A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

golden retriever

Living life happy: Thoughts on health (physical and mental) and finding peace

My normal style when I write is to go a traditional route. I write the beginning and then the bulk, and then finish up. 

Rinse, repeat. 

But this beginning I’ve re-written multiple times. And some of the bulk, too. This post has taken multiple shapes before arriving at the current version. 

And it’s a bit lengthy. But that’s OK… as I had a lot to get out. So hopefully you can hang with me throughout. 

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve truly blogged, outside of the monthly photo challenge. And while I usually enjoy said challenge, I miss the aspect of blogging and putting thoughts and other things out there. It allows me to put things into perspective and often see things from a different lens. 

Also, reality is, it’s sometimes good to hold yourself accountable a bit and put your own thoughts and such out there. Especially when you blog!

LIFE

Here’s a bit more reality – I’m not getting any younger. That is a reality that hits every single day. Whether it’s creaks and aches, or just how tiring a regular day (if there is a such thing) can be. 

For those of you in and around my age – give or take – do you remember being in your early 20s? 

I do.

How many nights would you spend horse-assing around with friends, work during the day, booze it up a few nights a week, and then do it all over the next day? I know I took chances and unnecessary risks and sometimes I wonder how I made it this far. 

You need to smile more in life … as we get older, there’s a lot of crap that gives stress. So smile as much as you can!

Yet, I’m not sure I would trade it for anything. 

Honestly, I wasn’t even that crazy. Among many of the friends I ran with, I was probably the safe one (depending on the crowd). Whether it was back roading and just having fun (remember, no internet – we actually used CBs!) to hanging out at the bar, we live life a bit. 

In fact, I know many people who did things way worse than I did and are still kicking. Hell, some of them are probably still as crazy (or worse) than they once were!

But this is also where reality comes into play. Some of those people I ran with are gone. Some never made 50. Others might still be with us and not in the best of places. 

That’s life. For good or bad, it’s how things are. 

While I had a lot of plans for this post, I’ve decided to dial it back just a little bit and I’m going to base this mainly on health – physical and mental. While a lot of things can be part of this, I’m going to talk about my path and how I’ve gotten there. 

I’m going to break this up as I go because there’s a lot when it comes to talking about health.  But one thing is for sure – I am truly happy that I have good health insurance as I am utilizing it to make sure I take care of myself – physically and mentally. With the way this world is, one needs to make sure they take care of themselves. Make sure you breathe and see what will benefit you. Do whatever you feel you have to do to make you feel whole. 

It’s not an easy task. I’ll get to the harder side of that, at least in my eyes, in a moment. First, the “easy” part – the physical aspect. 

PHYSICAL HEALTH

Living with Diabetes

Goodness has a lot happened since the last time I wrote about living with diabetes. If you’ve read my blog, you know I’m a Type-2 diabetic. 

At times, I control it well. Other times, not so much. 

But, since I’ve last blogged about this, a lot has changed. I *finally* accepted that no matter what I did, I would trip at times. And that made my numbers go all over. That meant finally realizing that insulin wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, it was there to help me. And I don’t take a large quantity of it, but it has helped and I’ve learned to adjust the dosage if necessary. 

Still, how did I get there?

Living with Diabetes logo

My A1C has been all over the place for the past several years. For those who don’t know, your A1C is your long-term blood sugar readings. A few times over the past few years, I’ve gone beyond 10. That’s not good. I know this yet I have not always been good with things. It’s a vicious cycle. I work and work, but then feel like I can’t get ahead. Then I stress eat or I just end up not caring. 

Again, not good.

For a while, my primary physician had been trying to talk me into insulin. But I kept pushing back. And why? Because I thought by taking insulin, I was a failure. You heard that right – in my mind, I was failing if I took something that would actually help me. 

Because hey, I had been doing so well without it. 

So I did research. I learned about insulin. I asked him questions through email. I finally accepted that this wasn’t a failure… far from it. In fact, it was something that would help me. I don’t want to lose digits or limbs later in life. So I need to be smarter about things. 

It just happened to be the next step. And so, I went on insulin. And with that, things started to improve. 

Go figure. 

It also allowed me to get off Ozempic, which was awful for me. It played games with my digestive life, and despite having great insurance, it was so expensive. I’m one who would actually rather insurance money go to something I feel actually helps me. 

I then figured out insulin wasn’t a failure, rather a success. That’s a change of thinking, eh? It’s just a step in life to help me manage things and make sure I’m not slowly killing myself. And what happened? Well … my numbers and readings started to go down. 

So much so that my last blood work came with a 7.1 A1C reading. For me, that’s huge. The last time I was that low was September 2021. 

That’s a long time. 

Since 2021, I’ve had my numbers reach double digits multiple times. And here’s the thing, when you are battling something like this and don’t see immediate results (welcome to this day and age) it’s hard. And then when you don’t see results in a week or two, it becomes depressing. That’s where stress eating comes in. Or you stop checking your blood (see no evil, hear no evil!), which obviously isn’t a good thing. Next thing you know, your A1C is out of whack. 

So things are going OK there. And it’s funny when your blood sugars are decently controlled – you have more energy and a better outlook. Go figure. 

My A1C will likely bump up a little net time for a few reasons. But I’m still working on things and I’ll keep pushing. 

Shoulder time

Many years ago, I played in a softball league that used to start games in mid-April. Anybody who has lived in central (and upstate) New York knows that the weather can change quickly in the spring. Anyway, had a game under the lights and was told I needed to catch. No problem. First inning, we go through warmups and I go to throw the ball down to second and … it felt like my arm went with it. 

