The Crotchety Old Man

Category: Toodles

  • Training Tootsie

    Tootsie and I have had six-and-a-half hours of training with Bethany in ten visits. Tootsie adores her. The Training Game is fun, all about Tootsie, and chock-full of treats. What’s not to like? Sessions last sixty minutes or until Tootsie loses interest. She vastly prefers Cheerios over packaged training treats. Even so, she’s often too…

  • RIP Toodles

    My sweet little dog crossed the rainbow bridge Friday (July 29). Multiple health issues finally caught up with her. I’ve had her since she was five weeks old. We celebrated her 13th birthday in May. Six years ago, we discovered she had diabetes — most likely due to Cushing’s Disease. Between my vision issues and…

  • Staycationing

    I’m fortunate to have a job with paid sick leave and vacation days. We can accumulate unlimited sick leave, but vacation time has to be used within a given period. Some coworkers lose days every year. Not me. Forfeiting paid days off is against my religion. Nobody does my job when I’m out, so long…

  • My Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

    A week ago last Saturday (August 5), my air-conditioning quit working a few minutes after six in the evening. In Georgia. In August. I called the folks I have a service agreement with, but it was too late for emergency service that day. I decided to  tough it out until an already-scheduled service call Monday…

  • A Glimpse of the Future

    I haven’t taken more than a few days off from the day job for years. Nobody fills in when I’m out. An overwhelming quantity of emails, phone messages, and snail mail waiting when I return offset the benefits of getting away. I use vacation days a few at a time for long weekends throughout the…

  • A Christmas Letter

    Dear Friends, Holiday greetings from the Deep South. This year, I’m not sending any cards. My declining vision is such that hand-writing notes and addressing envelopes is too difficult. Yeah, I could print labels and mail form letters, but that’s about as personal as those stupid holiday email messages with dancing elves or some such. May…

  • My Diabetic Doggy: Good News Update

    Toodles was diagnosed with diabetes in May. Insulin injections twice a day are the only treatment option. Because she turns into mini-Kujo, it takes two people to give her an injection. My last Diabetic Doggy post (July 11) revolved around figuring out a way to give her the injections after my ex moved back into…

  • My Diabetic Doggy, Part Three

    In early May, we found out my little chihuahua, Toodles, was diabetic. We have to check her sugar twice a day (6:30 am and pm) and, if it’s less than 200, give her an insulin injection. Most of the time, her sugar is well over 200 so she gets an injection. I can’t see well enough…

  • My Diabetic Doggy, Part 2

    Last week, I shared about finding out Toodles, my chihuahua, is diabetic. Dealing with a pet’s chronic disease can be expensive. I worried about the cost and what I would decide to do. My rapidly approaching retirement has changed the way I think about money. The difference between wants and needs is a lot clearer.…

  • My Diabetic Doggy, Part 1

    For her seventh birthday in early May, my sweet little long-haired chihuahua, Toodles, was diagnosed with diabetes. Daddy (aka moi) was devastated. Dollar signs flashed before my eyes. What was I going to do? I’m crazy about my little dog. She sleeps with me, gets anxious when I’m not around, and won’t have anything to…