So...It's been a roller coaster ride over the last couple of months. Unfortunately, it ain't over yet. There's been absolutely no progress on settling my sister's estate. As far as I know, the judge (deliberately lower case as a representation of my respect for the man) hasn't signed the papers to appoint anyone to handle what little "estate" she had.
Our intention is to renovate our mobile home that she lived in for several years. To do so would mean moving her "things" out. Our attorney says that's probably not a wise idea, until the judge signs the papers.
So, been twiddling my thumbs on that front for a while.
Speaking thereof...I got some good news this past week at my weekly wound care appointment. Frequent readers of this blog will remember that I fought "the saw and the saw won".
Yes, Beans, you may want to close your eyes.
That was in the ER at my second wound cleanup from excessive bleeding.
As of yesterday morning and Mrs J's daily wound cleanup and bandage change (she's much better at it than I, only partially because I'm right handed and that's the right hand), it looks quite a bit better.
The wound clinic staff also said that it was "unlikely" that I'd picked up an infection in the bone. They said had I done so, the consequences would be "Bad!"
I elected not to pursue that conversation for any further details.
So...Good News.
Also, some Good News from another major situation in the Family's life.
Miss B's pulmonologist has removed her requirement for supplemental O2. She's been off of it completely for a couple of weeks and had been weaning off it for about 6 weeks. This is the most major impediment and the last one in effect that's preventing her and Mom from rejoining Little J in HK.
Well...that last isn't quite true. All the paperwork has to be submitted to State, who will ponder it over (and over, and over) and reach a decision...sometime...soon...perhaps....please?
But, prayers up.
On a down note, the introduction of Lisa's 3 dogs to our 3 dogs isn't going well. For the most part, they're all getting along, but, the puppy (5 months old) is the second largest of the 6. Suffice it to say the old Fighter Pilot saying of "All Balls, D**k and no Forehead" definitely applies to him. He's a Great Pyrenees, so is only going to get bigger.
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| Oh sure, NOW he's calm, cool and collected |
His primary trick is to hang out in the kitchen and wait til my back is turned before standing on his back legs and chowing down on the food being prepared. He's quite adept at it. He can consume a boneless chicken breast in under 5 seconds. Timing started when I opened the oven door, grabbed the bake potato therein, and turned back around to put it on the plate.
"Hmmm, coulda swore I had a chicken breast on that plate...."
His Uncle, the largest of the 6, is (to quote Trump) "Yuuuggge!". His primary attribute is barking. A lot, especially in the wee hours of the morning, for an extensive time, and for no apparent reason.
Sleep? We don't need no steenking sleep!
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| Who me? Bark? Not while I'm sleeping, only when YOU are, juvat! |
The third one is the eldest of the three, and a golden retriever. As long as he has one of his stuffed animals in his mouth, he's good to go. If not, we have a very short window of opportunity to replace it before he suffers an anxiety attack.
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| Ahh, yes! My Christmas Elf! All is right in the world! |
So...Peace and quiet. I get that in my workshop (even with my table saw).
Mrs J and I have high hopes (low expectations) that things will sort themselves out soon. We'll see.
Peace out y'all!
Good news to see on the digit front and even better news on the granddaughter front. Hmmmm....... a barking pup......any proven dog trainers about juvat?
ReplyDeleteNylon,
DeleteThanks and yes it is good news. Haven't found a good (proven) trainer yet. But haven't given up.
juvat
Great news about Miss B Juvat. Will continue to pray.
ReplyDeleteAlso great news about your thumb. "Unlikely" to get a bone infection - both the happiest and most alarming of news.
How frustrating with the settlement of the estate. Nothing like waiting for the system to work....
My sister and brother-in-law have a Great Pyrenees, about a year old. "Enthusiastic" is the word I would use.
THBB,
DeleteThanks. Unlikeliness is improved by frequent bandage changing, given it's my dominant hand. Try as I might the bandage gets kinda grody. Mrs J changes it pretty much daily and no longer than a day and a half. So, knock on wood.
Very frustrating. Suffice it to say he won't be getting my vote next election.
Very Enthusiastic is more accurate.
Thanks,
juvat
The thumb looks, er, ah, "better." Still nasty looking, bone infection bad, as in "lose your hand or die" bad I'm guessing, nothing to sneeze at.
ReplyDeleteMiss B looks great, good news on that front, for sure.
As to your sister's dogs, 'tis a wonderful thing you're doing by taking them in, but that has to be awfully hard.
It's one of the reasons The Missus Herself doesn't want any more cats, what happens to them if something happens to us? I can point out the flaws in her logic (and she in mine) but truth be told, not having cats in the house is really messing me up in so many ways.
Sarge,
ReplyDeleteThanks. Still quite tender, especially when the Wound Clinic Nurse is cleaning out the dead tissue. But she's happy with the progress, so I got that going for me.
