question: what do me and my dog have in common?

answer:

-were both sweet
-were both neurotic
-were both sick...
...which makes us...
-both expensive

(to all of you non-animal lovers....you can stop reading right now. because you just wont "get it". you just wont.)

i think pretty much everyone knows how i feel about my dog. i love him. i adore him. id give him a kidney if he needed it. he is such an integral part of me. sounds weird, because hes a dog; but its true. before i had dan and hayden...it was just me and willoughby, out in LA. hes been with me thru many phases, and has helped me thru so many things. hes 13. the same age as my niece, who just had her bat mitzvah. when you compare it to a human life...its easier to see just how long weve been together.

one of the things he has seen me thru, is my cancer ordeal. literally being by my side the whole time. so...how can i let him down when hes sick and needs help? it seems like yesterday that i got him. he was 4 months old. but hes 13 now. and i worry about him. every day. ev-err-ee day. i really cant imagine not having him by my side. i know not all people treat their animals like we do ours. most people dont treat their friends and family as well as we treat our pets. and i also realize that most people cant afford to spend the kind of money that we spend on our pets' medical bills. im not saying were financially better off than you, or "hey! were rich, rich, rich!" all im saying; is that if it came down to it...wed choose to spend money on our animals, than...lets say......restaurants or buying clothes or fancy cars or traveling. if i couldnt afford the vet bills...id still do it, and just put the tab on a credit card. im not saying its smart...but its what id do. anyway.....

willoughby has been sick for some time, but has been managed with a special diet and expensive medications. he was hospitalized this past summer with pancreatitus and a gall bladder stone. so, a few days ago, when he wasnt eating, shaking uncontrollably and lethargic...we immediately took him back to the hospital. and hes been there ever since.

now...let me tell you about this hospital. ive seen and been in, my fair share of hospitals. and id be thrilled if any of them compared to the one my dog is in. i feel very confident putting my dog in their hands. but it isnt cheap. with 24 hour care and a plethora of tests he is going thru....it better be top notch! so...hes had a bunch of tests. a bunch. his white blood cell count is really low. but all of the other tests? theyre all normal. which is good. but its also stumping the medical team; because hes really sick. what is causing him to be so sick? they really cant figure it out. hes on IV fluids and antibiotics. hes way too skinny. he wouldnt eat, but after they gave him an appetite stimulant, he started to eat. hes getting nupogen shots, which is a human medicine that raises white blood cell counts. ironically, its the same shot i used to get after my chemo treatments. but if that doesnt work? the only thing left to do is a bone marrow biopsy; because it could be canine leukemia. but they dont even think its that, since his blood work was totally normal 4 days earlier. it is a possibility that it is a weird virus he picked up. tho i cant imagine where!!! this just may be a case for that tv show 'mystery diagnosis", or "house"

so why am i boring you with this? well...i know its not my normal wacky, yet entertaining psycho babble. but i just felt that willoughby deserved a special shout out. we miss him so much and want him home. my bed isnt the same without him cuddling in a ball at the end of it. i even miss him peeing on the carpet.

the picture above was our visit from last night. as sad as he looks here, he looks so much better than he did when we brought him in. we just came home from seeing him tonite...and he looks even better now! he almost seems like himself. we went for a walk, he ate and drank..and even looked happy to see hayden! hopefully hell be home soon.

p.s. i know that my title isnt written in proper english; but "me and my dog" sounds better than "my dog and i". :)

OMG!!! are you kidding me?

its no secret that i wanted a baby girl. not because i like one sex over the other....its just that i dont really know "boy stuff", like cars and trucks and decorating with the color blue. obviously...i love my kid, and wouldnt have him any other way. i just have to pretend i dont see all of the cute girl clothes and accessories when i go clothing shopping for him. also...i have to keep in mind how much money im saving on all  of those really cute and ridiculously expensive frou frou dresses.

anyway...

the other day i was browsing thru some kids catalogs, trying to figure out holiday gifts.

