gooster

Hi guys! Long time no post - they really need to do an IPB app for samsung! Hope everyone is ok. We are all ok, Mum and dad have taken on a rescue dog after losing Ted. Hes a 2 year old GSD called Wilson. Hes awesome. I now have a little 17 week old orange razor blade kitten called Hector. Hes the naughtiest kitten in the world, but he gives the best cuddles. The other two are getting on reasonably well with him, he is pretty bolshy though. Just on my way back from Koh Samui in Thailand - its been super hot and humid over there. Sitting in Dubai airport at the moment waiting for my flight back to Manchester. Its forecast snow tomorrow for when I land, dummy here only packed a light cardigan. Ended up buying the worlds most expensive jumper (£65!), but it is nice and Ill wear it loads once Im home

Thanks guys. Im doing ok. I suppose because Ted lived with Mum and dad, not much has changed in my house. I obviously know hes gone and feel absolutely drained this week from all the tears, but the cats are doing a good job of keeping me company. Just spoken to Mum, shes coping ok, but again just feels drained and cant believe hes gone. Thank you for lighting a candle Marion. Lighting a candle was the first thing I did when I got home from the vet

Both kitty cats are staying close tonight. Last night they both slept in the crook of my knee with their head and paw on my leg. They have been sleeping on the radiator recently, so they must have known that mummy needed cuddles. Owl - my new addition is a little ginger kitten. One of my friends is a vet and he is part of a stray litter. Hes 2 weeks old at the moment, so will be ready to come home Once the christmas tree has been taken down Walter and Jessie have been so good with the Christmas tree this year. At least I get one year without the tree being terrorised!

Hes gone :mecry: He passed peacefully. Going to drink some gin now

We are taking him to the vet at 8pm

Thanks guys. Just spoken to my dad. Ted is just having his tea and then I think we will be taking him to a local out of hours vet to say goodbye. I have been in tears all day today and I really cant go through it again tomorrow. The radio played Dog Days are over on my way to work this morning which tipped me over the edge :mecry:

Thanks Griff. He has been on the way out for a while. Dad wanted him to see one last Christmas, but he has a really swollen and hard pad on his back foot. Its leaking pus and a week of antibiotics, tramadol and prednisone hasnt helped. The pad needs amputating and he wont survive the surgery. This morning he was knuckling over on his front paw, which is new. Its not fair on him to keep him going now. Im absolutely devastated. Hes been such a character over the years and whilst he doesnt live with me now, its going to be weird without him at Mum and dads house. I can see why we need to say goodbye before Christmas - we know its his time, we dont want him to suffer and if we keep him going after Christmas, it means we will be dreading Christmas. There is never a good time to say goodbye. Just so crappy its happened around Christmas.

Just had a call from Mum and dad. Ted needs to pass to Rainbow bridge this week :mecry:

Hi all Lots to catch up on. Got a new phone and there doesnt seem to be an IPB app for a Samsung. Sorry to hear about Angelas passing. Hope all dogs and people are doing ok. We had loads of snow on Wednesday night. I went to the gym at 7.30pm and by the time I finished at 8.30, about 2 inches of snow had appeared from nowhere. It took me about an hour and a half to do the 2 and a bit miles back to my house My Car is ok in snow, but other drivers were shocking. One bloke was driving and getting nowhere fast in the middle of the road, so nobody could pass him going either way. Getting a new addition in the new year - going to be one step closer to a crazy cat lady

Ours were insured with Tesco, we never had any issues with them paying out. They paid out for Charlies cruciate £2.5k, Teds spinal tumour (bill £3.5k, but we only had £2.5k Vets fees on the policy, but they paid the full £2.5k) Teds tummy £700 ish, Teds eye and other tummy issues £500. They have never quibbled anything. Hope your hand is sorted now Jazz

Great news about Angela Thanks guys - have uncovered a few issues this week with one of my optoms. Hes on annual leave this week, get the feeling Im going to have a discussion with him next week The Gym I have left isnt the one with the gym instructor I used to like - I moved to a crossfit Gym in January for a new challenge, it was ok to begin with, but it just wasnt working for me. Found out last week that one of my friends from the farm had a brain tumour and probably wont make Christmas. Shes only in her 40s. Id seen on Facebook that shes rehoming her animals and I messaged Blues loaner to see why, she thought I knew. It really shocked me and just shows that you never know whats around the corner. She only started an open university course about 18 months ago.

