A quick Catch-up

Russell - rescue dog - very much a puppy who has added to the chaos in my house.
Rescue Blue dog with his buddy Patty. He owns her.

Enjoying a moment in Charleston

Welcome to the hospital!

Apparently it has been months since I blogged which is now giving me the opportunity to figure out what exactly I have been doing during that time.

Here is how the past few months have unfolded:

September

Hospital Stay - I finished IM Louisville on a high note and felt good about my racing only to land in the hospital just 2 weeks later. I had a staph infection that was resistant to antibiotics. I was waited on hand and foot at our local hospital and enjoyed a vast array of pain killers. This was the beginning of my off-season as well. I did not plan it that way but I was informed that it would be unwise to get in the water with an open wound. A few days in the hospital must have done something to me because I actually obeyed!

October

Ache Around the Lake - Ironically the same hospital that treated me for my infection was also the same hospital that I put on my Ache Around the Lake 8K for. So I guess you could say I was more motivated than ever to make that a success. A lot of work, a lot of stress all for a good cause. The race got pulled off without any noticeable problems. We raised a lot of money for the hospital.

Ziggy - the same day as Ache Around the Lake I was back at the house unloading the U-haul truck and washing coolers when we noticed that Ziggy was not feeling well. He had been at the race with me that morning and walked the 2 mile Ouch with my friend's son. After observing him for a few minutes I realized something was very wrong. His stomach was hard and he was in enormous pain. I dropped everything and rushed him to the emergency clinic in Flat Rock. His stomach had indeed flipped over. He had what many call "bloat" or a "twisted gut" which without immediate attention means a quick death. $1200 deposit for the surgery, Surgery performed, dog saved. 2 days later he comes home only to find that we are having complications. That evening he is rushed back to the emergency vet where he stays for the rest of the week. Finally he comes home on the weekend and is now all back to normal.

November

Finally life starts to calm down just enough for me to realize all the work that has been left unattended due to all the medical emergencies. I spend a few weeks trying to catch up - still trying to catch up for that matter. I just realized I may never be caught up.

I almost forgot to mention the 2 rescue dogs that arrived for the fall fun. Blue dog and Russell - I love them both but together they make things very chaotic. I can handle 1 rescue at a time but is just too much. They are in the system now and know the routine but the 2 rescues love to play and run and romp. They are enjoying the good dog life here but often driving me insane. Then add the next paragraph and you can see why it is all just about enough to put me over the edge.

A "friend" of mine lands himself in the slammer (I am sure it was no fault of his own) and leaves me to take care of his American Staffordshire Terrior AKA Pit Bull. As if I don't have enough issues to deal with. Luke spends his day terrorizing me by barking and tearing the dog run apart and then finally by digging his way out of the dog run. Increased a normal level of stress from a 7 to a 10+ within moment of arriving at my house. To make matters worse my "friend" was only supposed to be "in" for 4 weeks - I have now had the dog for 5+ weeks. May I say NEVER AGAIN!?! I don't need "friends" like this!!!

All of a sudden it is time to start training again for the Myrtle Beach Marathon in Feb. I start back running but my body is slow and everything feels harder than it should. I am reminded of why I never should take time off...because it always hurts getting just half of your fitness back.

My parents treated me to a weekend of camping with them in Charleston at James Island County Park. On the trip down there I get a call from the pet sitter that Luke has escaped and is no where to be found. I was pretty sure at this point I was going to have to turn the RV around and go home but I got lucky and another friend agreed to try to find Luke and take care of him for the weekend. The rest of the retreat was wonderful and very relaxing, just not long enough.

So last but certainly not least - I have been named the Director of the Assaults on Mt. Mitchell. What this means is I get to organize everything that has to do with the Assaults on Marion and Mitchell bike rides - certainly challenging and plenty of work to add on to everything else. Always give a busy person something else to do!

Let the holiday season begin now that I am caught up on one thing...my blog.