Ouchies. 

It didn’t help that I didn’t really warm up. I mean, hell, I couldn’t have been more than 21-22 years old. Who, at that age, worries about these types of things. I should have. Since this happened, my arm hasn’t been the same. I learned to live with the sometimes pain of it. Alas, over the last year or so, it got worse. Sleeping on it was painful. Throwing the ball for the dog was tough. I’d had enough. 

So I mentioned it to my primary. 

I got into Ortho. I got a cortisone shot (which sent my blood readings way up for a couple of weeks). And I started going to physical therapy. And, as I am writing this, my arm feels better than it has in 20+ years. There’s still work to go, but I feel as though I’m on the right track. I have at least one more PT session (maybe a couple) and another visit with ortho to see if anything is next. One thing my doctor offered was some test with neuro to see if it’s something like that – but if it’s not needed, I will cancel that. I’ve been told it can be a painful procedure. 

Pain isn’t fun, that’s for sure. 

This has helped me in different parts of my life as I feel like I can do more without having to protect the shoulder. It will still take a bunch more time, I’m sure. But I’m on the right path. 

Other aspects

Add to all of this but about a year ago, I started going back to seeing a chiropractor once a month, Just for some maintenance. The one I go to not only accepts insurance, but has built a trust. I’m skittish with certain things that chiropractors do, but with him it feels safe, secure, and no issues. This is important, too, as it’s a nice way to make sure your back and such are in sync with the rest of your body. 

I definitely walk a lot, too. Blame (or credit) Harper for that, but no matter the weather, we get our two or three walks a day in. 

And while I’d love to get my heart rate up a bit more, I’m not against just walking with her and letting her explore. After all, it’s one of life’s great joys to have an amazing dog. 

Next up is truly trying to figure to drop some more weight. Over the past 3-5 years, I’ve dropped a bunch. It’s been a slow road, though. And that’s OK as it’s pretty much stayed off. Still, I need to find ways to get more off. 

MENTAL HEALTH

Being real with myself

This section is going to be a little tough. And it might be a little raw at times. While I don’t consider myself a threat with any self-harm or anything, the reality is I’ve been in some low places. I battle – and that’s fine. But you can’t always do it alone. 

Getting help isn’t a bad thing. But until you come to terms with that, it does look like a weakness or, again, a failure. 

This part of my own health is probably the more important part of my current health journey. After all, if you can’t function daily because of stress, anxiety or anything else, what can you do?

If you had asked me 10 or 15 years ago about going to therapy, I would have laughed it off. Honestly, 15 years ago, I’d have never been able to afford it. My absolute issue was thinking of therapy the way society portrayed it – go lay on a couch and somebody asks you about your childhood. 

Therapy has come a long way. 

I know multiple people who have gone to therapy and speak highly of it. I know others who said it didn’t work for them. 

I was torn. I didn’t know if I honestly wanted it. There is still a stigma attached to it and I tend to avoid things like that. And that’s probably because I don;’t shy away from things – if I do something and it’s helping, I will talk about it with others. So that stigma makes one think, 

Part of that was scary. If I went to therapy and it worked, does that mean I’m broken? That something is wrong with me? 

Not going to lie: part of going to therapy was to make sure I’m in good spirits around this one. And how couldn’t you be?

Far from it. After all, have you seen what this world is like? 

At some point, I got curious. So I started looking around locally. I didn’t want to have to travel too far, but I also wanted certain things from a therapist if I took this step. 

I started looking around. I found some different practices, but one drew my eye. I’m not sure why. It could have just been the way she described her practice etc. And, honestly, it may have been because as I read, I felt I wouldn’t be her normal sort of client. I still didn’t do anything. 

However … 

I’m one of those guys who has a ton of tabs open and I don’t always shut down my web browser. So … that tab honestly sat there for months. I’d shut things down my computer sometimes, and then all my tabs opened back up. And every once in a while. I’d come across the website, read it again and then slide away. Months went by and I finally decided to look deeper. I did a Google search to learn a little more and one site noted she wasn’t accepting new clients. 

Well, shit. 

At this point I actually felt ready. I didn’t care about any stigmas or anything. So, I said hell with it and reached out anyway. To start things off, there was a free phone consultation. I liked that because it seemed like a good way to feel out if I felt this was for me or not. I sent a quick email and kept it short and to the point: 

“If any info is needed — the basis of this is anxiousness, trying to feel more fulfilled, organizational, and just the ability (or lack thereof) of being able to disconnect and appreciate things more. Just taking this step is a big deal in my own mind, so hopefully this is the right one!”

And it’s absolutely true – me just reaching out was a massive step forward for me. It went from seeing this person’s website to actually taking a step forward. And based on that, we had a consultation. And then we chatted. And I filled out a questionnaire. And, it seems, I said the right things. I set up an appointment and I took a step I never thought I would take. 

I actually felt a lot of vulnerability. And not in a bad way – but in a way that was allowing my mind to accept that everything wasn’t perfect and that I couldn’t fix everything just by existing. 

A lot of times I truly thought I could do that. 

Here’s a secret – it didn’t work. 

I had to accept that everything wasn’t perfect. I don’t want to say I hit “rock bottom,” but it’s the best way to explain it. I needed to come to the conclusion that I had to find a way to get help to fix things. 

So I asked. 

Let’s be clear, though. There are different levels of getting help. I feel I’m on the lower end of things. To me, it wasn’t life or death. To me, it was a way to find out different aspects of me and to find fulfillment. And I realize, too, this isn’t an overnight thing. It will require some time and some maintenance. And that;s OK. 

