Another lost week

What a weird disrupted week it has been.

It started out well on Sunday.  My husband and I were in Pensacola Beach, Florida.  We had done a 10 kilometer road race on Saturday, and had both won the Master's (40 and over) division.  We had a wonderful lazy Saturday after that, and had a leisurely wake up on Sunday morning. 

We went for a three mile walk, and then went to a champagne brunch, went back to the hotel to make use of the hot tub, and then settled in for an afternoon of football.  Even though the Saints lost on the last play of the game in epic fashion, it was still a good day.  But then.........

The ride home from Pensacola was uneventful, and I unpacked and we went for a walk to get the kinks out from the long (220 mile) ride home.  It was when I went to pick up the dogs from daycare that things started to go downhill.

Scarlett had a squinty eye.  I thought maybe she had gotten some soap in it when she had her bath, so I wasn't too concerned initially.  After we got home, the situation deteriorated rapidly.  Her eye was obviously bothering her, and then she started listing to one side, walking leaning on the wall and then she slid to the floor.  I called the vet, and their answering machine referred me to the emergency clinic.

May I just say right now that Scarlett is fine.  She had an ulcer on her eye, and was in considerable pain.   She is healing beautifully.  I didn't want you to worry while I told the rest of the story.

Emergency veterinary clinics are a wonderful thing for those of us that love our pets.  I was terrified that Scarlett was having some sort of neurological event, and that she was on the verge of dying.  (I go from zero to terminal in 60 seconds whenever any being I love has a health emergency.  My bad.  Tried to fix myself, failed.)  Emergency veterinary clinics are also like human emergency rooms.  Slow, scary, sad, and incredibly expensive.  After four hours, I was headed home with medication, a diagnosis, lots of negative test results, and a much smaller bank account.  Totally worth it.

I arrived home to increasing hysteria in the local media about an upcoming deep freeze.  Temperatures lower and for a longer duration than we have experienced locally since 1989.  And some sort of freezing precipitation.  We never had a situation like this since we put in the pool, so my husband was worried about what would happen, pipes freezing, etc.

Tuesday was spent planning, stocking up and winterizing.  My husband set up a heater under a tarp with the above ground pool piping, and set the pumps in circulation.  I made a pot of chicken soup so that we would have good warm food.  I also talked to my regular vet.  They were going to call me anyway, as the emergency clinic had notified them that Scarlett had been in for an emergency visit.  I wish human doctors could manage the quality and coordination of care that seem to come naturally to veterinarians.  I made an appointment for Scarlett to see her regular vet on Wednesday morning.  The freezing rain started Tuesday night, and there was a combination of freezing rain, sleet and snow throughout Tuesday night.

Wednesday morning most of the back patio and front driveway were sheets of ice.   There was no way I was venturing out on that ice, with a newly healed broken arm, I didn't want to court another broken bone.  Listening to the radio, local officials were asking everyone who could stay off the roads to stay off the roads.  The interstates (I-10, I-55, I-12, and I-49) were all closed. My husbands freeze protection for the pool worked perfectly. I called and re-scheduled Scarlett for a Thursday appointment, and my husband and I watched Turner Classic Movies all day.

Thursday brought the news that the water pressure in Jefferson Parish was critically low, and that we all needed to conserve water.  No dish washing, clothes washing, bathe and flush toilets only when absolutely necessary.  Two hours later, boil water advisory.  The vet called to reschedule as they had no water at the clinic.  I boiled water, and decided to walk on the treadmill because there was still too much ice outside.  Got off the treadmill, the vet called, did I want to bring Scarlett in, they got water back.  Carefully walked around the ice patches to take Scarlett for a check of her eye, the ulcer is healing beautifully, and she can come out of the cone of shame on Sunday.  Eye drops and more money.

And now it is Friday and 55 degrees Fahrenheit.  We are still under a boil water advisory, but we can flush toilets and bathe.  Thank God for that.  They said you could wash dishes in your dishwasher if it has a sanitize setting, and mine does (YEAH!), so I washed the accumulated dishes in the dishwasher.  The laundry will keep until tomorrow, as I know other people need to tax the system more than I do.

I did finally finish and ship the mermaid tails that I was working on, so I can start another crochet project and I'm ready to get back on my novel. 

I realized how much I depend on the water in my faucets.  And roads to drive on when I need to.  And the relative health of my pets. 

I hope this week doesn't set a tone for 2018.  I am more convinced than ever that I love my boring life.  I hope I can get back to it next week.