I <3 NY Part 2
Aug. 7th, 2023 07:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
just_cydHad to cut the story off rather abruptly before, partly because it had become a looooonnggg tale, and partly because the rest of it is not the best.
Tuesday afternoon, I arrived back in Buffalo to stay with Dan's parents. They really are wonderful people, and treat me like family regardless of what my relationship is with their eldest. I told them no matter what happens with him, I'm keeping THEM - he'll just have to figure it out. ;-)
When I had arrived on Saturday, their dog, Sophie, was moving slow and looking old. She's 12, had has the big-old-dog hip/joint issues, so nothing seemed amiss. That night, Dan mentioned that between his arrival 10 days prior and his return, she looked "worse" but didn't elaborate. The couple days between my visits, I guess she took to feeling bad, so they were feeding her boiled chicken and rice to help her tummy. Tuesday night, she wasn't even interested in that. She eventually, grudgingly, ate the chicken but not the rice.
Meanwhile, Judy fussed and made us dinner of spaghetti and homemade meatballs (so good!), followed immediately by dessert of ice cream. again, they fussed, and every time I tried to help with clean up, i got shooed out of the kitchen. (sorry, mom). We sat and chatted for a bit, talking knitting, and then my yawning became obvious and I needed to get to sleep. their house is from the late 20s/early 30s and does not have central air, but I was lucky that it cooled off nicely after the storm, and with a vintage box fan and both windows open, I was pleasantly cool all night. this fan looked like one my dad has - from the 50s, all metal and industrial-looking. I was expecting a jet engine; I got a wonderfully quiet fan.
Wednesday morning, i finally roused myself and got downstairs about 9. I make the U-turn from the stairway to the kitchen to see Judy sitting on a chair facing the stove, crying. Sophie was on the floor, not moving, and Len was petting her hind end and fussing over her. Sophie managed to raise her eyes to mine, but that's it. my heart sank. "Is she ok?" i asked them reluctantly. Judy just kept crying. Sophie couldn't get up - her back legs weren't working, plus a slick kitchen floor wasn't helping. She had not yet been outside that morning, so they were eager to get her moving. I thought she looked a bit more round/bloated, but didn't share my observation.
They collected themselves, and we began breakfast - coffee, juice, toast and cereal. I do coffee and toast, now with butter AND peanut butter as Judy suggested - it's really good! Again, the fussing, while trying to pretend their dog is fine. midway through breakfast, Sophie roused herself and started staggering to the door. She's a beagle mix, but 80 pounds and tall, and it took the two of them and a dishtowel under her hind end to get her out the door and down the stairs to the yard. Back inside, Len said he would call the vet. Judy, closest to the window, kept us updated on Sophie's movements - lawn, then half lawn/half driveway, then into her little house in the shrubs where she likes to hang out. as we were coming up on 11, i gathered my things and loaded up for home. my parting words to Judy were "They let us know when they're ready." Sophie raised her eyes to me, and let me scritch her goodbye, but it was pretty clear she was at the end.
in my car, I filled up the gas tank one last time and pointed the car west. Was just congratulating myself on the easy travel when things came to a grinding halt. Construction. Judging by the gps, it wasn't ending soon, so once I hit Fredonia, I got off the Thruway to take a break and figure out my options. GPS had be head through town (adorable!) and out to NY Route 5, which is the exact road that Judy and Len live off of! It's called Main Street, and I've noticed it on the map, and had considered that route if time had allowed. Once on NY-5/Lake Rd, I cruised along lake Erie and some beautiful countryside. Time was ticking, and I began to worry that I'd never get home - I still had to get to PA, and then cross 3/4 of Ohio. Outside Westfield NY I managed to get back on the Thruway. Relief. Cruised along, the trip taking longer than thought it should but pretty much right on the nose for hitting the highway at noon and then major slowdowns. My plans of hitting Parma for all the Polish foods were dashed when I was just hitting Ashtabula at 4:30pm
A couple more stops, one interchange that gps seriously messed me up on, and then about 45 minutes outside Columbus I stopped for dinner. I was still thinking about Sophie, and realizing that no one but me probably knew what was going on. pulled out my phone and messaged the group something to the effect of "can one of you call and check on your parents? Sophie looked BAD this morning. It's near the end." quick discussion of "well she looked ok on Sunday" and me giving more detail about that morning. a few minutes later, Doug reported in that he'd called, and mid-afternoon Sophie had been put down. They got her into the vet, and not only did she have fluid collecting in her abdomen, her pancreas was fully cancerous, and there was nothing that could be done. "mom's a mess, dad's doing ok considering" was the update on the humans. Dan also called, and Kathy was on her way to VA, promising to call tomorrow. Joe, typical Joe didn't see the message for two more days. I apologized to them for being the debbie downer and having to mess in their family stuff, but seeing how in denial Judy was, someone local needed to step in.
that dirty job done, I didn't feel any better, but I was getting close to home, which helps. I don't do this drive as much as I used to do the NKY-home drive, but both had various landmarks that help mark the distance, and remind me I'm making progress: Ikea. Budweiser plant. Dublin. 275-to-70. Antique malls. My office. every one comes with a sigh and the reminder that I'm almost home, and that I can do this. As promised, when I got home, I called Len & Judy to let them know I got home ok. First thing Len said was "thanks for letting the kids know what's going on" -- as if I'm not younger than ALL of their children! (maybe not Doug - i think we're within a year). He gave me the quick update, thanked me for calling, and then was off. I hauled my crap in the house and tried to de-stress and get to bed - work at 6am the next day.
