Almost forgot that it's Monday (again). This summer thing is nice. We had two days of perfect weather for guests and touring Boston then rain for the gardens after they'd all driven away.

DW and I watched Frozen last night - felt we had to with all the hype. Didn't want to be left out of the cultural references for the next decade, LOL. Well, we did it. I'm not humming the songs. Glad that the fairy tale ending didn't include a wedding. I am impressed with the quality of animation and the Blue-Ray DVD. These guys are getting good!

After a very, very nice week in Napa and Sequim, Washington, we're back home ready to tackle that which has stacked up in our absence. It's not going to be pretty.

While we were gone one day saw our high temperature of 116 and the following day we had torrential rain. We should see another 116 later this week, but the monsoonal flow continues.

We're putting Mudpie the cat to sleep this morning. We came home from a wedding last night and found her sleeping in her own urine. She's been disoriented, falling a lot, and in pain for the last few days, despite the meds.

It's time. Best cat EVER! We will miss her tremendously.

Dagmar

Got home late on Saturday, after my four weeks out west. Gosh, I loved CA! It is just so hot here after being in that 60 degree weather! Yesterday it rained in the early afternoon and I thought I would try to jog outside, since I was just loving that in CA. Not so much here. I went four miles but could only jog a little bit. I did four miles in the time I was doing 6 in CA. Oh well! Trying to just be grateful for the time I had there and not sad I'm gone.

I am down one pound from my time away. It wasn't due to lack of eating, it was due to the exercise I was doing. Of course, in my real world back at home, I simply don't have that much time! I am going to go by a gym this week and get a price for some personal training. I want to start lifting but I need someone to show me and then I will just do it on my own. I found a place real close by that you don't have to join, you just pay for your sessions.

Tree in backyard has to come down. (We had gotten a call our last day in CA from our neighbor that it had been struck by lightening and was going to fall on his house). DH is contacting insurance co to see if that is covered. Florida has strange rules - and many ins companies have pulled out of the state so we don't even really want to claim it! When we called from CA the guy he spoke to said they only pay after it falls. I said that can't be true! They would rather pay out tens of thousands to repair a house, or maybe rebuild a house, than a couple thousand to take down a tree?

I have to go to school on Thursday to train the new teachers on some computer stuff and then we start back on Monday.

My app has been making about $1 a day. Not quite enough to pay for a tree removal.

<hugs> to Dagmar and Mudpie the cat.

Dagmar, so sorry to hear about Mudpie.

Three days of all-day training for me last week, and three days of a business trip this week. I have mixed feelings about this trip. It will be my first time being away from the babies overnight since we got them home from the hospital. I'm going to miss them and I feel bad that DH has to deal with them 24 hours a day while I'm gone, even if he gets help from his mom. They're teething again and having a developmental spurt so they've been pretty fussy and not sleeping well (poor C was up about 4x last night, hopefully she pops that tooth out today). On the other hand, I'm kind of excited about being able to sleep uninterrupted for an entire night multiple nights in a row. Hopefully I will actually be able to sleep, I usually have trouble because I miss DH.

In other news my weight is slowly continuing to creep down. I feel like my current plan is sustainable for the present. I had to go shopping this weekend for business clothes for my trip because I don't fit into any of my pre-pregnancy business clothes. It was pretty depressing. Let's just say that I'm glad that loose and flowy shirts are in this season. I got one pair of pants and three shirts and hopefully that plus one of my skirts will be enough for the whole trip.

I'm so sorry about Mudpie, Dagmar. Hugs to the both of you.

I'm sorry to hear this, Dagmar.

I'm so sorry, Dagmar. RIP sweet Mudpie.

Dagmar, my condolences for your loss. Farewell Mudpie.

Dagmar,
So sorry about Mudpie.

Oh Dagmar, I'm so sorry. Hugs to you.

Dagmar, reading this around 5:30 AM, the ghostly time, the alone time, and thinking of you and your very early mornings, your connection with animals, and what an absence this will be for you. I am so sorry.

I am sad about Mudpie the cat but it's a quiet sadness. She had been failing slowly since December and I knew she was in distress a lot of the time. That was not an easy thing for her.

She had a fierce desire for life and adventure. This had so been diminished by old age and disease that it was hard to watch her fade away. I think it was hard for her too. She always looked so surprised when she fell down or could no longer make a jump.

She, like our other guy, gave me very clear signals on the weekend that it was time to make her exit. Her body just couldn't quite give up, so we gave her the small assistance she needed to complete her journey.

Like Mishka it was a peaceful death in her own home, on "her" loveseat, surrounded by her people.

Dagmar

I'm so sorry to hear about Mudpie, Dagmar....

Waving hi from London. Feel like I'm up 10 pounds already but hoping I'm bring somewhat paranoid. My clothes that were roomy are no longer roomy though. It's hard on holiday not to have a treat here or there. We've been with relatives so far but we leave tomorrow for our hotel. We have high hopes so I hope we aren't disappointed. We've had a great gym here but we will have to figure something else out starting tomorrow.