Weekend Recap

Thursday evening, just dog park, dinner, piano, and watched Phantom of the Opera the 25th anniversary version from public TV on my DVR. It was awesome!!
Friday took Benji to the vet. I've been worried. Something inconclusive with his breathing. Snoring, rattling. Reverse sneezing. Trying to clear the airway. Feared Valley Fever. Dehydrated. All tests negative. They gave him subcutaneous fluids and a steroid shot and oral steroids. The fluid makes a leaking hump on their backs, but then their bodies absorb it. By today he was back to his ornery self finally.
Later, worked with my organizer pro for about 4 hours. My office is almost under control. I can actually see the end of the work now, the catchup work anyway. Then there's the estate planning, lockbox etc stuff that I need to do. I have a will but I am not optimally organized for Drew to have to deal with everything if I would pass.
Then, more piano. I have three books out of the West Hollywood library: Sondheim, misc Broadway arrangements by Hal Leonard, and a big book of classical pieces arranged by Hal Leonard. He is my guy. Usually, if I see a book has his arrangements, I will like them. I'm getting into classical right now, rediscovering and discovering lots of Vivaldi, Rubenstein, Mozart, Schubert, and Bach. It just transports me. So much music, so little time!
Oh, and books! My latest Netflix movie was The Other Boleyn Girl with Scarlett Johansen and Natalie Portman. Loved it. Now reading the book by Phillipa Gregory. Also fabulous. I'd recommend reading the book, then watching the movie, though. There's more rich detail and nuance about the political climate and the court gossip and jockeying for position they are all doing, how critical it was, how desperate, and how dire a mis-step was. "Off with her head!"
Saturday massage, chiropractor, and acupuncture, errands and I watched Memphis from my DVR Great Performances recording on public television. It was also really excellent. Very enjoyable, a musical about a white DJ in Memphis in the fifties playing soul, "Negro" music.
Then today, bathed Benji after a morning walk in the rain. Couldn't see the mountains at all, but later in the day we saw snow on all of them. Did laundry, housework, potting a bunch of succulents. I'm getting into them - there are so many kinds and they have such character. There's even one named "baby toes". I don't care for cacti as much. A lot of people have prickly pear mania with them filling their entire yards. Mine has flowering bushes, trees, and lavender and white lantana out front. I have a little prickly pear to the side under a bush and this other spiky thing I don't know the name of, but that's all in the way of cactus. Chris and Jenna planted a perennial bed out back and most of it has survived the heat of last summer. I'd like to get some creepy succulents filling in areas where it's just gravel now. Someday I want a Japanese dry garden out back. I'd like to replace the grassy spot with one of the dry lakes in white pebbles that you rake into pretty patterns. It would be a pain, though because the olive tree and the other one out there drop so much mess.
So today off to the airport. Benji freaked me out with another of his episodes. This time he really seemed to be struggling with phlegm in his airway. It lasted about five minutes on the parking bus, and then he really clung to me. It freaks him out not to be able to breathe! I called an emergency vet and they felt they should see him (of course). Since he calmed so completely, though, and had no more trouble, I decided to go and treat him in LA if needed. We have a vet there because he needed shots for daycare.
Looking forward to the work week and trying to do lots of good in my time left at Cedars. As my new friend Ellen says, "It seems there will never be enough time for all the good I want to do in this world!" She has given me great opportunities to do a lot if good in infection prevention. Some of those bugs are really nasty and preventing them could save a lot of people a lot of pain. I love that!!
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