these are the last of the pictures from my california vacation. the last full day as sunday. i ate breakfast with my brother, jeff and his family and thier friends. nice folks. we met at the mall so they could get pictures with jeff and wils kids. they are god parents to them. i took off from there to head up towards pasadena and los angeles area. i was raised in south pasadena, a suburb of los angeles. i met up with my friend natalie in the afternoon and she took for for a walk on some trails up behind occidental university where she attended and lives right by still. the light again was lovely for photo taking so we had fun snapping away a bit up here.
though i'm not a fan of smog, it does make for some lovely colours at sunset.
i gave her my camera a few times to get some pictures of me as well, so she took these.
at the top of the hill was these very "decorated" bench....looked so L.A. to me so thought it would be a great place for pictures.
took a few of natalie and her dogs as well. always good subjects. i'm home sick again tonight. i had every intention of trying to make a night of it at work even though i still sound like crap and am sleepy. this morning i woke up, took my doxycycline and then went back to bed after feeding the dogs. i started feeling like crap and had to make a run for the bathroom to puke my guts out. hate puking. that kind of ruined my day. called the nurse practitioner i'd seen monday and she was nice enough to chat with me on the phone. we stopped the doxy figuring it was upsetting my gut and started a z-pack. my appetite has been crap all week so maybe it was effecting more than i knew. my stomach is finally feeling better as i write and i'm getting a bit hungry though i have no idea what i feel like eating. hopefully, it will come to be. i've had a few pieces of toast today, a banana and a few bowls of the turkey soup i made last night. in betweem i sipped sprite. i'm sure i'm a bit dehydrated and run down. i feel run down. 
here i am hamming it up for the camera. i always feel bad when i'm sick. the nurse practitioner sent a note to acc to tell them i'd be out. she would have given me another week off work, so obviously, i still sound pretty crappy. my breathing is much better. when i was a kid and was sick i had a dream that would always come to me. i suspect now this was some sort of hallucination brought on by fevers?? anyway, always 2 men would come to me and taunt me. one was short and fat and the other tall and skinny. they seemed cartoonish, but they were horribly cruel i thought. they'd stuff like i was faking it, wasn't really sick...just mean. i'd try to wake up or in my mind "change the channels" of my dream, to no avail. haven't seen those two for years i'm happy to report.
when i lived in los angeles my respiratory issues became much worse. the smog was the culprite i suspect. i remember having bronchitis from the age of 16 until several years after i moved from los angeles. i've been quite healthy for almost 3 years now, even my chronic cough was completely gone. i'm sure it will be with me for several months after this little episode. i used to just work through this. not sure why i tortured myself in this way. when i look back, i think i just didn't think i deserved to take sick days. it was wrong to call out sick. now, i think it's more important to just take care of your body. those who give you crap for calling out sick could care less how sick you get and if you get really sick. they only care about themselves and how they are inconvenienced. maybe, they just have never really been sick.it's always the dicotomy, work doesn't want you to work sick, but they don't want you to call out sick. so not only are nurses and doctors expected to be perfect every minute they work they are also supposed to never get sick.
los angeles off in the distance. the trees along this path were eucalyptus and quite pretty. i love the cool trunk colours.
staying home did allow me to watch a "bones" episode live. when i first started the show was on a night i was usually off work and now it's on thursdays so i always miss it. so fun to watch a show live. i know there are ways to save shows and play later, but i have yet to get that sophisticated in my skills. in this episode the character relates to the the victim a bit more than she should and learns something about herself. she finally gets brave and admits the love she has for her partner. of course, he is happily involved with another and so the love is not to be. i liked one line at the end, it's better to feel sad than to not feel at all. it's easy to cut yourself off emotionally and i'm sure i do that to some degree with my work as does she. in some ways you just have to or you won't get through it all. you still have to find a way to feel though. it's hard not to let that cross over to other parts of your life, to cut yourself off from all emotions rather than go through them.
sometimes, i think when my body gets sick it's just my body giving me an emotional and physical break from it all. i used to fight it i guess is what i'm working myself to here. in the end, it's best to just accept your body's need to rest and give in...rest. the little sicks may prevent the big sicks.
my brother, tom called today. it's been a little while since we've chatted. we didn't get along very well as kids, but as adults, he's one of my favorite siblings. in many ways we just connect, which is nice. when i'm sick is when i know it would be nicer to live around family. it's also a time when i do get a bit lonely. most of the time being single has great rewards, but a few times it can really bite. being sick is one of those. i have friends, but it's not like my phone has been ringing with people checking on me or seeing if i need anything. that is something a partner or family is more likely to do. it's just the way it is.