But as I read about many other people and therapy, I realize I’m actually quite lucky. Sure, reaching out and getting some help is a big step and one I needed to do, but I also realize that so many others have it worse. Where therapy is a lifeline. And maybe me finally taking this step and taking care of myself will help me avoid anything major happening. 

And things happen for a reason, right? 

This therapist checked all the boxes for me – I didn’t want a male perspective, I wanted a female perspective; she took insurance (score!), and it was a more modern approach. Apparently some of the things I wrote out in the initial questionnaire resonated, too, as becoming a client worked out. I’ve been a handful of times since I initially went and I find it’s helped. I’ve found some clarity in life and a different viewpoint/outlook on certain things. It’s also made me realize life isn’t so bad. 

There’s a lot of shit in this world. And you add every aspect where stimulation can come from – work, relationships, a million streaming services or channels, the political atmosphere, social media, sports, finances … should I go on? You add every bit of that together and the human mind and body gets taxed. A lot. And I’m not talking about money. 

Before all of this, I would get highly anxious, stressed out, angry, or all sorts of other feelings. I’d be exhausted during a regular day. I would have a hard time concentrating and focusing on things that needed to be done. I would dive a little too hard into work and not so much into my personal world. 

That’s not really a way to live. 

And since I’ve started, all of that has improved. Vastly. 

The sessions I’ve had have been informative and a way for me to express myself. And it’s funny, too, as I’m not ashamed or embarrassed about going – even though I thought I would feel it. 

Timing, too, can be a major player. If I had done this 3-4 months ago, or longer, would I have felt the same way? Or, was the timing key when I made the initial contact?

It’s OK to take care of yourself. It’s not a bad thing to do things like this if it helps you live a better life. These are facts. You don’t need to fit into some stereotype because society says one thing or another. Be you. And take care of you. 

THE HARPER EFFECT 

I can’t talk about mental or physical health without talking about Harper. And though I thought I was going to go even longer, this post has already gotten super long … so I’ll tackle other things in a future post. 

Harper is a massive part of my upswing in things. It doesn’t really matter what kind of day I have, when I get home and see her things change. 

They truly do. 

She’s pretty amazing to have in my world.

We walk multiple times a day. We hang out with one another. She’s my rock. And she really also seems to know when I just need her to be with me. And even times when maybe I don’t need it! 

But, she’s my companion. We travel with one another. We hike and walk and go to different places. We go to baseball games and whatever else we can find. I skip a lot of things that aren’t dog friendly because I hate leaving her behind and I won’t leave her in the car for more than a few minutes usually (if I need to quickly run into the store etc). 

But I’d be lying if I said sometimes it’s hard. There are times I just want to do nothing, but I have to walk her or whatever else. And in the end, it’s usually a good thing. 

Remember the thing I said earlier about timing? 

Same goes here. 

I got Harper when I was ready for a dog. If I had gotten her a few years earlier, it might have been different. But I got her when I needed her most and it’s been a super blessing. 

This weekend, we embark on a road trip together as we head to GeoWoodstock. I’m anxious about parts of it with Harper, but excited at the same time. Though I’ve been to a handful of GeoWoodstocks – the largest geocaching events in North America – this will be the first with Harper. I know it will probably be a weekend of eating on the run or whatever, but I’m OK with that. The beauty of the weekend will be that it’s with her. Where we can go, we will. Where we can’t, we won’t. And that’s all good. We will handle this weekend together, as we always do. 

FINDING PEACE

I am sure I have a lot more to say about different things. This post got extremely long without me touching on some other subjects, which I plan to do in the future. My goal with this post was to let me kind of put some thoughts in order and, honestly, try and show to others who might look at things the way I once did, that taking control or getting help isn’t a bad thing. 

It’s a really good thing. 

Life is hard right now for many people. And the reason can vary for people – finances, relationships, work, personal life, political spectrum, health, family, friends and the list can go on. All of these items can be good for you or bad – and you never know what might be beating somebody else down. 

I’ve simplified a lot of things. I have some projects I want to work on that will make personal spaces better. I enjoy being outside and cooking on my Blackstone. I enjoy music much more than I have for a few years.

And it’s allowed me to find some peace in life. My zen, if you will.

I know this much, I’m moving in the right direction and I feel better in most aspects of my life than I have in a long time. I’m in a much better place.

That’s a start. And a big one. And one I’m happy and proud about. 

So I’ll end here … and if you’re still with me, thank you. I appreciate you reading and allowing me to take up a little of your time. I’ll now sign off with how Jerry Springer used to end his crazy shows – until next time, take care of yourself, and each other. 

Side note: I realized I tackled some topics back in January with this post, but this is by far way more in-depth about certain aspects.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook!

2021: A year in review

In the past when I did my year in review post(s), they tended to come out in late December or earlier in January. 

But that’s OK – I haven’t done them in a few years, so this turned into a much longer post.

I have a feeling many of us would say 2021 was a year of craziness. Between Covid and all of the other things happening around the world, it was going to be nuts right off the bat. 

But, when you get into personal worlds, things can be different. Depending where one lives, you may have been able to do things differently or were able to kind of have a “life” of sorts. 

Living in a small area has allowed me to live life a little more loosely, all while making sure I follow the guidelines set in place. So let’s take a peek back at 2021. 

