Catching a Break?

I finally caught a little bit of a break yesterday!

First off, I only have to replace the individual missing cassette from that audio book instead of the entire thing!  Waiting to hear how much that will cost, but it will surely be substantially less than the entire replacement cost.


Then, I finally connected with the owner of the fish processing gig, and she'd been trying to e-mail me back all this time but had just upgraded to a new computer OS and wasn't having much luck sending her messages.  But, she's had me on the schedule since I first contacted her, and so I start on Monday!  Once the season is in full swing (November), it sounds like I can work full 40-hour weeks with as much paid-at-time-and-a-half overtime as I wish!  So, I'll be able to pay some of my bills (WHEW!), AND it "buys me more time" (pun intended) to figure out my longer-term game plan.

I was also propositioned yesterday by another local artist to share DOWNTOWN gallery space!  I'm meeting with him today to go look at it and discuss the situation more.  Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to work out, but the point is that maybe things are s-t-a-r-t-i-n-g to turn around for me . . . 'though I hardly dare hope!  


Finally, my day was capped with a lovely 3-hour dinner and catch-up with My Girl.  She made us dinner, and we just had a wonderful, wonderful time.  She's just SUCH an incredible woman, and I'm SO lucky to have her!  She's doing her first craft show tonight at the local ski hill, coupled with their Oktoberfest celebration, so let's all cross our fingers for her success!  


Lastly, the dogs went to their father's (and step-mother's?!) house last night for the first time while I had dinner.  It went well, and it was such a nice break for me to not be worrying about the dogs cooped up in the car after yet another long day . . . while I visited.  When I dropped the dogs off at the ex's, I told him to not take the dogs for any runs.  With Tucker getting older (but he's only five, I think), he is prone to seizing up a little after lots of exercise . . . with his long, long heavy body structure and short little legs.  They went on a walk, instead, but it was too much:  when the dogs and I got home, Tucker couldn't get his hind-quarters up from his laying position in the car.  I lifted him out and he stiffly did his business and then slowly waddled (due to stiff legs, not weight, thank you very much) into the house.  He couldn't get up into "his chair", either, so, after giving him a baby aspirin in peanut butter, I hefted him into his comfy spot.  


I was worried what shape he'd be in this morning, but, although obviously still stiff, he didn't need any assistance and got around just fine.  I stuck another aspirin in his breakfast, and hopefully he'll be right as rain by the end of the day.  So, the question for his birth mother (which is what I call his breeder) who's a reader here:  what supplementation, if any, should I be giving him as he ages?  Obviously, no extended exercise, but is there anything more than the occasional aspirin warranted?  Maybe Glucosamine & Chondroitin?  If so, what brand?  There are SO many out there!

Lastly, I'll leave you with two images I just took out the bedroom window moments ago:  bleak November come early?  The leaves are almost entirely gone from the trees in the valley.