Skippy and Isa Come to Town

I love Skippy and Isa, and everytime they pass through town I get happy. They are some of the most positive, talented, and fun people you will ever meet. Skippy is an aspiring fashion guru, and Isa (along with Skippy) runs the AscenDance (http://ascendanceproject.com/) in the Bay area. Check out her website for some cool pics and the story of her vertical dance company. It is my dream to do this with her someday! If you ever run into Skippy and Isa at the crag, be sure to say hi and settle in for a little Southern (Skippy) and German (Isa) charm!

Maple Canyon

Yesterday, Adam and I went climbing at Maple Canyon with Jaima, Kev, and Amber. It was a super fun crew, and we hooked up with Heath and Rachel S. down there. It was my second time climbing outside in 5 months (last week we went to AF, and toproped with Kev). Well, I felt a lot better this time around, and flashed an 11d, a 12a, and a 12b! Woo hoo! I guess the time off was good for me after all. But, then I was so tired and pumped, I could hardly move, so I layed around with Tiggs, and it was his first time on a climbing day out also in about 5 months. It was great to have him there, even if he wanted to try to steal food from everyone...that Pred makes him so ravenous!

I was so happy to be with my friends, my furkid, and my hubby climbing outside, it was a great day.

Quicky Tiggs Update

PCV at 40! Woo hoo. Reduction of Prednisone- WOO HOO! Happy dog, lots more tail wags, longer walks, and a few more Tiggy kisses. Still struggling with weakness in hind quarters...can't jump in Saturn still, and still leaking a little bit, but each day, becoming more and more himself. Even ate his stuffed pig last night. Way to go Tiggs!

I am OCD, ADD, and ODD

Whatever, I can't sit still...and I'm back to climbing, yet I still felt the need to redecorate the kitchen. Starting with a fresh coat of crisp white paint to brighten up the cave like feeling I was having and unblock my bad chi, or whatever you want to call it.

Well, enjoy the pics. I found super cool vintage accessories at the DI thrift store...you might remember my post about my vintage yellow dishes. Now add to that the little turquoise and white bowl, and the cute little side plates on the bottom of my new (actually not new- we bought them 2 years ago for the other house and never mounted them) shelves. Also, moved my cool Lipani's bakery pic to a more visible and prominent location, and also found that cool small wood bowl at the DI- it's beautiful, even matches my big wood bowl on the side board. A good sanding, and some mineral oil really brought out the grain...not bad for a BUCK!

Go ahead, make fun of me, I know I am OCD, ADD, and ODD.

Why Can I NOT Sit Still?

Staycation 2008- Gumby Edition

Or Labor Day edition, or whatever edition you want to call it.

Holmes and I have 5 days off. Here is what we've done/will do:

*Had a terrible, overpriced Italian meal at Cannella's- NOT authentic, and NOT recommended...can you say garlic powder and too much salt? Ewwwwww....

*Went to see Batman on IMAX...MUST see on IMAX, no question- I pretty much had motion sickness the screen was so big. And, I sat right next to four good Mormon boys

*Went climbing at American Fork with Adam and Kev- first time climbing outside since April- yayyyyy. Climbing in gym too.

*Had a fun little bbq and fire pit party

*Painted/still painting hallway

*the rest is TBA because Staycation 2008- Gumby edition is still underway!!

I Love My Dogs

Tigg's may look a little gaunt and sleepy, but don't be fooled, he's doing much, much better.

Winn testing out her new floors.

A Slow Return to Normalcy

Well, the last week has been starting to feel a little bit more like a normal life. I've started climbing again, albeit very slowly and only in the gym, Tiggs is acting more like a dog, and we even squeaked in a quick trip to Ikea for a little retail therapy.

We decided to rip out the nasty carpet in our loft, made a little nastier by the side effects of Prednisone, and lay some inexpensive laminate. Adam and I were kinda psyched on trying a white wood anyways, and Ikea makes a white-washed wood laminate for about a buck a square foot. We even found a couple of boxes of the flooring in the As Is room at Ikea, and voile, a little elbow grease (ok, maybe a lot of elbow grease, and a few near-marriage ending squabbles) and a hundred bucks and POOF, we have a cool new floor.

Hope you like the pics.

On the Tiggs front, blood work has been great, PCV near 40 and starting to cut the Pred a little bit. Still experiencing a few unpleasant side effects, but Tiggs is handling it all like a champ, and even rolled in the grass last night- I will never take seemingly insignificant dog behavior for granted again. We love him so much! And we love his wonderful big sister Winn, who has been kind and gentle towards him.