1. Harper

To say my life changed on July 2 would be an understatement. That’s when this little furball of a puppy came into my life. We had picked out Harper from a breeder about 1.5 hours away and got her at nine weeks. I had done so much research on dogs and golden retrievers over the past year or two, so I thought I was ready for this. 

To a point, I was. But in a lot of ways, I wasn’t even close. 

Puppies are a lot of work. 

I took two weeks off from work when she came home and I was naive to believe that’s all I would need to get her into being the perfect dog. 

Harper on the day she came home!

Ha!

I can’t even say how wrong I was. 

Let me say this … if I didn’t have the emotional attachment I have to Harper, and I could go back in time knowing everything I know now, I wouldn’t do it. I would likely still be dogless, or would have tried to find a rescue I could bond with. But, I can’t go back in time and with Harper being more than eight months old now, it’s amazing to see how far she has come. 

That doesn’t take away how hard it was for a few months, physically and emotionally. I also think it’s quite safe to say I will never go through having a puppy again. One time is enough for me. I was at the end of my rope many times. I questioned if I should keep her or talk to the breeder about returning or maybe rehoming. 

Then she’d look at me with that golden look. And she’d sit at my feet. 

Like I could get rid of her?

I also was fortunate in finding a great doggy daycare/boarding place. The owner owns goldens, so that was great. And Harper loves going there. 

But…

The biggest thing that happened was finding the right trainer. I had one session with a trainer and I just didn’t agree with the style, so I contacted another who was highly recommended. 

Harper in December

Life. Saver. 

I truly believe it’s safe to say that if I hadn’t found her, I’m not sure where I’d be. She doesn’t just train the dog, she trains you. She’s always there to help and work with you. She’s also into dog sports and we’ve worked to make sure Harper is, too. While she enjoys everything so far (toss and fetch was the first), it seems her love is dock diving. I want to also try some agility, eventually, with her, but I love dock diving and that’s what I want to focus on. It’s so much fun and Harper showed great strides in the fall. I can’t wait until spring to see where she can go with this!

One thing I’ve learned, however, is this is going to be constant. She will continue to learn and grow. And it’s a constant growing experience for me. We are still working on some things – such as her wanting to jump up on people or trying to get stuff on counters. But that will come in time. 

Over the six months she’s been with us, what have we learned? A lot. She’s grown into a great dog. She’s one who will cuddle and snuggle. She loves to play fetch, more with tennis balls. And she will go for a long time if I let her. She’s curious. She’s stubborn. She loves to walk, but she needs a job so she is usually carrying a stick or a stuffed animal. 

I’ve been told I seem to smile more and laugh more. I hope that’s true. She’s brought a lot of enjoyment (and frustration at times) into my life, but I’m really starting to have a crazy good bond with her, and I’m trying to plan more places I can go with her. I also love when I come in from work and she comes running to see me. 

Where from here?

Well, I want to work on her with photography more. She tends to shy away from “posed” photos, but I can get plenty of sleeping and action photos. The jumping needs to be worked on as well. Finally, the other big thing is working on her in cars more. She gets motion sickness at times and will throw up. I have a lot of places I want to take her, so this is something I need to keep working on. With my 50th coming up in a couple of years, I’m already planning an epic road trip and I want her with me, of course. 

I post plenty of things about Harper on my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hoohaa29/), and I’m sure there will be posts on here. But, Harper also has her own Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/harper_dublin/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/HarperTheGolden), but I need to do a lot more work on that one.

There is no doubt that Harper is my No. 1 item for 2021. I look forward to watching her grow and develop and continue to be part of my world. 

2. My health/personal life

I was doing so good.

For the first part of 2021, my A1C continued to go down. It was awesome. And the last 3-4 months of the year changed that. High stress – from work and Harper and the holidays and everything else, I just wasn’t good. I was still working on Harper and walking, so I wasn’t moving as much as I should have been. And I also ate more crap and my portion control went out the window. Thankfully, I haven’t put on a ton of weight, but at the same time my A1C took a jump up (got my results a few days ago). 

It’s not an excuse, but I know what happened. And I know the reason. So it’s time to dial it back and get myself on the right path again. I have done it before and know I can do it again. 

Harper walking more will help. 

I’m also trying to utilize my normal planner into a life journal. The weekly look at things has more on it than just the normal stuff. If all goes well, that will give me some accountability. It won’t happen overnight as I don’t have a ton of self-control at times, but it will happen. 

All of my other blood test results looked fine. My blood pressure and such was fine. 

In regard to other things, I’m pretty content in life. I was able to travel a little and get out and see things. More on that below. 

Being able to get away some, like this short trip to the Jersey Shore, has helped my mental and physical well being.

I think the reality of our current world situation – not just the pandemic, but everything political and all, has made me realize that I need to find the more fun things in life. I have to find the simple pleasures. 

Part of that, of course, is trying to find things to ground myself and enjoy the steps in life. That, in turn, should help with my health. 

See, I’ve always been a bit high strung when it comes to stressful things. Over the past few years, I’ve worked on that to try and dial it back. Part of my issue is work. I tend not to say no, or take on way too many things. When I was at the newspaper, I rarely turned something down or made a case why I shouldn’t do it. I just did it. I’d have vacation days at the end of the year that I needed to take or lose them because throughout the year, I’d not take them. 

In the end, I was laid off due to cuts. The newspaper didn’t show me any loyalty when all was said and done, so what did I get in the end? Notta. 

Therefore, as I moved forward, I knew I had to watch for myself. Everybody is replaceable. At my current job. I still push myself probably too far. But I don’t sacrifice “me” time. I take vacations. I take care of myself. And, for the most part, those above me encourage and support employees to take care of themselves. Mental health issues are real and I’m lucky that my employer(s) take things seriously and don’t want to see people have issues. 

