Category: Alaethia

It was so freaking awesome to have today off! I’ve only been at the new place for 16 days and I already had a day off 😀 .

I started my 3-day weekend by having coffee with Sally and her kiddos at Moonbeans. My kiddos were at their other parents’ for the weekend and Jorge was working late, so who better than to spend my Friday evening with? It’d been a while since I’d been to Moonbeans, but was pleasantly surprised that I could order an iced coffee with HWC and Torani sugar free vanilla! I don’t think I’d been there since before they remodeled.

We chit-chatted, and caught up–I need to see this girl more often! I love hearing her stories and laughing when we get together <3.

The kiddos were becoming antsy, so we drove to Bill Shupp Park just a block away. They played around and Sally and I tried getting the perfect selfie, but we were losing daylight and the kiddos started photo-bombing us 😆 !

It got dark and we went home. Jorge called to ask if I wanted sushi and well…who am I to deny my husband some sushi?? I haven’t been 100% Keto (and you can totally tell by my complexion 🙁 ), but I keep telling myself, “Just this time and then that’s it! Back to Keto!”

But look at that! Ugh. Like, there isn’t even a way to possibly make Keto Sushi with Flamin’ Hots! (Or is there…?? I must look into this!)

After my carb-fest, I passed out on the sofa shortly after trying to watch “Riverdale”. I swear I was on Season 2, Episode 4 for WEEKS because I always fall asleep! This is a show the kids and I got into during Christmas vacation (or was it New Years?) and they’ve all gotten so much more ahead than me!

So Jorge left to work the next morning and I lazied around in bed till I was good and ready to make breakfast.

I FINALLY finished that episode of Riverdale…just to realize it was my last one! So disappointing!

So that brought an end to my lazying, unfortunately.

I started tidying up the kitchen (as much as I can; I need to really give that place an overhaul! We have so many random cups and storage containers 🙄 ) and I started watering and cleaning up my succulents.

Jorge got home from work and I made him lunch, only to get into it about money, 🙄 . Men, I swear. He left and I went about my day.

I went outside to check on my plants and realized my rescued cacti is on drugs…not sure exactly what is going on here LOL.

I filled up my pink Yeti with some Starbucks blonde roast, heavy whipping cream and Torani SF sweetener–this would serve as my “Lunch”. Then, Mom and I left to the cemetary to change out Gramma’s decorations from Valentine’s to Easter. As much as I love to decorate, I just feel…strange? Not even sure how to describe how I feel going to the cemetary. I mean I know I’m “visiting” Gramma’s body, but maybe it’s because I’m with Mom that I feel like I can’t totally just be with her and speak to her. I just miss her 🙁 .

I finished tidying up her space and we came home. I was supposed to go grocery shopping but I didn’t feel like it, so I started tidying up my closet. I love shopping (thrifting, mostly!) and my closet has just EXPLODED with clothing that I can’t put any clean clothes away sometimes, then my computer chair gets messy because that’s where I “store” them. So I got rid of a trash-bag full of clothes that I haven’t worn for over a year, and that bag will probably sit in my garage for a month before they make their way to Goodwill, heh.

I tried sticking to Keto all day, but I started festering anger in my chest about Jorge and my argument earlier (because that’s what I do) and decided to clean up the dining room table, but not before devouring the last 5 chocolates in 2 different chocolate hearts I “found”. Hey, I’m human, and that’s unfortunately how I cope: by devouring shit that’s bad for me and will make my face explode in acne.

Still, I was starting to feel hungry, so I browsed through the fridge. Hmm. Everything required cooking. I just so happened to find 1 Corona, and 1 Michelada picante mix so you know what happened after that:

No regrets. It was the best damn Michelada I’ve had in a long time! (I don’t think anything will beat the one we had at La Jaiba that one time, though!)

Anyway, I happily took my Michi with me to my desk and caught up on my blog posts. Now that only leaves about 5 more that I need to finish! FML.

Jorge started texting me around that time and never really apologized LOL, but we got to chatting about why he exploded. He was feeling run-down and underappreciated in all different ways–but I told him that’s still no reason for us to argue because I won’t hold back lol.

Made us some nice eggs and bacon. Was thrilled until my egg popped 😕 and Jorge rolled his eyes as I bitched about it 😆 . But it was still delish. Does anyone else use their bacon strips as “chips” to scoop your yolk with??

I used to have an obsession with scooping my yolk with Doritos 😆 , so this serves as a substitute.