A Little Retail Therapy

I love new, cheap Ikea accessories- $17 buys a little temporary bliss!

Cheap Flooring Project

Ripping out the carpet felt so good!

Here are some "After" shots

Olympics

Is anyone as obsessed about the Olympics as I am? Well, for one, I am glued to the gymnastics. The mens team came away with the bronze medal that no one thought they would ever get, and I can't wait to watch the women's team finals tonight.

Daria Bijak of the Utah Utes competed for her native Germany, which did not qualify for the women's team finals, however, if you have a minute, watch the top video on my video bar to watch her absolutely amazing floor routine. THIS WOMAN COMPETES FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH! For shitsake, she is so rad, I can't even tell you. Go to see a Utes meet this winter and you will see why we have been the NCAA runners up. The routine she is competing in the short video is her at the Olympics competing the same floor exersise reoutine she performs for her collegiate routine- the difficulty and tricks she throws are unheard of at the collegiate level. WATCH IT PEOPLE! You won't be dissappointed.

ARGHH-PS> It appears as though the video of Daria was possibly removed from YouTube...damn NBC copyrights! So, sorry if you missed it, hopefully it will repost on my video bar if and when it becomes available.

What's Up?

Just finished the buying frenzy for BD at the Outdoor Retailer trade show, what a scene! Really, how many pair of capri pants can one look at before going postal? Not really any crazy cool new products to report, other than the Mammut Smart belay device, which will be sick, and really pretty cheap at a retail price of 29 bucks. Also, I like the new BD Orbit lamp, which is a cute little lantern that fits in your pocket. Lastly, the new Five Ten Women's Daescent and Guide Tennie will be the approach shoes of choice this fall.

Other than the crazy amount of work, Tiggs is doing so well! His PCV today was between 37 and 38. We are getting lots more tail wags and taking 20 minute walks daily to get his stamina up. His weight is coming back, but his head is a bit skeletal looking from the way that the Pred causes muscle wasting.

I went to the gym last week for an easy climbing session, and felt like sheee-ottt. Now, gotta get back in there so I don't feel so bad this fall when LCC starts getting good. I did still feel the tendon, mostly in the palm of my hand. So, still a long, long road on the mend for that one. But, I think I can do some easy stuff for now just so I am moving.

No exciting house pj's currently, as all monetary funds have gone towards massive vet bills. My wood floor savings has been deposited into the Bank of Tiggs. I really wouldn't have it any other way, but I was looking forward to ripping out our carpet. Maybe next Spring...

Oh and Wendy and Dave had a baby boy Luke, and Andy and Laurel had a baby girl, Kaia. Congrats to all my friends!

Fort Fun

They don't call it that for nothing! Ft. Collins was just what the doctor ordered, literally! Our wonderful friends Jay and Traci finally tied the knot, and dammit, my batteries were dead for their incredible wedding and reception. Trac and Jay have been great friends and climbing partners over the years, I'm so happy we could share their day.

Coming back to Ft. Collins was so good for us, it was a wonderful homecoming, and it seemed like at every turn, we ran into a familiar and friendly face, from the minute we pulled into town, until we left. Many people came back into town and my friend Rick said it best: it was a reunion of people from the heyday of the Ft. Collins climbing scene.

Many of you have asked about Tiggs, and all I can say is that he had an amazing turn around while we were there. We were lucky enough to consult with CSU vet teaching hospital, and they spent 3 hours with us. They were great about consulting Tiggs' vet here, and they agreed that his treatment is on the right track. Not only that, but his blood work was great while we were there, and his energy seemed to triple! Also, we were able to reduce his meds slightly, which will help us manage some of the less desireable side effects he is experiencing (can you say diaper pull-ups???).

Thanks for all of the well wishes with Tiggs; he keeps reminding us to take it one day at a time. His liver is enlarged from the meds that he takes, and he is at risk of developing a clot, but overall, if we stay on the right track, we are hopefully close to a balance of drugs that will help Tiggs stay healthy without too many problems.

