Random acts....

My friend Norbert enjoys giving me things every time I see him. Random things. Today we met for breakfast in Seal Beach. We talked and walked by the Farmer's Market. As I was ready to leave to see Marvin at Pacific Palms, he gave me a bag with stuff in it. When I got home, I opened it and I had to take a picture at the randomness of the contents. Here's the picture:

ROCK'n'roll

Once upon a time,artist Michael Heizer created Levitated Mass. Levitated Mass is an exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)composed of a 456-foot-long slot carved into the earth, over which is placed a 340-ton granite boulder. As the person walks down through the slot, the boulder will actually appear to rise.The sculptor needed something. A rock!
But not any rock would do, it had to be the biggest rock ever, a boulder if you please.

So he found the perfect 340 tons granite rock in a quarry in Riverside county. But how to transport it from there to Los Angeles? They needed to move “The Rock” 106 miles. Emmert International who specializes in heavy hauling, undertook this mammoth move. The rock is traveling through 22 cities and it will take 11-days. They can only move it at night for it takes up to three lanes on the freeway and its top speed is 8 mph. The trailer hauling it has 200 tires!

Last night, I went to see the rock going down s.l.o.w.l.y on Valley View. It had spent the day in the area of La Mirada Blvd and Leffingwell. Around 10:30 PM, they closed Valley View both ways, I was right there in the corner with a group of people. One of them had just bought the house right in the corner of Valley View and Mansa. He'd only been in the US for a short time, he's from Fiji. He goes to UCLA and has 3 room mates that are UCLA basketball players. He was very nice. It took over an hour to go from Imperial to where I was standing.

It looked like a Christmas parade with all the lights and sounds, I was glad I saw it!!!

Best friends

After almost 2 months away, at the hospital and rehab, I brought Marvin home on Saturday.

I was a little wary because I felt I had not been properly trained by the nurses at the hospital or the rehab facility. I never had any hands on training. I felt better when they said they would send a nurse on Sunday.

 Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way because that same night the %$#^ bag leaked. It was not a fun night, but finally we got it done, and hopefully things will improve.

The nurse said I did an OK job, but on Wednesday they will send a specialized nurse to train me properly.

 Marvin is feeling well, a little tired for having dialysis two days in a row. He uses the walker and has no trouble moving around. He is also eating better :)

 I was also a little concerned about Lulu. She's a playful puppy and likes to nip and her claws and teeth are very sharp. Marvin has very thin skin and sure enough, she scratched his hand and it bled. However, after that, she has acted super careful. Marvin has a calming effect on her. She likes to sit with him and sleep by his side while he's watching TV. They are becoming best friends, it is very cute to see them together.

 With me, she's still going nuts once in a while and barks and growls and is generally a big goofy puppy! :)

 Did you all see the Oscars? I am OK with the winners, especially since I've seen The Artist and enjoyed it.

Have a nice week everybody.

Another month

After almost a month to the day, Marvin has been released from the Kaiser Hospital in Downey, to a rehab facility in Long Beach. He will have physical therapy so he can hopefully recover his strength. A month laying down in bed leaves you pretty weak, he really did go through a lot.
The doctors have said he's done very well. I am sure having both Sandy and Lizzie visiting and spending time with him, really cheered him and motivated him to get better. Thank you girls :)

 On other news, I substituted teaching in Kindergarten for my friend Norma. It was an easy day because in the morning there was a K grade level meeting and all I did was eat (teachers take turns bringing breakfast, and I was lucky that day we had Porto's) and chat with other teachers and visit with my ex kinder kids. It was fun! In the afternoon we did Math and Journal writing, but 28 kids are way too many kids, and believe me, by the end of the day I was tired!!!

 I just read Sandy's blog about movies and the Olympics, and I have to say I watched "The Artist" and I enjoyed it very much. What a fun movie. silent and black and white :)
About the Olympic torch, I saw it in Long Beach for the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. But I also remember seeing the torch when it went through Burley, Idaho...or maybe I'm dreaming?

 My puppy Lulu is good company and fun to be with, especially when she keeps her mouth shut, her teeth are sharp and when she shows her teeth and growls she resembles a tiny werewolf!!! She loves playing outside and running and eating geraniums, but I don't think she realizes that she should do her "business" outside, after spending a long time playing and chasing and running around, she pees the minute she comes in the house! Sometimes she does her business outside and then I give her a treat and praise her lavishly but she still is not connecting the dots.

