It has been a tough week for Mulder but like a true champ, he emerged victorious with a free satellite dish!

We noticed him limping on Wednesday but thought it was from playing in the snow. By Thursday, his back right paw was swollen. Since it was a holiday, we had to wait until Friday for the next appointment. By this time, it had gotten all the way up to his joint.

The staff at Banfield (Petsmart) was extremely helpful. The Vet analyzed the fluid and concluded that the leg was infected. Today (Saturday), Mulder had to go back for further screening which meant he had to be under general anesthesia. They put an instrument in his leg to probe further but thankfully there was no foreign body. It was not clear what caused it but the Vet drained the fluid and it has alreay improved significantly. He would have to wear the bandage for a few days and take antibiotics. After a long day, he was released with an almost clean bill of health, clean teeth, clipped nails, and to keep him from licking the bandage, a free satellite dish!

The Pet “Insurance” covered most of it so it was not too bad. We pay $30/month for this insurance and ended up paying only 28% of the total cost of treatment.

I have been looking forward to having some time off since November and now finally it is here. I am now on day 6 of my 9 days of vacation but so far it is not what I hoped it would be. It snowed for most of the week which limited my options. I was able to get out of the house once with Mulder but the tire chain ruined the right hub cap of my car tire. Marcel was also home for a couple of days so I did not get much done while Mulder needs a trip to the Vet for a swollen paw.

I am not complaining. It is always nice to be home rather than at work. Anyway, I am managing to make the most out of it and still accomplished a few of things. I have a new banner in progress. I finally got the (home) office organized – at least my side of it. I sorted and eliminated several(!) months’ worth of paperwork. It is so much easier to work here now. I have also started setting up my craft room (for lack of a better name). It is really the guest room and although we’ve had a few guests this year, it is empty most of the time. What better way to utilize it than to finally have my own personal space?

I also did a lot of cooking, just my staples such as spaghetti di pomodoro, TJ’s four cheese ravioli, red curry chicken and ham for Christmas dinner. I wanted to do some more baking but did not get a chance to buy the ingredients due to the snow. Meanwhile, our neighbors are filling in with gifts of Fudge and Sugar cookies.

Well, three more days…I hope to finish my shelving project in the craft room and maybe even do some farbric shopping in after-Christmas sales.

We are having record snow fall in Portland. Here is the full story. Meanwhile, I have the week off from work so it is great timing for home projects.

This was taken at 11 pm when the snow cast a sepia tone on the city. (Unedited image)

Marcel and Mulder walking around the neighborhood. They had so much fun!

In our travels, we have managed to collect 3 beautiful works of art on tiles. This weekend, we finally put them on display in the kitchen. From L to R: Solvang CA, Lisbon and Amsterdam. Lovely…

(Unfortunately, I could not get the macro pictures of the tiles to come out right)

Today is one of the 3 or so days of the season when it snows in Portland. I’m so glad it happened on a weekend day. We are staying nice and warm but Mulder just can’t get enough of it. He felt cold at first but had a blast playing fetch with Marcel. I had planned to go to the Crafty Wonderland today but I guess I will try again next year. To make the house even warmer, I will make some pumpkin bread

Update 12/19/08: I got a $10 Starbucks card in a cute little pouch from my Secret Santa.

Update 12/19/08: I won an 8GB iPod Nano at our Christmas Party at work

We are having a secret Santa gift exchange at work with a suggested cost of $5-$10. My general rule for gifts (except for family) is to give something consumable. That way, there is little risk of the person not liking it. It is also more useful and really do not make the other person feel obligated to spend. It is just as fun.

It did not take me long to decide on handmade soaps. Unfortunately, one of my favorite sources is in Seaside, OR. I gave Rick at Sunset Beach Products a call and within a week, I have the soaps. These are great products, my favorite being the Green Tea Fantasy. Maybe someday, I can learn to make them myself the traditional way. By the way, the gift bag was 6/$1  at the Scanfair.