Im still alive. Been really busy with work and the gym. About a month ago I got a promotion at work, so Im now the regional optometrist lead for Yorkshire Its a big change in role and comes with a lot more responsibility. Ive got 2 new optoms to train and a new hospital to run in Sheffield. Have moved to a new gym over the last week - the coaching at my old gym wasnt what I needed, so I have found a new one. Have had a right nightmare trying to leave (as I was supposed to give 15 days notice, but I didnt - I was planning to train there until my membership ran out, but it was made clear that I wasnt welcome, so I have refused to pay for November). Thankfully, I signed up for a crossfit Gym, and according to Crossfit HQ, my old gym is not currently in good standing whatever that means, so Im not paying for a non crossfit Gym that Im not allowed access to. Hopefully that is the end of it. Hopefully. He did threaten me with solicitors, but when I told him he had breached contract by not being a crossfit affiliate, he told me that he wasnt going to waste one more minute of his time arguing with me Hope everyone else is ok

I definitely wouldn't want a black box in my car. Most of the time I drive like an angel, but other times if I'm running a bit late, I can drive like an Audi driver I think 30 minutes exercise is about right for a lot of 14 year old dogs - Archie is just super fit. I'd love it if Ted could do 30 minutes exercise. I was looking after him for the weekend a couple of weeks ago - he doesn't do much now apart from eat, drink and sleep. He pootles around the house and garden if he gets some energy though (or has canine company - he's much more active if there is another dog in the house!)

Thinking of Angela and Buzz Spent the weekend camping in Wales - I climbed Snowdon yesterday. My legs are goosed now. I really wish I still had a fit active dog, it would have been a lovely weekend with a little dog pootling at my feet. Back at work tomorrow now though

Such sad news about Angela. We have patients with DNR orders on their medical notes. In the case of arrest, we still have to do CPR and call an ambulance, then a hospital doctor will make the necessary decision. Hopefully we will never have that situation at work - I'm not sure how I'd feel doing CPR against their wishes. Going camping in Snowdonia tomorrow. Hoping to climb Snowdon on Sunday (weather depending!). Fingers crossed for reasonable weather

Thanks guys. I hate him getting old. Amber is 11 now and she's so fit and active. I know a bit about giant cell arteritis Louise

Thanks Griff, they just don't live long enough This was Ted yesterday at the beach https://instagram.com/p/BXRFr-wHD6M/

Hello August. I spent last weekend up with mum and dad in their caravan in Berwick. Well I say Berwick, the caravan was there, but we went to Rosslyn/Edinburgh the first day and then Lindisfarne yesterday. I didn't see Berwick They have got Ted with them and I got quite upset yesterday seeing him struggle with his walking. We took him to the beach on Lindisfarne - he can walk, but not very far, so he has a pram to go out and about in. We let him off on the beach and he tootled around, but then tripped over a rock and fell over. I burst into tears, he's not in any pain, but I hate seeing him get old and I really can't say goodbye to him yet. I don't think he'll see Christmas. I'll be devastated when he goes as he's such a little character.

I'm fine thanks. Been at a show all day with Blue and his sharer. They have had a brilliant day, he was really well behaved, didn't get placed any lower than 2nd in any of his main classes with Grace and came 4th in both the in hand and ridden championship! I am so proud of them, especially considering the accident she had with him 2 weeks ago!

I swapped from sky to BT tv (basically posh freeview) and I really miss it. My bill is half what it was though, so I'm not going back. I have Netflix and a now TV account for anything else I might want to watch. TBH I'm never at home, so I only need to find something to watch for a couple of hours in the evening.

The cats are fine thanks Griff. Blue had an accident with his sharer last week. She had ridden him and she was washing his legs off. Something spooked him and she got tangled in his legs and trampled She spent the night in hospital and needed stitches. I'm glad in a way that if she had to have an accident, it wasn't when she was riding, as riding confidence can be so hard to get back. Blue is a total gent and he did his best to protect his sharer when he realised what had happened. She is just annoyed she can't ride for 3 weeks.

Congratulations Marion Glad Jim is due to come home and fingers crossed he can get back to driving soon Hope Phil's op went ok. Not much consolation, but cataract surgeons can do the op in their sleep. One of our surgeons likes to have a few patients lined up and ready to go before he arrives. He hates hanging around waiting for patients to be admitted, dilate etc. His first one is booked in for 8, but he never arrives before 9.30. He had a list of 28 ish and he's usually out by 4.30pm (with 45 mins for lunch).

Yep. I travelled in business, first class is super expensive! You can have a shower in first class

An amenity kit with Emirates is toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, mirror, face cream, perfume, body lotion, refreshing towelling wipe, eye mask, socks. I think that's everything that was in it. You only get pyjamas in first class

you love my updates really Sue I flew business on the A380 Griff (the big double decker plane). It was AMAZING, it has been on my bucket list for a few years now. I'd just sold my horse trailer so had a bit of money kicking around. It cost me £466 to do, but OMG, it was incredible. The service from the crew was out of this world, champagne was on tap, the food was awesome, they brought me a mattress and my seat was a lie flat seat in a little pod. They brought me a little amenity kit with loads of stuff in it. It was expensive, but I'm glad I did it. I don't feel like I have wasted my money at all - it's a once in a lifetime experience. Dubai is a bizarre place. Bottles of water cost £4 in hotels and 25p in the shop. I paid £11 for a pint last night. Not actually explored yet, it's too hot to do anything. Tomorrow I'm going to see the Burj Khalifa though and fly an A380 simulator, so I'll get out and about then. It's been about 44 degrees today, so I've been flopped on a sun lounger in the shade.