Getting ready for Christmas

It is now less than a week until Christmas and things are finally calming down around here.

Goliath has made a full recovery, but we are taking things slow on the running and playing since he has recently gone off his meds. I think our shopping is finished and now all that is to be done is the wrapping of presents. We had to get a new computer since the old one died a painful and slow death these last few weeks. Luckily, my office offers no-interest computer loans to staff since we would need to work from home from time to time. So we have been moving files and setting up onlne connections the last few days. Add to that the fact that we moved from a PC to a Mac and it gets confusing. It took me almost five minutes to find and open the internet browser.

Now the fun begins. We go to my parent's house on Friday to celebrate my Mom's birthday. On Saturday, we are spending the day at Butterworth North with Matt's family. Back home Sunday for morning and evening Christmas Eve services. And on Christmas Day we go back to my Mom's where my good friend Mary will be joining us since her parents live in Wisconsin. This is the best part of the whole hoopla. I look forward to just spending time with family and friends that we don't get to see very often. Also, it has been wonderful getting cards and seeing pictures of everyone.

Matt is still quite busy with training. He had to swim this morning and I think he needs to run tonight. With him gone, I have had time on my hands since I am on vacation until January; so I keep moving the furniture in the living room. He just looks at me and shakes his head. I told him that I need to get out of the house since it has been just me and Goliath for so long. I am starting to get a little loopy. Maybe I just need a nap.

Anyway, to everyone, have a wonderful Christmas and I hope to write again before the New Year.

Merry Christmas,
Matt, Terry, and Goliath

Goliath's on the injured list

Goliath was injured over the weekend. Sunday night, he went outside and then came in not acting like himself. We did not know if he was just tired since he had not slept much that day, but by 8:00 we knew something was wrong. At first, we thought he had an upset stomach and forced some Pepto-Bismol down his throat. After that, when he could not stop shaking, we took him outside again; but he basically sat in the yard looking sad. We got him inside and I massaged his little belly until he calmed down enough to got to sleep, but he woke us up around 1:00 moaning in pain. It was now time to go the Emergency Vet. They took some x-rays and determined that he was experiencing some spinal pain and that he most likely had some problems with a disc or pinched nerves. He was given a shot for the pain and we had some pills for him to take. He slept for another 3 hours, but then woke up crying in pain. Luckily, our vet was open early and he went in for another exam. By this time, he couldn't walk and he wouldn't eat. They diagnosed him with a swollen disc and gave us detailed instructions about medication and keeping him inactive to help with the healing. After crying my eyes out and praying for him to get better, we went to pick him up and bring him home. He wagged his tail when he saw us, and I felt so much better. Once home, he had regained his appetite and tried to walk. He had some spills, but he could stand, so that was an improvement. We kept a close eye on him all day and he was great about not jumping down or walking too much. He is taking his medication and letting us carry him around without much of a fight. Today, he has to start spending his time alone in a crate so that he can be safe and heal while we are gone. So please keep him in your thoughts and join me in staying positive for his full recovery.

Philadelphia and Thanksgiving

Matt and I had a wonderful time in Philadelphia. If you have never been, I really recommend it if only to see where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Plus, we got to see an original of the Declaration that was handed out to the delegates for reading before it was signed. Also, Walking around in the historic district every day from our bed and breakfast was amazing. We would just look at the buildings and realize many of them are over 200 years old and could have been a stopping place for George Washington or Benjamin Franklin. I got a real sense of history from this place, more than I ever felt in Washington, DC. So go visit if you ever get the chance.

Matt finished the race and was in a great mood. He commented that this race felt better than any other he has run. He took it slow and you would have never known that he just ran 26 miles if you saw him at the finish line. Other than the race, we were able to explore the city and meet some interesting people. At the Love statue downtown, a homeless man offered to take our picture. I think we spent 10-15 minutes having him position us all around the statue and we have several shots of us against the skyline. He was a lot of fun, and he made us laugh through the entire photo shoot. I looked for him every time we passed the plaza, but I never saw him again. At least we got the chance to meet him.

I shared a Rocky moment with another tourist as we were both running up the stairs to the art museum as Stallone did in the movies. By the time I got to the top, I was ready for a break and Matt took a rare picture (follow for additional photos) of me just enjoying the view. Some girls we met at the Whole Foods told us the best place to go for cheesesteak, and the people I met Sunday at Old Pine Presbyterian while Matt was running were really friendly. All in all, it was a great trip and I look forward to going back again. But of course it could not compare to coming home to the boy. Goliath was very happy to have us home and we celebrated by going out to buy him some more food and a long walk in the park.

By the time Thanksgiving was upon us, we were well rested and ready for our pre-lunch races. Matt ran with his new team members in a 5 mile race while I ran a race closer to my parents' house with some friends that was 4 miles. I added a little to my mileage when I went out to catch up with Connor who was running from my sister's house before lunch. I was ready for my ice bath after that, and the entire house was amused to hear my screams as I sat down in the tub.

So now we are getting ready for Christmas and some down time. We have our decorations up and the shopping has begun. The weekends are already getting packed. Tonight, we have Matt's office Christmas party; then Saturday morning, we will help decorate the church and that night another party. Since I am the Lay Reader all month for our early service, that will be just the excuse we need to get home early and get a decent night's sleep. Something tells me that we will need a lot of extra rest this month.