THR Diary of my journey to happy times

[Klassy]

Blushing here

 

[CricketHip]

You got me in the feels with your best underwear on and no exam..

Reminds me of a country western song "I shaved my legs for this."

All in all, you are doing so well. Congrats!!
@Klassy

 

[CricketHip]

@Klassy, your experience with the receptionist reminded me of a Dr visit ( follow up after triple bypass surgery) for my husband.
The PA takes us into the exam room, ruffles through some papers in his chart and asks, so you are here as a follow up from the Holter Heart Monitor?
To which my husband replied, "Oh we are way past that" and she snipped at him "then what is this visit for??????"
He quietly unbuttoned his shirt and showed her his very new scar...

 

[Klassy]

I mentioned that my first meet-up with a doggy plus owner via BorrowMyDoggy reminded me of my singleton blind dating days. Well, the similarities continued: the night before our second date, I got a text cancelling it! The owner had given it more thought and decided I was not a good fit for Angus after all.

I felt rejected and dejected, to a ridiculous degree. I think it triggered bad memories from my spinster days. But all behind me now. My dear husband consoled me by offering to join me on a walk instead. We went to the Malvern hills, walked for nearly 2 hours, 5000 steps mostly up followed immediately by 5000 steps mostly down, and not a murmur of protest from the new hips. That was a few days ago, I waited to post until it was clear that there were no after effects. All clear. Wonderful!

There were some advantages to taking husband for a walk instead of Angus. I didn’t have to keep him on a lead, and I didn’t have to pick up after him.

But lucky me, I don’t have choose between a doggy and my husband. (Husband would win, in case you are wondering.). So I jumped back into the doggy dating game. I have my second date with Edgar on Thursday, and a promising message from the owner of Frodo. Updates to follow.

 

[Layla]

Hahaha! You look better without, Angus, anyway!
I love your sense of humor, Klassy, but I’m sure I’ve told you that before.
Angus, Edgar, these names crack me up, kind of sound like elderly gentlemen names.
Good luck with, Edgar, I hope you two hit it off.
@Klassy

 

[CricketHip]

Well now, that’s rather discouraging! Of course you aren’t the drama! So we will all blame Angus’s Mama.
How can you not be a good fit?? Glad to hear the husband was a good walker and didn’t require a poop bag!

 

[myglasshalffull]

klassy,
Sounds like your doggy dating life is in full swing!
Loving it.
I did dog adoption yesterday 8-4, boy was I beat last night and this AM my entire body is sore, getting up and down to take photos and change names on erase board wore me out, what a wimp! LOL!
But had a fun day and when those dogs go home it's such an overall feeling that you've done something positive.
Keep me posted on your dating!!!
Stay well.

 

[Klassy]

A doggy update! It belongs here on my hip thread because it is only my new hips that make it possible.

I now have 2 good doggy friends. (Their humans are nice too.)

Edgar is a 3 year old springer spaniel who loves chasing and returning a ball. There is a bit of a drawback to his location, which is up a narrow twisting track, quite scary for a crummy driver like me (in our too big for me car). Also, he is a strong dog who would pull me over or break free if he wanted to bolt. Which he normally wouldn’t, but it is always a possibility. So I twisted my husband’s arm to accompany me on my first borrowing, which went very well. H enjoyed it greatly. It was so nice to see him having fun. He looked a good 15 years younger! He is very taken with Edgar. So we have a nice routine now where the two of us collect E once a week and take him to a secure area for a fun play session.

Frodo is an adorable 2 year old miniature dachshund. Lives in a place with easy access. He was very excited to meet me ( he loves meeting people) but obviously very anxious when his owner stepped out of view. We have taken it slowly and built up his trust, so he is happy to be alone with me now. I keep him on an extending lead for now, and we have romps around the woodlands a couple of times a week.

I would never have considered getting a dachshund, because I think it is wrong to breed dogs with a distorted shape that puts them at risk of pain. Sorry if I am upsetting any dachshund owners reading this. However, I have to say that little F has really stolen my heart. Thoughts of a daxie of my own are starting to creep in.

H of course wants us to get a “real” dog. Like a springer spaniel. LOL.

Anyway I am having a lovely time for now with my borrowed friends. It will be a couple of months before our house is ready, so still time to decide on our puppy plans.

 

[Boofit]

Hi @Klassy !
So happy to hear how well you are getting along with your new doggy friends. I am a "dog" person myself but have now fallen for cats as well, and non-domesticated ones too.. Was just reporting on this forum this morning about a 5km walk I did two days ago - the longest since my hip surgery - and part of the reason of doing that walk was to see my calico friend.

Springer spaniels are adorable Would they require a lot of walking? Or would it be enough just to let them have the space to run about in?

By the way, earlier on you mentioned reading during recovery, and I am almost at the end of the Thursday Murder Club. Being a senior myself, I sort of like the idea of a group of seniors in their seventies getting together to solve a crime, and I found parts of it humorous, but the plot is somewhat slow for me. I also think there are too many characters that are "fillers" and I find it difficult to keep score!

