2012 Start to Finish!

2012 is just about over, although since Blogger is being so slow it might actually BE over before I get through typing this!  Anyway.  I think we'll be glad to see this year end.  It hasn't been horrible, but frankly we have had better.  We've had worse as well, so I'm not really complaining.  Just stating a fact is all.

January

Well, I brought back a cold from our TEXAS trip in December 2011 and then spent at least half the month fighting it.  It turned into bronchitis and I was very sick.  Otter had a touch of the cold, but she was over most of it early in the month.  I made it into a marathon!

I did manage to get quite a bit of crochet done, mostly because I was home sick so much.

Bill's pachinko collection increased (this happens a lot).

There was a Friday the 13th this month.

Otter got new glasses.  We decided that we don't like the Oakley brand, they don't curve around the ear and keep falling off.  She doesn't want that kind anymore and I don't blame her.

Bill took a turn with the cold but he didn't have a very bad case.

My tendonitis showed up and it stayed around for weeks and weeks.  It's one thing I want to do without for 2013!

Bill's car had a leak in the power steering system.  $516.00 to fix it. Ouch!

Otter was mistaken for an actual librarian at the library one day. :)

February

For a while, we were concerned that Otter might have a thyroid imbalance.  The doctor was too, but so far she seems to be ok.

Bill got the first of what turned into several fillings.  Actually, he got a few this month and then for the next few months.

There was an attempted kidnapping of a 13 year old girl at a school bus stop, less than 2 miles from our house - the boy that tried to grab her was 14 years old.

We had a trace of snow (finally!)

A very special couple I know celebrated their 75th Wedding Anniversary!

We replaced the filter on the ice maker in the fridge.  And discovered billions and billions of multi-colored twist ties.  With no idea where they came from!

This was a leap year, so there were 29 days in February.

March

Froggy's hubby got a great job in the Austin, TX area and they decided to move.

Otter started the month with what she thought was a night of not sleeping and then a cold/allergy coming on - but it turned out to be the flu!  She was one of many in the Tulsa area who got the flu shot and then still got the flu.  She didn't have a bad case, but it was still not good.

The Oklahoma primary was in March.  Our first choice, Herman Cain, dropped out earlier so I voted for the 2nd choice - Rick Santorum.  He won Oklahoma, but ultimately dropped out of the race.

Otter was thinking about changing her major from Library Sciences to an English Degree and that is what she decided to do.

We had a pretty intense hail storm.

I got to crochet again!  I didn't even attempt it for several weeks, thanks to the tendonitis.  Then I had to be careful and just do small sessions.

Bill shaved his beard!

The dishwasher died.  It had been on it's way out for a while, but we were nursing it along.  We didn't replace it at the time and later I decided that I don't really want one.

We actually had weather that was nice enough to sit out on the deck.

The frogs showed up, so the bricks went into the dog water.  Don't want any drowned frogs!  Dead frogs don't eat bugs.

We switched from the humidifiers to the fans in the bedrooms.  In March!

Bill had a cold or allergy.

We had pouring rain for a few days.

Otter's annual lung recheck at the allergist.  He was very impressed with her status.  She also had Spring Break.

Birds started building nests in various places around the house and yard.

Otter turned 20!

April

Discovered a bunch of bluebonnets coming up in the front yard and whiskey barrel.

Also, we discovered the first of what became a major invasion of yellow-jacket nests.

Dallas had tornados!

The iris plants started to bloom.

The vet started really watching Frasier's leg.

We had a nice Easter at Grandpa and Sweetie's house.

Spring Storms made their appearance, especially in the western part of the state.

Otter learned to crochet!

Froggy & Uncle Crazy found a house!

May

We had a storm with a lot of strong wind.  And then we had pieces of one of our trees all over the back yard!

Maggie caught a fledgling mockingbird, but Otter got he to drop it and then Maggie was in major discgrace!

Mother's Day.  We saw the Avengers movie and had buffalo burgers.

