My Jake

My dog Jake's a border-collie cross. He's been off-side for a while, he went off his legs on Chrismas Day and just lay there, looking confused. He didn't seem to be in any pain and after about ten minutes he was up and walking about. It happened again this morning. We were in the front room and he suddenly started yelping. All his legs had gone, they were splayed out like Bambi on ice. It must have been painful, straining like that and that was why he was yelping. He was in front of the kitchen door and we couldn't get in, but he dragged himself across the floor so we could open up the door.

I rang the vets and they said bring him right in. The vet gave him a good going over and said he had a heart murmur but it was probably arthritis that was causing him to go off his legs. He was getting stiff while he's asleep then couldn't get up when he tried. She said we could try an anti-inflammatory injection, but she knew what we'd come prepared for.

He's sixteen and he's had a good life. Giving him a pain-killing injection would be for us, not for him. So we had him put to sleep. I cuddled him while it happened, he just fell asleep. The vet left us with him and I stroked him while he grew colder under my hand.

We're having him cremated and having the ashes back, but don't know what we're going to do with them yet.

I've got some pictures from Christmas on my new digital camara, once I've worked out how to upload them, I'll put a couple of pictures up here.

I know it was the right thing to do, but it still hurts.

Birthday Blues

It's my birthday on Thursday, I'll be 37. I know in the great scheme of things that's not old, but somehow it's so much closer to 40 than the mid-thirties.

I guess I'm a bit down about it. It's not so much the actual age, it's that I look at my life and see that nothing's really changed over the last fifteen years. I finished my degree (archaeology - so useful in everyday life!) then had about eighteen months of casual jobs (market stall, shop, cafe, potbank) before getting a receptionist job at a doctors' surgery.

Fifteen years later I'm still there, working upstairs doing computer reports on clinical data. But the only real change in my life is the people I've met through the Internet - either in RL as well or just online. I still live at home with my Mum (I know, how sad is that!), we've got the same dog (a mad Border Collie-cross called Jake). I do go to a different church, Anglican instead of Methodist. Oh, my hair's red now but that's hardly life-shattering.

I am happy most of the time with everything, I guess I just get thoughts now and again about what I want from life - this is a 'now' time.

I don't know what could make it different and even whether I'd be happier if it was. Oh well... I'm sure I'll be back to my usual cheery self in a few days, after Thursday anyway ;-)

F2K : Lesson One

Bit nervous but here goes...


Have a character you have created tell us a little about you. Have them give us a view of you that we wouldn't normally see (why they think you created them, how they feel about you, what you put them through in your writing, etc.)

I was in a dark empty place but she hath given me life. For a short time at least - for then she gave me death. Thee might think I would be bitter about that, but I am not, at least not at her. I am Rachel. The witch-hunter Cramer claims I am a worshipper of Satan, but he is wrong. I am a good woman and a good mother whose only crime is to worship the old religion.

I know that it gave her grievous heartache to kill one of her own. She cares too much about such things, she needs to remember that everything lives and that everything dies. My life and death hath lasted many centuries now, but my soul doth not rest easy. I said I have no bitterness towards her for my fiery death, and that is true, but she hath filled my heart with hate, my mind with dreams of revenge. When I first met her I had a joyous life, but she changed that forever. I thought I knew where my life was going, but she hath taken that away from me... I see only blackness now. I do not know where my journey will end.


Let me know what you think, all comments appreciated. They don't have to be complementary - although obviously I'd like that best!! *lol*

Midway-thru-January Resolutions

Well. Umm....so where does the time go to? I think I did quite well with this to begin with, but then made the fatal mistake of stopping! It's hard to get motivated again, especially around Christmas.

But here I am again - two posts in one day!!!

I got nowhere with NaNo but I am determined to keep writing my novel. I definately know that I'm one of those people who need lots of encouragement to realise that they can actually write okay. All the people who comment here at my Blog do that, and I thank you. I decided I also wanted to try a creative writing course that might help stretch my abilities.

I Googled and found F2K: Fiction Writing for the New Millennium. Everyone who registers is put into a virtual classroom and all the members comment and encourage each other. It runs for seven weeks with a new assignment posted every Wednesday, and I've posted up my first one!!! It's a bit daunting, but I'm enjoying it so far.

I think I might post my assignments here as well, then you can see some of the stuff I'm writing too. Maybe.

Well could you all cope with three posts in one day from me?!!!

Driving Test Update

I know - recover from the shock of me actually posting anything here!! I'm in the midst of putting a longer one together, but I thought I'd kick-off with this.

I failed my test again in December, on exactly the same thing. Who needs to parallel park in the Real World anyway? You just drive round until you find a space ;-)

I booked my third one online this morning. Tuesday 14th February at 10:14 am.

*crosses fingers for third time lucky*