Tucker Talks: The Good and the Bad

What an exciting week this has been....but it had humaniliating moments, too.

I had several chances to herd those big animals that the lady who feeds me calls "damn deer". One morning I had three of them all bunched together in my back yard.  We were having so much fun! Then, they decided to leave and they jumped the fence. I called to them, "Come back!" I called over and over but they bounded away. Then one morning there were four of them just over the fence. How frustrating. I told hem to come on in and play. They wouldn't. Then I said, if you won't come here, then go away. Skedaddle. They wouldn't. They just looked at me with their freaky big eyes, put their heads down and continued eating. This morning there were four in my front yard. Right there, beyond the sidewalk. You can see where the snow is all mushed up by their pointy little feet. I can't get to the front yard to herd hem, but I made a fuss and they left, slowly. Oh, how I wish I coulda been out there to show them where to go...and how fast they should get there!

One day that lady that feeds me went out. When she came back she had two brand new beds for me and Gypsy. Wow! They are clean, and fluffy and it will take me a while to break mine in and get my hair threaded into that fluffy stuff, and get it so it smells like the yard, and like me. I have my work cut out!

Then, the most terrible, humaniliating thing happened. That lady took me out and into a place that wasn't where the lady with shots is, and wasn't the place where they have all kinds of yummy smelling things and where they give me a treat when that lady buys something. This place was different. It smelled like dogs...but it also smelled....clean. The lady who feeds me left me there. I can't begin to describe the terrible things that were done to me. But....oh, this is so hard to share, but, look what they did to me. Just look! I am so glad I don't have to be walked at a campground where all the dogs could see me. I look like some sort of freaky poodle or something. You can almost see my hiney hole! Geesh, I hope my hair grows back soon!

Oh, I did show that lady who feeds me how I felt. Even though I couldn't bring "half the tree" into the house in my hind end, as she told the man at that smelly place, I did get those pretty white feet all dirty! Hah! You can take me out and get me all cleaned up, but I'll undo it any way I can!

Learning Left

One of my big fears has come to pass - I have not been able to play pickleball due to an injury. Picture me looking very sad… and mad, too! I injured my elbow at the end of August. Oh, well, I thought, I have two months of traveling, so I can give the elbow a rest. The elbow did get a bit better… but not enough. And, as soon as I returned home and began doing physical things around the house, the pain intensified. I have lateral epicondylitis, commonly referred to as tennis elbow.

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Healing can take over four months. The last time I developed tennis elbow it took a year to recover. But, I refuse to wait that long to play pickleball! I enjoy the sport too much to hang it up. So, what's a person to do? Well… since I can't use my right arm, and since I was given two arms, I'll just learn to play with my left. Insane, huh? I guess that's what addictions do - they make people do crazy things! I have been pleasantly surprised at how quickly I have adapted to left handed play. I manage to get over 50% of my shots in bounds, and each time I play I find that I can return more shots. Serving is still a bit of a challenge, and all of my shots are wimpier. But… I get to play, and for that, I am thankful!
My Doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy. The medication has worked wonders in relieving a lot of the pain. I am performing the PT exercises religiously. And some day, my arm will be as good as better than new. But, until that time, I'll continue to work toward becoming a leftie!

Power of Ten

In the past weeks I have been doing some blog hopping, catching up on some of my blog friends. Fundy Blue put up a post on her blog, Standing Into Danger, about, "The Power of Ten". When I was reading it, I almost felt like "hitting myself up side the head" as they say in the south.

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In her blog, Fundy Blue explained that her cousin Pat had told her, "Give me ten minutes, just ten minutes and I'll get something done." What a positive outlook. I love it. There are so many times when I am stalled in my life, when I won't, or don't move forward, because whatever I am facing seems too big, too complicated or just too much of a hassle to deal with, and I get lost in listless lethargy (or sit down and waste untold hours perusing stupid stuff on the computer!)

If, instead, I adopt "The Power of Ten",  I could attack those issues by dedicating ten minutes to move forward. Just ten minutes. Ten teeny tiny, lousy, little minutes. One measly percent of my time awake each day.  Just what I need to get kick-started on so many things (did you see my November list?!) and then I know I'll find myself rolling forward and the ensuing sense of accomplishment will carry me on.

