a life saving device akin to a pacemaker, without it they will die.
- Kids have been social distancing most of their lives via social media. This pandemic should be a breeze for them...until the internet goes down.
- There is a smell in my nephews room that will need to be taken care of by a specialty hazmat cleaning unit when he eventually moves out.
- At midnight, the teenage brain resets.
- Being told NO about something crushes....their.....souls.
- Snapchat selfies trump everyone and everything, every time.

Jamie suggested the other day that we have a Covid Cookie Competition. He is a cookie enthusiast... he talks about cookies like they hold a special place in his heart. I don't particularly care for cookies, or cakes or pastries. I don't really bake, I don't like how precise you have to be with every measurement of every ingredient. I'd rather cook. You can throw handfuls of food into a pan, be reckless with the amount of garlic you add and have a delicious meal in no time.  So when he suggested we should have a cookie competition that my nephew would judge, in hindsight, two things happened: I got duped into making cookies and my competitive side went into overdrive.  I don't have a secret recipe in my back pocket to whip out. But one thing was true... I was in it to win it.  These are tough times we are in. We should be embracing our time together with fun, meaningful activities. But right when you add the word "Competition" to a leisurely Sunday afternoon of baking, the gloves come off.  Jamie picked a recipe that combines two favorites.... a boxed cake mix and hershey chocolate chips. Two things my nephew loves more than life itself.  I had to listen to a long winded story about how Matt finds a Funfetti Cake to be eighth wonder of the world. My only question to him was "what the hell is a Funfetti cake?  Right then I knew I had to get my A game on.  I know of one cookie that dominates that Funfetti cake lovers brain... the Royal Dansk butter cookie. He eats those round tins of treats like it's his job.  For Christmas I wrapped a stack of those tins up that was at least 2 feet high for him and as far as I know, they are all gone.  So the competition was the yellow cake chocolate chip cookies (aka the cakey) vs the definitely not royal megxit butter cookie.

 As you can see here, Jamie is showcasing the cookies while practicing safe cookie sheet handling with the Ove glove.

Matt not taking the judging too seriously, while the fish are anxiously await his decision.

After tasting several of the cookies, and by several I mean at least 10, Matt declared the winner.... the definitely not royal megxit butter cookies.  Even though he did think they were just sugar cookies with a hint of butter, I will take the win!  But here's where I got duped, Jamie also gets the win because now he has 3 dozen cookies to last him until the next cooking competition. My sweet victory quickly has turned sour.

Did the following PSA message make anyone else feel slightly uncomfortable? Arnold Schwarzenegger Made An Incredible Coronavirus PSA With His Mini Donkey And Mini Horse https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellievhall/arnold-schwarzenegger-coronavirus-donkey-mini-horse   You'd expect a video like that to be made around day 74 of a quarantine, not within the first week of self isolation. He not only welcomed insanity, he embraced it.

Ok, let's talk Cuomo. Either you love him or you hate him. I have been a Cuomo fan for a long time and am making a habit of watching his daily press conferences to stay informed, grounded, scared and slightly sane.  I feel a horrible mixture of terror and comfort from them.  I can tell you I appreciate how on point and matter of fact he is about what is going on.  Also, when he is interjecting an opinion or feeling, he prefaces his statements by saying they are his words and not facts. Something I wish all of our so called leaders would do.  I am astounded at the amount of misinformation that is being fed to us, but more scared of the people who believe in it.  Wouldn't it be great if for once politicians, news agencies and conspiracy theorists all came together and just said "here are the actual facts and what we recommend you should do to combat this crisis we are ALL in".  Rather than listening to our leaders tell us how they "feel things are or feel will be", tell us what the scientists and medical professionals are saying.  Tell us how to be safe and make the most of our time.  I think this pandemic is going to make or break us as a country.  I know as a fact it's going to force our society to re-learn how to live. We need to simplify our expectations and re-train ourselves on how to be self sufficient.  Plant a vegetable garden, even in an urban setting.  Figure out how to fix, build, refurbish things.  Take this time to learn a trade or skill that will better you, your family, even your community.  I have been looking at welding equipment... how cool would it be to learn to weld? Plus I could fix the gate on my driveway that is no longer straight, make some cool metal trellises for my gardens... or help a neighbor repair something.  Self sufficiency is a lost art. We have acquired this sense of urgency for everything we want and need. All we have to do is click that "place your order" button on our phones and whatever you 'have to have' will be delivered to you in two days or less. And god forbid if the item is not delivered on time. You use your outside voice when calling customer service demanding to know where your order is.... because waiting 3 days to have exfoliating cream or a hooded parka for your dog or a package of candy you remember from your childhood is NOT acceptable.  It's time to change that.  We have become a society that must have instant gratification on all levels to the point of being unrealistic.  Let's all learn to take a breath, think twice, be kind, read rather than watch, cook a meal from scratch, stare at the sky and day dream.  Be grateful for what you have rather than what you don't have.  And most importantly be mindful of how your actions and words greatly affect those around you.

I learned a couple of things today....