omg! i passed the barbie section. something im sure ive done a million times before; only this time...i looked at it! i cannot even believe the stuff i saw. i know i sound like an old lady and suuuch a mother...BUT jeez! 

the first thing i noticed was "showgirl" barbie. ok...really? showgirl barbie? what mother wants their little girl to play with a showgirl barbie? all i think about when i see that...is the movie "showgirls". now that is something to aspire to. 

then theres beverly hills "juicy couture" barbie. not awful...i mean...i dont think its the best example to show little girls, but i dont see any serious damage being done here. i suppose its better than "detroit ghetto" barbie. i do like beverly hills, the dolls are wearing clothes, and juicy couture is ok. i used to live there...and yeah...ok....a lot of the people do like like that in beverly hills. extra points for a realistic replica of the dolls. but i wonder, do we want our little kids growing up thinking that were supposed to look like this? to get plastic surgery and move to beverly hills? i guess i shouldnt talk. i did. but i didnt really dress like this. i was more "down and out in beverly hills" barbie.

how bout "vera wang" barbie?  again,..nothing too vile. i tried on lots of vera wang dresses when picking out my wedding dress. but what i found disturbing about vera wang barbie; is that she costs almost as much as a vera wang dress. and...i dont know...something about it just wanted to make me puke. im not even sure why. i just think its ridiculous. i had to wait over 30 years to get a vera wang dress. so maybe i think its weird for a 5 year old to have one. (ok...well...i didnt chose the vera wang...but you get the idea...)

the best one i saw.....which was actually at the store, was "hot tub party bus" barbie. yeah...i know. i felt the same. i think im throwing up again. some hot shot executives at mattel all sat around at a board meeting, and decided that a good role model to present to the future women of america, is "hot tub party bus barbie". they thought that all toddlers needed to play with a bunch of skanky, bikini-clad  barbies in a hot tub.  yeah. try explaining to the girls why ken is more interested in the pool boy than his girlfriend, barbie. and does the set come complete with coors beer cans? 

and how bout "srtripper/slut" barbie. shes expensive, but actually has working "orifices", and comes with a prescription for herpes meds.  ok....no...im kidding. there isnt a stripper/slut barbie...duh! its not out yet. i hear its coming out for holiday 2009. the parents are all clamoring to get on the waiting list so their little angel will have the newest and greatest barbie yet. 

so....as i scoured the barbie pages, i actually felt lucky that i had a boy. i cant even believe that i think guns and "blow em up" toys just may be setting a better example than these barbies. i find it horrifying. and im not prissy, uptight or strict. i look forward to go shopping for my son, and walking right past the "pink" section. at least the boys section doesnt make me vomit!

driving mr hayden

yesterday...in the car. driving with mimi, (my mom) and hayden.

hayden: (randomly) "there are deer around here"
mimi: "well, there are a lot of trees around here"
(silence....waiting for hayden to reply. no reply.)
mimi: "do you think there are deer around here because of all of the trees?"
hayden: "no. there was a sign"

driving mr hayden. holiday version

last night. driving home. me, dan and hayden. looking at all the lights.

hayden: "i love all the lights. i want lights on our house"
dan: "were jewish, hayden. we dont put lights on our house"
hayden: "but i like lights"
me: (to dan) "theyre only lights. theyre pretty! i like lights. we can do blue and white ones. its not like the lights have anything to do with religion anyway."
dan: "no lights. were not having lights"
(pause of silence in the car)
hayden: (kind of wimpering and sad voice) "but thats what holidays are for"

dan and i start to crack up

dan: (still laughing) "okay...we can have lights!"

lost. but with a GPS.

last night at dinner, our conversation turned to a family friend, who my dad said, (and has always said), is "lost and "going nowhere." i understand where my dad is coming from. this person has never really had a set path in life, and it certainly isnt the "normal" lifestyle, of working, marriage and family. but i have to question..."where are we supposed to be going?" and why hasnt my dad considered that maybe this friend isnt, or doesnt want to go to the same place, as someone like my dad wants to go? and if we were all going to the same place, wouldnt the traffic be really awful? and why does my dad think that where hes going is a better place than where this family friend wants to go?

