A Dog's Life

A Dog's Life, originally uploaded by bluedotshops.

It's rough, isn't it?

*whew*

Please bear with me as I set up pages. We are also launching a brand new shiny BDS so look for more shop links over yonder to the left, Feb 1.

Where it's at.

So, Kinley started anti seizure meds Saturday. This required a trip to Costco on a Saturday morning on a holiday weekend. Yes, there is nothing I won’t do for my dogs.

I was going to pick it up at CVS but hey, they wanted $240 and Costco? $37. Yep.

It’s a newer med and it’s specifically for partial (focal) seizures. Reading the possible side effects was scary but i did tell Kinley that if he developed suicidal thoughts he should let me know. It can also give you a life threatening rash and make you stop sweating.

Kinley officially has Idiopathic Epilepsy. That basically means “We have never seen this type before, WTF?” It is more fortunately named, I think, then my Essential Tremor. Although I d appreciate just how NON essential it is.

The meds take a week to work and lets hope they do. I have actually set alarms twice a day since it has to be at the same time twice a day. I got stuff beeping all over the damn house come 8:00.

*waves* Here's the scoop.

Lots to talk about. We had a big scare with our young dog, or rather youngest dog, Kinley. Long story short it ended up with an MRI and Cervical Tap and we still don't really know what is what. the good news being that it's not a tumor.Or meningitis (who knew dogs got that?) and it might not be epilepsy but thats still in the running. Because of course,being my dog me ands he presents atypically. Kinley wouldn't make us look bad by being the first member of the household to have some sort of straightforward dysfunction.

So the BIG SCARY stuff is over and now we work with the neurologist to puzzle the whole thing out. I can't say enough good things about South Paws or Animal Scan where he had his MRI. Of course Dr. Schrader at Suburban remains one of my favorite people ever. What really impressed me was how well all three offices worked together and how down to earth everyone is. If your animals brain ever gets broken I recommend Dr, Knokel without any hesitation. Plus he's only the third man I’ve met that can wear cowboy boots without looking like he's trying too hard.

So back to work for me, this whole getting organized and 'real' after four years of not being sucks. Its expensive to get organized and seems to involve more math then id originally thought. I have a price gun and a retail tagger even, it's all very business like. Of course it's the picture taking that remains the budgets pain in my ass. But the spreadsheets and SKUs and stuff while not enjoyable in process aren't overwhelming.

Blue Dot Shops will be rolling out a new and improved site Febuary 1st thanks to the incomparable Kaelin. It's not often you get to work with someone who is driven, reasonable and talented. I expect she'll snap eventually... more then likely as a result of my deep seated WordPress format phobia.

I will sell soap until it's gone but at this point don't plan on restocking anytime soon, maybe a few special batches down the line. Now I'm concentrating on my Grumpies and Ananda tree goods which can be found at Artspring in Silver Spring, MD and online, you know, when i MAKE them. *sigh*

I also started a Stalwart Satchel line and I LOVE them. I'll try and get some pics loaded up here to give a general idea, but they are very cool. I think they will sell well at the Ballston show. That takes up again April which leads me back to the making stuff *sigh*.

It's not the making that makes me *sigh* it's the stuff that doesn't get done while I'm making that does. I'd love to be able to hire a cleaning lady or a dog walker, Id get so much more stuff made. But then I'd be broke again, it's all a big what not, you know?

Anyhow, this is a bit of what has been going on here. Now that (hopefully) the worst is over I can get back to blogging as well. Let's not even go into how long its been since I hit the gym. That's on my list. It's a really long list. Some of which I'm doing now in my car while waiting for the boy, give me an iPad and a wireless keyboard and I'm if not unstoppable, at least catching up.

Hope this New Year finds all of you better then the last one. I know for us that's a pretty low bar. God willing there will be work this year and lots of it. I know for me, being off Etsy has been incredibly beneficial. finically, not so much, but lets face it was anyone making sales the last four months of 2010?

But being away from that dysfunction has made it possible to look at other options. Etsy is kinda like pyramid scheme built on a tar pit and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Or ever.

As for me I'm off to eat dried green mangoes. They taste better then they sound.No really.

See you in September..

I have decided that rather then add guilt about not blogging to my plate of over fullness, I'd simply bid you all the best of wishes for the Summer and God willing, hope to see you in the Fall.

Appreciate all your small moments and minor accomplishments. This is a lesson I am learning well and whole heartily recommend.

My shop will be open through out so order to your heart's content.

Regards,

Holly

Oh, I like her music, some anyway. It's the overwrought videos that do me in.
I'm afraid she's headed for Winehouse Land if someone doesn't whack her with some perspective. Maybe Madonna has a mentor program. And some pants. She needs pants.