Jorge and I caught up on a show, and then he had to go in to work. I used the time alone to go to HEB and finally do some shopping to get it over with. (I love to eat and cook but despise grocery shopping. And shelling out $200 almost every time isn’t thrilling either 😕 .) I got home and cleaned and instead of making a nice dinner, Mom treated us to Wingstop instead :D.

Robert M. came over to visit the hubs. They had a few beers outside on the porch and came in later on. We caught up on life and my new job and everything else.

We went to bed when Robert left. I didn’t know what to do the next morning: lazy around and read, go to World Market to use up my gift card, blog, or take a quick run in the morning.

I woke up today to the doorbell. My poor Alaethia had a terrible stomach ache so she stayed home. All the boys were off for President’s Day as well, so poor Emmos was officially the only one who went to school that day :(. Alaethia rested on the sofa and I made myself the best Keto Krepes, ever. I wish I had some sugar free syrup to add to them, but the last time I tried buying some, I realized it had tons of carbs still! But, I just added some Kerrygold Butter on top of these and I finished the whole thing!

Linda and I chatted a while and then I showered and Alaethia and I went to visit my peeps at the Chamber to turn in a box of supplies I still had and the Parks-n-Rec. key for the bathrooms. I got to see Rosie, Sarah (who said, “Quedate!!” Stay!! LOL), EZ, Blanca and Gerry, Beto, Anabel and the new girl they’re training to take over her place (she’d be taking Sandra’s old position). I went upstairs and saw Jorge and we chatted a while, Tom, Michelle, and I chatted with Luis, my old supervisor, for a while. I missed everyone else since it was already noon. As much as I miss my old workplace and my co-workers, upon seeing the piles of papers on my old boss’ desk, I’m kind of relieved that I don’t have to deal with that anymore 😆 . This is the “busy season” and I’m sure I’d need a Xanax or meditation by now if I were still there!!

Alaethia and I finished up at the Chamber and left for lunch. She was feeling better and the first thing she could think of eating was Taco Bell 🙄 . So I called Jorge up and we picked him up to eat lunch.

I tried getting the most Keto-friendly thing possible: a bowl. I didn’t know the bottom layer was rice, so I left it. And then it was time for Snapchat LOL.

We dropped the hubs off and then we headed to World Market, must to Alaethia’s chagrin. She wanted to be home, watching videos on YouTube 🙄 . We took our time looking around and Alaethia loved it. She especially loved the candy section 😆 . She picked some items for her and Emily and I got a mug rack, some coasters for our new nightstands, Martini glasses that were on clearance and super cheap, Torani syrup and another pump.

Jaylen had been dropped off while Mary went to pick Eenan up from school. Emmos got home and then I started chopping up my poor, overgrown bougainvillea. After almost 7 years and Jorge’s constant nagging about how ugly it is, I finally decided to start the process of chopping it down 🙁 . The poor thing has been through hell (when we moved in, it was already ugly and chopped up LOL), but the hail storm in 2012, the roofers smashing it later on and then it cracking down the middle didn’t help. Now grass has taken it over so Jaylen helped me chop it up. I swore I’d be extremely store but I was ok. I had several cuts from the thorns, but I was grateful for Jaylen, and later Eenan, for helping me drag the giant branches to the curb.

I made some Keto Zuppa Toscana for dinner and had enough for leftovers at work, woo!

And then I had some Carb Smart Ice Cream with Lilly’s Dark Chocolate Stevia Sweetened Chips (that’s a mouthful!) for dessert.

(I was sitting at my desk with all intentions of pounding out this blog post, but I get distracted and am–undoubtedly–posting this 2 weeks later 😐 .)

All-in-all, it was a great weekend. Now I’m refreshed for a great week!

This week has gone by incredibly fast! I feel like it was just Monday–when the girls had me running around for Valentine cards (because Mom forgot!), or Tuesday–when Alaethia texted me after work to request a Valentine’s Day outfit, and that she would pay for it with her birthday money (note: she didn’t 🙄 ). So off we go, after waiting for Jorgie and their mom to stop by for Jules’ cards and birthday money from Dina. (We had a mini celebration for Jules on Sunday. Like I mentioned in my previous post: I’m so behind!!)

We checked Target and Wal-Mart and nothing. So she opted for a white blouse that she would wear with my red cardigan and necklace (yes, the 11-yr-old already wears my clothes!). Next morning: didn’t like the blouse 🙄 . She’s already such a teenager, but you can’t help but love that girl lol.

I also woke up to this amazingness!

(It’s safe to say I put Keto on hold for a little bit!)

My love went all out, like he usually does! He also got me some diamond earrings (my birthstone), that I didn’t have a chance to take a photo of because I put them on so quickly 😆 .

