The "Blog" of "Unecessary" Quotation Marks posted our submission. Woo Hoo!
Astute readers of this blog will remember that Chris is now nine, but he was eight when we sent the photo in.
Just to be clear, there is nothing but water in the bowl. Maybe the water on the bottom tastes better.
This is what I sent to school with Chris today for his classroom Halloween party. Another mom made eyeball cupcakes.
I double-dipped most of the strawberries, because I wasn't sure how the orange candy melts would taste, but next time I would sacrifice taste for ease of preparation and cuteness of final product.
Thinking of serving these at our Halloween party, despite the fact that I vowed to make it simpler this year. I love the garnish:
FINLANDIA VAMPIRE JUICE
4 ounces tomato juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh horseradish
Splash of steak sauce
Splash of hot sauce
My new favorite parrot reference by John Cleese.
On Monday, Frank Hynes officially endorsed Jim.
Frank is retiring after 26 years as State Rep. for Marshfield and Scituate.
We've known Frank for many years and consider him a dear friend.
This is the fly larva that was removed from Lucy's throat. I have been erroneously calling it a bot fly larva, when in fact it is a cuterebra.
Our cuterebra saga began over two weeks ago when I brought Lucy to the vet because I thought she had a respiratory problem - I was thinking cold or allergy. She was snoring and seemed to be sneezing (though I know now she was trying to clear a parasite from her throat.) The initial diagnosis was upper respiratory infection and constipation, for which she was given antibiotics and a stool softener.
After three doses of medications, I came home one evening to find her lying on the bathroom rug, surrounded by poop and unable to even lift her head. Adding to the confusion, Chris arrived home shortly after I did, and the sight of Lucy was so upsetting he threw up. Three times. Not in the toilet.
I brought her to the emergency vet, where all the other patients had been hit by cars or were barely clinging to life. Since the emergeny vet sees patients in order of the severity of their condition, Lucy and I didn't see a vet for about three hours and arrived home around 2 am - having only received fluids (Lucy's being administered sub-cutaneously and mine by way of coffee cup.) I entered the last weekend of Jim's primary campaign operating on very little sleep. The amount time I spent talking about the health of my cat may have lost him some votes.
For several days, Lucy's condition deteriorated and we shuttled back and forth to the vet, eventually landing in the competent hands of Dr. Patterson at VCA Roberts Animal Hospital. Dr. Patterson very quickly discovered and removed the fly larva. (I asked if I could keep it, thinking Chris would be interested. Chris now asks "Have any flies landed on this?" before he eats anything.)
By Monday of this week, Lucy had completed her antibiotics, but wasn't eating normally, so I brought her back to the vet on Wednesday (two weeks to the day since our first visit.) Examination revealed more material in her throat (either scar tissue or part of the larva, I wasn't willing to pay the $100 lab fees to find out.)
So, two weeks and over $1,000 later, Lucy appears to be on the mend. She has lost two pounds. Both front legs have been shaved for i.v. insertion, leaving her either chilled or embarassed, as she tucks them up underneath herself most of the time. Wonder how she'd look in a lion cut?