That means I take vacations and unplug. I try to get outside and explore. I look to see new things and experience different parts of life. With Harper, I like to go and see different things. 

And a lot of times, when I do this, I don’t look at my email etc. 

Exploring the world around me has been beneficial healthwise. I tend to smile a bit more when I get outside and I’m seeing different things now. Everything is new to Harper, so it’s enjoyable to explore with her and see what she finds interesting. 

My health – both physical and mental – are doing much better since the start of 2021. Though I took some steps backward with my diabetes control, everything else seems to be doing better. It’s a long road and I will keep working on it. 

3. COVID

What a world in which we live. 

COVID has taken over everything. And no matter what side of the fence you are on when it comes to the severity of it, masks, or vaccinations, the reality is we are still deep into it. 

And we’re also at a breaking point. 

The reality is, the majority of people who are going to get vaccinated have already done so. Those who are against it are likely not going to change their mind. And masks? Those who will wear them do so. Those who won’t, don’t. 

We’re two years into this. Almost 5.75 million people around the world have died from the disease, including more than 900,000 in the United States. 

People are going to be set in their ways and beliefs. Sure, you’ll get some who might change their minds some. But the reality is, most are staying along the path. At some point, though, you have to wonder when we start coming out of this. Is there herd immunity? Is there something with the variants getting weaker as they come out? Will it become a yearly “flu” shot? 

I’m vaccinated. I have a booster. And I wear a mask. I’ve been exposed a couple of times and am thankful I didn’t show any symptoms. I haven’t had to be quarantined because I am vaccinated. But at the same time, it still wears on me. I try to do what I can to stay safe and healthy. And I hope others, even if they are against the vaccine and masks, will take others into consideration when making decisions. The sooner we can all get closer to being on the same page, the sooner we can hopefully move away from this and get back to some sort of normal. 

4. Baseball! 

One thing felt a bit normal in 2021 – being able to go to baseball games. 

It started in April when we went to a Phillies game. At that point, there were limited seats. Only like 10,000 people were in the stadium, and masks were to be worn. 

As the season continued – at the minor and major league levels, more people were allowed in, of course based on where you were. Mask mandates were lifted or softened. By the end of the year, it truly felt like baseball again. 

I didn’t make a lot of baseball trips this year. In fact, I only hit four stadiums – Syracuse, Binghamton, Philadelphia, and Aberdeen. The last one was on a late-summer trip to the Baltimore area for geocaching. 

It was nice to be able to hit a few baseball games this year, even if the majority of them were closer and quick trips

It was nice to be back in a stadium for games. I likely would have been to more games, but with getting Harper, it was harder. We did take her to one “Bark in the Park” in Binghamton and will do so again this upcoming season. 

The little things truly do help you cope with the bigger picture. Even just a fireworks night at a baseball game can help make you smile a bit.

It’s funny, though. A few summers ago, I was pushing 75 games. At the end of the summer, I was thinking how crazy it was. Fun? Yes. But still crazy. And it wore me out. Then the first summer of covid, where all minor league games were canceled and no fans for MLB came and went. And, shockingly, I didn’t miss being in the stands as much as I thought I would. 

It was great to get back to it this summer, though. I’ve realized that if I stay in the 25-40 game range most summers, I’ll be quite content and not feel burnt out from going to games. 

It’s only January, but baseball will be back soon enough. Well, hopefully. They still need to figure out the CBA. 

5. Travel 

Travel returned this year to many people. With the loosening of requirements, people got out and visited friends and family. Went to new places. And tourism started to come back into the world. 

I can’t say I went a lot of places, but I got out a little bit, even if just for a few small trips. I had the chance to go see some baseball games this past summer and I also hit up the shore twice, so that was nice. 

I didn’t travel as much as I might have liked this year, but one thing is for sure — I’ve realized you can travel closer to home and still find fun things to do!

I will admit that I’m still a little skeptical about flying. I realize it’s probably overall safe, but I’m not sure how I feel about being masked up for a several-hour flight. And remember, I’m pro-mask for myself in most situations – and being in a tube above the world for a few hours would be a place where I’d wear it. 

But, as things seemingly start to slowly once again improve (I hope), maybe things will get better. 

One other thing to consider moving forward, though, is Harper. I plan to hopefully take her on many trips, which will scratch flying. I am not one to want to put her through that experience if not necessary. 

I’ve also realized over the past year, there’s a lot of things within driving range I’d like to see. New York State has a ton of amazing parks to explore. There are different places throughout the Northeast I’d love to see. And heck, there’s much more in the United States and Canada I’d like to see – and it can all pretty much be done via car, which also means being able to bring Harper with me. 

Look around your own backyard and parks and such near you – sometimes traveling doesn’t have to be far to find some fun things to do. 

6. Geocaching/getting outside

Getting outside was a must in the past two years.

And though I haven’t geocached as much as I once did, it was nice to get out there and do it again. There’s plenty of them to find around me, so it has been good when I’ve needed to do something. I’ve done a few geocaching trips as well, which has allowed me to see some new areas and parks. 

I’ve tried to be out more and to also get back into geocaching a bit. It’s been fun and it’s also nice to find some creative hides.

In 2021, I found a total of 231 geocaches, which isn’t my best year by far, but also isn’t my worst. The good part of it is that it was toward the end of the year that the numbers started coming around. I did 23 days worth of geocaching, averaging 10 per day. 

