A few updates from Port Orchard

Fall has arrived in Port Orchard!

Here's a long awaited update!

"Why Isn't Sean Getting Back To Me?"

Yes, Sean is underway now. Thank you all for sending your notes, letters, and donating towards his Nook/iTunes fund! He's well stocked with entertainment to keep him from missing home too much. Everything was much appreciated! I do have his cell phone, and will check it daily for any important messages, but if you really want to chat with me, email me or call my phone. Don't forget that I can Skype as well!

"How's Clydas doing?"

MUCH better. His bandages have been off for almost a week now. Okay, so his crazy new foot was a bit shocking to me the first time I saw it, but every day more fur grows back and he seems less and less bothered by it. He still does the Tri-Pawd dog hop (nicknamed "The Clydas Hop" since he's the only dog in the development with his own pimp-dog style - he he he), but he's doing really well, aside from a little stomach upset due to a prolonged stint on antibiotics. Here's a little montage with some updated videos of his hop. Be forewarned! There IS a photo of his re-designed foot as taken in the vet's office when he got the bandages off. It's not so red and angry now. Currently, it's pink and healthy looking. Amputations take a LONG time to heal, and foot amputations are prone to infections, but he's a real trooper - ready to run less then a month after surgery!

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"How am I doing with all of this?" 

Well, thankfully I spent several years living alone. While it is an adjustment, I'd like to think it's not as hard on me as it would be on those people who have never lived alone. I also have a great example of how to stay sane with your partner far away. My dad often travels for work, so my mom managed to raise my brother and I, take care of her mother, work full time, and get her master's degree, while dad traveled the world for work. She's one of the most ambitious and accomplished women I've ever met. I've learned some amazingly helpful survival tips from my parents.

For example:

1) Working from home is great, but you CAN feel trapped and isolated. GET OUT OF THE HOUSE TWICE A DAY. Even if it's just to go for a walk or grab a hot tea at a coffee shop. Interacting with people, though it may seem meaningless, are immensely helpful.

2) GET BUSY. Work keeps me really busy. Clydas has kept me busy lately too, with bi-weekly vet trips. Hopefully his last visit will be next week. I have a few other goals I can focus on without distractions.

3) MAKE PLANS. My parents have graciously offered to kennel Clydas and fly me home for the holidays - Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm really looking forward to getting out of dodge for a while and spending some quality time with my family and friends in So Cal. I'm also trying to get my best friend to come up and visit for a weekend. Add to that YMCA trips and care packages I'm putting together for the fall/winter for family and friends, and I'm busy alright!

4) SET GOALS. I have a weight loss goal for while Sean is away and 2 writing projects in the works (in addition to the magazine I regularly write for click-here-for-shameless-plug). Since I'm eating out a LOT less, I'm sure I'll drop the unwanted pounds in no time - and it helps that I love working out and hiking and all that. I've found keeping physically active helps the body and mind deal with all sorts of stress.

5) Be GENTLE with yourself. This is the perfect time to do my nails, take bubble bathes, and finish a few books, work on wedding stuff and all that without driving Sean nuts with details.

IF YOU SHOULD NEED TO GET A HOLD OF SEAN, ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

In the mean time, give a wave to the ocean the next time you happen to see it.

Thanks all! Hope you're enjoying a beautiful fall like I am! - JD