You put the grey skies outta my way.

Today was Shady's belated birthday trip to the beach. The weather was absolutely beautiful and the wind was blowing so much. I tried to capture it in the picture, you could see the sand blowing across the beach and it looked really cool. I think Shady had a good time.

I went for a run outside today but it was so windy, the wind blew my earphones out of my ears. No kidding. It was ridiculous.

I tried to do my taxes yesterday. That was challenging for a lot of reasons. Basically there's a lot of deductions, like interest paid on student loans, that I can't claim unless I file with Tom. We were going to each file separately, but apparently we get a lot of breaks for filing jointly. Soooo we'll see how that goes.

Jen gave me her recipe for buffalo chicken dip which I made today and it was delicious! Yummmm. It was a great snack. Tonight is the Grammys, which I feel are becoming less and less relevant. But the Foo Fighters are performing so I'll at least watch that. Or record it. AND a new episode of The Wire! I can't say enough how good that show is. I don't know why this is the last season of it, if it's because not enough people watch it or what. But it's good. Oh, the writer's strike is supposedly over. Yay! I haven't really missed TV all that much but I would like to see the end of Scrubs. That's another great show that no one watches. Anyway, it was a productive weekend overall but it went by way too fast, as usual!

Lay me down in sheets of linen

This week has been much less chaotic than last week. So far it's been good... our house appraisal went well and I'll be closing on the new loan in a week. Tom came home late Tuesday/early Wed. and I'm glad to have him back. He's playing tonight at Front St. Brewery. Oh, and I dropped the ball on the Whittaker Bay thing... his song 'I'll Wait' was featured on the show last weekend. I had so much going on that I just forgot... I recorded it though and I really hate to say anything bad about the show because obviously they have great taste in music, but... the show is just hard to watch. I'll leave it at that. However, there is some cool stuff going on. We're working on the breast cancer benefit show that I think is going to be great and we should have a date confirmed in the next couple of days. Also, a management/publicity company that I sent Tom's press kit to contacted me today and said she LOVES his music (how could she not?) and wants to know what she can do to help! So we'll see how that goes. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much because the music industry is very tough, but I'm encouraged by the fact that she is interested and actually communicates -- that's a start! I'm also submitting him to some festivals and working on some other things.

Tomorrow is the day I send Shady's #s to the vet for analysis... this week has been up and down again. But I hope the vet sees progress somehow. I just wish I could find a pattern to why the lows are low and the highs are high.

I was glad for Tom to come home, but what made his return even sweeter is that he came bearing a gift from Sean... a super duper awesome iPod docking speaker system thing! Tom set it up last night and the sound is crystal clear. It's shiny and awesome! I'm speechless, really. It was so unexpected and so generous and thoughtful. I feel so lucky to have inherited these great friends of Tom's!

He also brought some boxes of books from his mom. I am looking forward to going through them, she reads a lot of the same stuff as me and even though I am behind as it is on the book club books, I am always excited to have new books.

Ok, I'm exhausted. The game last night wore me out. I'm trying to forget it even happened.

I get by with a little help from my friends.

There's 1 second left in the game and the Giants are about the win the Super Bowl, beating the undefeated-til-now Patriots. I know there are a lot of heartbroken Pats fans out there and I am sorry for rubbing it in but YAY GIANTS!! No one thought they even had a chance to win! I love rooting for the underdog. Unless the underdog is Duke.

Anyway I was looking for something and I found my old blog from years ago. And I was reading some of the posts, and one of them was an old IM conversation with one of my friends from college and it's just too hilarious to not repost here so I can come back and read it whenever I want. It might not make sense to most people, or to anyone, but still, it's freaking funny.

