Irma :(

So, you know we moved to Florida. And long time readers know that Mom is a nerd about being prepared for emergencies. Even though we've only been here seven months, we are ready for Irma to show up. 

We have a generator, portable air conditioner, camp stove and propane, camping coffee pot, food, water jugs (32 gallon capacity), manual can opener, etc. We are as ready as we can possibly be. 

Mom works for the local government which means we don't get to evacuate normally. Just like Norfolk. However, we are ready to leave town if we have to. 

We're in Bradenton, where the red squiggle is. If you're watching TV and see Tampa, look south and that's where we are. 

We will do our best to update the blog throughout the week and after the storm passes. Paws crossed we don't lose internet!

Seriously though, please pray and send good juju for all of Florida. 

It's highly unlikely that we won't see some kind of bad weather from this. How much and how bad remains to be seen. We're praying that it isn't as bad as it could be. 

Moving In

Gosh, it's been a month since our last post! Time is just zooming on. 

This is the only Before picture. This is our living/dining room before we moved in. We have a little patio out those sliding glass doors. 

Now comes the boxes. 

The wall to the left is the kitchen. This is on the opposite side of the room from the patio.

Look, the pile shrank a little!

The "guest" room or storage for now.

Did we mention the boxes?

This is our bedroom. See the mattresses? 

More boxes

These were taken two days after we moved in. Slowly unpacking.

Our patio is on the western side of the house so it gets ALL the afternoon sun. 

Mom put up a pop up tent for some shade. 

The patio is completely fenced in which is good.

It's been a challenge to fit our stuff in this house, that's for sure. Although we donated and sold and gave away oodles of stuff, it's still been tricky to find a place for the stuff we kept. Mom would really love one more room, but this will have to do for now. 

Honestly, after two months, we still aren't completely moved in. However, we won't unpack every box anyway. The plan is to sell our Norfolk house, rent for a year then buy a place. So no need to unpack the Christmas china when we'd just have to pack it back up again. Besides that, the china cabinet is too full of the stuff that won't fit in the kitchen to hold the Christmas dishes. 

Eventually, she'll sort through all the remaining boxes and decide what can stay packed. We need to get the room set up as a guest room because we know we will be having guests before the year is over. Plus, mom really wants to start sewing again. She's got to find a place to put all the stuff first!

Next time (hopefully not a month later), we'll show you the Sarasota Small Dog Meet up!

Our journey begins

After a chaotic six weeks of packing and cleaning and purging and more packing, we left Virginia on January 28. Mom cried as she said goodbye to the house. She'd been there for 12 years. Many pets had come and gone in that house. We were raised in that house for 9 years. If mom could have moved the house with us, she would have.

All our stuff was crammed into this trailer. It was packed up and picked up on January 23, almost a week before we left. Mom had an air mattress and coffee pot, stuff she could pack in the car. It was a fun week (not really). The trailer is 28' long, but we only used 17'.

Our house was about 1900 square feet, plus a mechanical room and a big shed and a huge yard. Our rental is 1000 sf with a 10'x10' fenced patio and a teeny patch of grass. We had to get to rid of so much stuff. Mom made big donations to Dress for Success and Eggleston Services (local non-profit) plus many trips to the dump. Some of the stuff we were sad to let to, but mom was thrilled to donate all her heavy sweaters and coats! 

So that Saturday, we left. Two pugs, one kitty and one human, off to a new adventure! 

We stayed outside of Savannah the first night and made it to Florida the next day. 

Required dorky picture with the sign. 

We stayed in a hotel Sunday night, so mom checked in and took Marmalade (our kitty) inside. Marmie does ok in the car, but she'd rather not be in the car. Then we took off to explore. 

This is the outside of our rental. It's a duplex (they call them villas here).  

There's a palmetto shrub (we think) on the corner. 

Mom then drove from our villa to her job, just to see where it was. Amazingly, her job is blocks from the Manatee River and the Riverwalk! So we decided to take a walk!

 This is the eastern end of the Riverwalk.

 The Manatee River and one of the bridges.

Look at all the palm trees! 

Lounge chairs and sun shades.

The city across the river is Palmetto. 