 Today I got a surprise in the mail!! Mia sent me a wonderful picture album of her last stay in La Mirada. It's so beautiful and really well made, I have enjoyed it a lot. I will take it to the rehab place tomorrow to show Marvin. Thank you Mia, it's lovely!

Oscar movies

This year I have seen a couple of Oscar nominated movies. "Midnight in Paris" by Woody Allen, was quirky and entertaining. I like most of his movies with a few exceptions.

 And I just finished watching "The Descendants". It was a good movie, although quite dramatic. George Clooney is well deserving of a nomination as best actor. I enjoyed the movie although usually I don't like dramas.

 I will see "The Help" maybe tomorrow, and although I am not crazy about baseball I may watch "Moneyball", Brad Pitt is also nominated for best actor and I like him.

 I don't think I'll watch "War Horse" or "Hugo" but I would like to see "The Artist" and maybe "The Tree of Life". The last nomination is "Extremely loud and incredibly close" and I am not sure about this one either.

 May the best movie win.

A day in January

Woke up at 6:30 AM, went to check on Lulu, she was awake and happy to see me. I fed her and play with her a little.

 Had breakfast, clean the kitchen, wash clothes.

 Got ready to go visit Marvin at the hospital. Yes, again another abscess :(

 Stopped by Target to look for a kennel for Lulu. Realized I forgot my wallet in another purse.

 Went to ICU room 2328, Marvin was doing well, feeling pretty good now that the abscess had been drained. We matched "The Price is Right" and talked some. He is going to be transferred to the 6th floor room 6107, later today.

 Went back home. Let Lulu out and she was again very excited to see me. Luz, my next door neighbor, brought me a container of chicken soup she had just made, so nice of her.

 Outside with Lulu, turned the water on in the front yard. Lulu was curious about it, kept getting closer to the sprinklers, ran back to me yelping when she got a little wet.

 To the Pet shop to get a brush for Lulu, some treats, and a chewy bone. She LOVES it!

 Marvin called to say he was in his new room. Lizzie called to see what was going on.

 Norbert came over to take the Christmas lights down. He also put the registration sticker on the SSR. He played with Lulu, she was a little wary at first but finally warmed up to him a little. She kept running back to me. He said she was a cutie and exactly the kind of dog he thought I should have got.

 Went to El Torito. Had Don Pepe fajitas and a Cadillac Margarita. YUM.

 Back home. Called Marvin and wished him a good night. Played with Lulu, she's tired and fell sleep on my lap while I was reading "Sleepless Nights" by Sarah Bilston.

 Played Words with Friends in the computer, checked Facebook, read the friends and family blogs. And now I am writing this. Watching The People's Choice Awards.

 And then, bedtime. I am tired :) Good Night

Lulu

I have been wanting a dog for a while, I talked to Marvin about it and he seemed to agree and left it up to me on breed, color, etc.

I wanted a smaller, mellow dog and I read that maltipoos do well with older people and they are very smart and, well, they are cute! :)

I looked all over the internet, Pennysaver, local etc. (I had an interesting email exchange with a seller from Texas lol, but that's another story).  Then I went to a local pet shop here in La Mirada and they had 2 maltipoos , a boy and a girl, a black one and a white one. They were sweet.

This weekend, Lizzie was here, and we went to see the puppies at the pet shop, I was undecided. Later on, we went to put gas in the car at Sam's and drove by again, and checked them. I liked the black one but I thought it was a boy, when the manager said it was a female, I more or less decided to get her. Indecision is my middle name!

We brought her home Saturday evening, and surprised Marvin! She was very quiet and shy, and just layed next to Lizzie and slept. She drank water and pee a few times and Lizzie picked her up and put her in her wee wee pad. Then we tried to think of a name, Lizzie liked JoJo but I can't pronounced it well lol, finally we settled with Lulu, it suits her.

At night, I put her in a basket in the living room, and she started trying to climb up, then she whined and howled (sounded like a bird),  after a while she was out of the basket!  So we put her in the small bathroom with a couple towels, her basket sideways and the wee wee pad. She was happy.

This morning I got her around 8AM, and she had pee and poop in her mat, like a good girl, and went I took her in the living room she acted like a puppy, running around and playing. Lizzie bought her  a food and water bowl and a little toy. She loves it. She and Lizzie bonded pretty quickly.

After Lizzie went back to San Diego, she's been following me around all over the place. She layed down with Marvin on his chair for a while. But then she went into playing mode, running like a little banshee and growling and even barked once! It was funny :)

So here we are with a puppy in the house. Welcome home Lulu! :)