An Unconventional Shankill Birthday Card

Craig thought I would find this coincidentally funny because of our own Maggie...

Sissy Went Back To Her Owner Today :(

She was skittish and a little high strung when she first came to stay with us. Now she is a happy, confident dog. She's such a sweet dog and joy to be around. She helped us through our grief just after our beloved Maggie passed. Sissy will be missed.

Introducing Sissy

This is our neighbor's dog. She is a "pitador" a pitbull/labrador mix. She is very shy. She looks like she can take your head off but she is docile and gentle. She is at our house temporarily until our neighbor recovers from his stab wounds. He was a victim of unfortunate circumstances. I don't know how long we'll have her but she is being pampered and spoiled to the max! I'm pretty sure Maggie sent her to us because we were feeling sad and lonely and a fellow dog needed help!

Maggie Goes To The Rainbow Bridge

I am very sad to say that at 2:30pm California time Maggie went to sleep. She has been in declining health for the past 2 years but was comfortable. More recently though her health got worse and she was diagnosed with a terminal heart condition. Her breathing became very rapid for the past few months and we tried to keep her as comfortable as possible. She was out this morning for a vets visit but when she got home she was vomiting and had diarrhea. Her parents decided that they didn't want her to suffer any more.

Maggie was a fantastic dog and family member. Flippin' Yank and her parents brought Maggie home from the pound 16 and a half years ago when she was just 6 months old. Her previous owners didn't want her. Their loss. I've only known Maggie for 2 years and in that time she has never really taken to me but i know she is only protecting her family and i respected her for that. Over time she did get kind of used to me being around when i visited and barked at me less and less. As she made her way out to the car today for her final journey she actually stopped as she passed me and let me pet her for a moment. I was very sad to see her go. She will be missed by a loving family but never forgotten.

We love you Maggie. Rest in Peace.

Your friend,
HopAlong

Maggie before she went to the vet (August 4, 2010)...

Christmas Medley

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Maggie Winehouse

Maggie Be Chillin'

Here's Maggie in the back of her pimp mobile enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the farmers market

Earthquake Weather

It is freakin' hot today! It's around 97 degrees! Either Indian summer has started early or we are going to have an earthquake. Today was way too hot to spend all day outdoors so we didn't spend much time in the Farmer's Market. We got whatever we needed and booked it out of there. My dog, Maggie was in the back of the Landcruiser, we were worried about her also. Luckily, I packed some ice so it wouldn't be too hot for her.

«Another typical but roasting day at the Farmer's Market...»

It was so hot people were walking around wit parasols

Headless people playing chess!

New goodies in season from the Farmer's Market...

Bounty of peppers: red and green bell peppers, jalapenos, banana peppers! All this for only a dollar!

Succulent and sweet strawberries! $3 dollars for a huge basket!

Got Meds?

In Less Than Two Weeks, I will be on a plane back home to America. Land of free. Home of the Brave and Work like a slave to afford expensive healthcare.

Today, I had the all too familiar field trip to the NHS. I was running out of my prescription medication. I don't have enough to cover me before I left so Craig called his doctor earlier this week to make me an appointment. I checked in with the receptionist, she asked me if I was a permanent or temporary resident. I said that I am just visiting on a tourist visa. She told me to write down my name, address, date of birth, and doctor. I sat down and waited for my name to be flashed on the digital screen.

"....Flippinyank please report to Surgery 3...."

SURGERY?!?!? I find it interesting that they call doctor's offices surgeries here. It is sinister and freaks me out to no end. I feel like once I step into the exam room, I am going to be sliced open. So I report to surgery 3 and there was the doctor sitting at his desk. It didn't look clinical at all, but it looked like an old 1950's exam room where the doctor's office and exam table were self contained and it had those dividers. He greeted me and I explained to him the situation. He asked if I was under the NHS and I said no, but I consulted with the pharmacist and she said that I can have a doctor here write a private prescription. He examined the info on the bottle and wrote me a prescription. Off to the pharmacy I went. Which was across the hall.

I got it filled and the pharmacist was like it's three fifty since this is a private prescription. I was like £350?!?!?! No, he said, £3.50. Oh (phew!). Like the dork I am, I didn't have cash on hand. "Do you take visa?", I asked. He said, "No, we don't have a credit card machine. But there's a cash point at the garage across the street." So I ran and almost got ran over. I come back with the money breathless and sweaty. He says, "Sorry about that, we're not really technologically advanced."

I called me dad and said we're in the clear. I got the meds from Craig's doctor and it costed an equivalent of a whopping $7.00!!! There was silence at the other end of the phone. I could have sworn I heard a loud thump as if the phone hit the floor. My dad was astonished. He was like you might as well not come back. Since I quit my employer, and my insurance lapsed. My dad said he'd foot the bill if I couldn' t afford it, and he would send it to me. He found out without insurance, just one bottle would cost $400! Mind you, I got a private prescription and I am not under NHS. And it only cost $7.00. And the doctor gave me 2 months worth! Something is wrong here!

I am certainly not looking forward to coming back and dealing with this insurance crap. I'd have to find loopholes around getting health insurance since I have a pre-existing condition. Does this mean that I am going to have to look for yet another soul sucking office job so I won't die? This is the reason why I quit my job in the first place, to go back to school, get a higher degree, and finally pursue what I set out to do.. But...but...I'm not being a responsible citizen. Why don't have I have health insurance now? Why did I let it lapse. Oh, I don 't know. Maybe I can't afford $1,000 a month on COBRA. Also for me to have to choose between being with the man I love and living my life for me -- or being trapped in what felt like a coffin of a cubicle and watching my life slip before me to sacrifice myself as a productive American citizen (blackmailed into being a cog in the machine) JUST to keep my health insurance! Call me irresponsible, but sometimes you have to follow your heart. I'm sure if I'm ever at my deathbed and think about on my experience here and have no regrets at all. I took the chance, and did what made me happy.

Needless to say, I am not looking forward to going home thinking about all the crap I have to deal with. I have just one reason to come back home and that is...


My Maggie!

She is probably counting the days, minutes, and seconds for when I walk through that door and give her a great big hug. It is love, Yes!