The good part is many of those caching days were toward the end of 2021, which means I started getting into it again. As 2022 has started, I’ve already started getting some days in, which is great. And I’ve been bringing Harper along, which is even better. 

Obviously, Harper won’t be logging in her finds and such, but she seems to enjoy wandering around and exploring as we’re out on the trails caching. It’s just been really nice to get out and find some caches as well as place a few. 

7. Financial 

I’m in a better place at the end of 2021 than in the beginning, that’s for sure, I’m still not where I probably should be overall, but it takes time. 

If you think back to when I came out of college, I went to work for a daily newspaper. Needless to say, I wasn’t getting rich there. Looking back, I have to wonder how some people survived (or still do) working for newspapers. It’s definitely not a way to get rich. Hell, in many cases, it’s not a way to even be middle class. And while I’m currently not on track to be rich, I’m comfortable. And even better? I’m saving for retirement, and doing so rather aggressively. 

A few years ago, I opened a new credit card and transferred all balances because it gave me interest free on the balance for like 21 months. I paid that off last January, which was outstanding. That meant I was out of credit card debt. 

Now, I use my credit cards sporadically for purchases and then work to pay them off as fast as I can. It was nice because I had a Lowe’s card that I put the fence for Harper on. That will take some time to pay off as it was an investment, but I felt a lot more comfortable doing it with having a clear balance. 

I also am adding more to my retirement accounts as I know it’s something I have to keep building. When I started this current job, I had zero savings for retirement. And what little amount I did have, I had to use when I was unemployed. 

With working for the state, I have a pension now, which is nice. I also have two retirement accounts I’m building. Who knows where this world will be when I finally can retire, but I want to be as ready for it as possible. I wish I had worked for the state a lot sooner in life, but there’s not much I can do about it now. The end result is I will just have to work until at least 65, if not a bit beyond that, to maximize certain things. I’m OK with that. It’s just nice to know things are building toward that age. 

Finances are tricky and always a work in progress. I’m definitely better now than I was 10 years ago, if not just the understanding part of things. 

8. Looking back

I know many people will look at 2021 and yell about how bad the year was. With Covid still running rampant, and everything else in my country and the world as a whole, the year was tough for a lot of people. 

The one thing with the pandemic is I’ve tried to find the silver linings. I do think when this is all done and past us (and I do believe it will at some point) we will find some positives. I can think of a few. It’s just a shame we’ve had to go through a lot of negativity and a prolonged pandemic to find any of the good things. 

To me, 2021 will always be the year of Harper. It’s hard for me to think of it as a bad year when she came out of it. The key is for all of us to keep pushing forward and try to make this world a positive and better place for all!

And, at the same time, will anything positive from this ever outweigh all the bad that happened? Will we ever have a normal again? 

For me, I look at 2021 in a few ways.

I feel I became more in touch with different things and I really think I appreciate things a bit more. The little things, anyway. We’re only here for a short bit of time, so we need to start realizing what is important. 

In 2021, I got Harper. For that alone, it’s a pretty good year. Though it’s been hard and frustrating at times, she’s become such a big part of my life. I’ve learned a lot from having her and I know the future with her will be a fun journey. 

And 2021 ended with hope. Will we get out of all of this in 2022? Will things start to return to somewhat normal? Time will only tell but we can continue to hope. 

Until then, try and be good to one another and yourself. Here’s hoping 2022 is a good year for all of you and that we have a lot to be thankful for when we flip the calendar.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

It’s a dog’s world … and I’m trying to navigate it

This is likely going to be a long post, so I’ll make sure to put a bunch of photos within it to keep things flowing!

Welcome to the dog’s world. 

It’s a place many are in and many continually go. It’s a spot where dogs frolic and play; where they snuggle and nap; and where they live a life of pure bliss among their humans. 

It’s really quite a place. 

The thing is – it takes time to get to that place. It’s not automatic. It’s not something that is easy to get to, though I’ve been assured that once you get there, everything before it is fully worth it. 

The prelude

I’ve wanted a dog for a long time. Like several years. The reason? I wanted a companion who I could walk and hike with; one who could go with me to many places; and one who I could explore with, take lots of photos, and also give them the best life I could possibly give. 

For those who know me, you know any major decision usually requires lots and lots of research. And in the years leading up, I read so many things on different breeds, and their temperaments, and everything in between. 

Meet Harper!

Remember, too, I’ve never owned a dog. 

In the end, it came down to a few different breeds, but the winner was a golden retriever. Everything I researched pointed me to this breed, so I set forth on the journey. 

I started with shelters and didn’t find much. Most were mix breeds. I was hellbent on a purebred pooch, so I kept looking. I looked at golden retriever rescues, but the amount of hoops I would have to go through made it really hard, especially because of the following: The rescues were a long distance away; and it was in the middle of a pandemic, so it made it even harder to try and get certain things completed. 

Many breeders, too, were so far out of my price range it wasn’t even funny. I couldn’t then, and couldn’t now (especially knowing how much I’ve spent since getting a pup) justify $2,500 and above for a dog. 

Eventually, I found a local breeder who had some high regards from people I knew. Her prices were affordable, and she had the papers for everything as well. So I got excited. Alas, months and months went by. Her pups weren’t getting it on, so no pups. One thing I didn’t want to do was to get one in the late fall/early winter as I didn’t want to have to learn to train when it’s cold or snowing out. 