Miss B is really coming around. She's got a great smile and a pretty good sense of humor. Starting to make sounds that seem to be heading towards words. In short, while she didn't have a great start, she's gaining ground. First teeth should be coming in in the next week or two. So, good things.
Thanks, yes, it is.
I can see TMH's point. I don't think Mrs J or I would not want a few animals around. Gotta figure out how to get the new dogs and the cats to reach a truce. Right now, the cats stay in our master suite and Lisa's dogs are not allowed in there. Not optimum, but the youngest dog isn't all that smart. Had to smack him pretty hard to get him to release one of the cats who came out to say hello. (No, the cat hasn't made that mistake again. )
That having been said, I also would have "issues" if we didn't have animals around.
juvat
Juvat, very happy to hear about Miss B's progress in ditching the supplemental O2. Evidence of answered prayers. Also, the battle wound from the "saw war" is making great progress, as it doesn't look like freshly ground meat any longer.
ReplyDeleteOn the dog front, the Great Pyrenees need a mission. We had two for livestock guard dogs when raising goats that ran with an Anatolian Shepherd. Excellent at what they were bred for, to guard livestock. Their circadian rhythm seems to be exactly opposite of humans. Sleep during the day and awake at night for guard duty, which includes barking to keep any predators aware of their (the dogs) presence. I'm not suggesting you get any goats for them to guard, as that brings up other issues of dealing with goats and you'll need much better fence to keep them home than what is required for the horses. One of our Pyrenees could climb an 8 ft. deer fence at the corners, in a heart beat. Other issues involve them acting like the Federal Gov't. By that I mean they may increase their protective territory at their own discretion.
Not sure how to break their circadian rhythm to correspond to ours. One other aside on the dogs. We introduced a llama to the goat protector squad. There was a south of the Rio Grande stand-off reached after two months between the dogs and the llama where they learned to tolerate each other and work in tandem.
Good luck with the dog trainer search. I'm sure locating one will go much faster than getting a decision from LJ's hierarchy.
Cletus
Cletus,
DeleteThanks for that excellent info. Makes sense and gives us a clue to a strategy. Maybe build a couple of dog houses, put them out at night (barking is muffled by the house) and bring them inside during the day. We have put the big one out in the middle of the night a couple of times just to get some sleep. May try that on a more regular basis and the dog houses could keep them warm/dry as needed.
Thanks,
juvat
I know the feeling about the Estate bit. My Sister passed away last November and I'm still trying to be named Executor. The Judge has been great, the people processing the paperwork, not so much. Now I find out that since she didn't complete her Husband's Estate, I have to be named Executor for him as well. That's two Counties, in two different States. Moving her things, shouldn't be a problem. Just inventory everything, take pictures and put it in a separate storage locker.
ReplyDeleteJim,
DeleteMan! That's gotta be tough to handle two estates even if they were side by side, but two different states! Wow! I'll shut up and start coloring. Hang in there.
Thanks for the advice.
juvat
Hey, juvat. That doesn't bother me at all. I've been 'Wound Care Specialist' for Mrs. Andrew through some really gnarly times. And for others. As long as no internal organs are on the external, I'm fine. Just don't puke on me.
ReplyDeleteAs to the dogs... Find a book by the Monks of New Skete, excellent dog training manual. They have a bushel of them. They're excellent, and deal with everything from the perfect puppy to the scoundrel houndrel.
Like one of the techniques for bad dogs is to take what has been chewed (assuming there's a reasonable amount left) and masking tape it in their mouths for an hour. Does no damage other than by association and it does work on stubborn chewers.
As to counter surfing, learn... Karate! A hand chop to the nose, a side kick to the body (not hard, duh) especially when your back is turned. Works wonders for the beasty to suddenly get (lightly) thumped when not expecting it while performing bad deeds.
Other than that, yeah, trainer... bleh. Or maybe the Reverend wants a new dog?
And you need to train yourself. No objects closer than 12" from counter. No items left unattended or unobserved. Get some free-standing baby-walls and wall yourself in when in the kitchen area. Because Thanksgiving is just around the corner and nobody wants to eat partially gnawed on turkey.
I have lost a lot of faith in our legal system lately. So I sympathize with you. That is just a sucky situation. And short of hiring a lawyer, I don't know what you could do (short of really bad things.... of which you can't do until your thumb heals...)
Beans,
DeleteBook's on order, thanks for the rec. Masking tape appeals to me, not sure Mrs J will approve. More's the pity.
Karate chop has been implemented several times as has a quick grab of collar and a pull back. No noticeable change seen to date.
12"? YGBSM. Out of curiousity, I went and got my tape measure and measured the distance from the edge of the counter to the position of the chicken...23 1/2"
Mrs J has approved the purchase of two scat mats for the kitchen. We'll see if they work. I'll have to remember not to go barefoot to get my coffee first thing in the morning. Don't have enough hair to curl.