Thanks, Pat, and Fundy, for helping me work on being more productive!

Given the "Power of Ten", what might you accomplish today?

There's More Than One Way

I'm stubborn. If I set my heart on something… I will make it happen, come Hell or high water! I guess you could also say I lack patience!

Yesterday afternoon I decided that I would like a cup of Chai Latte. I have a Keurig coffee maker and I have creamy Chai Latte K-cups. Yum! That chai would hit the spot. I put the package in the machine and received the following message:

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What?! You are kidding me. I checked the K-cup, it said, "Keurig" on it. I tried again and received the same message. So… since the company provided a number, I called, and talked with the official "Oops" folks at Keurig. (I'm not kidding! When you call the number you get a recording that says, "Thank you for calling the Keurig Oops line….")

It seems that Keurig has ramped things up a bit. They have made their new machines smart enough to 'read' whether the user has an official "Keurig" K-cup, or some other brand. The packaging of their K-cups has been changed. New products have a white or light purple ring around the lid. If the K-cup does not have the ring, the coffee maker won't make the coffee. It's as simple as that!

Or is it?

Don't tell Dreaming she can't have her Chai and slurp it, too!!!

There's more than one way to skin a cat!!

I do need to say that Keurig has been wonderful to me over the years. We bought our first machine in 2010. It is still making wonderful coffee. However, it is on the motor home, and so is Mr. Dreamy…. in Alabama. So, if I wanted coffee, and to eliminate the need of lugging the Keurig back and forth (always the last thing on the coach and the first thing back in the house) we decided to get another. When I called the "Oops" line, I was offered a coupon that I could use when I made my first order of products online.

The Weatherman Didn't Lie

I know that Meteorologists have lots of new and improved technology at their fingertips to help them predict the weather. I'm sure computers have made a huge impact on the art of prediction.

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But so many times it seems that Mother Nature wants to be ornery and the weather guys just don't get it right. This week was not one of those times. This time the weather guys were 'spot on'!

The prediction for Monday was that the cold weather 

would move into our area around noon. 

It did!

They predicted that we would get 1" - 2" of snow. 

We did!

The weather reports indicated that we would wake to 

temperatures below 0.

Right, again!

(Pay no attention to the time, 3:40 or the date, 9/29.)

The battery that handles this information is not working.

(I'd make a lousy weather guy!)

The correct time: 8:00 AM

The correct date: 11/12/14

I'm hunkered down for the day. 

I have lots of projects I can work on (remember my November List?!)

I made a tent for the plants in the garage.

They are at 50 degrees with the help of an oil heater.

The dogs are holding vigil at the door,

taking brief jaunts outside to chase errant bunnies.

I wonder about the bunnies, the birds and the beasts.

How do they feel about the weather?

At what temperature do they feel the cold?

Do they grumble about the snow?

The local news is campaigning to inform listeners about

bringing pets inside.

This was picture was posted on Facebook by KOAA news.

Evidently the police are on their way to check on the dog,

and educate the owners.

Poor pup...

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Follow-up: A comment on the Facebook post by KOAA news reported that the owners were visited by the police and have let the dog inside. I hope they keep him in.

The Arctic Express

They say if you don't like the weather in Colorado, wait 5 minutes. A bit of hyperbole, perhaps, but with temperatures plummeting 20 degrees in 30 minutes today, it isn't that far from the truth!

Here is a sequence of photos taken over four hours by Chris Nie, a student at CU Boulder.

It was 56 outside when I left the house this morning. 

It was 34 three hours later. 

It is 13 12 10 now, with some light snow.

Now, that's cold!

I think I'll hibernate!

Interloper

I unearthed all of the remaining root crop vegetables in our garden. I have 2 gallon bags of beets, a collection of fairly small carrots that had tried to grow under the squash that encroached on their space, and a turnip.

What? 

A turnip?

I didn't plant turnips!

Regardless, it will be tasty!

I also cut most of the Silverbeet Swiss chard,

also known as Rainbow Swiss chard.

Isn't it beautiful?

The colors make me smile.