i am happy that i have dogs in these days. i can't imagine being all alone with no pets to entertain me and to take care of. i have to get out of bed each day. they need to be walked and they need to be fed. took me awhile today, but we did do a loop in the bog before heading to the pharmacy to get my meds. it would have been so easy to skip it, but i knew they would be happiest if they were walked. blossom and i walked up the gasline to the tank trail yesterday. it's been bitter cold but clear and beautiful up here. we could easily see denali this week. the walks are my best indicators of my health. i know i'm still more tired than i am on a healthy day, but i also know my breathing is greatly improved from a few days ago.
last night i was awake coughing and i heard this thumping. rio was wagging her tail in her sleep/dream state. cracked me up. you know you have happy dogs when they wag like that. above is the los angeles skyline at sunset. thought it looked pretty cool.
i stayed with my friend carla, with me below, in altadena. she lives at the top of lake blvd. it's always so pretty and quiet up there. it was a great way to end the trip. she had to work late, but joined me around 9 or 10 for snacks and chatting til the wee hours. in the morning she made sure i got up and we went out to breakfast and then i headed off to the airport. i left out of lax so i drove past downtown. the freeway i took was the old pasadena freeway, the oldest freeway in los angeles. it's a pretty wild ride for that first section. it's straightened out by the time you get to los angeles. most of those freeways you get to know by the numbers not the names. so the 110, 105, 405, 91, 210...you get the idea.
carla is a vet i worked with for years and she has become a good friend over the years. i've stayed at her place several times. it's an oasis up there. below is her latest dog, tulip. tulip crawled in bed with me and snuggled for the night. tulip doesn't like everyone, but she seems to remember me from the last time i visited several years ago. she was in poor shape there. veterinarians often have the dogs that nobody wanted. this pit bull had been trashed by a car and left to die. carla has put alot of time and energy into getting her well. she still looks pretty messed up, but she sure looks great compared to how i left her last time i was out.
stopped in the old hospital. i worked there for several years and learned alot. not just about animals and medicine, but about life and myself. i made several lifelong friends at this place. a few still work there, most have moved on. funny, going in the place, not much has physically changed. they still had the same paperwork and the iv pumps were in many cases the same ones i used there 20 years ago. amazing they still make tubing for the old relics.
this next los angeles skyline picture i think i took from somewhere near the top of lake.
as i headed out to pasadena i took a few pictures as the mountains are rarely this defined in los angeles. the smog often obliterates the entire mountain range. i was very lucky and had beautiful weather on my trip out.
stopped on sunday at my friend marcia's place. i've known marcia since 7th grade. she's had a large impact on me over the years and we still pick up like no time has passed when we get together. she and her husband and daughter just got a new puppy, pluto. cute!!
had to get a picture of me with the baby and then below is marcia and her family with thier new puppy. fun to be able to stop by and relax and actually visit.
this whole trip was great that way. i never felt rushed. i just saw who i saw and enjoyed the sights and scenery. a real vacation!
jeff snuck in this picture of me. i was being goofy to get his 7 month old to smile for the photos. not that ian needs much help smiling....he does it all the time. now...the good news, i'm actually feeling hungry, what to eat??? always a question. i've almost polished off my see's milk patties. that has been my main staple these last several days.
when i lived in los angeles my respiratory issues became much worse. the smog was the culprite i suspect. i remember having bronchitis from the age of 16 until several years after i moved from los angeles. i've been quite healthy for almost 3 years now, even my chronic cough was completely gone. i'm sure it will be with me for several months after this little episode. i used to just work through this. not sure why i tortured myself in this way. when i look back, i think i just didn't think i deserved to take sick days. it was wrong to call out sick. now, i think it's more important to just take care of your body. those who give you crap for calling out sick could care less how sick you get and if you get really sick. they only care about themselves and how they are inconvenienced. maybe, they just have never really been sick.it's always the dicotomy, work doesn't want you to work sick, but they don't want you to call out sick. so not only are nurses and doctors expected to be perfect every minute they work they are also supposed to never get sick. 
los angeles off in the distance. the trees along this path were eucalyptus and quite pretty. i love the cool trunk colours. 
