Surgery Date

The Orthpedic office called and I have a surgery date of 16 May.

Gardening

I finally got my tomato plants in the ground. I usually plant them around Easter weekend but this year it was too cold.

There are 8 plants: 2 cherry, 2 pink beefsteak, and 4 Better Boy variety. I can't wait for tomato sandwiches!

A Little Scrapbooking

Very little--just one layout. This one is based on Sketch 5 by Janelle Richmond http://janellerichmond.typepad.com/sketchthis

I am working on an idea for another but really should be doing yard work and school work and cleaning house.

New Food for Neely

Now Neely eats this:

She seems to really like it with a little warm water to soften the kibble.

Pet Food Recall

Last week when the information came out about the possible contamination of rice protein used in pet foods I contacted Drs. Foster & Smith, the online company from which I had been purchasing their Adult Lite Chicken & Brown Rice dry dog food because the rice protein is an ingredient listed. They responded with this: "Our supplier of this ingredient has tested the lots that were used in our food and found them negative for melamine."

Today I get an e-mail of a Precautionary Recall: "As a precautionary measure Wilbur-Ellis company, the supplier of rice protein concentrate, is voluntarily recalling all lots of rice protein concentrate. We received notification from the manufacturer today, April 25, 2007, suggesting we issue a precautionary recall."

"As part of this precautionary recall Drs. Foster & Smith requests that customers discontinue feeding the following products purchased during the periods listed, until all FDA testing is complete:

* Adult Lite Dry Dog food item numbers 14180, 14262, 14263, or Adult Lite Dry Cat food item numbers 12855, 12856, 13864, 13865 purchased between January 22, 2007 and April 19th

* Adult Lite Dry Dog food item numbers 14178 and 14179 purchased between February 2, 2007 and April 19, 2007

* Only Adult Lite Dry Dog (Item #'s 14178, 14179, 14180, 14262, 14263) and Adult Dry Lite Cat foods (Item #'s 12855, 12856, 13864, 13865) are included in this precautionary recall.

The health and well being of your pet is always important to us, so as part of this precautionary recall:
* Drs. Foster & Smith is contacting all customers who have purchased these items during this period.
* These products are being reformulated to eliminate rice protein concentrate. The new formulation should be available by mid-May."

Their website adds this: "Preliminary test results for melamine contamination have been negative. Final test results from the FDA are expected within two weeks. Please check the Adult Lite Dry Dog food or the Adult Lite Dry Cat food product pages on the DrsFosterSmith.com website for any updates."

I've been out shopping for a new food for Neely. This is the one she has been eating:

Hurray!

I have not posted any work-related stuff on this blog yet, but this announcement is blog-worthy:

The campus child care center at Wayne Community College was awarded a 5 Star Rating by the NC Division of Child Development! 5 Stars is the highest level and our points total was 15 out of 15 possible. This is the result of a lot of hard work by the early childhood department, the center staff and support from the college administration.

What a Creative 2 days!

The Donna Downey Workshops at Paper Playground were awesome! I tapped creatvity I never knew I had, all under the wonderful tutelage of DD herself. Her creative energy and spirit was inspiring. She really does encourage and help you believe you are "Perfect just the way you create."

I'll post some of the projects later.

Right now I have to get into back to school mode and gather up papers and grade them and get ready for a week of lectures and a Family Literacy Workshop at the child care center Tuesday night.

OUCH!

My right shoulder has been bothering me for a few months and I finally called last month and got an appointment with the orthopedic doc.

A few x-rays and arm raising and poking and prodding later, the diagnosis is a problem with the Acromioclavicular Joint, where the collarbone and shoulder blade meet. It is bone on bone as was the left shoulder about 9 years ago. A different surgeon successfully operated on that one in 1998; I spent 6 weeks in a sling. I mentioned that today and this doc (who did my ACL reconstruction in 2003) said he could do the repair arthroscopically and I would only be in a sling for 3 days. Good thing since a great deal of what I do at work is write on the board and I'm right handed.

I got a cortisone injection to see if that would help ease the pain and a return visit in 6 weeks. So far it's offered no relief...

Taxes are Done

I finished my taxes today and they are ready to mail. Yes, I am a procrastinator.

That is about the only thing I have accomplished in this week off from school.

I am looking forward to the Donna Downey workshops at Paper Playground Friday and Saturday. I need to get my supplies ready for that.

Happy Easter

Neely and her basket.

No more tear duct plug

Last night my left eye was itching. Without thinking I rubbed my eye, and out came the plug. It had been irritating my eye since it was put in, and it felt so much better after it came out.

No I am not going to go get another one put in.

The JC Penney Furniture Saga Continues

I was awakened from a sound sleep at 7:05 a.m. (not a good way to start a Monday) by the phone call from the delivery company saying the storage ottoman "would be delivered today, what time could they come?" I told them between 12 and 5 p.m. I went home for lunch at noon and saw the truck in the neighborhood before I got home. I saw him pass the house twice, then went and stood on the porch so he could see me.

When he opened the back of the truck and carried a smallish box in his 2 hands to the door, I knew that the box could not contain the product I ordered. Remember, I loaded the old one onto Dad's truck and returned it to the store for credit. As he approached the porch and put the package down I told him there was no way that box contained my order and started to open the box. He told me I could not open the box until I had signed for it. I signed and opened the box. In it was a small rocker ottoman, mint green in color. Not my order. He told me to contact Penneys and left.

In moving the box I noticed that the address label did not have my name on it but a Jacksonville NC address. I also noticed the voice mail light blinking on my phone. The voice mail was from the truck driver who had called at 11 a.m. to say he would be at my house at 12:05 or 12:10. He left his phone number so I was able to call him and tell him the box he had delivered was not even addressed to me. He said he would come back & get it. He did return and searched the truck for a box with my name and address. He did find the much bigger box, and before he left I opened it to make sure it was the right thing.

I noticed on the shipping document that there was a factory ship date of 12 March. The shipping company Lynden International has a website and, I found out, tracking information there. According to the tracking information my box had been at Raleigh Durham airport since 19 March. I have e-mailed Penney's customer service voicing my displeasure. I also called customer service to see if the replacement chair had been shipped. She stated it shipped Friday 30 March. We'll see how long that takes...