(03:25) jonnyWOOhah: hola poproxhox
(03:25) hollyhox110: hola jonnywoooooooooooooooooooooooohah
(03:25) jonnyWOOhah: wooooooooooohaaaaaaaaaah
(03:26) jonnyWOOhah: how are you?
(03:26) hollyhox110: hola jonnywoooooooooooooohaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
(03:26) hollyhox110: bueno
(03:26) jonnyWOOhah: what ya been up to?
(03:26) hollyhox110: partying like a rock star, kicking a little ass
(03:26) hollyhox110: �y tu?
(03:26) jonnyWOOhah: oh, of course
(03:26) jonnyWOOhah: should have known
(03:27) hollyhox110: and shibbying
(03:27) jonnyWOOhah: i'm in charlotte right now
(03:27) hollyhox110: sweeeet
(03:27) jonnyWOOhah: i was in chappy hill last night
(03:27) jonnyWOOhah: i saw damien in woody's
(03:27) hollyhox110: sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
(03:27) hollyhox110: awwww damien! i heart him
(03:27) jonnyWOOhah: we talked about you, of course
(03:27) hollyhox110: you did?
(03:28) jonnyWOOhah: you heart him, that's good 1
(03:29) jonnyWOOhah: just that you're great and
(03:30) jonnyWOOhah: neither of us have seen you in a while
(03:30) jonnyWOOhah: we miss you
(03:30) hollyhox110: i think i've seen damien since i've seen you
(03:30) hollyhox110: just kidding
(03:30) jonnyWOOhah: wow
(03:30) jonnyWOOhah: haha
(03:30) jonnyWOOhah: just picture 2 drunkasses in woody's going "we wish morgan was here!"
(03:31) hollyhox110: awwwww
(03:31) hollyhox110: thats so cute!
(03:31) jonnyWOOhah: how's the graphic designing coming along, creative one
(03:32) hollyhox110: just wonderfully
(03:32) hollyhox110: hows the porn coming?
(03:32) jonnyWOOhah: haha
(03:32) jonnyWOOhah: i get it, "coming"
(03:32) jonnyWOOhah: well, we're on hiatus right now
(03:32) hollyhox110: hahahhahahaha yeah thats how i meant it
(03:32) hollyhox110: i get it "hiatus"
(03:36) jonnyWOOhah: have you seen the previews for this week's friends yet?
(03:36) hollyhox110: yes!!!
(03:36) jonnyWOOhah: what is that all about?
(03:37) hollyhox110: ross + rachel better not be getting married or i'm never watching it again!
(03:37) jonnyWOOhah: i know right
(03:39) jonnyWOOhah: they were NOT on a break1
(03:39) hollyhox110: i know!
(03:40) jonnyWOOhah: are you black yet?
(03:40) hollyhox110: hmmmm not really
(03:40) jonnyWOOhah: hmmm hehe
(03:40) hollyhox110: i got a tattoo
(03:41) jonnyWOOhah: really?
(03:41) jonnyWOOhah: of what?
(03:41) hollyhox110: my whole left arm is covered, its naked women and skulls and pirate ships
(03:41) jonnyWOOhah: wow awesome
(03:41) hollyhox110: just kidding
(03:41) jonnyWOOhah: be serious, you weirdo
(03:41) jonnyWOOhah: haha
(03:41) hollyhox110: a tiny little horses head on my left side hip
(03:41) hollyhox110: its all black
(03:42) hollyhox110: like a silouhette or whatever
(03:43) jonnyWOOhah: oh cool
(03:43) hollyhox110: too bad you don't live in wilmington anymore, its fun here
(03:43) jonnyWOOhah: haha shut up!
(03:43) hollyhox110: haha
(03:43) jonnyWOOhah: i want to see the horsey head
(03:43) hollyhox110: some really cool people moved in across the hall from me
(03:43) jonnyWOOhah: like chandler and joey cool?
(03:44) hollyhox110: they're married, but they're friends with me
(03:44) hollyhox110: and i can walk in their apt. w/o knocking
(03:44) hollyhox110: and we get coffee together a lot
(03:44) jonnyWOOhah: wow that's so sweet
(03:44) hollyhox110: and we're going to london next week
(03:44) hollyhox110: one of our other friends is getting married
(03:44) jonnyWOOhah: nuh uh?!
(03:44) jonnyWOOhah: really?
(03:44) hollyhox110: if you were here you'd probably slap me
(03:44) hollyhox110: i'm just being a smart ass
(03:44) jonnyWOOhah: oh ok
(03:44) hollyhox110: sorry
(03:45) jonnyWOOhah: that's ok...i still luv ya
(03:45) jonnyWOOhah: i should be there this weekend
(03:45) jonnyWOOhah: are you going to be around?
(03:45) jonnyWOOhah: "around"
(03:45) hollyhox110: yes, i'll be back from london by then
(03:46) jonnyWOOhah: excellent
(03:46) jonnyWOOhah: get me one of those cool hats
(03:46) jonnyWOOhah: i'll see what i can "get my hands on"
(03:46) hollyhox110: you "do" that