John and Lisa hosted a fun bbq for our last night. I wish I had a pic of their cute little girl Ella, she is so darling!
Melissa C.'s dad Alfred, out from Conneticut to help Jimmy get their stuff out of storage and into their new house. So nice to see him!
Andy and Jamie- happy newleyweds

Tiggs hoping that Ethan and Lisa's beautiful baby Cade will drop a nugget that he can have...man, that Prednisone makes you so hungry!
So cute!
My pimp, Jimmy Jam, just back from Lusaka, Zambia! Completely serendipitous to have him in Ft. Collins after he and Melissa's 3 year teaching stint in Africa!
Da Boyz!

I love this girl! My friend, the beautiful bride, Traci.
The dashing groom Jay (in the plaid), with the Schwartz-Savage contingent
Marc and Adam, chillin with some good Ft. Collins brews
Is this the same dog? Tiggs showing what good quality of life looks like! He finally felt good enough to enjoy the beautiful Poudre river...look at that smile!

I snapped this pick last week before we left for Ft. Collins- Tiggs during a rough week with IMHA...Win was so concerned, she decided he needed a cuddle buddy.
Tiggs waiting for his docs at CSU Vet Teaching Hospital...looking much better!
Great to see Marc and Rachel!
Adam and Ethan

Progress!

Yesterday was a little quiet. The vet was closed, and Tiggs was very, very tired. He perked up a little towards that later part of the day, but I will admit that I was quite worried that he might be sliding back a little bit.

But, when we went to the vet today, Tiggs PCV had jumped between 28.5 and 29! Yayyyyy! Good progress, and definitely in the right direction. I was so happy, I screamed and clapped in the office. He is still so tired, but we are seeing a few more tail wags and even a little kiss from him on my nose!

Keep the good thoughts our way, it's working!

We Made it One Week!

Tiggs is such a good boy! His full blood panel showed that his body is 'turned on' now from all of the meds. This means that he has been producing new baby red blood cells called Reticulocytes. His PCV is still holding, and has even crept up ever so slightly. We'd like it to go up much faster, but Dr. Lynette feels his body is working as hard as it can. Today his PCV was between twenty five and 26. The lowest end of normal would be thirty seven, so we have a ways to go. It could take a long time, but we hope not. I had to type twenty five and thirty seven because my keyboard at work is malfuntioning!

Anyways, he is still so tired. Not really moving much, but his eyes are more open and his ears have perked up a little. He even lifted his leg to pee! Oh, about that though...he is drinking so much and the Pred ramps up the pee so fast, that he continues to have some accidents. It's ok, though, we don't mind...He is at least trying to get to the door, it's just hard when you can't move real fast.

He's gotten lots of love and toys. His friend Laurel even gave him a cute squeaky pig and some squeaky balls. He really appreciated it!

Thanks for all the well wishes.

Monday's Update

Tiggs had what appeared to be his best day yesterday, at least outwardly, he was more alert, his pee looked more yellow, and he at alot of food. The PCV, however, had dropped to 24 last night. It is hard for us to understand how he could outwardly look so much better, but the number went down.

This morning's blood, however, had held steady somewhere between 24 and 25. Dr. Lynette said she didn't want to say 25 and get our hopes up, but that it was at least holding at 24, and hopefully inching up towards 25.

He is here at BD with me today, and he has been excited to see his friends Lee, Jason, Kathy, etc. He even ran into John, Ellie, and Mason when we stopped to get a coffee before work, and he gave Ellie a big kiss. That was really uplifting to see!

Keep rooting for him! He is really a strong little guy.

The Numbers Game- Sunday

Tiggs had a lot of ups and downs yesterday. In the morning, he had held steady with his count at 27, and he was really excited when Jaima and John, Tina and Joe, and his Uncle Kev all came to visit. He got a really cute sheep from Jaima and John, and a beautiful, colorful photo collage that his Aunt Tina made from a beautiful picture she recently snapped of him. His spirits really lifted.

I think he got really tired from all of the excitement, and he had an accident later in the day because he was too tired to let us know that he had to go. When we brought him to the vet for his check last night at 10pm, his levels had dropped 2 points to a 25. Of course, that is not the direction we want to go in.

This morning he went back to the vet, and his am number is still at 25. We are really worried that it hasn't climbed yet, but Dr. Woodworth said that it is good that it hasn't dropped. So, another check tonight at 7pm, and he will get lots of love and food today to try to bolster him.

Please keep thinking positive for him!

Update on Tiggs- Saturday

Yesterday morning, Tiggs' levels were holding steady. By 5:30, however, they dropped a few points, which is somewhat to be expected, however, very disconcerting and stressful. He was very tired all day and would not get up at all, but when his Aunt Wendy came over with treats, he got up to greet her, gave her a kiss, and even a tail wag. These are things I will never again take for granted.

