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Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary
Week of 25
October 2004
Latest Update: Sunday, 31 October 2004 10:30 a.m.
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Monday, 25 October
2004
Greetings.
I took a day of vacation today to play golf with my friend Bonnie. We
have been trying to get together to play for a long time. Finally, I
said let's pick a day and go. The continued low clouds and damp weather
greeted us this morning when we teed off about 8:30. We played Long
Creek, a course out near her house. My dad and I have played there a
couple of times ourselves. Bonnie has not played in about 5 years but
did very well. When we turned the side and started on the back nine,
the clouds broke, the sun came out and it got HOT.
We finished up around noon and stopped to pick up Subway sandwiches
on the way back to her house. After eating our lunch she showed me some
of her crafts projects she has complete or is working on. She does
woodworking and quilting.
On the way home from her house I made a quick Wal-Mart run since I
was nearby. After giving the dogs a couple of minutes of ball playing
in the back I took a quick shower and took off again. I ran a couple of
errands on the other side of town on the way to my hair cut appointment.
When I got home this afternoon between the golf and hair cut
appointment Bob told me Dr. Taylor called back with the test results on
Duncan's lump. He told Bob the test were inconclusive therefore the
best thing to do is to remove it and send it back in for testing. Bob
scheduled the surgery for tomorrow. I will drop Duncan off on the way
to the vets and we will pick him up tomorrow afternoon. If it does turn
out to be cancer I hope we got it in time. Keep your fingers crossed
for my guy.
Last night I finished up the Ayelet Waldman and started on another Em
Hansen book. I was only able to get about four chapters read before
almost falling asleep. I will fill you in later in the week.
In some sad local news. Yesterday a small private plane taking off from
Concord, NC flying to the race in Martinsville, VA crashed in the Blue
Ridge Mountains. On board were ten members of the Hendrick Motor Sports
racing organization which included Rick Hendrick's son, brother, two
nieces, engine builder, two other company employees and three pilots.
One of the pilots was from another team who had hitched a ride up to
tell his driver goodbye before being shipped overseas to Iraq.
NASCAR racing is a small, family oriented sport where everyone knows
each other personally in the teams and the familys. Regardless of which
team gets hit by something as tragic as this, everyone rallys around.
Worse yet, one of the company racing teams actually won the race
yesterday. The media and race team withheld the information about the
crash until the race was completed. A lot of the NASCAR teams are based
on the Concord, Charlotte, Moorseville area where this team plan flew
from. While in the past, single drivers or race teams family members
have been killed on the track or in route to or from a single team has
not suffered a loss as great as this one.
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Tuesday, 26 October
2004
I dropped Duncan off at the vets this morning
on the way to work. When I led him over to the large cage he started
trembling horribly. I gave him a big hug and tried to reassure him.
After we got him in the cage he started trembling again, pawing at the
cage sides looking terrified. I petted him and told him what a good boy
he was and that these folks would take good care of him.
Bob called me around mid-day to let me know he was out of surgery and
doing fine. We picked him around 4:30. He was still pretty groggy but
managed to jump down from the back of the truck when we got home. I got
him to eat a little dinner. He has been sleeping the rest of the time.
He has about a three or four inch incision from the top of his tail up
toward his back. Because Duncan is or will be active, the vet put
staples in to make sure the wound stayed closed. No activities for the
next few days until it begins to heal.
I took Malcolm down to play with Emma after dinner while Bob walked
Duncan around the yard. I doubt Duncan will feel like doing much
tonight even if Malcolm does want to play some ball.
The vet will send the lump and surrounding tissue back off to the lab
to see if they can determine what it was and if the vet got it all.
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Wednesday, 27 October 2004
Duncan spent most of last night curled up
with his head in my lap napping. We did an early out and went off to
bed early. I read until about 10. I did put his Elizabethan collar on
him just to make sure he did not chew at the staples.
This morning he seem tired but otherwise fine. I took the collar off.
Malcolm played his usual early morning hall ball while I read the
paper. Duncan just laid in the hall watching. Bob left the collar off
all day. We are getting ready to head out to meet our friend Sue for
dinner. We will put the collar on just as a precaution. Duncan has
always been good about not bothering bandages or wounds. He is still
wearing his vet wrap from where they removed the catheter on his leg
yesterday. By now, Malcolm would have had that ripped off.