(03:47) jonnyWOOhah: have you seen the sweetest thing yet?
(03:47) hollyhox110: nooooooooooo
(03:47) hollyhox110: or spiderman
(03:47) hollyhox110: or batman
(03:47) hollyhox110: or robin
(03:48) jonnyWOOhah: superman's been out since '78 and you still ain't seen it?
(03:48) hollyhox110: i like to wait until the movie's older than me
(03:48) jonnyWOOhah: i understand
(03:48) jonnyWOOhah: sunday i'm going to hilton "head" with jud
(03:49) hollyhox110: you mean "jud"
(03:49) jonnyWOOhah: we're painting someone's house
(03:49) jonnyWOOhah: yeah, that's the one
(03:49) hollyhox110: sweeeeeet
(03:49) jonnyWOOhah: we get to live in their beach house for a wk while we paint
(03:49) hollyhox110: jud that i only meet when i'm drunk or he's drunk?
(03:49) jonnyWOOhah: yeah, that jud
(03:49) hollyhox110: thats awesome
(03:49) jonnyWOOhah: it'll be like american pie 2
(03:49) hollyhox110: with lesbians!
(03:52) jonnyWOOhah: hold on a few sex, my sister's calling me
(03:52) hollyhox110: mmm hmmm "sister"
(04:02) jonnyWOOhah: i don't think so.....
(04:02) jonnyWOOhah: you meant SEX
(04:02) hollyhox110: hahaha
(04:02) jonnyWOOhah: i wish i could make your comp. there scream sex every time i typed it in
(04:03) jonnyWOOhah: SEX
(04:03) jonnyWOOhah: SEX
(04:03) jonnyWOOhah: SEX
(04:03) hollyhox110: hahahhaha shut up
(04:03) jonnyWOOhah: whoa
(04:03) hollyhox110: you're making me laugh at work
(04:03) jonnyWOOhah: oh
(04:03) jonnyWOOhah: sex
(04:03) jonnyWOOhah: shhhhhhhhh
(04:03) hollyhox110: SHUT UP
(04:03) hollyhox110: hahhahha
(04:04) hollyhox110: ass
(04:04) jonnyWOOhah: ass-sex
(04:04) hollyhox110: woot!
(04:05) jonnyWOOhah: my name is woohah. jonny woohah.
(04:05) jonnyWOOhah: i'd like an LIT please. shaken, not stirred.
(04:06) hollyhox110: hahha are you drunk?
(04:06) jonnyWOOhah: no i wish
(04:06) hollyhox110: me too
(04:06) hollyhox110: not you
(04:06) hollyhox110: me
(04:06) hollyhox110: well, me too
(04:06) jonnyWOOhah: i think i have a caffeine buzz from all this coke...aine
(04:06) hollyhox110: hahahha shut up i can't stop laughing
(04:06) jonnyWOOhah: good
(04:07) hollyhox110: not good
(04:07) hollyhox110: i'm supposed to be working!
(04:07) hollyhox110: ass
(04:07) jonnyWOOhah: sex
(04:09) jonnyWOOhah: i had one last night at woody's...they were on special
(04:09) jonnyWOOhah: it was gross
(04:09) hollyhox110: ewww
(04:09) jonnyWOOhah: wait, i had 2 though
(04:10) hollyhox110: so they were gooooood
(04:11) jonnyWOOhah: well, more cheap than good
(04:11) hollyhox110: whats not to like? vodka = good
(04:11) hollyhox110: tequila = good
(04:11) hollyhox110: triple sec = good
(04:11) hollyhox110: gin = good
(04:11) hollyhox110: i can't remember what else is in it but you get the point
(04:12) jonnyWOOhah: custard...good
(04:12) jonnyWOOhah: whipped cream...good
(04:12) jonnyWOOhah: beef...good
(04:12) hollyhox110: hahahh good
(04:12) hollyhox110: i was hoping you'd get it
(04:13) jonnyWOOhah: i always "get it"
(04:13) hollyhox110: i know
(04:13) jonnyWOOhah: i'm talking about sex, if you know what i mean?
(04:13) hollyhox110: i "know what you mean"
(04:14) jonnyWOOhah: we ALWAYS know what you mean, joey
(04:15) hollyhox110: ummmm dammit
(04:15) jonnyWOOhah: dammit what?
(04:16) hollyhox110: i can't complete the transaction
(04:16) hollyhox110: did you get oceans 11 on dvd?
(04:17) jonnyWOOhah: no not yet, i'm sure gonna thought
(04:17) jonnyWOOhah: minus the T
(04:17) hollyhox110: mmmmmhmmmm meeee toooo
(04:19) jonnyWOOhah: so why can't you complete the transaction?
(04:19) jonnyWOOhah: if you know waht i mean
(04:19) hollyhox110: http://millennium.fortunecity.com/sherwood/734/tea.html
(04:19) hollyhox110: ummm because i have a wooden leg
(04:19) jonnyWOOhah: will this site explain to me why
(04:20) hollyhox110: no
(04:20) jonnyWOOhah: shut up, what are you talking about?
(04:20) hollyhox110: thats about LIT's i thought the headline was funny
(04:20) jonnyWOOhah: now i'm laughing
(04:20) hollyhox110: i'm just being stupid
(04:21) jonnyWOOhah: i know, i love you
(04:22) jonnyWOOhah: i "do"

