Friday, September 12 - Monday, September 15

 Friday, September 12

End of the week. We went to the pool for dinner in the evening. It was slightly too chilly to swim, though Andrew did get in.

Saturday, September 13

Greta had her first race of the season this morning, way out at Youthtowne. She did great, coming in 24 out of 76 and getting a PR. Afterward, she rode the team bus home and hung out on Walnut Street with two teammate friends. 

Later in the afternoon, we went to the pool for a nice swim. And we were back to the club Saturday evening for the annual Clam Bake. We met at our house first for prom-style photos and then had a fun night talking and dancing. Though we did dance in the baby pool, we did not, this year, go down the waterslide fully clothed into the main pool. I wore a dress with embroidered swans. Everyone was pretty amenable to going along with my absurd swan dance. Beth and Nate are used to my shenanigans but even the other friends with us didn't seem (too) alarmed.

Sunday, September 14

Greta and I had a scare this morning. I'd scattered some pellets in my closet, where Nutmeg was hanging out, because I wanted her to eat breakfast before we set out for her grooming appointment. To our horror, as we watched, Nutmeg nibbled some pellets then hopped underneath my shoe shelf, where she began drooling and making gagging-like motions. Greta scooped her up and put her into her carrier, and we set out immediately for the appointment, which was being held at Nutmeg's exotic vet's office. The office was closed, but we figured the people running the grooming session, though not vets, would be able to advise us.

And they did, confirming what we'd thought, which was the Nutmeg had choked. They advised a different type of pellet (even gave me some in a baggie for her) and said to hand-feed her so we could keep an eye on her. Nutmeg seemed okay at that point, though she was furious about the grooming--nails, brushing, ear cleaning. They brushed so much hair from her tiny body that it looked like another rabbit beside her. Fun fact: the woman grooming her remembered Nutmeg from her previous life as Kahlua, at the rescue--she'd been a volunteer there when we adopted Nutmeg. The Pittsburgh bun world is small.

Lucia made some Trader Joe's pumpkin bread tonight, slipping into a smug baking-show type character as she mixed, saying with a big, false, smile that her bread was made with chocolate chips "and a little bit of love." 

Greta ate the dinner I made (penne alla vodka) then made a gigantic pot of homemade mashed potatoes because she felt like it. 

Monday, September 15

Nutmeg is doing fine. I've been hand-feeding her and keeping a close watch, and she is okay. Andrew went to a Pirates game tonight, the kids had XC, and another week begins. Tonight Andrew was asking about something that we did when we lived in CA, and, without a ready answer, we did the only thing we could: turn to my blog books for dates and details. Of course we got caught up in reading old entries. Thank God for this blog. It means nothing to almost everyone, but it means everything to Andrew and me.