We were supposed to view a lunar eclipse tonight but all we will be
seeing is fog and clouds. As usual, Monday and Tuesday nights were
perfectly clear. It was raining when I took the dogs out this morning
and has been foggy and drizzly much of the day.
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Thursday, 28 October
2004
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Week]
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[Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday]
[Saturday]
[Sunday] [Next Week]
It was another dreary, cold, damp day. The
leaves are really starting to come down now especially with the last
few days of wind and rain. I did not get them up last week nor did I
mow. Hopefully it will clear up Saturday or Sunday so I can get them
vacuumed.
I did it again...sat up until 11:30 last night finishing up the Em
Hansen mystery. We did an early last time out. Malcolm wanted to play
ball, of course, but so did Duncan. He is doing well by the way. So far
he has not shown any indications of being bothered by the incision.
Not sure if you have noticed but no mention of the gym in the last week
or so. I have been so busy in the evenings with one thing or another
and just have not felt like going. Well, guess I will wrap this up and
go watch last night's West Wing.
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Friday, 29 October
2004
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Week]
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Week]
Greetings! I had a home visit scheduled for
5pm this evening to check out an applicant who had applied to adopt a
BC from our rescue group. It was only about ten minutes from the house.
When I came in I noticed the area in and around Duncan's incision was
red and blotchy. Bob called the vet while I changed and told him I
would be there in about ten minutes. So, rather than take Malcolm as I
had intended, I took Duncan instead. The vets was on the way. As it
turned out it was nothing but I wanted to make sure since the weekend
is coming up.
Duncan always enjoys visiting other people's houses. He got to play
with a dog the guy was dog sitting for while we chatted. On the way
home I picked up take out for dinner.
I guess we will spend the evening reading and relaxing. I started the
newest book in the Jane Austin mystery series, Jane the Ghosts of Netley last
night. Jane is helping her friend and secret agent for the British
government track down a British woman who is aiding and abetting the
cause of Napoleon.
Have a great weekend. I hope sun comes out and dries things up. I have
a ton of yard work.
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Saturday, 30 October
2004
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Yeah, we get an extra hour of sleep tonight!
The sun has FINALLY come out after almost a week of clouds and drizzle.
Hopefully it will dry things so I can get up leaves tomorrow. Every
time the wind blows they come down like snow fall.
I got back into my gym routine this morning making the 9am spin class.
I have spend the remainder of the morning working on cleaning up the
unfinished side of the basement. So far, I have been organizing and
clearing up assorted junk. I took a break for lunch. This afternoon I
will sweep it out. I have various piles of stuff to haul off to
Goodwill, cardboard recycling center, and the animal shelter. I have
boxes and boxes of old towels way beyond what we need to keep on hand
for ourselves. I will drop those off at the shelter.
Duncan is doing fine. He has been outside playing this morning, running
around like his old self.
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Sunday, 31 October
2004
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Week]
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[Friday]
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Week]
It is a beautiful fall Sunday morning. No
golf today. My folks are returning from a bus trip out to Texas with Al
(driver) and Frances. As a matter of fact, Frances has called me a
couple of times to let me know how the trip is going. It turns out mom
has had a flare up of a mysterious medical ailment. The doctors have
not been able to determine the cause of the symptoms. She has not been
feeling well the last couple of days on the trip but was determined to
stick it out. Frances just called from TN where they are about 8 hours
from home. The game plan at this point is to have me meet them at a
place in Winston and take mom straight to the hospital rather than have
mom and dad go on to Level Cross and have to wait another couple of
hours before getting back home. Dad and mom rode down to Level Cross
with them when they left on the trip therefore dad does not have his
car down there.
I have cleaned house and now waiting on the dew to lift so I can get
started in the yard. Bob can blow off the gutters and then stay inside
to listen for the phone. If she become real sick before they can get
home they will have to go to the nearest large city hospital. Hope that
doesn't happen.
Soon as I finish this post I have some bills to pay before fixing an
early lunch. I am guessing they will not make it back to Winston much
before 5 or 6pm. Frances will call me when they are about an hour away
and let me know where to meet the bus.
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Copyright
© 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 by Barbara Fritchman
Thompson. All Rights Reserved.