started off as a happy post! :(

So I am home alone Monday through Friday each week and you would think that would mean I have all this free time, but in fact it feels like the exact opposite. I guess when I have to cook and clean for myself every night by the time Fletch and I are both fed and Fletch has had his long nightly walk, we are both ready to veg on the couch for an hour before we have to go to bed.

So as you can guess, that was my very logical excuse on why this blog is constantly neglected.

This by no means means I have nothing exciting to report. In fact, that too is the opposite! Our life has been really quite entertaining considering Rick and I's limited time together.

So before I begin, I should apologize first for the lack of photographs. I have not been so good with keep my camera around these last few weeks.

So, my birthday was April 30th. I cut 12 inches of hair off on the 29th for a new fun quarter-of-the-century haircut! I absolutely love having short hair again, especially since it has gotten so hot!

Sorry the pictures are so blurry... they were all taken on my camera phone.



On my birthday, I went out to eat with my parents to the Bamboo (mmm filet mignon!) and then we went downtown to this new place called Julep's to have.. you guessed it mint juleps and the best bananas foster outside of Nawlins.

At the Bamboo my parents gave me my birthday surprise!!! Two nights at the Berkley Hotel!!! I have been talking for quite some time about how much I wanted to be able to stay downtown for a weekend, so I could actually enjoy what downtown has to offer. Rick and I never do anything downtown because so much driving is involved as well as parking being a pain!

Well, we had the longest, most relaxing weekend. It was like a mini-honeymoon! We ate at awesome restaurants, shopped at interesting stores and listened to some very awesome live jazz. I really felt like we had gone on vacation.

THANKS MOM AND DAD!!!!!!

I went to the allergist on Monday for the first time, only to discover that I am allergic to everything outside. The scratch tests were so bad that the doctor insisted on me showing him how to use my camera phone to take a picture so I could see how bad my back reacted.

Proof I am allergic to the outside world.

I am now on an allergy steroid for this whole week which has helped tremendously! I have an allergy pill to take daily as well as a nose spray and an eye drop. I go back in about 2 weeks... not sure if they are doing more testing or if it is just to see how things are going. I guess we will see.

So, needless to say, I have laid low this week. Fletch and I haven't been to the dog park all week because of the weather! I am sure he is super sad, but I have been trying to walk him every time there is a break in the rain. This does mean that we have been caught in torrential downpours! We do plan to go to the dog park on a puppy play date today! (Heidi is watching her boyfriend's boxer for the weekend, so we are meeting them in a bit!)

Last night, my parents, my cousin Elizzabeth, Rick and I went to a play called the Great Trailer Park Trash Muscial at the Firehouse Theater. It was pretty comical, a little long but definitely had its good parts. It is exactly everything you would expect from the title... raunchy, redneck and ridiculous!

Then we headed to Mulligan's for Karaoke night which was pretty fun but not as fun as our birthday bash is going to be tonight! About 20 of our friends are coming over to hang out on our patio to celebrate both Rick and I's birthdays.

Elizzabeth and Heidi singing a country song?


So as I was posting this about 4 hours ago, I hear a crash and then Fletch yelp and jump from the couch. When I look up there is blood all over the floor. He had broken a picture frame and stepped on the broken glass. He sliced his right paw pad pretty deeply. So deep, we called the vet and thankfully they were able to squeeze us in.

Long story short, they bandaged him up after cleaning his wound very well. We have to go back on Monday to make sure it is healing correctly and get a bandage change. They are going to make the call on stitches or not on Monday. I have been so sad for him, he is my baby and this is our first injury! I feel crazy!

While we were there, I had the vet check out Fletch's ears because they have been looking a little funky. Of course he has an ear infection in both ears! Its no wonder they say you should get a dog before having babies of your own!

So, Fletch is passed out on the couch after his long and stressful morning. He has 2 different medicines for his ears that require 2 people to administer, so this single-parent-thing during the week is going to be interesting. Luckily, I have very kind friends who have volunteered to come over at 6am and help me do it!

Needless to say, we will not be meeting Heidi and Jackson at the dog park later. Nor will we be going to the dog park anytime this week. :(

Have you ever seen such a sad soul? He has tears welling up in his eyes :(

Well hope this finds everybody having a better day than we are. At least we have a fun night to look forward to!

I will keep posting about Fletch and try and take lots of pictures at the party tonight!

Love,
your sad-gimpy richmond rices.

Ps. Looks like Fletch is the perfect match for our little family seeing as how I am such a klutz who has the freakiest most random accidents!