many times, (like, at least a million times in a day), i envision my family and i on a secluded island, living on the beach in a hut. kind of like "the blue lagoon"....only family style, and with a few more people around us. and maybe wed even sell shell necklaces to tourists on the beach. simple....with no pressures. spending our days doing yoga and meditation... relaxing on the beach...and just filled with enjoyment.

of course i see flaws in this plan. first of all....id probably go crazy shacked up, (literally!)...with my family. id probably want to escape to the other side of the island to get away. and as everyone who has seen "the blue lagoon" knows, there is evil on the other side of the island. and if were going to survive, wed have to spear fish to eat. dan doesnt eat fish. and i dont see myself throwing sharp objects at living creatures. then there is the issue of the loincloths. i laugh at the idea of dan wearing a loincloth every day. but i think willoughby, sammy and zelda would look adorable in little loincloth outfits! and me? i envision a little two piece loincloth, with all of my fat rolls hanging out and my saggy boobs hanging on the sand. then i would be all consumed with liposuction and body part lifts. and where would i find a plastic surgeon on a remote island? and a good surgeon at that! and seriously....who am i kidding? if im living on a beach selling seashells to tourists; id most likely want to be doing what the tourists are doing! and if im selling seashells...i wouldnt be able to afford the spa treatments at the ritz carlton where the tourists are staying. and dont even get me started on the wireless internet issue. there are many flaws i find in this scenario, so ill have to work out the kinks in this plan before i seek out a realtor to locate my perfect hut on a remote beach. (of course one with a good a school district for hayden. duh! did you think i didnt consider him in this whole scenario?)

so i ask, my dear readers... just where is it that we are "supposed" to be going? and why are we in such a hurry to get there? our family friend is definitely a bit "off". but nonetheless, a pretty happy and content person. so...whats wrong with this? really! is it weird that this person doesnt feel the need to be able to afford a mercedes or fancy home; but is still HAPPY? in the end, isnt happinesss and contentment the basic core of what we all strive for in life? so whats the problem?

bailout 2008-part 2-the pissed off version

some people are just plain stupid. today i was talking about the bailout meetings with my dad. i didnt realize that all 3 ceos of the car companies took each of their corporate jets to DC for the meetings. seriously? if these people are soooo bright that they "deserve" these ridiculous salaries, dontcha think theyd be smart enough to think this strategy out better?

if i were planning on going to cry and plead to the government and try to explain why i need 28 million dollars, i dont think id do it my private jet. id want to look more desperate. like...isnt flying commercial sufficient for this? its what?...a couple of hours flight???? maybe they could suffer in first class for this particular endeavor? i dunno...maybe LOOK more the part of the desperate ceo trying to get his business back in control. my dad even said something funnier. he said, "at the very least, couldnt they 'jetpool' to DC?" i thought that was very funny. anyway...its insane. and i know the money spent on these private jets doesnt make a dent in the debt we owe, and its pretty insignificant. but really... hello? principles? brains? logic? strategy? what the hell are these morons thinking? ugh. it makes me so angry. just out of principle...they should have known better. im not even sure why i think a bunch of idiots have the brains to actually know better.

then i heard that they each had to take their own jet, because their insurance wouldnt cover a flight with all 3 ceos on board. puuhleeeze! i remember hearing that prince charles, prince william and prince harry couldnt fly on the same plane. and i would understand if the president and vice president couldnt either. but the 3 car ceos? gimme a break! why? because if something happened to them, then the car industry would be in danger? uh...yeah.

so....not only are they crooks...but theyre stupid crooks. i honestly dont know how they sleep at night, knowing that their co-workers, employees, shareholders, and basically the entire state of michigan is suffering. oh wait! of course i know how they sleep at night!!!!! while they were standing before the government "crying poor", their wives were probably out shopping for new frette or porthault sheets for the bed. how can you not sleep well on $2,000 600 thread count egyptian cotton?