The trick is to keep breathing.

This has been a crazy week. Tuesday I got home from work and I felt like I might be getting a urinary tract infection... I'm all too familiar with that annoying feeling that you have to pee all the time. It was bearable though so I decided to go to the dr. Wednesday. Some friends of Tom's were staying with us and they were playing a show downtown, so we were getting ready to go to that. But then I decided it was too annoying to wait to go to the dr., and I was going to go to Urgent Care and then meet Tom at the show. So I am driving to Urgent Care and my right side starts hurting, not terribly but just like a little cramp. I check in and fill out paperwork and the nurse takes my vitals and then the dr. tells me that my urinalysis was fine. By this time my side is hurting more, like it hurts to breathe, and I tell the dr. that. He does some pressing and poking and then decides to do an x-ray, because my lower right side is where my appendix is located and he wants to make sure everything is ok. So I call Tom and tell him and he rushes to Urgent Care. By the time he gets there I can barely stand, I am going in and out of consciousness because the pain is so bad, and I start throwing up. Since the x-ray was fine, the dr. says it must be a kidney stone, although nothing showed up on the x-ray it could be too small to show up. Which is a good thing that it's small. So the nurse gives me two shots, one in each hip, one for pain and one for nausea. They are THE MOST PAINFUL shots I have ever gotten in my life. My left hip just stopped hurting yesterday. The dr. tells Tom that if I am not better in an hour, to take me to the ER. It took about 45 minutes for me to feel better, but by then I was passed out. Since then I have been taking antibiotics and hopefully the stone is gone, who knows. The medicines make me feel groggy and tired and out of it and nauseous and they make me burp. I will be glad to be done with them. I am still in disbelief about having a kidney stone, I kinda thought they only happened to older or unhealthy people, but apparently they can happen to anyone, even babies or children.

Shady had an up and down week too... there is no pattern or reason to her blood glucose numbers. In the morning, when she is usually at her highest, twice this week she has been really low. Sometimes it's like the insulin doesn't help at all, and sometimes it helps too much. And it's getting harder and harder to test her, because for some reason her lip just will not bleed anymore. I have to prick the inside of her lip to get blood, and I HATE doing it. But I know I have to, so I do it. I have a rule though that if I don't get it within 3 tries, I give up (for then, anyway). I just can not bring myself to keep doing it. And this #!$%* tester is so picky about the amt of blood it gets. Just now I was testing her and I FINALLY on the 3rd try got a small drop of blood and got it on the strip and then it gives me a *%$#! error message. So 3 tries and a wasted testing strip. It is frustrating.

Yesterday was Shady's birthday too. She is 11 years old. That's old for a Rottweiler, esp. one that has been through so much in her life. Hip dysplasia, arthritis, cancer, now diabetes. Every year on her birthday I take her to the beach, but we didn't go yesterday since I am not feeling so great. So we're going to go next weekend, which works out even better since Tom will be back by then.

So I guess I'm going to go watch the Super Bowl and finish cleaning up. The house is getting appraised tomorrow for this refinancing stuff, so I'm trying to make it presentable. It's a challenge! Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Thoughts meander like the restless wind inside a letter box

Shady has a friend over this weekend! We are dogsitting Denise's dog Mailei. It was an adventure trying to walk the two of them this morning. Even though they are the same age (Shady will be 11 next Saturday!), Mailei walks sooo much faster than Shady! She was basically running circles around us. It is fun having her here though.