The office cat disappeared.  We eventually found her, she was deceased and we think she "came home" to die.  She had adopted us several years ago and was probably just old but she was still a fun pet at work and we miss her.

9 yellow-jacket nests at the office.  That was just in one day, we killed them and they kept coming back!

We got the septic tank cleaned out. Not a pleasant job, but necessary.

June

The hummingbirds showed up!

We moved plastic shelves into Otter's room, now she has a place to put all that craft stash of hers.

More yellow jacket nests.

I got stung by one of the beasties.  It wasn't pleasant.

The drive-in reopened in Tulsa!

We found out (the hard way) that Otter is not allergic to yellow jackets.  We were already destroying them as we came across the nests, but not Bill was on a mission!

Bill's 51st birthday.

Froggy's house in SA was an interesting story.  The first buyer had a stroke just a few days before he was to close, they had to put the house back on the market and the 2nd buyer was kind of a turkey.  But it was eventually sold.

Ozone days started for the summer.

Otter found a wasp.  It was climbing up the curtains inside the living room!

We found a box turtle in the back yard.  She was relocated under the fence.

The supreme court made a collosal mistake.

July

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N!

A sparrow flew into the dining room window.  It did not survive. :(

We watched fireworks from our back deck.

We found an injured dove in the back yard.  We gave her food and water and kept the dogs out.  After a couple of days, she was nowhere to be seen so we think that the got her strength back and was able to fly off.  There was no sign of anything else.

Still finding yellow jackets.  Still squashing/spraying/killing them.

The Olympics started in London.  We watched quite a bit.

Our neighbor pointed at me as I was driving off one morning - actually it was the husband/boyfriend/whatever he is and he mimed pulling a gun on me and shooting.  This was the 2nd time, the first was just pointing.  I waved at him and gave him a big smile - and then they seemed to do everything they could to avoid us after that.  Guess they didn't like realizing that we don't intimidate?

My favorite author, Maeve Binchy, died.**

August

Otter decided to take a break from college and think about her plans for the future.  She started applying for jobs, then after a long talk with her councilor at school she changed her mind.  At least for the immediate future.

We supported Chick-Fil-A.  And continue to do so.

Otter went to TEXAS for a week, she saw her TEXAS grandmother and most of her cousins.

Found another yellow jacket nest!

The vacuum cleaner died.  Unlike the dishwasher, it was replaced!

I made my specialty soup with frozen vegetables and it worked pretty well.

The vet decided that Frasier's "spot" needed to come off.  We scheduled his surgery for Labor Day weekend so it was actually August 31st.  It was the beginning of a roller coaster that we actually thought at one point was the end of Frasier's time on earth.  He got better!  But we really weren't sure he would at one point and we (and the vet) were actually planning the timing for euthanasia.  It was that close and that serious.

Otter started her 2nd year at college.

The driver's side window fell off it's frame in Bill's car.  We had to replace the motor assembly but the window itself was intact.

September

We didn't get a lot of sleep this month, courtesy of one large, furry dog!

We went to Wallyworld one morning and there were was looked like (literally) millions of crickets!

We got our flu shots.  Later than we planned, but at least we managed to get them!  I had my usual reaction.

Frasier, in his cone, got his head stuck between the couch and a magazine rack.

The dogs came veryclose to getting a cat under the shed.

Talk Like a Pirate Day!  Otter got a free dozen donuts at Krispy Kreme, and so did most of her friends, just for dressing up like a pirate and talking like one.

The dentist agreed that Otter's top wisdom teeth were just about ready to come out.  She also diagnosed the beginning of de-calcifying in Otter's teeth.

October

I brought the hummingbird feeders in the for the year.

Frasier kept us up at night.

I had a chance to educate two neighborhood girls on not throwing rocks at passing cars.  RHTW got the job done and I don't think that they will do it again.

We went to Bartlesville and areas north, one of our shopping rambles.  It turned out to be the last one for the year although we didn't realize it at the time.  It was fun.