bailout 2008

its so simple, really. dont spend more money than you have. i know its easier said than done. most of america lives on credit. for as long as i can remember, my father has been telling me, "dont spend more money than you have". i didnt really listen. i mean...im sure i urgently needed those white fringe boots to wear with my mini skirts in college in arizona. (should i add that they were adorned with little metal coins all over them? ugh!) many times, i found myself spending more money than i had. it wasnt hard, because i never made any money! but i was (and still am!) lucky. my parents bailed me out of problematic financial situations too many times to count. but i was a stupid and naive girl. and i didnt overspend by 28 billion dollars! not even close! and really....28 billion???? c'mon, give me a break!

this economy sucks. and michigan more so than other places. and we need help. but why should the car companies be bailed out? didnt they realize at the first...i dunno....10 billion dollars, that they were spending more money than they had? i dont claim to be a genius. especially a financial genius. but even i can see that there are morons running these companies. and before you start to yell at me....let me also explain that i DO know that there is more to the situation, and its not as clear cut as im making it out to be. 

i am fortunate, and therefore thankful and happy that this country isnt about socialism. on the other hand...im also very humanitarian, and believe in helping and supporting our fellow americans. these corporate bigwigs are making so much money, and getting excessive bonuses. im not really opposed to this. i mean...thats what makes america a free country. but lets say im in charge of one of the car companies. and i pull up to my 30,000 foot mansion on the lake in grosse pointe. at what point do i realize that something is terribly wrong? is it when i decide to take my luxurious yacht out for a spin? or when i hop on my gulfstream to have dinner in another city? does it even cross my mind that there are thousands of my employees who are losing their house, cant feed their families or afford health insurance? how could i enjoy my yacht or jet; knowing this? i dont blame these people. after all....if someone gave me a 10 million dollar bonus; id be pretty happy and have a hard time not accepting it. and i dont know these people. they could very well be charitable people who DO help out with various causes. i really dont know. and it doesnt really matter...because its not these peoples fault.

here is my issue. are these bigwigs soooo amazing at their job, that they deserve all of this money, and sooo much in bonuses?? is there nobody else who could do as good of a job, or a better job, with less of a salary requirement? if they were sooo great at their job...why are they in such dire financial crises? i could probably run a car company. and id accept 10 million bucks less. i dont know much about cars. or business for that matter. but could i do any worse than whats already being done? i know its not all of the corporate car companies fault. i understand that we need to buy american cars to support the michigan economy. im guilty. ive never owned an american car. my family is discussing how we should be buying american. is it possible..that if american cars were made better and designed as well as foreign cars, that wed be more apt to buy them? ok...now i digress.

so....back to my point. does the car industry deserve to be bailed out? umm...probably not. should the car industry be bailed out? DUH! YES!!!!! there is too much at stake and too many factors to take in to account. everyone screws up and deserves some help once in a while. my dad bailed me out when i needed my white fringe boots. granted...they werent 28 million dollar boots. i suppose its all relative. im scared for the people who have lost so much, and those who will lose more if we dont get this bailout. and how bout all the money we give to other countries? dontcha think we should help our own first? and how bout those selfish people who dont believe in the bailout, because it doesnt directly affect them? for example...someone in california who made a comment about not supporting the bailout. um...hello? how many times has the government come to the state of californias rescue??? earthquakes, fires, rock and mud slides???? remember those, dumbass?

after i started writing this, i watched on tv, part of the hearings on the bailout. interesting to watch. but what i found particularly interesting, is how the ceo of general motors handled answering a simple question. "how much money would the company need to get back on track and survive?" he hemmed and hawed. couldnt answer the simple question. i found this humorous, as i remember having the same conversation with my father. he would just ask simply, "how much do you need?" i can relate to the ceo who was attempting to answer the bailout question. i too, could never come up with a number. i was always too scared to tell how much i really needed. now, if i would have known that someone else needed 28 billion dollars, id probably be more comfortable with the amount i was in debt.