Happy 2-Year Gotcha Day to Bear!

 

The picture above is Bear on the first day I got him.  I am so glad I took him in and made him part of our family.  He is a great companion, pretty much following me everywhere and laying on my lap when I read or watch TV.  I never once regretted getting him!  I am pleased to report that he and I have adjusted to our new routine to handle his Diabetes.  He is now eating all his new food within 1/2 an hour (or even less) and he lays nice for me to give him his Insulin.  He doesn't try to hide or run away when I pull out the needle and the bottle.  I am amazed at how cooperative he is.  I will go play pickleball this morning, but then will spend the rest of the day with Bear to celebrate his second gotcha day.  Unfortunately, he can't have treats extra food and is not big on toys so just being together is the best gift I can give him.  He is now 6 years old.

Now sooner had I finished writing this about how good a cat he is, I went upstairs and found a big hole in his window screen.  Must have tried to get at a bird or squirrel.  UGH!  Got it patched up right away with old reliable duck tape.  Never fear, I still love you, Bear!

Ever Play Spots?

Last night I met up with four other game lovers at Panera Bread to play some games.  I play three different new games I never heard of.  My favorite was Spots.  It's a doggie game where you try to match numbers on the dog cards to numbers you roll on dice.  The winner is the first to complete six dog cards.  Each player also gets a backyard where you have to bury dice you can't play.  If you get a total of more than 7, you go bust and have to start over.  You can also acquire bones which are good for being able to reroll if you get a number you can't use and don't want to bury.  There are cards to choose from on your turn that give different options as to how many dice to roll or how to get more bones or dog cards.  It was easy to learn and fun to play.  I was so close to winning the first game but took a chance that got me stuck and didn't pay off.  The second game I played with a different strategy and won in one long last turn just before we had to quit!

Bear is Eating but . . .

 

Well, I've got Bear on a schedule for eating and his Insulin but it requires me changing my normal routines.  In order to still feed him after my shower and my early pill, I need to get up 15 minutes earlier at 4:45 now.  Furthermore, to keep him on schedule so I can give him Insulin at 6:05 - 6:10, I need to watch him eat and cheer him on.  If I leave him to eat alone, he loses focus.  If I leave him to eat while I get dressed, pretty soon he's downstairs with me! 

 So, this morning I decided to just wait until he's all done eating to get dressed and pray and read my Bible as I hold up his dish for him and cheer him on.  The Insulin should be given every 12 hours so if I want to go anywhere in the evening, I need to be done giving him the Insulin early enough for me to leave to get there on time.  If left on his own, it takes him about an hour or more to eat but if I stay with him and cheer him on, he gets done in less time.  The good thing is he even ate most of his dinner yesterday without the appetite stimulant pill and finished all his breakfast this morning!  With the appetite stimulant pill, there were days he finished in just 30-43 minutes, but the vet says as long as he's eating (regardless of how long it takes), I shouldn't give him the pill.  If he should stop eating or starts just picking at his food, then I need to give it to him.    

I miss the evening walk with my dog though because I need to make sure Bear eats within the timeframe for the insulin.  I guess the nights I don't go anywhere, we could walk the dog later after the insulin is given.  Otherwise, my husband will be walking the dog without me until I can get Bear to eat on his own.  Don't know if that is going to happen.  I sure hope it does!  He has come a long way eating only the right food and only two flavors.  It sure would make things easier if he'd eat without me watching!

Drumming Fun

My husband and I went to the drumming class at the Parma Heights Senior Center today.  I had gone before and liked it but it was his first time.  This is quite popular.  We arrived about 15 minutes early and there was only one space left so we alternated.  It's pretty good exercise, especially if you do it standing up but you can also do it sitting.  It's a great way to relieve some stress.  They played old familiar songs and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  It's just like follow the leader.  Sometimes you hit the top of the balance ball, sometimes the side, sometimes the bucket underneath, sometimes alternating arms, sometimes clicking the sticks together and sometimes "air" cymbals at the side.  It can be challenging to keep up, but if you make a mistake, it really doesn't matter.  If you have never tried this, you should!  It's actually fun!

"Bear's Diabetes Journey Begins"

Bear's New Food Supply

It turns out I was right that something was going on with my cat when I went through two boxes of cat litter in just 1 and a half weeks!  It's been one week since I received the news that my cat, Bear, has Diabetes.  This was terrible news.  I knew it meant I would have to poke him everyday with a needle to give him Insulin and he'd have to eat only special food.  He had been eating dry Hill's Science diet and getting a half tablespoon twice a day of wet food as a snack (which is what he was getting at the shelter).  He is only 6 and I will have only had him a couple years coming up on June 6.

