Monday Morning Dino

My poor Dino has a had a rough couple of days.

We here in Cleveland got socked with snow followed by an ice storm. I took him out for a walk on Thursday and when he came in, he was limping. I looked at his paw and it was all red and inflamed between the pads. He wouldn't let me touch his paw and he howled in pain. My sweet Dino never complains about anything.

So I made an appointment to take him to the vet that day. My  new manager was SUPER understanding and let me leave for an hour and  a half to take him. When we got there, they took him in the back and I could hear him just wailing in pain. It was awful!

When the vet brought him back, he said that he thinks he has a puncture wound which could have been caused by the ice. He told me to keep an eye on it and he gave me pain meds and antibiotics. Dino being Dino still barked his head off when he smelled another dog in the waiting room.

"Ms. Starr, would you mind taking Dino to the car and then coming back to check out?"

Ahhh...the life of a beagle mom.

The swelling has gone down but he's still limping so there might be something actually impacted in his paw. If it doesn't get better tomorrow, I'll have to take him back for x-rays.

Secondhand Sunday

Sundays are my Secondhand day. I'm basically too lazy to think of anything new to say so I re-post a "vintage" entry.

If you aren't in the mood for repeats, please feel free to change the channel. So funny to read this again. My little stinker hasn't changed much!

"Monday Morning (Peanut) Dino"

Original post date: August 15, 2011

So...about Peanut Dino.

Much like an overweight person who watches the Food Network, I spend my lunch hour perusing homeless Beagles on Petfinder.com. I just can't seem to stay away. On this particular day, I came across this ad:



Peanut is approx 4 years old , neutered and up to date with shots as well as heartworm and flea control . We have been hoping his separation anxiety would subside with time but we have had him a year and seems to have gotten worse . We also have a baby on the way and it's just too much for me, and I don't have the time and energy he deserves and requires. He is excellent with kids of all ages and other dogs. His temperament is actually very laid back (until you leave )! lol He would probably do best with someone who doesn't work long hours or not at all. Let me know if you can help ... i'm running out of time and cannot bear to take him to the pound : ( Tracy

He needed me! Now, I was torn because it was so soon after Bern and I almost felt like I was betraying her. And the dynamic with Millie and Vinny seemed to be working so I didn't think I should rock that boat, either.

Well, then I went to see him and it was all over. He was TOO cute for words and when I sat on the ground, he climbed into my lap and put his head on my knee. Game over.

Knowing that he had separation anxiety (like Bernie did when I first got her), I did all the things that I had done for her.

Comfort Zone plug in:


"Pheromones emitted by animals through their skin and glands are natural chemicals that help them to communicate with others of the same species. When your dog or puppy senses the pheromone, he feels secure and comfortable, reducing his fear reactions and his urge to act out destructively through chewing, excessive barking or house soiling."

Bach's Rescue Remedy for Dogs:

RESCUE Remedy® is the #1 natural reliever of everyday stress. It is a blend of five of the 38 Bach® Original Flower Remedies and is proven to be as helpful with animals as it is with people. For an immediate calming effect in any tense or stressful situation, or when your pet needs help overcoming a variety of emotional or behavioral problems.

Creature Comforts CD:



Just Chillin CD:



Since work has been so stressful lately, I took one of the CD's to work with me but it ended up being a little awkward when I tried licking my balls during a meeting.

I was armed and ready for Peanut Dino!

Or so I thought.

The first night, he chased poor Vinny ALL NIGHT LONG.


"Wake me when he stops chasing Vinny."

I thought, oh boy, he's got to go back. But Vinny being the cool cat he is, put him in his place and told him how it was gonna be.



Now, Vinny's even sleeping in Peanut Dino's bed.


"What's that, Dog? This is your bed? Ha! You mean, this WAS your bed."

Day one of being alone, Peanut Dino went into my pantry (with a broken latch on the door) and ate a entire box of Trader Joe's dog cookies and a bag of Beneful treats.

Day two, he knocked over the kitchen garbage and tore the grill off the bottom of the refrigerator. And his collar was nowhere to be found. I still have no idea where it is so he's wearing Bernie's girly collars.

Day three, I drove up and only saw Millie in the window. When I opened the door, I heard a distant, Woooooooo....Wooooooooo....

He must have been sniffing behind the door in my wardrobe room and locked himself in. This is what the window in the room looked like:



I thought to myself, well, at least he didn't chew on my clothes or shoes.

Day four, here he is in the window as I drove up.



And if you look closely, there's my Born sandal on the window sill behind the couch. So much for not chewing my shoes.



Day five, I bent down to kiss him and thought, hmmmm....he smells like chocolate. When I went in the kitchen, there was hot chocolate mix all over the floor.

There's no way he's four years old. If anything, he's two. His behavior is way too puppy like. I wasn't sure if I could do this but he's so darn cute and cuddly when he's being good that I guess I'll keep him. He seems to be keeping Millie young and maybe he'll liven me up, too!

Not again!

Okay, I know it's not Secondhand Sunday, but I bit my lip again today and decided to share the history of my lovely (?) bite with you.

Published July 9, 2009


I was eating an apple tonight and bit my lip. In the same place that I've bit my lip at least three other times today and twice yesterday. I know people who occasionally bite their lips or tongue. I, on the other hand, do it constantly because my bite is so misaligned. I've even considered having my jaw broken and reset.

When I was young, the dentist suggested that I get braces.

"There's nothing wrong with her teeth, Jean, we aren't doing it," my father argued.

"Maybe there is, though," my mother replied.

"Ridiculous! They're just trying to make money. Crooks!"

Here's a picture of me as a child.



My parents were both Depression era babies and still think a loaf of bread should be a nickel. My mother isn't as bad as my father who thinks everyone is out to screw him. When I told him about Bernie and how much the tests were to diagnose her, his response was to get a second opinion to be sure the vet wasn't just trying to make money off us. Crook!

My father's frugality brings us back again to my continually swelling lip caused by my ridiculously uneven bite. I've always been a voracious masticator so it generally doesn't take more than one chomp to do damage. Once, I had bitten down so hard that I thought I was going to pass out from the pain of my self-inflicted wound. My lip swelled so large and turned so purple that when I went to work the next day, I lied and told everyone that my neighbor's dog had bit me. Woof.

Each time this happens, I touch my finger to my lip to check for blood, mutter "son-of-a-bitch" and then hold my finger out to gaze at my latest DNA sample. My father will still argue to this day that I have beautiful teeth because I never had braces.

Yes, I am glad that my teeth look relatively normal from the outside since all the damage lies inside where no one can see it.

Sort of like what happened to my soul. Thanks, Mom & Dad.

How sweet the sound

I've always been mesmerized by crickets. I look forward to late August when they start singing their beautiful melodies that lull me to sleep. I even have a "cricket" option on my sound machine. 

Now there's additional proof of just how amazing their melodic harmony is. I just turned around and saw Dino standing at the door, head tilted to the side. He likes it, too!

Take a listen~