- 85,000 New Yorkers are volunteering in the Big Apple. 26,000 Healthcare workers that are not even New Yorkers have stepped up to lend a hand in NYC hospitals.  Wow.
- On my daily walk, every third car that passed me reeked of reefer.
- My dog ignores me until I throw the word "cookie" into a sentence.
- I'm pretty sure I told Jamie I would get a mohawk in celebration of the end of this pandemic. 
- I'm pretty sure he said he would too.
- Going to make these soon  https://www.inspiredtaste.net/35686/easy-flatbread-recipe/#itr-recipe-35686
- I don't know if I can wait for the final season of Schitt's Creek to come on Netflix.

Okay, that's it for now.  Please forward this blog to anyone you may think will enjoy it. I welcome your comments, good or bad. Click on the Follow or Follow by Email tabs. Now stop touching your face and  go wash your hands.....

Jules

Here is your daily dose of Dracula....it pretty much speaks for itself. 

Tap tap tap....is this thing on? 

Welcome to the first posting on my new blog!  I know what you are thinking....a blog, really?  Not a witty podcast about true crime, amazing souffles or how you are failing as a parent? Here is your emphatic NO, and here's why:

  1) As much as I am a self proclaimed crime addict and consider any book on serial killers as "lite reading", this topic is too oversaturated now in our lives. Let's give it a rest. 

 2) I find souffles infuriating!  (Even though I have never made one) Just the thought of taking all that time to whip egg whites to a peaked perfection and having the whole thing collapse right before they are served makes me ANGRY, very angry.  I'm over it now. 

 3) I have never had children, don't particularly care for them and make every attempt to avoid them when possible.  Here's the best parenting advice I can give...  DRINK.  This tried-and-true tactic has been very effective in my family for generations!

Okay, now that we have that out of the way, let's dive right in....

I'm bored, hence this blog.  I am usually the person that is up bright and early and doesn't stop.  I am an efficient multi-tasker and thrive on a deadline. Now with all this idle time on my hands, I don't know where to start.  Here's an idea of my newly adapted Covid-19 morning:

- I decide my day will start by trying to guess what time it is.

- I guess the time.  

- I look at my phone to see what time it is.

- Sneak a peak at my dog Jesse to see if she is sleeping. If she is, I let her sleep. If she isn't, we get up. 

- Head downstairs and let dog out, check to see if any of my fish are belly up.

- Make coffee, feed dog & cat.
- Wonder if I am drinking too much coffee.

- Drink coffee and try to figure out what to do all day.  

Things I have decided to do so far with my days : 

- Watch all the Datelines on NBC

- Pick up sticks in my yard, one... at... a... time. 

- Stare out my window and try to figure out where all my neighbors are going under our 'Stay at Home' declaration. 

- Not vacuum.

- Try not to eat all the snack food I have accumulated in one sitting. 

- Check in with my friends to see what they are doing all day.
- Throw tennis balls at my dog's face until she gets up, annoyed, and leaves the room. 

- Avoid Dracula the cat at all costs.

On to the other things going on in the world.....

Well, there is this pesky virus going around that is going to cause humanity to lose what we have as we know it.  This may be the test of time for many.  For some reason I am relatively calm and at a peaceful understanding with what is happening.  Maybe because I am older, maybe because I am a natural social distancer, maybe because I am more grounded than most,  maybe because I am calm in a crisis. Whichever it may be, I am at this point okay.  (I did freak out a little earlier because I was dangerously low on clementines, but that situation has been rectified.)  There is nothing we can do to change the situation we are in,  all we can do is listen and lead by example.  We have been given all the facts of the dangers we are facing. We have been given a strict list of do's & don'ts to combat the spread of this virus.  At this point in time, it's not okay to go against the grain.  We must band together by staying apart. I don't know how much clearer that message can be. 

Back to the nonsense.....

I think in this blog I really want to highlight some of my favorite texts, links and overall ridiculousness I am coming across during this time.  I am not going to make light of the situation at hand, I just want to make it a little more bearable at the expense of others. 

For instance, here is a fun thing to watch that I am putting under the "one of the most absurd things i have heard this week" column.

 https://nypost.com/2020/03/23/florida-politician-says-coronavirus-cured-by-blowing-hairdryer-up-nose/  

The best part of that whole video is not the fact that a grown man is encouraging people to blast their faces with their hairdryers, but the councilman sitting in the middle of the panel holding his head at the end.  YES!!  I am encouraging anyone who doesn't mind a stiff, dry, hot wind to their face to PLEASE take a picture of themselves trying out this miracle Covid blasting cure and send it to me.  

Today's highlight was the text I got from my boyfriend saying the liquor stores and local breweries are now delivering!  Not to mention we can get a dozen Dr. Fauci doughnuts delivered to our doorstep! https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/26/us/dr-fauci-doughnuts-trnd/index.html  To say I am a proud Rochesterian is a complete understatement!  

Okay, that's it for now. I will try to come up with more nonsense in the next few days. I encourage you to follow my blog, comment on it, share it with your friends and family and most importantly ... enjoy it!  

Signing off from the kitchen counter....

Jules


PS: Here is your daily dose of Dracula....  Who insists on being the gatekeeper to the pantry and depending on her mood, may let you in to get food ... but most likely not.