Had a pretty quick morning at work and had lunch with Blanca and Gerry at the cafe inside Quips ‘n’ Quotes. It’s always so good catching up with them!!

The afternoon at work went by a little slower, but it could have been because I was so excited about our date!! Jorge made reservations at House.Wine & Bistro, even before I liked the event on Facebook lol.

I got him a shirt and candies after work (he has always told me I’m not supposed to spend on him for Valentine’s Day because it’s my day, and it’s for girls 😆 , but I don’t feel right not getting him anything! I got mom some flowers and sugar free candies, too.

I got home and got a message from Jorge that he’d left his truck at home and for me to pick him up at work, so there I go. I’m talking to Eenan on the way and he’s retelling a story about saving a hen (or “Polla”, as we affectionately refer to them) from JoJo and Dodger and now he and Jaylen are trying to herd her back to safety, but she’s trapped in the yard behind the fence. So Jaylen grabs her and she just plops herself in his arms 😆 .

I love it!! Totally making it his profile pic on my contacts 😆 .

We get home and start getting ready after getting updates from the girls about their day. Mario stops by to see the girls and then I get the oven ready for the girls’ dinner so Mom can set them up before we leave. We give instructions, kisses, and tell them not to stay up late.

We arrive a bit early so we have a cocktail at the bar.

I see Jessica, the owner, and we hug. It was so good to see her!

We’re seated after a little bit and we order our meal. We’re having the Tomahawk steak and lobster meal with the works. They start us off with champagne…

…and the best crab cake I’ve ever had in my life!

Then we moved on to our wine (Moscato) and our salad:

We toast, and talk about life and the kids and our goals for this, and upcoming years. He tells me how he stayed positive even though he was scared about me switching jobs (haven’t gotten to that yet! Another blog post!) and how he knew that if he said anything at all, it would scare and discourage me so he kept it in. I tell him that yes, any spark of uncertainty on his part would have caused me to say, “Nevermind! I’m staying where I am!” Like I have all these years. We toast again to our successes and what’s to come.

And then it’s time for the star of the show:

Wait, let me give you another angle…

An arm comparison:

That steak…I finally understand what people mean when they say the steak was like butter, or cut like butter. It was incredible!! And that lobster, and the carrots and Brussels sprouts!! Oh my gosh, it was all to die for!

Then it was time for dessert:

Chocolate Créme Brulee…it was magnificent! I was so glad Jorge was full and left me most of it 😆 !

It was such a phenomenal night!! This handsome, extremely hardworking man right here–how did I get so lucky?? He went above and beyond with surprises!! And the best part is: it’s not just during Valentine’s Day lol. Don’t get me wrong: he could be moody and snappy, but I wouldn’t change him for anything!

(Finished typing this up 1 month later…it was too heartbreaking to relive so soon, so it took me a while.)

Yesterday was one of the hardest experiences of my adult life; the heartache is right up there along with losing my dad and Gramma Elia and fighting for my kids during my divorce. My Little Old Lady, my kitty Mabbers, passed away around 11:30pm.

She was with us for about 4 years. We “rescued” her when she was 8-years-old from Briana’s friend, Mercy. She was the sweetest, softest, cuddliest kitty.

She was our “couch kitty”. We have Ruffles and Kika, too, but neither is the cuddly type. They’re the “fine, pet me for 1 minute and then I’ll go destroy my cat scratcher because I’m taking out my frustrations of being touched” type of kitties.

What I looked forward to all day (especially when work was stressful and hectic) was sitting on the couch, with Mabs and Jorge, covered in my blanket and watching a show, after a full day of work, running errands, making dinner and putting the girls to bed. As soon as 9pm came around I’d plop myself on the sofa and pat the seat next to me and yell, “Mabbers, it’s time!”. From wherever she was, Mabs would pop her little head around the corner and slowly trot towards the couch. She’d pause and stare at me and again I’d say, “C’mon Mabbers, it’s time, come sit with Mama!” And she’d jump on the ottoman, then leap on the couch, usually between me and Jorge, or between me and one of the girls, and she’d do a little circle about 3 times before she found the perfect spot to sit. And then the kneading would start. Oh, how I loved that. The kneading and the purring. It was my favorite. She would relax me so much I would immediately fall asleep, much to Jorge’s chagrin because it was usually during a show LOL.

It sucks that we still don’t know what the culprit was: cancer, an infection, old age, an obstruction? And that’s what’s the most frustrating and makes me sick to my stomach when I think about it. Add to that, that I feel like I should have done MORE, QUICKER, but Jorge says I did so much. It just doesn’t feel like it because now she isn’t here 🙁 .

