Mr Cooper and the orchids

A sunny day in LA brought Mr Cooper (and me) outside to see the orchids on our back deck. Simple things made us both very happy.

Much better

Cooper got his stitches out today and we are down to only one pill for three more days.

Such a great day in my world!

Flip this house

Last weekend we took everything out of the living room and put it back in a new arrangement. (The only "before" picture I could find was from Christmas.) Now we face south instead of north when we watch tv. It's a whole new world!

A look back...

Four years ago, today (January 25, 2007), I started this blog. Here was my first test post before we went off on a trip. Funny, it's all about Christmas...

The "ladies" prepare for Christmas Eve with a mani/pedi spa day!

Robb, Jim, Cooper and the blindingly white flocked Christmas tree.
(complete with chandelier arms, thank you Nordstrom!)

Ready for Christmas Eve Dinner at Doug's House!

The view from the Eiffel Tower (in our dining room) decorated with the internationl collection of ornaments. I think there were 23 Eiffel towers in the mix. Can you believe I put those red weeds in my house?

The stockings were hung by the chimney with great care...

Prepare yourself for SNOW BLINDNESS.

Scott with Rachel (eating a cookie).

Rachel and her mother smartly avoid being blinded by the tree by looking away.

Robb graciously thanks one of the kitchen staff, Mickey.

The worlds most hideos Buche De Noel.

Guess who got a THEME ornament!
(it's santa flying a plane)

Mr Cooper very happy

Cooper came home last night. He is very happy and we are very relieved. He ate, he peed, he pooped, he wanted a ball. Everything seems right in his world.

He also slept A LOT.

He has quite a few pills I have to get into him and he is being good right now. I think in a couple days when he feels better and figures out what I am doing, he will stop being so good.

In the meantime, he is sleeping comfortably behind me while I work.

Mr Cooper on the mend

When we got home from Las Vegas, Mr Cooper was eating grass. He often eats grass on his walk and we didn't put a lot of thought into it.

Thursday he threw up. Oh well, such is life with a dog.

Then he threw up again.

Friday morning we called for a vet appointment. Cooper threw up. And then we we went to the vet.

He was given the once over, things seemed normal. We've had enough dogs to know that sometimes it takes time. He was given an anti-nausea shot and we took him home to monitor him.

He paced the night away. Wanting to throw up, but unable to throw up. Mostly drooling and standing over us both, then standing in the corner and drooling on the floor. MAJOR pukey-face.

We called the vet to have a follow up x-ray appointment. First available appointment was at 4:30 in the afternoon. We took it. The vet called back and said, "Let's change that to RIGHT NOW and I'll work him in earlier." I think that's when my heart flipped over and I began to panic.

My mind went immediately to the worst case "what if's" and my heart went straight to Lola passing away just two months ago. That was my state when we took him in.

Now Cooper is our "special" boy. He came from a shelter and he requires a lot of attention. That's the most polite way I can phrase that Cooper is the dog that parents warn their children about (except he is actually good with children). We got Cooper out of a cage. We've worked with Cooper to not bite first and ask questions later. We tell everyone who enters the house, "DO NOT PUT YOUR FACE IN HIS." On his own terms he is the most cuddly amazingly loving dog. But he is suspicious of everyone and everything.

So I was devastated that we would have to leave him at the vet where he would be placed in a kennel (since we got him we have made the effort to never board him, he always stays in his own home with a house sitter). He would be with strangers. He would be so sad. But he couldn't stay with us because he was also very sick.

The x-rays came back and showed us that all his food was stuck in his stomach. There was a blockage. The vet was hopeful that is it was in the stomach and not the intestines because the stomach is less easy to damage than the intestines. Cooper was scheduled to go into surgery that night (Saturday). His surgery went from the anticipated 2 hours to a longer 3 hours. The blockage was in the small intestine.

Luckily, it hadn't been there either too long or in there too solid as there was no damage and none of that needed to be cut out. But poor Mr. Cooper was cut open. 6"+ scar. I can't look at it. The vet thought possible corn cob. It was longer than your finger, but it had been inside long enough trying to be so digested that no one had any real idea what it may have started out as. I can't help, I won't look at it.

We've went to visit Cooper twice on Sunday and he was walking and stoned out of his mind on drugs. Since Cooper has a very tight grip on his world inside his mind, being drugged is not his best foot forward. He needs to stay sharp and stay focused on being a good dog. When he gets hazy, he reverts towards the untrained dog we got 6 years ago.

I visited him today (Monday) at noon and he was getting closer to his chatty grumbling self. He tried to jump up on me (not a good plan on a normal day) and he ate in front of me (he has a VERY healthy appetite).

Cooper is expected to come home tonight after 6 pm. We will need to keep him "calm" for a week or so. This should be a nearly impossible task.

8 pairs of shoes for 7 days in Vegas

On the road with Mr Cooper

For New Years this year we pulled up stakes and met friends in Palm Springs. One of our own conditions was that we would only go if Mr Cooper would go along as well.

Cooper is a handful. When we had Lola and him together it was too much to wrangle him. He requires two people's focus to be out in polite company.

So this was his first hotel vacation. He has done AMAZING. We have also been very lucky to find two hotels that not only accept dogs, but welcome them.

We spent our first night at the Ace hotel. Super cute, well appointed and not soundproof in the least. After 2 am the official party around the pool ended and seemed to take the next hour to move directly above our heads.

This afternoon we moved to The Parker. It's a delight. As far as Mr Cooper is concerned, The Parker wins "paws down" due to his welcome bag of water bowl, treats and a toy. He didn't even care that they brought him the all pink girl's welcome gift. He was thrilled to have a toy to gut.

Happy new year to all from me, Lyle and the most spoiled dog I know, Mr Cooper!