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Shelter Dogs, Bicycling
May. 20th, 2016 04:59 pmI felt immediately comfortable with the doctor and nurse who treated me at my first appointment this past week. It was a huge relief to interact with warm, accepting people who seem to care about their patients. The doctor increased my escitalopram to 20 milligrams. It may be a placebo effect since it takes a little while to ramp up blood chemistry, but I've been feeling notably better the past couple days.
At the shelter yesterday, I happened to be outside in the parking lot when a woman showed up with two very small kittens. She's involved with managing and spaying stray cats, and has a pack of them living near her house I think. She found the kittens in her back yard, abandoned by their mother. They are young enough that they will need intensive bottle feeding for a while. I helped carry them into the building as she walked in carrying her small son, so I got to handle and pet them. So cute!
I walked Brooklyn, an excitable and distractable Pit-mix. Other volunteers had trouble with her because she likes to suddenly start spinning in circles and growling, or to lie down in the grass and decide she doesn't want to walk. I shortly figured out that the answer is to distract her right back. I got her to focus on me, then jumped and called her to get her attention and made a short dash in one direction, getting her to follow me. Then she was ok walking with me for a while more. The shift captain said I was their "Brooklyn whisperer." I felt really good about myself.
Today, I went for a thirty mile ride, taking the North Branch Trail to the botanic gardens, then back along the Green Bay Trail. It was a bit longer than it might have been; I rode a big loop at one point because I was trying to find the trail's continuation north. I was actually already on it, but was convinced that I was going west. Oops! Next time I'll get it right for sure! Fitbit says I burned 1500 calories on the 2 and a half hour ride (hungry now!), and my wrist is fairly happy with me too. I did some stretches with it a few times on the ride, which I think kept it from stiffening up, and kept tendons and things where they're supposed to be. I'll probably try a couple more thirty mile trips, and then maybe do another fifty along the Lake Shore Trail.
At the shelter yesterday, I happened to be outside in the parking lot when a woman showed up with two very small kittens. She's involved with managing and spaying stray cats, and has a pack of them living near her house I think. She found the kittens in her back yard, abandoned by their mother. They are young enough that they will need intensive bottle feeding for a while. I helped carry them into the building as she walked in carrying her small son, so I got to handle and pet them. So cute!
I walked Brooklyn, an excitable and distractable Pit-mix. Other volunteers had trouble with her because she likes to suddenly start spinning in circles and growling, or to lie down in the grass and decide she doesn't want to walk. I shortly figured out that the answer is to distract her right back. I got her to focus on me, then jumped and called her to get her attention and made a short dash in one direction, getting her to follow me. Then she was ok walking with me for a while more. The shift captain said I was their "Brooklyn whisperer." I felt really good about myself.
Today, I went for a thirty mile ride, taking the North Branch Trail to the botanic gardens, then back along the Green Bay Trail. It was a bit longer than it might have been; I rode a big loop at one point because I was trying to find the trail's continuation north. I was actually already on it, but was convinced that I was going west. Oops! Next time I'll get it right for sure! Fitbit says I burned 1500 calories on the 2 and a half hour ride (hungry now!), and my wrist is fairly happy with me too. I did some stretches with it a few times on the ride, which I think kept it from stiffening up, and kept tendons and things where they're supposed to be. I'll probably try a couple more thirty mile trips, and then maybe do another fifty along the Lake Shore Trail.