It's been a busy couple of weeks. I'm trying to refinance which means it feels like I have been buried in paperwork, but I think we will be closing soon. That will be good. Shady is doing ok... her insulin dosage has been increased twice since the last update... her lows are getting better, but the highs are still pretty high. So we are going to try the new dosage until Friday and then the vet will re-evaluate. It's encouraging though that they think the insulin is working enough to keep trying it rather than testing for other illnesses.


Katie was just here visiting and we had a good time even though it felt like she was only here for 12 minutes. She got here Thursday afternoon. We went for a run in the park, then went to dinner at The Oceanic, her favorite seafood restaurant. Friday we worked most of the day, then went to Tom's show at BlackHorn that night. Nicole, Greg, Denise, Erin, Nate, Tara, Dmeza, Scott and Jeremy all came too. It was a fun night. We stayed out much too late and then Katie had to pick up her rental car at 8 am Sat., she drove to Winston-Salem to see her parents, then was on to Charlotte to see her brand-new week-old niece Ashlynn who is absolutely freaking adorable! So while I wish she could have stayed longer, I know she was DYING to go see Ashlynn, and I will take whatever I can get. Now it's my turn to go see her in Atlanta... hopefully we won't have to go 9 months before seeing each other again!

Yesterday I had all these plans to get this work done... booking shows, submitting Tom to festivals, putting together media kits and creating an EPK (electronic press kit). However I got nothing done... we started watching The Wire and there was no hope of me getting anything done after that. That show is just really amazing -- honestly the best show on TV. The final season is on right now. Why is it that all of the best shows never last, esp. on HBO? Arrested Development, Deadwood, Extras, Rome, now The Wire.

So now today I have to make up for all the time I wasted yesterday. I've got two snoring dogs laying at my feet, a snoring husband in the bedroom, and I just started reading Love in the Time of Cholera. This could be challenging...

P.S. Nicole and Greg are engaged!!! I am soooo excited for them. When you are in their presence, you can't help but feel true love all around. Congratulations to you two!!

Painting without colors tends to make it better.

So I found a really informative site about Cushing's in dogs. I want to learn as much as I can about it. I am trying to be optimistic, but after 3 full days of testing Shady at home, the insulin still doesn't seem to be helping much. So I am trying to be realistic while also being optimistic. We'll see how the next couple of days go and what the vet decides, but I have a feeling we'll be doing more tests this week. If you're at all interested in learning about Cushing's, you can read it here.

Tom and I and Kristine and Mike went to the movies yesterday to see Juno. If you haven't seen it yet, you should go ASAP. It was so good. I really needed to laugh and even though the movie deals with a somewhat serious subject matter, it is completely freaking funny. And of course it stars two of the Bluths, so that just makes it worthwhile right there.

I also just downloaded the soundtrack from iTunes. The music was so great. Just take my word for it.

Jayla is starting dance class on Tuesday! I am really excited about this, because the girl obviously has talent (if you haven't seen her Dirty Dancing video yet, you need to go watch it now.

Tom's in Raleigh tonight playing at Amra's. I always wish I could go to his shows there with him, but he gets home around 3 am and it makes for a very long day for me on Monday after only getting a few hours of sleep. I used to be able to do that when I was in college... seriously, I might have gotten 8 hours of sleep once during my whole four years of college. Oh, how things have changed.

Whittaker Bay, the show that will be featuring some of Tom's music, premiered on WGN last weekend. We recorded it and watched it the other day. I'm not going to comment on the show... not really because I don't want to, but I had a hard time following the plot. I think the 5th episode will be the first one with Tom's music on it. I'll keep you guys updated.

The crown you've placed upon my head feels too heavy now.