With a heavy heart and a lot of determination, I went last Saturday afternoon to learn how to give him the Insulin, praying that God would help me be able to do this.  To my relief, it was actually easier than I thought it would be.  Giving pills is way harder!  To my surprise, Bear didn't seem to mind it at all!  We even did 3 or 4 practice pokes with plain saline solution.  I assumed that switching to all wet food would not be a problem, but I was wrong.  Bear liked any flavor of Friskies, Sheba, and Fancy Feast none of which are on the approved food list the vet gave to me.  None of the approved brands are at Giant Eagle where we do our food shopping so have to go to either Petsmart, Petco or order from Chewy.  

The biggest thing that is very important is to give the Insulin every 12 hours, and only two meals a day, waiting at least 30 minutes after the meal.  Sounded easy enough, but here's the kicker--I never knew how fast or how slow he'd eat.  

Read more »

The Cookie Jar Burglar

(re-enacted later in the day)

Our cat, Bear, likes to walk around on our dining room table.  But  I was amazed when I got up this morning and saw the cookie jar open and a cookie lying on the table!  I knew it had to be Bear, but was surprised he actually was able to get the head off the cookie jar! 

 

I don't know if he actually ate any of the cookies.  I certainly hope not!  My first thought was to throw it away, but then I decided to just break off all the edges and go head and eat my oatmeal raisin cookie.  

I knew he often would hang out by the cookie jar but never pushed the head off during the day.  It's pretty heavy so I didn't think he could do it.  I think it must have been a bit ajar, at least I hope it was!

He has also learned to open the vertical blinds by pawing at the hanging cords on the side of the window.  Bear is one big smart cat!

Bear Finds a Comfy Spot

 Today, Bear made himself comfortable on the soft pillow on the chair by the window.  He's a wonderful, cat who came up on my lap earlier.  Here he is while I exercise along with Curtis Adams on the TV.

Quiddler--A New Game To Me

Image from Amazon

When I went to ladies game night at church Friday night, I had lots of fun.  We had salty and sweet snacks to eat while we played.  There were plenty of games from which to choose and people could play any one they wanted.  I played a new one to me called Quiddler.  It's a word game using cards which have one or two letters on them with a point value.  The idea is to use all your cards to make words.  A 10-point bonus is given for the longest word (most cards) and the most words in each round.  It starts with each person getting three cards.  You pick up a card and discard each turn.  You hold all the cards in your hand until you can play them all.  When one person goes out, the others get one more turn to play whatever they can manage.  Points are awarded based on the point value of the letters used and letters that cannot be used are deducted.  Each round, one more card is dealt up to ten.  After playing with ten cards, the game is over.  High score wins.  Rounds go fast.  It's a game for ages 8 and up.     

Fun Fantasy Football Season! Won Championship!

My third year playing Fantasy Football, I just squeaked into the playoffs with an 8-6 record.  I was definitely the underdog going into the playoffs but then my guys came through and I blew everyone out with a 2-week playoff total of 306.28!  I had the 1st draft position in our snake league so was able to get a good draft.  

This season went fast!  I read through two Fantasy Football magazines and watched the Fantasy Live show every week, and had fun picking guys up from the waiver wire along the way, adjusting my line up every week, and cheering on my guys.  I am a Browns fan and had four on my team (Njoku, Cooper, Defense, Moore and Flacco).  I had Flacco as a backup instead of Sam Howell who I played just for Jalen Hurts' bye week, picking him up so no one else could get him.  

Here are my Keys to winning:

1.  Draft good players that I would want to cheer for.  That means not drafting guys on other teams in the Browns division.  The only exceptions were when (1) I was short on receivers due to injuries so picked up Odell Beckham but didn't have to play him after all; and (2) taking the Steelers defense week 18 because I knew the Browns would be resting some key players.  

2.  If deliberating between two players, choose the one from the better team.

3.  Be willing to play good players even when they are playing against the Browns (my team).

4.  Don't put so much weight on the projection points, trust your gut and listen to Cynthia Friedman's advice on the Fantasy Football show.

5.  Don't put players who are playing early in the flex position.  

Do you have any other tips to share in the comments on keys to winning in Fantasy Football?  I'd love to hear them!

I'd like to give a shout out to my stellar players who were consistent and helped me win this year who were:  Jalen Hurts, Amari Cooper, Raheem Mostert, Breece Hall, David Njoku, Nico Collins, Justin Jefferson and Browns Defense.  I'm already looking forward to playing again next year.
 
Other related posts:

I'm Doing Something I Always Thought Would Be Fun

My First Fantasy Football Season

My 2023 Fantasy Football Draft