Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Rhode Island

We had a good trip to RI.  All dogs went and all behaved mostly well.  There was a lot of peeing on the floor (but only on the rugs, of course), and we never really figured out who did it.  Treasure got caught once, but we suspected Chances.  Poor Chances.  She's not doing very well but did have a nice visit with my mother.

It was Treasure's first real road trip and she did well.  She rode in the front seat, which irritated Tess--the front seat is forbidden territory, but the back seat was a bit small for 3 dogs so I let Treasure sit there.  She only chewed something once, when we left her in the car and went to the store.  She chewed the emergency brake handle.  So now my car is officially christened by dog.  At least it wasn't a seat belt, which is what Tess used to chew.

Instead of lobster we had swordfish (my choice), and I cooked it.  It wasn't great, I don't think it was very fresh, but it was OK.  I took a lamb roast for Easter dinner, and we spent a lot of time researching how one cooks a boneless leg of lamb.  We settled on a slow roast at 250 degrees, which was a mistake because it took way too long to cook.  But was tasty.  If you like lamb.  Which I don't, really.  But I know Mark & Liza do, so I try to take lamb there at Easter.  Liza made delicious hollandaise--she can make it so easily, and it turns out really well.  When I tried making it it poured like thick milk, but that didn't stop Fred and Bill from devouring it.

We walked in the park Saturday morning, where there was fantastic forsythia.  It was too crowded, though, because they were setting up for an Easter egg hunt.  Our trip to the beach was better, hardly anyone there.

Poor Liza was attacked by a tick on Friday night, so Sat. morning we went to the doctor who's a tick specialist, and she got a prescription for antibiotics.  She's had Lyme disease at least twice, seriously, and gets antibiotics as a preventive measure.  Her arm was swollen and it was unmistakably a tick bite.  Nasty buggers.

My trip to the vet with the dogs was fine ($500 worth of fine).  They're all ok but are having some itch thing that's driving them and me crazy.  They are taking antihistamines for the itching, which is helping a little bit.  The vet was sure it was fleas but I haven't seen a single flea, and with that many animals I certainly would.  Who knows.  Anyway, they all got their Lyme shots, distemper shots, and were tested for Lyme and heartworm.  No heartworm but Tess has been exposed to Lyme.  That's old news, they told me that a few years ago.  No harm no foul.  When Tess was on the examination table she jumped off twice and fell off once.  Vet was not impressed (this is the new, sweet young thing vet who's experience in no way matches that of the REAL vet).  Vet LOVED Treasure ("Now I LIKE this Lab"--what?  doesn't like ALL Labs?), who behaved like a true champion and sat patiently while they did all to her.  She even behaved well in the waiting room.  Chances was pretty much in her own world and didn't really notice much of what was going on.  She's getting quite deaf, and this itching thing has taken its toll on her.

Back to work yesterday, where I only spent a few hours at my desk.  I went to Sarnaac Lake to work with the new director there.  My friend Betsy was the director but she died, and now this man who used to work with her is the director.  It's a really tricky thing but the staff likes him and is happy with the board's choice.  He was a personal friend of Betsy's so he's suffering the same loss we all are (or greater), which does help when he eases into the position.  I think he'll do well.  I met with him for 2 hours, then drove back to Plattsburgh.

Tomorrow I go to Potsdam to an archival conference, a one-day thing.  There's only one session that's really relevant to me, but my director really wants me to attend, so off I go.  I'm hoping to see Jenica for a short visit while I'm in town.  I haven't seen her office, just pictures.

I have to buy more e-books soon.  It's really hard to develop a collection because not everything is available in e-format, and what is can cost $80 per title, which I can't justify spending.  So I buy things I may have heard of, or things by authors I've never heard of (and who maybe can't get published in print, so are only available in e-format.  or maybe I'm just cynical).  Frustrating.

I have to write a review for Library journal, of a book on brunch cocktails.  It's almost exclusively recipes for drinks one might or might not be interested in drinking.  I suppose I'll give it a good review, it's not a bad book and there are new recipes to try.

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