staying home did allow me to watch a "bones" episode live. when i first started the show was on a night i was usually off work and now it's on thursdays so i always miss it. so fun to watch a show live. i know there are ways to save shows and play later, but i have yet to get that sophisticated in my skills. in this episode the character relates to the the victim a bit more than she should and learns something about herself. she finally gets brave and admits the love she has for her partner. of course, he is happily involved with another and so the love is not to be. i liked one line at the end, it's better to feel sad than to not feel at all. it's easy to cut yourself off emotionally and i'm sure i do that to some degree with my work as does she. in some ways you just have to or you won't get through it all. you still have to find a way to feel though. it's hard not to let that cross over to other parts of your life, to cut yourself off from all emotions rather than go through them. 
sometimes, i think when my body gets sick it's just my body giving me an emotional and physical break from it all. i used to fight it i guess is what i'm working myself to here. in the end, it's best to just accept your body's need to rest and give in...rest. the little sicks may prevent the big sicks. 
my brother, tom called today. it's been a little while since we've chatted. we didn't get along very well as kids, but as adults, he's one of my favorite siblings. in many ways we just connect, which is nice. when i'm sick is when i know it would be nicer to live around family. it's also a time when i do get a bit lonely. most of the time being single has great rewards, but a few times it can really bite. being sick is one of those. i have friends, but it's not like my phone has been ringing with people checking on me or seeing if i need anything. that is something a partner or family is more likely to do. it's just the way it is. 
i am happy that i have dogs in these days. i can't imagine being all alone with no pets to entertain me and to take care of. i have to get out of bed each day. they need to be walked and they need to be fed. took me awhile today, but we did do a loop in the bog before heading to the pharmacy to get my meds. it would have been so easy to skip it, but i knew they would be happiest if they were walked. blossom and i walked up the gasline to the tank trail yesterday. it's been bitter cold but clear and beautiful up here. we could easily see denali this week. the walks are my best indicators of my health. i know i'm still more tired than i am on a healthy day, but i also know my breathing is greatly improved from a few days ago. 
last night i was awake coughing and i heard this thumping. rio was wagging her tail in her sleep/dream state. cracked me up. you know you have happy dogs when they wag like that. above is the los angeles skyline at sunset. thought it looked pretty cool. 
i stayed with my friend carla, with me below, in altadena. she lives at the top of lake blvd. it's always so pretty and quiet up there. it was a great way to end the trip. she had to work late, but joined me around 9 or 10 for snacks and chatting til the wee hours. in the morning she made sure i got up and we went out to breakfast and then i headed off to the airport. i left out of lax so i drove past downtown. the freeway i took was the old pasadena freeway, the oldest freeway in los angeles. it's a pretty wild ride for that first section. it's straightened out by the time you get to los angeles. most of those freeways you get to know by the numbers not the names. so the 110, 105, 405, 91, 210...you get the idea. 
carla is a vet i worked with for years and she has become a good friend over the years. i've stayed at her place several times. it's an oasis up there. below is her latest dog, tulip. tulip crawled in bed with me and snuggled for the night. tulip doesn't like everyone, but she seems to remember me from the last time i visited several years ago. she was in poor shape there. veterinarians often have the dogs that nobody wanted. this pit bull had been trashed by a car and left to die. carla has put alot of time and energy into getting her well. she still looks pretty messed up, but she sure looks great compared to how i left her last time i was out. 
stopped in the old hospital. i worked there for several years and learned alot. not just about animals and medicine, but about life and myself. i made several lifelong friends at this place. a few still work there, most have moved on. funny, going in the place, not much has physically changed. they still had the same paperwork and the iv pumps were in many cases the same ones i used there 20 years ago. amazing they still make tubing for the old relics. 
this next los angeles skyline picture i think i took from somewhere near the top of lake.
as i headed out to pasadena i took a few pictures as the mountains are rarely this defined in los angeles. the smog often obliterates the entire mountain range. i was very lucky and had beautiful weather on my trip out.
stopped on sunday at my friend marcia's place. i've known marcia since 7th grade. she's had a large impact on me over the years and we still pick up like no time has passed when we get together. she and her husband and daughter just got a new puppy, pluto. cute!!
had to get a picture of me with the baby and then below is marcia and her family with thier new puppy. fun to be able to stop by and relax and actually visit. 
this whole trip was great that way. i never felt rushed. i just saw who i saw and enjoyed the sights and scenery. a real vacation!
jeff snuck in this picture of me. i was being goofy to get his 7 month old to smile for the photos. not that ian needs much help smiling....he does it all the time. now...the good news, i'm actually feeling hungry, what to eat??? always a question. i've almost polished off my see's milk patties. that has been my main staple these last several days. 
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