Eventually, after many searches, I found a breeder about an hour and a half from me. They were affordable. The litter was from AKC registered dogs. They had a female, which I had wanted. So I settled in on visiting, picking one out, and then going forward. I got to see where the dogs were kept, and I met the parent pooches, too. I felt secure in this breeder.

Stepping back

Now, I picked my dog up at nine weeks. In a perfect world, it would have been 12 and she would have had some basic training already in place. But this is how it happened, and we move along. She’s now almost six months old and coming along very well. 

That being said …

No amount of research in the world can prepare you for something like this – especially when it’s your first dog. I had people tell me … be ready, this is a lot more than you think. The training etc. Be prepared. And though I felt mostly prepared, I wasn’t fully. And it showed (and still does) in a lot of things. 

Keep in mind she’s not going anywhere. But, if I could reset time and know then what I know now, there’s a good chance I wouldn’t have gotten any puppy or dog. I likely would have stayed with cats. I have had them most of my life and know how they work. 

That being said, my name isn’t Marty McFly, and I don’t have a friend named Doc, and he definitely doesn’t own a DeLorean. I’m not going to be hitting 1.21 gigawatts to morph back in time. And as the weeks go on, this feeling isn’t in my mind as much.

I realized the only way to face it was to move forward the best I could.

Bundle of fur

On July 2, I picked up Harper (AKC name: Harper Dublin). 

She’s a beauty and she was so adorable and friendly. I took her home in a laundry basket and 15 minutes into the ride, she puked. So, I stopped, cleaned it up the best I could, and then tried to settle her in. Within about 10 minutes or so, she was sleeping and did so for most of the ride home. 

The first night, I didn’t crate her. 

The second night, I did, and I used the divider. The third night, the divider came out. After four or five days, I stopped sleeping downstairs. 

Sleeping on the way home for the first time!

She’s become way better with the crate over time. It’s attached to a playpen as well. If she’s in the pen for a timeout, or for relax time, she’ll often go into the crate and curl up. She doesn’t really do it normally on her own otherwise (she has a few times). I do wonder if the playpen wasn’t attached… if she might go into it a bit more. That said, when she goes in for naps or the night, she doesn’t fight it.

More on that later. 

On day 2, I met with a trainer for two hours. We were shown several things. And though I know who the trainer is, I didn’t feel a vibe. Maybe it’s the philosophy or style. But I didn’t feel Harper dug it, either. It’s much like anything else — sometimes you just don’t match up with somebody. So for the next several days, we were blind. We didn’t know what to do. I read and read and read. Then I reached out to a co-worker who had told me about another trainer. I got the contact information and I spoke with her on the phone for 45 minutes and loved her philosophy. At the end of the week, we had our first meeting with this trainer. 

Before that, we were doing everything we had been told. Harper went outside often. After every meal. After waking up. After playing. Outside. Outside. Outside. 

She still had accidents. 

Now, it usually wasn’t too bad. But they were there. I was pulling out my hair because we always made sure she was outside and would go. (psssst… remember… first time dog owner)!

But then? It seemed like she was magically reformed. No accidents for a few days. That turned into a week. And then weeks. And then months. She tells us if she needs to go out. She sleeps through the night. She was fully potty trained by about week 12 or so, which I thought was a major step.

Emotional roller coaster

I was not (and, at times, still am not — though it’s extremely rare now) in a good spot emotionally through the early going. Realize that, for me, this was a huge commitment. I was used to doing what I wanted … whenever I wanted. If I wanted to go to a game, I went. If I wanted to go geocaching, I went. If I wanted to just go somewhere on a whim, I could. This changed things.

Now I have another being to worry about. 

Harper lives the good life!

Look, the idea was still there. The hope was still there. But I found the constraints very tough. I broke down numerous times. I debated calling the breeder to see about returning, or even re-homing.

These weren’t just thoughts – they were, at one point, legitimate options and choices. 

The issue? 

Could I imagine life without Harper in it?

The answer, as you may have guessed, was no. The decision to get Harper wasn’t lightly done. The decision to keep her also was not lightly done. Because, and let’s be honest, I also had to think what was best for her. Was me owning her actually the best for her? 

In the end, I decided it was. 

That doesn’t mean I am perfect with things now. I’m not. I still have my moments. I still second-guess my decision. And remember what I said above about time travel. For several months, I truly suffered from the puppy blues (Google it, it’s real). In the end, though, she’s home. And she knows it. And she saddles up to us. And she knows she’s safe, even if she does make me boil over sometimes. 

Growing with one another

I’ve never had kids. 

I’ve never had a dog. 

Mix those two together and I’ve never had to worry about training, or teaching, or anything like that. I used to just pet and play with other people’s dogs. When it comes to kids, if the crying started or anything like that … hand them back. 

Not any more. 

This dog needed to learn. And more than that, I needed (and still need) to learn. 

My temper sometimes gets the best of me. I’ve had to learn that putting her in her exercise pen sometimes as a timeout is needed. But in the end, she’s a puppy. She’s learning, too. 

Enforced nap times were so important.

One thing I can’t stress enough, though, is having a trainer. Not just a trainer, but somebody who you trust and understand and one who also understands you and your dog. I have that and I’m thankful for it. 

That has helped us grow. 

Our trainer, Nanci, has an amazing way with dogs. She’s highly positive and puts things into perspective. That’s not to say I’m perfect – far from it. Harper drives me absolutely nuts at times and I still haven’t been able to reclaim certain aspects of my life that I hope to do at some point when she’s out of the puppy stage. That will come over time.

But we’re making ground. 

