After my last post, well, even before my last post, I got sick. The last week of September, Sunday into Monday night, I woke up and threw up, it was sooooo bad. I don't ever remember a time when I threw up so hard and so many times. I'd feel a little better and go lay down, but then be up 20 min, back in the bathroom. I even slept, literally, wrapped around the toilet. I have never been that sick, ever. It was awful. Thankfully the throwing up part only lasted that one night, but I felt "off" for a couple days. Then I got a cold, runny nose, coughing, almost immediately after that.
Monday night the 2nd of October, Chris and I were getting to watch the Seahawks on Monday night football, and he jokingly said "maybe you should take a COVID test" because I had just had a coughing fit. I thought maybe it was a good idea, so took a test, and it was positive. Then I realized that the tests we have are expired, so I thought, well, maybe it's not COVID, so I made Chris run to the store and buy tests for everyone (they are expensive!). And that one was also positive, no one else was positive though. I retreated to my room.
For my job I go to court every Tuesday (I do a therapeutic court) so I had to call them and request virtual court. (One good thing that came from the pandemic, virtual court . . . if you have a court date and are sick or can't make it, call the courthouse, the MAY be able to accomodate a virtual hearing, depends on the court).
Anyway, I had already been kicking around the idea of going to the Lake for my birthday (which is Oct. 6, that Friday), so I decided that since I was the only one in my house with COVID and it was my birthday, I would go to the Lake by myself.
~~~I think I have not mentioned that we got a dog. He is adorable, is a 7 month old lab mix, that we got in August. He came from a shelter in Texas. His name is Peanut Butter, but we call him Peanut.
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The first day we got him, he was very
droopy, tail tucked, ears down. |
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The first night we had him, he was
scared of the stairs, Damian had to
carry him down. |
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| A few weeks later. |
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Anyway, Peanut and I went to the Lake. I don't think he's been so spoiled in his life with food. He had a lot of bacon with me, part of my steak dinner, and pretty much a little of everything I ate (I did feed him dog food).
He is such a scaredy cat (dog), he was scared of the deer on our walks. At night he freaked me out because he'd bark at the dark sliding glass door for no reason. I was definitely scared to go out with him to let him go to the bathroom. I ended up just throwing him on the lead and letting him go out alone. He's scared of he dark though, so I had to turn on all the outside lights for him to even leave the porch. 🤣
But he loved being outside, with me, during the day, even though he was scared of the ducks and even people on their porches.
The sunset in October is so different than in August. In August it sets just over the dock in the above picture. In October it was setting behind the hills off to the left in the picture. But it was soooo pretty.
I spent my birthday day raking pine needles from the beach under the tree. They were so bad! It took me 3 hours (maybe longer) to rake all those needles. But I enjoyed it. My birthday was Friday, and the weather wasn't great, so I didn't do a whole lot outside other than rake. But by Saturday, it was beautiful, and warm! I spent a lot of the afternoon outside. I wouldn't think that 2 months would move the sun so much, but my typical afternoon sunny spot in August, didn't ever see much sun. I ended up sitting mostly on the other side of the tree. I just found it so strange
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Look at the difference of the beach after
I raked!
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I didn't want to bring firewood so I brought a firepit that runs on alcohol (rubbing alcohol). I had gotten it last year for my birthday and used it a few times last winter and a little this summer outside. But it was perfect . . . after I realized I should open the flue even though I wasn't actually using the fireplace. I set off the fire alarm more than once, with that and with cooking (nothing was burnt, it was just very sensitive).
On my way down, my brother-in-law suggested I get myself some champagne and a cake for my birthday, so even though I brought food, I ended up stopping at the store and got a good steak, shrimp, a small lemon cream pie and some champagne (prosecco, if you're a wine snob). I would have made mashed potatoes too, but I didn't want to peel potatoes and boxed mashed is not very good.
Honestly, even though I had to cook my own food and do my own dishes, it was probably one of the best birthdays I've ever had. Nothing against my family but it was crazy relaxing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did get bored a little during the day, the water was too cold to get in, and like I said Friday wasn't great weather-wise, but just getting away was heavenly. I would really love to go back, but I don't know that I could get away with it. Maddox was very jealous that I went, and Chris acted like he felt guilty he couldn't go. I just enjoyed being alone. 😀
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Peanut often hangs his head off his bed
while he's laying on it, it's weird. |
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