He's at it again

You may remember from our previous blog when I wrote about Jay putting Great Stuff in our driveway. Yes, he found a gap between the concrete and the landscaping edging and decided this was how water was seeping under the foundation of our home. Let me take a moment to tell you about the thorn in Jay's side known as "water under the foundation." He battled this issue for the first 2 years we owned this house. It drove me insane and drove him to try a multitude of solutions to try to stop the water from running under the foundation. Our front yard was a mess for about 1.5 years. I'm sure the neighbors thought a pair of trailor hackets had moved in. All we needed was a fridge on the front porch...and maybe a stack of burning leaves out by the road. Anyway, one day I find him sealing this gap with Great Stuff, which is a mustard-yellow color puffy paint looking material and hardens and seals up things. Apparently, he thought it would work for the yard. It did not, but I applauded his efforts. We eventually had a french drain created in our front yard (thanks to my brother's business - RL Grading) and this is what stopped the water from seeping under the house.

We'll, we took on a new task of painting our foundation a darker gray to conceal some mud stains back last summer....and we apparently painted our vent covers. This caused them to be stuck in the open position. We were unaware of this issue until the cold snap swept across the Upstate several weeks back, causing temperatures to dip into the teens at night. Jay, being the handyman that he sometimes is, decided to go and close all the foundation vents to help seal in some heat so our pipes would not burst. I would be one unhappy wife if I was forced to take a 15 degree shower the next morning and he was trying to spare his life. I heard him go outside and several minutes later, come back inside. Then I walk into the kitchen and see this lying there:

I didn't think much of it ... until I heard Jay digging around in a drawer in the garage. I have heard this noise before and I am fully aware that it means something is about to "fixed" in our house. "Fixed" refers to: caulking, painting, cleaning, caulking, buffing, washing, screwing, caulking, adjusting, spraying, spreading, etc. I go about my business, thinking to myself "I am going to wait this out and see his creative juices at work." A few minutes pass and then I see this:

It's a brown sack with duct tape on two sides. He's preparing to "fix" something with this very durable piece of creativity here. You may can see where this is going.

Jay goes back outside and I grabbed my camera in time to catch this:

Yep. He's "fixing" our stuck vent covers and using his homemade version to help keep the cold out. I'm not sure I need to say anymore.

The Kids

Samson and Zoe. They are our bouncy, lively, and often hilarious dogs. Allow me to introduce them.

This is Samson. Samson is a 10 year old...as you may can tell from the gray around his beak....black Lab. Jay got Samson in 2000.....B.N. days (Before Nikki) as a block-headed puppy. I only wish I could have met the young Samson. Jay tells stories of him chewing off a gear shift knob, running countless number of laps around his yard, making doggie love to his neighbors yellow Lab, and pooping on carpet (in other people's houses).

Not much has changed. He still runs countless laps around the yard. He has been taking Dux's (Jay's former K-9) multivitamin and joint medicine. I'm not sure what exactly is in the dog vitamins (crack, maybe?), but it has given Samson a whole new energy! Within an hour of consuming the vitamins, we'll hear this thundering noise outside, an occasional squeak, and heavy panting. It's Samson - making lap number 457 with his football toy (which is his favorite - no matter if he has recently peed on it or not) that he chews on while he runs. 

Samson still makes doggie love to one of two females in life (Play-a.). Samson has an attraction to Zoe (my female black Lab), which may be by default since she's the only other female dog in the yard with him. He also had a red-haired Irish Setter that lives a few streets over. Last year, we had major problems with Samson jumping our fence daily to go be with his red-headed lover. She may have had multiple litters of Lab-Setter mix puppies by now. We're not sure...and we're not paying child support.

And, Samson still poops in odd places....but typically in a bush. I appreciate his attempt to keep the poop hidden...and away from walking areas, but he's started missing his bushes. I think he has developed a skill of walking while he poops. He must have a strange talent, as I have never witnessed other dogs doing this, but but watch your step. His poop is not in a pile...it's little poop nuggets scattered around the yard. He's like a Pez dispenser and just lets it go when the urge hits. Nevermind it interrupting a game of fetch or another lap around the yard.

This is my beloved Zoe. I got her in 2004 when I moved into my apartment after college. I lived alone and was paranoid of someone being there uninvited, so I decided to get a canine companion. I specifically remember picking this female black Lab out of the litter because she crossed her legs when she laid down. How lady-like! She's been my bed mate, my blanket, my vacuum cleaner, and my guardian on several occasions. I say "guardian" lightly. Once when I had someone knock on my apartment door at 2:30am, she ran and barked at the door. However, she stood BEHIND me when I cracked the door to see who it was. Thanks, girl. Way to protect me. I guess she thought I was taller and should keep the could-be robber away from her.

Zoe's trait is eating. She loves to eat....like any other female I suppose. She used to sit by my side at the table and watch me eat while drool dropped to the floor. Now days, she watches me eat from the steps of our back deck and peeks in the window every time I am sitting at the dining room table. Zoe has put on the pounds over the past 3 years, since becoming an outdoor dog. I think I have traumatized her and eating is her way of coping. Maybe she eats to make Samson stop humping her; she trying to turn him off. Jay told me that she looked like her gut was going to swallow her head. So, she went on a diet several weeks ago and now only gets 1 measuring cup of food per day...which is driving her crazy. She looks at me like "Mom, this is all?!" It's quite comical!

I have introduced you to our Labadors, but I could never go without introducing you to our German Shepard.

This handsome stud is Dux. Dux and Jay spent many days chasing the bad guys, finding drugs, and cruising around Anderson. He was Jay's partner...and best friend. Dux had to be put to sleep on December 7 this year. His back hips gave out and he could not longer walk or stand. Hands down, this has been the most difficult thing I've had to do. I love dogs and any dog owner knows the attachment that comes between dog and dog owner.....and I was not even his owner. But, to see Jay in so much pain and to see Dux be so helpless was heart wrenching. Dux was loaded up in the patrol car one last time and taken to the vet's office. Within 30 minutes, he was in dog heaven....walking with new legs. He was cremated and we have his remains in a nice wooden box in the back bedroom. He will also have a tombstone at Chris Taylor Park, along with the other deceased K-9s.

Dux, we will love you forever and never forget you. Thanks for watching over Jay all those years and keeping us all safer. You're one-of-a-kind, bud.  RIP.