I messaged my wonderful friend, Juan V., on December 28th to get some advice about her condition: she wasn’t eating very well and had lost lots of weight in a short period of time. It was shocking to notice what seemed like from one day to the next that she was bonier than usual. And she was still urinating on surfaces. From searching Google for her symptoms, it seemed she had a UTI or a lodged hairball. Juan suggested we take her in to the vet, so we went the next morning on December 29th. Thank goodness I was out on vacation. She was such a good girl; so well behaved and just curiously taking everything in.

Lab work came back: she had an infection, but urinalysis came back normal. Her platelets (or something like that) was just slightly high, which would mean cancer or that she had a parasite, but it wasn’t so high that there was cause for concern. I asked about the possibility of a lodged hairball and the vet said we’d see how the antibiotic worked; to give it to her for 2 weeks.

In the next week she still wasn’t eating too much more so we switched her to soft food (Sheba) and she ate it all! So we went out to get more. I also went to Juan’s work, where we caught up briefly and he gave me tons of kitty food and treats and I bought a HomeoPet liquid to make Mabby get rid of her lodged hairball (I was convinced that’s what it was).

Juan’s been one of my best friends since kinder or 1st grade, until he left me after 6th grade lol. Later I found him on MySpace 😆 .

Anyway, a few days later she finally pooped! A tiny dollop, but it was something, thank goodness. I still got another hairball relief tube by Hertz, but she’d turn her nose at it.

I spent everyday stressed out thinking about her health. I had this feeling of dread all the time. We made it a point to sit with her every evening, no longer needing to say, “It’s time, Mabbers!” because she was already laying there. The show we were watching was “This is Us”–and I’m sure that didn’t help with my melancholy feelings.

We ended up having to put puppy training pads on all the couch surfaces–she wasn’t bothering going to the litter box anymore, so we accommodated her. I keep going back to that week in my head. That’s when I should have taken her back to the vet and told them the antibiotics weren’t working!

We had an insane and stressful week last week. I worked half a day on Monday because the girls and I had dentist appointments. Alaethia was getting sealants on her molars, Emily had a re-filling and a new filling and I had a re-filling and a new filling. I felt miserable afterwards but I still needed to get an oil change in the truck so we rushed, only to get lost in Mission. When we finally get there it doesn’t take long, but they used a different oil than the one I bought the Groupon for. Great. Had to get an exchange that took forever. Finally, we’re done and the girls want Taco Bell. Better for me.

They eat (I only have a diet Pepsi cause there’s nothing I can think of that’s Keto to eat) and we chat.

They hurry and we get home and spend time with Mabby. She just looks gloomy and barely eats. Not even tuna.

I ran errands late on Tuesday after work, and by the time dinner was ready and we all ate it was time to shower and go to bed. I only got to pet Mabbers a little bit while she laid on the bathmat in the hall bathroom. She never laid in there and we couldn’t think of an idea as to why it suddenly seemed like a more comfortable spot than her usual on the sofa. I walked away that evening feeling hollow and afraid for her.

The girls text me the next afternoon when they got home from school. Alaethia is concerned for Mabbers, because she seems “off”: her balance, her eyes; she just doesn’t look like herself. Then she sends me a panicked video, showing me how she can hardly hold her head up. This is around the time that I’m kicking myself in the ass for not hurrying and taking her in to the vet again the week before, or even the DAY before. I feel guilty and upset and rush home. We put a pee pad in her pet carrier and Emily grabs her red blanket and we’re off to the vet as quickly as possible.

She’s lucid, but quiet. I’m fearing the worst, but the girls seem like they’re okay. We get to the vet’s office and it’s a long wait, as everyone that was already present with their pets when we arrived are still sitting around, waiting. Then Mabs takes a turn for the worse and her breathing seems terribly labored. I panic and jump up asking the receptionists to please do something, she needs oxygen, ANYTHING, just please help. So they take her to the back and put her in an oxygen chamber. By then I’m a bawling mess, even though the girls are calm. It’s about another 30 minutes that they take us to the back and the doctor says, “Kitty doesn’t look good.” At this point, the girls chime in with the tears. He says that they aren’t ruling out cancer, since this was a rather quick progression. He asks if we want to keep her at the hospital, but says that no matter what the treatment he can’t guarantee that she’ll “make it.” I ask them to give me an estimate of what they think she needs, and to run all the tests they need to. So they bring me 2 quotes; both incredibly expensive. Again, I’m kicking myself in the ass, asking myself why the HELL I didn’t ask them to give her an X-ray or MRI or whatever she would have needed to help her the first time we took her in. I tell them to go ahead with the 2-day hospital stay with all the labs, etc. They say ok. We want to see her before we leave and they tell us to wait, but then the nurse comes back and says there’s a surgery going on and that the back is packed with animals at the moment. We’d have to come back at 10pm. I say aloud, “The girls will be in bed by then…” and Emily almost loses it and says, “You HAVE to bring us! What if she dies and we don’t get to see her!” I tell them ok, we’ll see what happens. It’s at this time that I sign a form giving them permission to perform CPR on her just in case she needs it.