Got a lawyer, given my other sister's involvement, wanted as much protection as possible. Haven't spoken since my Dad passed and she went through his house saying "I want that, and that, and that...." Not a pleasant evening. Don't want a rematch.
juvat
I am very pleased to hear the good news about your thumb, and your grand daughter.
ReplyDeleteHIP HIP. HUZZAH!
HIP HIP HUZZAH!
HIP HIP. HUZZAH!
Thanks StB.
DeleteYay!! Look at Miss B in her pretty dress -- with NO TUBES on her lovely face!!! Whoo--Hoo!!!
ReplyDeletePrayers for decreased red tape-itis...both on the Federal level and on the judicial level.
Just for comparison--Mom passed away mid-May, the Judge signed the paperwork for Dad and my sister to be the executors on the estate...took about 2 months for the signature to come through.
And like was said above---take pictures, store separately from your stuff--maybe sort out what will be given away so ya don't have to go through it all AGAIN in 2-3 months--see what happens. The alternative is to put it on the projects list for later in the year, when it isn't so hot...guess I find it hard to believe you can't clean things out, as technically you are the landlord. If she had passed away living in someone else's property, renting from someone else, they certainly wouldn't have to freeze everything until the estate is squared away...that can take YEARS in some cases, especially if there was no will.
Dogs--especially livestock guardian dogs like GP's--they NEED a job to do as well as FIRM training. And I have noticed that no matter the breed of dog--if you have 1 dog, you have a pet. If you have 2 dogs, you now have a PACK...so pack rules apply. YOU and Mrs J, and other family members NEED to be the ALPHA folks in that pack. The dog houses sound like a great idea for night time. Tie them up so they are not going to decide to try to herd the local deer, or go kill the local coyote pack--because GP's will--bring them in during the day. And watch everyone closely ALL THE TIME around the grand kids. They are not the best/most kid friendly dogs out there. They are bred to protect your sheep/goats/cattle/horses. Plus, the pup is big and very energetic--with littles around, that can get, um, interesting shall we say at times. Just a word to the wise.
Lastly, no, having infections in the bone is not good, unless you are into needing to have 6-8 weeks of IV heavy duty antibiotics...I'm thinking that while I am sure there are some lovely home care nurses in your locale, I don't get the impression you want to meet any of them in their professional capacity.. You have waaay more fun things to do, like build dog houses, etc...
That wound bed is looking very good! I say thumbs up on Mrs J's nursing skills!! (ducking and running for cover)
Suz
Suz,
DeleteThanks, a lot of good info there. Both on the inheritance front and the dog front. Gotta figure out the implementation. As to the dogs…you been watching us. Pretty good understanding what’s going on!
juvat
Progress (however small) is still progress. Good news on the little one AND your thumb!
ReplyDeleteOldNFO,
DeleteNot too worried about the thumb. Good news on the granddaughter front however,,,yeah, that’s good news.
Juvat
We’ve our own experience with Great Pyrenees. Yes, they are excellent at barking, snatching food, and resting. Ace is our grand dog and a runt, in that he topped out at around 70 lbs.. Unfortunately, he suffers from anxiety attacks when left alone for too long (or maybe it’s the grandkids having anxiety attacks) so he visits us when family gatherings are more than two hours.
ReplyDelete(Not necessarily) Your Uncle Skip
I’m still trying to work out why tha Gargle won’t let me log in to comment from my phone or tablet
Skip,
DeleteSounds pretty familiar, more's the pity. Got no ideas on the Gargle problem either, other than "It's Gargle!"
juvat
Dogs? Thumbs down. Miss B? Two thumbs up. Your thumb? Thumbs up that's it not worse. Oh, and big thumbs up to the big guy for the O2 situation with Miss B- much thanks Lord. Sorry about the dogs? Maybe 6 (with 2 yuge ones) is too many and there's some good folks out there who might like to adopt hers? Or is that extended family still your family?
ReplyDeleteTuna,
DeleteThanks, on all but the dog front, we're making progress. Mrs J isn't ready to give up on Lisa's dogs yet. In a perfect world, I wouldn't either, but...
We'll have to see how things turn out with them. Suz's suggestion to put them out at night seems to be helping. The barking is more muffled and they sleep during the day. The jumping up on the counters hasn't gotten better although my squirt gun accuracy is much better now and he doesn't like that.
So, yeah, extended family is family.
Cheers,
juvat
Understood. And I'm sorry I suggested what you had surely thought of and discounted. As a one-time owner of a beagle with an incredible nose, we were horrible at leaving food where she could get to it- on counters where chairs could be pushed up next to it by her, up on top of our highboy dresser (don't ask me how she got up there), in a closed closet door (lots of unsold GS cookies).
DeleteNo worries, Tuna. Making some progress. Trying new things to train them. No final decisions yet. Bit frustrating but, making progress.
Delete