Want a recap of 2014? Well my crappy year really started 12/24/13. That's the day the sickness set in, which by the second week of January had developed into full blown pneumonia. About a week after the diagnosis, Faith got really sick. We ended up having to put her to sleep. Turns out she had a cancerous tumor on essentially every organ in her abdomen. The poor thing starting getting sick around dinner time and could barely breath 24 hours later. I guess it was a blessing that she didn't suffer for very long.
The whole experience at the animal hospital was very surreal. A day before Faith got sick, a German shepherd police dog named Rocco was stabbed in the line of duty. Fate would have it that Faith and Rocco were bunked next to each other at the hospital. While I was visiting my sick dog, I broke down crying and felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see a police officer, visiting his sick partner, also crying. As fate would have it, Rocco passed away that night, about 20 minutes before Faith. So when we came to say goodbye to Faith, we were met on the way by 2 full miles of police cruisers with their lights on, parked on the highway to honor Rocco. As Faith took her last breath, there was a full band of bagpipers playing Amazing Grace. Not many dogs get to go to heaven with a full honor guard and while being serenaded by bagpipes. It was absolutely devastating to lose Faith, but it was comforting to know that she was going to heaven with such a great guard dog by her side. It was a night that Ethan and I will never ever forget.
The whole experience at the animal hospital was very surreal. A day before Faith got sick, a German shepherd police dog named Rocco was stabbed in the line of duty. Fate would have it that Faith and Rocco were bunked next to each other at the hospital. While I was visiting my sick dog, I broke down crying and felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see a police officer, visiting his sick partner, also crying. As fate would have it, Rocco passed away that night, about 20 minutes before Faith. So when we came to say goodbye to Faith, we were met on the way by 2 full miles of police cruisers with their lights on, parked on the highway to honor Rocco. As Faith took her last breath, there was a full band of bagpipers playing Amazing Grace. Not many dogs get to go to heaven with a full honor guard and while being serenaded by bagpipes. It was absolutely devastating to lose Faith, but it was comforting to know that she was going to heaven with such a great guard dog by her side. It was a night that Ethan and I will never ever forget.
After burying my poor doggy, I really started having a bad time. I was working straight nightshift, I was eating poorly, sleeping poorly, and spending all my free time trying to catch up on sleep. It got so bad that I couldn't sleep in the same bed as my husband, because we spent so few nights together. I didn't want to leave the house because that meant I had to put effort into my appearance. I ignored my friends, making up all sorts of excuses not to go out. And you better believe that I had no energy to exercise!
So by October I decided that I needed to make some changes to take better care of myself. The first step was leaving my job. It wasn't a choice that I took lightly, I loved my job. But I needed to love my health, marriage, family, and friends more. So I quit right before Thanksgiving, which was great because I needed every spare minute to prepare for the 12 family members that stayed in my house for the holiday! Talk about a full house. After that Ethan and I went to NYC for my birthday and had a great time eating pizza and riding the trains. We went to Coney Island and the 9/11 memorial on my birthday. It was really cool being at the ocean in December. I had only ever seen the ocean in the summer. It was also really awesome, but incredibly sad to be at the memorial on my birthday. Someone places a flower in the name slot of every person killed on their birthday. It was really moving to see the dozen or so white roses scattered around the memorial, and to know that those people should have all been celebrating like me.
A week later hubs and I left for Cancun, Mexico! I got sick with the stomach flu one day before we left. Who gets sick before they go to Mexico? We spent one night in downtown Cancun, taking in an authentic Cancun experience. We went to a market and had authentic Mexican street food and saw a local Christmas program. We were literally the only tourists there. There was a sweet woman who made me the best empanadas that I will probably ever eat. I was still feeling sick and just wanted to eat some bread. Well she made some dough, filled it with oaxaca cheese (similar to fresh mozzarella crossed with string cheese), and fried it. So yummy, and literally the only thing I could keep down. That woman is my Cancun hero! The next day we took a cab 2 hours south to our resort in Tulum. We spent the next week enjoying our oceanfront suite, the sea, our private jacuzzi, and of course all the delicious sea food! I ate fresh Mahi Mahi for lunch everyday. The fish was caught off the coast of the resort, filleted, then grilled right in front of you. It doesn't get much more fresh than that.
Christmas was eventful, but since the events involve a private family thing, I'm not going to put it on the Internet. But it was nice to spend the time with my family and not have to worry about work. And again, I was sick. However, this year I had time to take care of myself and I can proudly say that I am healthy!
Oh yeah....WE GOT A PUPPY! After Faith passed I was really hesitant to get another dog, especially a corgi. When I decided that I was ready for another dog and corgi, I discovered that it was really really hard to find a corgi pup. One day in August I got an alert that said "we have a female corgi pup, are you interested?" From the first time I saw her picture, I knew she was my dog. So Internet, meet Penny!
Penny, Ethan, and I are looking forward to having a great year. We hope that 2015 brings you all that you want too! Happy New Year!
Christmas was eventful, but since the events involve a private family thing, I'm not going to put it on the Internet. But it was nice to spend the time with my family and not have to worry about work. And again, I was sick. However, this year I had time to take care of myself and I can proudly say that I am healthy!
Oh yeah....WE GOT A PUPPY! After Faith passed I was really hesitant to get another dog, especially a corgi. When I decided that I was ready for another dog and corgi, I discovered that it was really really hard to find a corgi pup. One day in August I got an alert that said "we have a female corgi pup, are you interested?" From the first time I saw her picture, I knew she was my dog. So Internet, meet Penny!
Penny, Ethan, and I are looking forward to having a great year. We hope that 2015 brings you all that you want too! Happy New Year!
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