Look at this plant! Isn't that gorgeous? So vibrant in January!

Another picture of the plant. This was outside our hotel in Bradenton. As a plant nerd, mom is in heaven with all the new ones to identify. 

Next post, moving in !

Loving it here!

OMP WE LOVE FLORIDA!

It's warm! The sun shines every day! Mom is so much happier here. That's a big deal for sensitive dogs like us. We are happier and more relaxed because she is! 

Here's a few teaser pictures to whet your appetite! 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Mom got the best Christmas present this year. She got a new job!

We are moving to Florida at the end of January!

We'll be moving to the Bradenton area. It's between Tampa and Sarasota. 

After the holidays, mom will go down there to find us a place to live. 

We're spending Christmas packing and cleaning and painting! And loving it!

Once we get settled, we will post again. Probably won't post much before that since we've been so good at regular posting WITHOUT a major life change. Ha! 

We wish all of you a wonderful Christmas and even better New Year.

Home and loopy

Mom is home and ok. Didn't need a total rotator cuff repair which is great news. Still have some recovery time and rehab to go. And lots of pain meds. Loopy pain meds.
More when mom is up to it.

Acromio-what?

First, cute pug picture to ease you into this.

The verdict is in. Mom's having shoulder surgery on August 29. The MRI showed a partially torn rotator cuff (50%). However, the doctor couldn't tell if it was torn badly enough for a total rotator cuff repair because the tear goes under the bone. There's a bone in the shoulder called the acromion. Mom's is curved downward, and it's been tearing into her cuff. Her's is a Type II.

The surgery will be to shave the bone down to stop it from tearing the cuff. If the tear isn't too bad, it will heal with rest and therapy. If, when the doctor gets in there, it's worse than she could see on the MRI, mom will have the rotator cuff repair surgery too.

Best case scenario, mom will be home from work for 2-4 weeks depending on how well she heals (and how compliant she is with rehab). Worst case, 6-8 weeks off work because mom has a standard transmission car. Fortunately (depending on how you look at it), she's been working so much without any time off, she has at least 9 weeks of paid time off saved up. Plus, she earns at least 2 days off each month, even when she's on leave. So, we'll be ok as far as treat money!

Our Nana is flying up from Texas to stay with us for a while since mom won't be able to drive for a while. That ought to be fun. Nana is a total sucker for sad pug eyes and should be good for extra food! Plus, mom will be on pain meds and won't know!

So mom has two weeks to get everything ready. Scrub the house top to bottom. Is the house ever clean enough for a Nana? Probably not. Especially since mom has been basically crippled since February, things have seriously slacked off. Not like she was a stellar housekeeper before. Anyway.

Mom's making 6 weeks worth of dog food for us, so you see where her priorities are! She has bought a few new undergarments and dresses that she can put on with one arm. She's going to make and freeze food for her too. Nana won't be able to stay the whole time. One, she has her own life and her own dog and our grandpa. Two, despite pain meds, this house is not big enough for two large personalities like Nana and mom. And us. And no cable like Nana is used to. Mom won't be able to be a good hostess like she tries to be when Nana visits. Nana will be a mom. It's hard to be mothered when you are 42 and very used to doing things YOUR way and taking care of yourself. It will be hard for both of them.

BUT it will be good practice (and maybe a clear indicator) for when mom and Nana and Papa eventually all live together somewhere else. When we move and they move. In a few years. But having separate spaces, not on top of each other. And not during a crazy election season. Thank pug we don't have cable!

Deb has offered some survival tips, but we are open to more if you have any. We are working on a thingamabob to help mom open jars and bottles with one hand with a friend. Looking for an electric can opener that's easy to use with one hand. Mom's ambidextrous, so this won't be as hard on her as it has been on others. She spent last weekend in a sling to see where the problems would be. Baby gates will be tough. Bottles and jars as mentioned. But she can wash and comb her hair, take a shower, brush her teeth. Sweeping is out. Boo hoo. ;)

So if you have any hints, please let us know. As always, we would appreciate any prayers, good juju and positive thoughts for a speedy recovery and good attitude.

One last cute pug picture to cleanse your palate.