I’ve done individual lessons, and I took a six-week puppy class. At the end of that class, she passed her AKC S.T.A.R Puppy test! I look forward to other AKC achievements. It’s also helped that Nanci is big into dog sports. I’ve joined the local club, and I’ve had the chance to do some disc, a lure course, and our first dock-diving lesson, which Harper loved.

If you are getting a puppy, I can’t stress enough how great it is to have a trainer, especially if you have no idea what you are doing. I would almost guarantee that if we didn’t have this trainer, there is no chance Harper would be where she is and also I’m not sure I would have survived it. 

One of the best things we did was mandate nap times. It’s helped her relax and calm because she gets some needed sleep. If not, she’d likely push it as far as she could, and that ends up being bad for all involved. She’s much better at chilling when she’s tired and I also now know how to read her better in that regard.

Dealing with me

“You have to make sure Harper is on your schedule; not that you are on hers.” 

I’m paraphrasing here, but that was basically the sentiment we were told in one of the lessons. My biggest issue was feeling like I couldn’t do a thing while she was a puppy.

That’s far from the truth.

I’m now starting to realize that I can do other things. And I shouldn’t feel bad about it. In time, I hope Harper can do a lot of those things with me. But for now, I have to be able to break away. If she needs to be crated for a while, a frozen Kong keeps her occupied for a bit, and then she usually falls asleep. As she’s grown older, she can be left in the playpen without worry, which gives her room to move around and also slip into the crate for a comfy nap.

Just chillin’

I also had to figure out how to make myself enjoy this journey much more. I’ve come to grips with my world changing, but I had to deal with my head as well. 

It’s safe to say, I lived a care-free life. I paid my bills. I did the things I had to do. But I am not married and I don’t have kids. If I wanted to take off for a weekend, I could. Go to a game? Sure. Just go disappear for a few hours? No problem. If I wanted to stay up super late for the hell of it? Do it.

The reality is, at times in life, I get lonely (which was part of wanting a dog) and when I felt that emotion, I’d find something to do. Maybe it’s playing on the computer. Maybe it’s caching. Maybe it’s baseball. Maybe it’s a long walk or a hike. But I would counteract it. While this was all starting, I didn’t do a lot of that because I felt like I had to be with the dog all the time. 

Everybody I know who owns a golden has told me – stick with it. The payoff will be there. You just have to put the time and work in. I am doing that, but while I do that – I also work on me. As for the latter? Hopefully as I work on myself, that benefits Harper, too.

Finding the inner zen

This journey includes a lot of frustration. 

From the nipping and the biting; to the zoomies and the growling at times; to the pulling on the leash or the digging the lawn; to the burn marks in the lawn from her pee – it can get very hard. 

I can’t say my temper is always kept under control. I will sometimes scream, or I will shorten her leash to try and get her to simmer. I don’t hit Harper or anything like that, but I have realized those time outs I mentioned earlier do come in handy. 

Harper loves to watch other dogs if we get to training early.

I’ve learned to not always make eye contact. That has also helped, I stand up and walk away. We’re working on her jumping on people and furniture. And we need to work on not begging for food if we are eating.. She’s a puppy after all. But these behaviors need to be curbed, so I want to make sure we are moving in the right direction. In the months as she’s grown, these things have improved. Especially with having adult teeth!

It doesn’t always make it easier on my mind, but we celebrate all the little things. And that really helps. 

She sits on command. She pretty much knows her name, though I think I need to make sure I am doing some of the games for that to reinforce. She shakes. She lies down, sometimes with or without luring, but we’re still working on the magic word with that. We are still working on loose-leash walking. Her walks are getting much better and she doesn’t always go crazy on them anymore. We’ll still work on her actually walking more, though. It’s nice to be out with her and people seem to adore her.

What’s not to adore? She’s pretty even-tempered, doesn’t go attacking or barking, and is genuinely a gentle soul.

Walking has been a slow process. Part of the reason I wanted a dog was to take on walks and enjoy life with. I realized, too, that if I didn’t start getting away from the house, then how will she learn?

See, sometimes I read too many things. So many people think you can’t walk dogs until a certain age, or a certain condition, or whatever else. Every dog, much like people, are different. There are opinions on food, when to spay or neuter, and when you should do one thing or another. But you know your dog. You should, in conjunction with your vet (who, I hope, you trust) decide all health matters with your dog. Posting on internet forums or Facebook is going to get you nothing more than a plethora of opinions and probably more stress than you need or want. 

So, where are we?

I got my dog because I wanted a companion. 

I walk a lot, and I wanted a dog to join me. When I got Harper, my walking went down. I have worked back on that where I do get a morning walk by myself and then start the day with her. Her and I go on walks and adventures. I take her places to explore.

I also have been saying I think things will vastly improve once Harper is out walking with me. My mental and physical health has taken a bit of a negative toll because of how things are, but that has been steadily changing.

Harper loves water!

Harper also goes to doggy daycare, and she’s also done a couple of overnights at the same place. She loves it there because she has her dog pals (the owner has four goldens!) and there’s a small pool she gets to splash around in.

Did I mention Harper likes water?

She’s been involved with some dog events locally, and recently took her first dock diving lesson. That was a blast. She’s such a good swimmer!

The journey is long. She’s getting so big, too. But she’s growing into her own and she’s really smart and learning. I have a book of tricks (101!) that I am starting to look through and I want her to learn many of these. The AKC tests and achievements will be fun, too, and I continue to look at different things her and I can do together.

Sometimes, it’s just sitting on the porch together watching the world go by.

And that’s OK. Because she likes it. And it’s a dog’s world after all.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!