I’ve woke up the last two morning with a pretty serious headache. I don’t get headaches much and feel really sorry for anyone that gets them often.
I’m pretty sure I know the reason. It’s probably from drinking too much red wine before going to bed. I don’t drink much and if I drink right before going to bed I shouldn’t be surprised when I wake up with a headache.
I’m not sure why I do it when I know the consequences. I guess I don’t take the next morning into consideration the night before.
The last couple days haven’t been all that great.
First, Bromont isn’t doing very well. Actually, he’s doing pretty badly. I was hoping that he would feel better after getting some new red blood cells, but it didn’t seem to help him at all.
Nothing seems to go right when I’m dwelling on Bromont. I decided I should do some manual labor to take my mind off of him, so I went to a rental center to get a big trailer to haul a bunch of vegetation. It took forever for a new girl at the rental place to check me out. I went around to get the trailer and the wire for the 4 hole light hookup wouldn’t reach to my tow hitch eletrical. I have a 7 prong outlet and had bought a adaptor to allow a 4 hole plug to work. The guys that were hooking it up said they would look for an extention to connect the 3 feet.
They came back and said I had to buy one from them for $10. I told they I wouldn’t. Seems like that should be part of the rental. They sent me inside. Inside, I talked to the owner. He told me that “they” used to loan them, but that no one returned them, so “they” just started selling them. I told him I’d return it and that if I didn’t they could just take it from the deposit. He said no, that isn’t how they do it anymore. I asked him why he was using the word they? I knew he owned the business. He didn’t answer. I figured I’d go to an auto parts store and buy one. I didn’t want to give they guys my money. So I left.
The owner followed me out and said that he didn’t think the trailer was going to work and proceeded to disconnect it. I didn’t say a word to him, just let him proceed. What a prick. I am never rented any tools there again, and I rent a fair amount of tools.
So, I used a small trailer I have. I had to mince the stuff, with a chainsaw, to fit it all into the smaller trailer, but did, which was the highlight of the day. I guess I saved $75, but it was a lot more work.
I decided to go for a ride after that. I got 4 miles from my house and flatted on some glass. Then I proceeded to try to fix it with, what it seems now, two flat tubes. I had to ride home on the flat. I just left my bike in the garage, not messing with it. I hope I didn’t hurt the rim much.
So then, I decided to go mow. This was at about 7 pm and it gets dark here a little after 8. Plus, it was supposed to start raining anytime. I got done mowing two places and then went down to the building. No one, me or Kris, hadn’t mowed there yet. There were a fair amount of leaves, plus Sycamore balls, or pollen, or whatever you call it, all over.
It was like mowing in a dust bowl. Dry leaves, pollen, etc. everywhere. It was a mess and I could barely breathe. About 1/2 way through, the mower quit working. It was dark by then. I took it over under the light and it looked like the gas tank, which is metal, had broken off the mower. Something that I couldn’t fix quickly. So, a half complete job. I hate leaving a lawn half mowed. It is like shoveling half a driveway. It must be something in my mind, but it drives me nuts.
I’m over it this morning. It rained all night, pretty hard, so I’m not finishing it today anyway.
There are lots of places I’d rather be right now. There are at least three different races, Joe Martin, which is just down the street, The Whiskey 50 MTB race and the Belgian Waffle Ride, North of San Diego, that I’d like to be doing this weekend. But, I’m home.
It is pretty stressful taking care of a dying animal. Especially a dog that has been with you for a long time. I can’t think of many things worse to do. But, I can’t imagine doing anything else. It is exactly where I’m supposed to be, no matter how much tension it causes. We are best friends and it is my place to help him through this.
I do hope today goes a little smoother though.
I know this doesn’t have anything to do with this post, but I was stunned by how shitty the bikes were, at every bike rack, on the K-State campus. I had no idea this was the case.
Ouch. Sounds like a tough day all around, Steve.
Your bike rack photo from K-State reminds me that the elementary school one of my five daughters attends PROHIBITS bicycles from being ridden to school. Yep, not allowed. At all. They say it is too dangerous to ride to the school and there is no where to park the bikes. But you can walk to the school and there are three big playgrounds and a massive porch area immediately in front.
