Just a few things have happened since my last posting. Goliath and I met several new neighbors when a gang of 40 ducks congregated around our house. At first, I saw them when I was going to get the mail and they trapped me by the garage. One duck is not intimidating, but 40 is a different story. They then moved around the front door to the back yard where they hung out for thirty minutes or so. I took Goliath out to see them and was a little concerned he would go bonkers and chase them, but all it took was for one rogue duck to charge him and he hid behind me the rest of the time. I think the stripes on their wings are their gang colors. Ever since, they come by once a week to scare the locals and patrol their turf. We stay away from them, and they leave us alone.
But this is not the only story for my theme. Wednesday, I came home from lunch to let Goliath out and found he had eaten about 3 ounces of dark chocolate that I had forgotten in the office. I called the vet and told them he wasn't sick and seemed to be acting normal, so they told me to keep an eye on him and bring him in if he had problems controlling his muscles. The only thing I noticed was that he was extremely thirsty. After Matt got home for the day, we began to see a change in the pup's behavior. He was bouncing off the walls and constantly looking for food. I could understand the hyper activity from the caffeine in the chocolate, but what was up with the hunger? Was there pot in the chocolate as well? Goliath was buzzed for the rest of the night and finally calmed down around 11:00. Thinking the worst was over, we were not prepared for the two days of vomiting and detox that followed. Most times, there was enough of a warning, but the office (the scene of the crime) took a hit. We have been spot cleaning.While all of this was going on, I had gone to see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to find out why I could not get rid of a sinus infection that I have had since May. I found out that I have a badly deviated nasal septum and will most likely need surgery, but there were some other things that raised red flags, so I have been taking some tests. I had a CT scan on Wednesday, allergy tests on Thursday, and Monday I have an ultrasound on my thyroid. I don't know what the CT scan results are, but I did learn something from the allergy tests. After 25 fun injections in my left arm, I now know that I have a problem with mold, grasses, and tree pollen. Luckily, I am not doing any more yard work because of the condo, so I am a little better off. But, our basement does not have much in the way of ventilation, so I have noticed a little mold development in the half-bath down there. We have obtained a dehumidifier, thanks to my friend Ginny, and I check on the area every day. We have also decided to take off our shoes when we come in so that no extra allergens get spread on the carpet. But the most surprising results were the animals allergens, namely the two photos above...feathers and DOG! When she mentioned that the dog was pretty high, I just smiled and thought, I'll stay congested. But it appears that the mold is the big trigger and Goliath just adds that something special to my sinus passages. I have since taken to sweeping and dusting more than once a week and vigilantly vacuuming the furniture and bed. Matt and I both agreed that if we thought the chocolate bender was bad, it would be worse trying to keep Goliath off the bed. Yes, we are weak. For proof re-read the duck story above.
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