We cry all the way home. We pick up Taco Bell, because it’s the nearest thing the girls are okay with eating. We get home and eat quietly, and then we give each other kisses before they head over to the bathroom to brush their teeth and get in bed. Both girls say they aren’t going to be able to sleep, but I tell them they have to try, just in case they call us from the hospital, they have to get SOME rest.

It’s 10:15pm when they call to let me know that she had crashed and they did CPR on her like we asked, but her labs are bad. The infection she had has gotten so much worse, and she’s going into liver failure. I ask if I can go in and see her right then, and they say yes. Jorge had just gotten home from work, so I wasn’t going to force him to go and I stand there not knowing what to do, and contemplated leaving without the girls, but they would hate me if something happens to Mabs and they aren’t there. So I wake them up and they get dressed quickly.

Alaethia is positive, saying, “Mabs is a fighter, she’s strong! She’s got this!” and I burst into tears again, quietly. I don’t want to tell them that she isn’t doing good, but I do. I tell them, “Girls, the reason they called is because she isn’t doing very well. She’s very sick. We’re going right now just in case she doesn’t make it.”

Cue the tears. I can’t believe this is happening and I feel like I’m the worst person for not taking her in sooner. And now it’s too late.

They let us see her about 15 minutes after we arrive. She doesn’t even look like herself at this point. We’re keeping the boys updated on our group chat about her. It seems now like it all happened so quickly, but we were there for about an hour, standing with her, letting her see us as she’s got all these tubes sticking out of her. She looks jaundiced and although she’s warm from the heating pad they’ve wrapped her with in a towel, her little paw pads are cold. At this point I just want to take her home. The nurse tells me that if we take her home, then she’ll surely die and we won’t give her a chance, but I’m looking at her and she’s suffering. The nurse even says that the reason she’s alive is probably because of the medication they gave her when they did CPR, because even me, not being a veterinarian, could see that she wasn’t really there anymore 🙁 . I call Jorge and ask him what to do. I don’t know. I feel guilty leaving her there, suffering, I don’t want to take her home if she’s going to be suffering, but I feel guilty if I ask them to euthanize her as well. We finally, after what seems like forever, talk with the girls and decide to euthanize. The girls didn’t object at all, since they could clearly see that she was suffering. They take us to a room to be with her and we carry her and speak to her and tell her how much we love her and are going to miss her. We can’t help but smooth out her little foot tufts that we love so much.

The doctor on duty takes forever, since she’s in another surgery. We can feel Mabby slowly leaving us and she hardly has a pulse. The doctor finally comes in, addresses the girls about how happy Mabs must be that we were with her and injects her line. Not 2 seconds later, she’s left us.

I sign the form to bring her home, and the receptionist tells the girls and I we all look so much alike. It makes us crack a smile and we say ‘thank you’. I make our payment and start our last drive home with Mabbers. We’re sad and crying silently; the girls holding Mabbers safely in her box.

Emily started bawling as soon as the alarm went off the next morning and was too distraught to go to school, so we let her stay home.

Alaethia had a test, so she said she’d be strong and go, but I texted her teacher to let her know she’d be an hour late. She held up pretty well, thank goodness.

I had texted my boss that I would be in late due to my girls not sleeping much because our kitty died. He sent his condolences and even let me skip a photo shoot when I did arrive at work to mourn, and probably because my face was puffy. Everyone I told saw me bawl my eyes out–so embarrassing. But I was so devastated 😥 .

We wait till the boys are home the next evening, and when Jorge gets home from work we give her her proper burial.

I’m not even sure where the kids found that metal thing, but it works. We have plans to add a little fence and flowers, of course.

I’ll miss patting the couch and yelling, “Mabbers, it’s time!”. I’ll miss having those big beautiful eyes looking softly at me, right before she would knead on my tummy. I’ll miss her so much. We all will. But it was actually Mabbers’ time, this time 😥 .