Prayers for you, Trudi, & Bromont. My setter Riley was diagnosed with cancer almost 18 months ago – he has a stromal sarcoma rather than hemangiosarcima, but also in his spleen. He had a splenectomy followed by chemotherapy. About 6 months ago, the cancer reappeared in his abdomen and he is now going through a somewhat experimental molecular inhibitor therapy called “Palladia” combined with a wholistic medicine called “I’m Yunity”. On this medicine, he has been doing well and has had another 5 months of good quality life since his second surgery…and counting. I don’t know if either of these things could help Bromont, but it might be worth asking his oncologist. I know what it’s like to watch your best friend hurting. We are thinking of you all.
Some days the universe is just telling you to pack it in. I hope today is better for you. I always get a headache when I mow in dusty environments; safety goggles and a cheap dust mask help some. Hugs to Bromont.
Damn, sorry to read this about Bromont. Your last para says it well. Tough times for best friends, man.
Good seeing you guys at the Raid. Hang in there and give my best to Bro and Trudi
good bikes get stolen. even firesale racecruisers…
I know this doesn’t have anything to do with this post, but I was stunned by how shitty the bikes were, at every bike rack, on the K-State campus. I had no idea this was the case.
dude, everyones not wealthy!!!!!!
Bromont is really fortunate to have you in his life. I hope that today goes better.
Feel with you man… Went through this with our 14 yr old Sunnie Dog – Person a couple years ago. He eventually took his last breath in my lap at home… Fortunately he knocked up our rescue Yorky before he took the turn and we’ve got 3 of his kids that all share various quirks of his. Life goes on…
I’m with you on how your handling Bromont and I check in frequently out of concern and care, sorry you both have to go thru this, all the best, thanks!
Sounds like Steve had a “crummy” day. Do all the exclamation points make it more emphatic? Glad you are still adhering to your court ordered reading and commenting on Tilford’s blog.
Getting plastered on red wine bad enough to have a hangover the next morning two nights in a row is not a good way to handle stress. As for the rental store guy, ripping off customers seems to be the new way of doing business for a lot of people; I’ve run into the same thing with ATT and their Uverse service which they forced on me, which was substandard and lousy, which I refused to pay for, with the result that I will no longer do business with them after 30 years of having done so. You seem to be going through Kubler-Ross’ 5 stages of grief with Bromont: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. I think there’s nothing you can do to prevent the event, and at some point you just have to let go, or you risk prolonging the struggle and causing a long, drawn out death, which I have seen people with pets do and which is always very unpleasant. And the mowing and the lawn mower breaking and the ride and the flat tire… there seems to be a common theme here. You might give one or more of Bach’s Flower Essences a try: http://www.aldaronessences.com/articles/Easing-Grief-With-Bach-Flower-Remedies.html
In college you want at least one beater bike that people would be ashamed to steal. You only have to go a mile or three. A pub bike is perfect and won’t get jacked from the rack. I have a pub bike that buying a new tire costs more than the bike is worth.
Sorry about the dog man
Take that trip to Wisconsin, you will both enjoy it.
Put the dog to sleep. His quality of life can’t be worth letting him suffer like this.
The only ones qualified to make that decision are Steve and Trudi.
Thinking of Bromont….. 🙁
Euro- your comments are always nasty, rude and negative . Completely opposite of Steve’s blog . In his time of terrible pain and strife you have the gall to post what you did today .Go away …..
In fact : Euro and mike crum why don’t you start your own negative blog together. Go away together…
Nothing easy here Steve. Hang in there.
Your Bromont updates are a mixed blessing. They break my heart yet I know you are doing everything possible to make whatever time he has remaining to be complete.
I know just how you feel. That last month can drain so much energy from you. I think I lost 15 pounds in just that period. I just was so stressed that I couldn’t eat much. The only good thing was that I had plenty of advance warning. The vet told me that he had kidney disease and that he only had about 3-5 months left. I treated it as best as I could with a special diet and spoiled him rotten every day. It was 6 months later that I took him on a 14-mile hike for his 14th birthday because he was so happy and healthy. It was one of his favorite things to do. He’d drag me along the trail sniffing here or there and go full speed until the last mile where I’d help him get to the finish. In the end, he lived nearly 12 months from that initial diagnosis. He was always a fighter and it was nice to be able to celebrate his life while he was still here over that last year. Everybody got to say their goodbyes and I’m pretty sure I took photos of him every day that year. It is obvious that you have done so much for Bromont and he returns the favor back to you with his unconditional love. You are now doing that one last good deed that you can do for your best friend by comforting him in his final days so that he can pass as peacefully as possible. Take Care.