Shady was at the vet again all day today. They tested her blood sugar at different times of the day, doing what is called a curve. She is up to 20 units twice a day (double her initial dose) and her levels were still off the charts. She was sent home and we are to try giving her 20 units twice a day and testing her regularly and keeping a chart of all of the information. After a week of doing this we're supposed to let them know what we've found out and see what they think. If she hasn't improved, they are going to do testing for Cushing's. I am trying hard to not be discouraged but it's hard when it doesn't seem to be helping at all. I would do anything I could for Shady, anything in the world, but unfortunately I don't have endless money. I am worried that even if or when they find out what's wrong, that I won't be able to afford to fix whatever it is. But I'm still hoping for the best because that's all you can do. Now I have to get used to all of the shots and pricking and blood and testing. I found one helpful website today though that I'm sure I will be checking a lot... www.caninediabetes.org. I made the mistake of reading the pet stories today and was bawling at work. I should have known better.

You'll dream about somewhere, a smoke will fill the air.

I was not happy when my alarm went off this morning. First of all because I haven't slept well in a few days and I am exhausted. But also because I almost NEVER have good dreams. But last night I did... anyone who knows me knows about my love for Dave Grohl. Love might be an understatement. Anyway, I dreamt last night that I went to a Foo Fighters conference in Bahrain. The first class I went to was something really boring that no one else wanted to go to, but I'd heard that DG was going to be making an appearance, so I went to that one. Before class started, two other people at the conference decided to get married, so everyone was outside at their wedding by the Indian Ocean. I remember looking at the ocean during the wedding and noticing that the waves were crashing in every direction, not just one like in normal oceans. So then we go back inside for class and we're waiting for it to start. I'm in the very back of the room looking at the stuff in the merch store. I was looking at a FF calendar and talking to my friend Reanna who all of a sudden was there, when DG himself walks in. I grab his arm and start acting like an obsessed fan, asking him if I can get my picture taken with him after class, if I can get his autograph... and he says "Sure!" Then he says that he'd really like to talk to me more, and can we stay up all night talking and drinking cheap wine? While he's saying this, he picks me up and kinda carries me. I kissed him on the cheek and said that I didn't think his wife would like that. Then my alarm goes off.

Such a beautiful kiss in the face of fear.

I took Shady to the vet this morning. They wanted to keep her all day and do more tests to see if her insulin dosage needed to be increased. I had a feeling that the dosage would have to be increased because she has been drinking soooooo much water. Well the insulin isn't helping her at all. Her blood sugar was actually higher than it was last time they tested her, even after giving her a slightly higher dosage than usual. So they want her to come back tomorrow and test her some more. They said it could be that she just needs a higher dosage, or a different type of insulin. It could also be that she has a disease in addition to diabetes which prevents her body from absorbing the insulin, possibly Cushing's. They said it could take 2 or 3 weeks of tests and stuff to figure out what's going on. I really hope that all she needs is just a higher dosage. So hopefully we'll get good news tomorrow afternoon.

happy birthday

to Jayla! She is 3 today. I can't believe she is only 3 and already 3. I can't really remember what life was like before she was born, so in that sense it seems like she has been here forever. Then on the other hand it seems like only yesterday. I have been debating staying here instead of going to her birthday party, but Tom will be staying in Wilmington for his show (Friday night at Black Horn), and he will take good care of Shady while I am gone. And I could use the distraction... I'm sure I'll have some pictures to post when I get back.

Winter weather is finally here, for a few minutes at least. Yesterday and today were in the 40s, but it's getting back up near 70 in a few days. You never know what to expect with NC weather sometimes!

And i'll be awful sometimes, weakened to my knees...

... and I'll learn to get by on the little victories.

Finally home from Shady's vet appt... she had an infection and they also confirmed what they had suspected for a while, that she is diabetic. Her blood sugar was extremely high... normal high is 143(per ML or MG or something), and hers was 415. So we have to start injecting her with insulin twice a day. I feel really sad about it right now but I hope she will be ok. I mean, she will be ok. She has to be. That's all there is to it.

This'll be the year that we won't forget.

It's Jan. 1 and I just went running, outside, in a tank top and shorts. It is 65 degrees out and SO nice. I love Wilmington weather sometimes... mostly in the winter. If only I could migrate north for the summers I would be okay.

Shady is sick right now and I feel so bad for her. The vet called in a prescription for antibiotics for her until they can see her tomorrow. :( Until then I will just pet her and hope that helps a little. I feel so helpless.

Anyway, happy new year! If you're a resolution-making type of person, good luck with your goals. I personally am not a fan of resolutions... but if I were going to make one, it would be this:

My New Year's resolution is to get at least 13 hours of sleep a night, regardless of what sort of job or family or life commitments I have, but to really be consistent about that.

!!!