Otter and I went to the Fair.  First time in two years.  Fun, lots of walking.

The vet recommended a bitter apple spray for Frasier's leg.  It didn't keep him from licking and I'm firmly convinced that it made his mental state worse.

We had a bad dust storm.

Otter started showing signs of Red Hair anemia.  She's increased her iron intake and is much better.

We heard coyotes.

I found one of the two opal earrings (two different ones) I lost over a year ago.  Thought it was gone for good, it was in the dryer!

The vet had us start the dog on benadryl at night.  It worked two or three nights, then we were right back where we started from.

Bill transplanted an elm tree sapling that came from the elm tree we put in a couple of years ago.

The vet suggested leaving a light on in the living room with the hopes that Frasier would be able to see that there was nothing to bark at.  He only saw that I wasn't in there and he kept barking!

November

The vet suggested tranquilizers.  They did the trick.  He still gets one occasionally, but after about a week of a pill nightly he was much better.

Time change.

Bill briefly considered selling the El Camino.  I'm glad he decided not to.

The "big" election happened.  Without us, frankly.  At least without us on certain parts of it.

I had a cold.

Grass fires in the area, lots of smoke & dust.

My puppy is back!  He's been so much better and actually wore the beagle out on a few occasions.  That is not easy to do, by the way.

We scheduled Otter's oral surgery for mid-December.

I started an afghan for Grandpa for Christmas.  Which I didn't get finished until about 30 minutes before they came on over Christmas morning!

Bill had time off at Thanksgiving.  And he got sick!

Thanksgiving.  We had a great time at Grandpa and Sweetie's.

Otter and I saw an annual exhibit at a local museum.

We took the curtains down from the dining room and put up mini-blinds.

December

Otter made a great find at an estate sale, she found a fairly rare and collectible picnic basket.

12/21/12 happened.  And nothing happened.  We didn't expect anything anyway, but it was fun watching people get stupid about it.

Well, one thing did happen on 12/21/12:  my notary commission was renewed for another 4 years.

We made cookies.  Lots and lots and lots of cookies.

And then I threw away most of my cookies sheets and got new ones!

The dogs jumped the block in the garage.  And discovered a full back of their food.  It wasn't full for long!

Otter had a fairly heavy nosebleed - in line at the dollar store!  Thankfully, they sell kleenex.

Otter had oral surgery.  The two two wisdom teeth came out and the surgery went well.  She didn't have any problems from it.

But she did have problems from the pain pill, it was a hard way to discover a codiene allergy but I guess it was the only way it could be discovered.

Christmas!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N!

I turned 51, I caught up with Billyboy.  We went to Incredible Pizza and a few thrift stores.  It was a lot of fun.  Otter made me brownies. :)

Bill was on vacation and he did what he's known for:  he got sick!

I finally gave in and bought a purse.  I buy purses when I need one, but this one was a little different.  And it cost a lot more.  I still can't believe I paid that much for a purse.

We had a touch of snow on the 28th.

One other thing in December:  The publisher that handled Maeve Binchy's books announced that there was one more book and it would be coming out on Valentine's Day 2013.  I'm not sure if it was one that was just never published for whatever reason, or if it was going to be published and then she died.  But whatever the reason, I am going to buy it.  She was a major talent and is very much missed.

I had 4 migraines in 2012.  Which is about the average.  I had a few hot flashes, only a couple of them were really bad (hot flashers, actually).  But I guess it's to be expected.

We had very little car trouble, what we did have with mostly with Bill's car but it's a 10 year old car and has around 150,000 miles on it.  I guess it's to be expected too.

It was a warm year and a dry one.  It didn't feel as hot as 2011, but it actually was.

But we managed to get through the year without losing a special dog, that is something that we didn't expect at one point.  He's an old dog and we're just going to enjoy however long with have him.  And spoil him even more rotten - same thing with the beagle!

But I really, really do NOT want tendonitis.  Ever again.