Because his levels had dropped a few points, our vet suggested we go back to the Hospital again at night for another blood test. Tiggs is always a little more alert there, probably because there is always alot going on. He even met another little dog who was also just diagnosed with IMHA. His levels were holding steady at the hospital, so his vet there decided he could come home again last night. He did get a shot for nausea, because he hasn't held anything down.

Once we got back home last night, the nausea meds must have helped, because he actually ate a little bit of food on his own, instead of Adam and I having to force feed him. He even jumped in the bed (upon invitation of course) for a few hours of nighttime cuddles.

This morning he is somewhat alert, but still needed some help to go outside and relieve himself. He is still urinating blood, which is very stressful for us. He will soon get the rest of his morning meds, which include a high dose of Prednisone (a steroid), plus Azathioprine (an immunosuppressive), plus an antibiotic, and Pepcid to help protect his tummy. We will also go to the vet at about 9 am for his morning blood count.

All of our hope seems to hinge on this one number: A Packed Cell Volume (PCV) test. Normal is between 37 and 55.

When Tiggs was diagnosed, his was at a 10. As of last night, he was holding at 27. Keep your thoughts with him, he is fighting so hard!

Thank you all!

Update on Tiggs- Friday

Tiggs is doing a little better today. He went to the hospital again last night, but when we got his blood tested, his numbers were actually looking much better. Today he is still very weak and tired, but he has been a little more alert and has been pretty bright eyed. He even wagged his tail a little bit. He is still in critical condition, but we are hopeful that he might respond to the medication. He is home with me today, and he is getting a lot of love from Winnie and I.

Please continue to pray for him and send out any happy, healthy thoughts that you can. The name of this auto immune disease is called AIHA (auto immune hemolytic anemia) or IMHA (immune mediated hemolytic anemia). If you are curious about this disease, you can find some good info here: http://www.geocities.com/aihadogs/faq.htm.

Update on Tiggs

Hi Everyone,

Many of you know, but some of you don't, that Tiggs has been diagnosed with a potentially fatal blood disease called Auto Immune Hemolytic Anemia. In laymans terms, it is when your body begins attacking it's own red blood cells. Tiggy was diagnosed yesterday after several days of lethargy and lack of appetite. He was hospitalized last night, and given high doses of prednisone, a steroid that will hopefully squash his immune response, and also given 2 blood transfusions. His prognosis is very guarded.

We picked him up this morning from the hospital and brought him back to his regular vet for more treatments. He looked much better than he did yesterday, but eventually his body will attack the new blood he was given. Our hope is that it will buy him some time while the Prednisone takes hold in his system. All of you, in addition to being our good friends, have also been good friends to Tiggs. He needs all of your love, prayers, and good thoughts sent out to the Universe, and wishes for his recovery. He is always happy, smiling, and has nothing but love for life, all of you, and everything else in the world. He is a wonderful ambassador for the Pit Bull breed and a little happy love and cuddle muffin.

We are truly hopeful that we can get him into a remission, and we promise to keep everyone posted on his condition. In the meantime, many of you have asked how you can help. Here's a couple of things: Go to www.bestfriends.org or www.obamafamilydog.com and sign the Obama family dog petition. The Obamas plan to get a dog after the election, and Best Friends is trying to raise awareness for the adoption of homeless pets over pure bred dogs. Tiggs was adopted almost four years ago exactly, from the Larimer Humane Society in Colorado. Also at the Best Friends site, you can learn about Breed Specific Legislation (pit bull and other bans) and learn how to sign petitions or send emails to communities considering such bans. For example, Sandy, Utah was just considering such a ban.

Keep us in your thoughts and we will keep you in ours.

Thanks for your love and support,

Melissa and Adam

The day we brought Tiggs home.
Getting to know his big sister.
He was pretty little!
One of Tiggs' many talents...last summer balancing a stack of graham crackers on his head in Flagstaff.

The tongue

Maharam Memory Game

see below photo...here are some in the loft, we keep playing with them and rearranging them. simple and fun!

I got this really cute memory game with all of these vintage designer fabrics on them by Girard, Eames, Pantin, etc. I put them on the wall above my little saucer chair under the stairs. I bought these little removable adhesive glue dots at the drug store, and they can be easily rearranged.