Tuesday afternoon, I arrived back in Buffalo to stay with Dan's parents. They really are wonderful people, and treat me like family regardless of what my relationship is with their eldest. I told them no matter what happens with him, I'm keeping THEM - he'll just have to figure it out. ;-)
When I had arrived on Saturday, their dog, Sophie, was moving slow and looking old. She's 12, had has the big-old-dog hip/joint issues, so nothing seemed amiss. That night, Dan mentioned that between his arrival 10 days prior and his return, she looked "worse" but didn't elaborate. The couple days between my visits, I guess she took to feeling bad, so they were feeding her boiled chicken and rice to help her tummy. Tuesday night, she wasn't even interested in that. She eventually, grudgingly, ate the chicken but not the rice.
Meanwhile, Judy fussed and made us dinner of spaghetti and homemade meatballs (so good!), followed immediately by dessert of ice cream. again, they fussed, and every time I tried to help with clean up, i got shooed out of the kitchen. (sorry, mom). We sat and chatted for a bit, talking knitting, and then my yawning became obvious and I needed to get to sleep. their house is from the late 20s/early 30s and does not have central air, but I was lucky that it cooled off nicely after the storm, and with a vintage box fan and both windows open, I was pleasantly cool all night. this fan looked like one my dad has - from the 50s, all metal and industrial-looking. I was expecting a jet engine; I got a wonderfully quiet fan.
Wednesday morning, i finally roused myself and got downstairs about 9. I make the U-turn from the stairway to the kitchen to see Judy sitting on a chair facing the stove, crying. Sophie was on the floor, not moving, and Len was petting her hind end and fussing over her. Sophie managed to raise her eyes to mine, but that's it. my heart sank. "Is she ok?" i asked them reluctantly. Judy just kept crying. Sophie couldn't get up - her back legs weren't working, plus a slick kitchen floor wasn't helping. She had not yet been outside that morning, so they were eager to get her moving. I thought she looked a bit more round/bloated, but didn't share my observation.
They collected themselves, and we began breakfast - coffee, juice, toast and cereal. I do coffee and toast, now with butter AND peanut butter as Judy suggested - it's really good! Again, the fussing, while trying to pretend their dog is fine. midway through breakfast, Sophie roused herself and started staggering to the door. She's a beagle mix, but 80 pounds and tall, and it took the two of them and a dishtowel under her hind end to get her out the door and down the stairs to the yard. Back inside, Len said he would call the vet. Judy, closest to the window, kept us updated on Sophie's movements - lawn, then half lawn/half driveway, then into her little house in the shrubs where she likes to hang out. as we were coming up on 11, i gathered my things and loaded up for home. my parting words to Judy were "They let us know when they're ready." Sophie raised her eyes to me, and let me scritch her goodbye, but it was pretty clear she was at the end.
in my car, I filled up the gas tank one last time and pointed the car west. Was just congratulating myself on the easy travel when things came to a grinding halt. Construction. Judging by the gps, it wasn't ending soon, so once I hit Fredonia, I got off the Thruway to take a break and figure out my options. GPS had be head through town (adorable!) and out to NY Route 5, which is the exact road that Judy and Len live off of! It's called Main Street, and I've noticed it on the map, and had considered that route if time had allowed. Once on NY-5/Lake Rd, I cruised along lake Erie and some beautiful countryside. Time was ticking, and I began to worry that I'd never get home - I still had to get to PA, and then cross 3/4 of Ohio. Outside Westfield NY I managed to get back on the Thruway. Relief. Cruised along, the trip taking longer than thought it should but pretty much right on the nose for hitting the highway at noon and then major slowdowns. My plans of hitting Parma for all the Polish foods were dashed when I was just hitting Ashtabula at 4:30pm
A couple more stops, one interchange that gps seriously messed me up on, and then about 45 minutes outside Columbus I stopped for dinner. I was still thinking about Sophie, and realizing that no one but me probably knew what was going on. pulled out my phone and messaged the group something to the effect of "can one of you call and check on your parents? Sophie looked BAD this morning. It's near the end." quick discussion of "well she looked ok on Sunday" and me giving more detail about that morning. a few minutes later, Doug reported in that he'd called, and mid-afternoon Sophie had been put down. They got her into the vet, and not only did she have fluid collecting in her abdomen, her pancreas was fully cancerous, and there was nothing that could be done. "mom's a mess, dad's doing ok considering" was the update on the humans. Dan also called, and Kathy was on her way to VA, promising to call tomorrow. Joe, typical Joe didn't see the message for two more days. I apologized to them for being the debbie downer and having to mess in their family stuff, but seeing how in denial Judy was, someone local needed to step in.
that dirty job done, I didn't feel any better, but I was getting close to home, which helps. I don't do this drive as much as I used to do the NKY-home drive, but both had various landmarks that help mark the distance, and remind me I'm making progress: Ikea. Budweiser plant. Dublin. 275-to-70. Antique malls. My office. every one comes with a sigh and the reminder that I'm almost home, and that I can do this. As promised, when I got home, I called Len & Judy to let them know I got home ok. First thing Len said was "thanks for letting the kids know what's going on" -- as if I'm not younger than ALL of their children! (maybe not Doug - i think we're within a year). He gave me the quick update, thanked me for calling, and then was off. I hauled my crap in the house and tried to de-stress and get to bed - work at 6am the next day.