 

[Klassy]

Hi @Boofit !
Edgar actually most enjoys running backwards and forwards in a small area, while we sit and throw the ball. This is fun, but not much exercise for us. So the next time we borrow him, we will have a session of fetch followed by a walk in the woods (H holding the lead). H dreams of a dog who will accompany us on long walks up and down hills. I am not sure how capable I am myself of achieving this dream, but I am prepared to work towards it. H thinks a little dog like Frodo couldn’t go the distance. Frodo’s owner reckons that he can go long distances, but she isn’t exactly streamlined herself, so she may have a different definition of long distance.

I have always been a crazy cat person, but we have moved to an area with lots of wildlife, and cats do tend to hunt. Plus a dog will get me out and about. I love the idea of you planning your walk according to the friendly pusses en route. I would do exactly that.

Funnily enough I am nearly at the end of the Thursday Murder Club. I had resisted it because it was so hugely hyped, but a friend gave me a copy. I agree with you. I like the idea of the old folk setting, and it has its funny bits, but a lot of the characters seem to be lined up just to be suspects who are then ruled out. And I found myself thumbing back through the book trying to find out who X or Y was that I was supposed to know about. But it has been reasonably entertaining.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Boofit and Klassy,
We have a cat that comes to slider every AM, comes in, eats and leaves, David calls him "Mooch." Mooches a meal and away he/she goes! LOL! I've taken in so many stray cats over the years. Mooch is not a stray, just likes what I serve for breakfast.
Your "borrowed" dogs sounds like such fun!
I'm going to kennel 4 out of 7 days so getting my dog fix there. Not sure if at my age and current physical condition is I'll ever have a dog again.
Just before I got hurt we were considering adopting a dog from the kennel that I had become very attached to. We were going on a 2 week vacation and decided to wait until we returned plus it was winter and difficult to get out and walk safely.
Never say never I guess.

 

[Klassy]

Lol, @myglasshalffull , I’ve known a few “Mooches”.

I do wonder sometimes if I am too old for a dog. I mentioned the plan on this forum after my first hip, and there was a chorus of “Don’t do it”. And now I am 3 years older. But I think getting a puppy that may still need walking in 17 years time is the best possible motivator to make sure I am still fit to do it at age 85. I imagine we will both be walking quite slowly by then, taking time to smell the daisies

 

[Layla]

Hi Klassy, I enjoyed reading of your adventures with H, Edgar and little Frodo. Isn't it wonderful to actually want to go for walks, just because you can...without the pain? Here's to many, many more with hubs and your new furry friends. Have a guest rest of the week!
@Klassy

 

[Klassy]

Have a guest rest of the week!

Thanks Layla!

Your autocorrect has spooky powers. I do indeed have a guest arriving tomorrow for the rest of the week!

Gotta go now and vacuum up 3 months of dust before she arrives.

 

[Mojo333]

Hope your day is Sweet, @Klassy
Enjoy your company.

 

[Snoopy55]

@Klassy You cracked me up again and again with your posts! Honestly I am so bothered by that owner saying you aren't a good fit! What?? Ok whatever on to the next which you have already so good for you!

I felt rejected and dejected, to a ridiculous degree. I think it triggered bad memories from my spinster days.

I think we all have at some point trust me! Great thing is there are plenty of doggies out there wanting your love! I sort of agree with your husband about getting a "real dog" lol. I still miss my lab so terribly. Thankfully I have lots of videos of him that I watch over and over like a crazy person. I really miss having a dog but I think I just miss Cooper because I don't miss having to walk a dog while its pouring rain out. I think you are going to be a great dog owner. I can just feel it.

 

[Snoopy55]

I did dog adoption yesterday 8-4

How did you get into this line of work/volunteering? I reeeally miss being around dogs. I would like to volunteer with the cuddles and sloppy kisses part but not so much with the cleaning the kennels and the hard work part. Any ideas??

 

[myglasshalffull]

Snoopy,
I had wanted to do some type of dog volunteering, primarily walking dogs because I love walking so much. A friend of mine was involved and happened to meet her at a birthday party over 5 years ago and I mentioned to her I'd love to volunteer and walk dogs. I met Kate (woman who runs the rescue), and the rest is history. Started going and walking the dogs, her rescue is in her house and she lives in heavily wooded area with lots of trails to walk on, it is heavenly.
Kate is actually away last 2 days and I've been going there 2x's a day to help. I walked my old friend Shaggy last night!
I would check in your area for local shelters or even Petsmart. We do a lot of work through Petsmart and they may be able to lead you in right direction. Just about every community has a dog shelter or rescue, I'd google rescue in your area.
Our rescue is Little Rhody Rescue.
I'm heading back this AM at 8!!! Kate will be home later this afternoon and I have two teenage girls coming to help, we have 10 dogs as of now.
Good luck!

 

[myglasshalffull]

Klassy,
sorry, meant to use your name, on first cup of coffee, brain not fully functional yet!!!

 

[Klassy]

You do have an ideal set up there @myglasshalffull . I think if I could do that maybe I wouldn’t want a dog of our own. Although it must be bittersweet when a special favourite goes off to their forever home.

The rescue centre near us has been very tightly locked down through the pandemic - I don’t know what it was like in normal times because we moved here during the first lockdown. I checked their website recently and they are now “welcoming back our current volunteers” but not accepting applications for new volunteers. I think maybe there are a lot more rescue dogs (per capita) in the US than UK.