Thank you to everyone that has responded to my thread!! I really do appreciate every one of you, this will help me out and hopefully help anyone else on this site!!!

I have always wanted a GSD and of course after the pug, who took months to housebreak and never responded to his name - I would stand in the yard and call "treat" to get him to come in, or shake the milk bone box - the idea of a really smart dog had great appeal. Now that he is deaf we follow him around and remind him why he is outside.
She learns everything super fast and is beginning to tolerate strangers passing her at the park, especially if there are a lot of people like at the campground. She gets stressed and grumpy but does give up barking. Runners that come at you from nowhere without a greeting, bikers, and most other dogs will elicit a bark and a jump off the trail. She is not a biter, she is too afraid to get close to anyone, so as long as she can escape that isn't a problem. Sometimes GSD people will beg to meet her and if they are those super cool zen masters she will sniff them politely but no petting. If they are the macho I know everything about dogs watch me freak out your fearful GSD we keep away. They all say she isn't aggressive. I picked the puppy under the grill when my husband abruptly changed his mind about "we are just looking not buying a dog today". And yes, I did know better, but she could not be better despite the fearfulness. So if I had been smarter we wouldn't have her and maybe someone who couldn't accommodate as easily to her needs would have her. We took classes, she was the star pupil but never wanted to play with the other dogs. The other GSD didn't really either, they are somewhat aloof socially compared to other breeds so some of this is normal.
Those are amazing things you have taught your girl, en bloc! The phone is a really good idea. I am never home alone, but that could change in a few years as the boys move out. My husband works at home but travels at least once a month.
She will give up barking at the doorbell and visitors if I take out her mat. She even barks when kids come over that she is dying to play with so it is her way of expressing excitement as well as fear.
We do play fetch in the yard and I can take her out for potty breaks, it is in the park that I need help because just navigating the uneven ground is enough of a challenge. She plays with me by bringing the ball and dropping it in my hand or lap, with my 16 year old she expects him to chase her and throw two toys, and with my husband it is a combination of the two. Her desire to have two toys is silly because she gets confused about which to chase but definitely wants them both.
I had heard from so many people what wonderful dogs they are, and of course I have this fantasy self that hikes around the parks with my majestic dog by my side and is planning an Appalachian trail assault. The reality of my slow progress on relatively flat terrain with hiking poles and a neurotic dog manically checking for signs of life within 50 feet is somewhat different, but they are amazing dogs, and her personality is really an awful lot like mine.

I play video games with my daughter, who has taken an interest in super heroes and Star Wars. Organic, I didn't push them!

We also play board games. My son is 3 1/2 so we are trying to get Candyland into the mix. Simple games are often the most fun.

I have always enjoyed games. There are plenty of free or low cost ones out there. I would research before investing time or money, though. Many have the free model that has the option to spend for more/better.

You'd think, "Well, I have time, slow and steady". The thing is the market is hot. As such, it is being flooded. Poor design, intentional or not, leaves bottle necks or straight up stone walls to advancement.

Hearthstone is free. You never have to purchase packs & can earn them. It has strategy and diversity. I played it regular for periods. I have been doing more reading and writing of late.

I enjoy Daredevil on Netflix, GoT on HBO and Faceoff on SyFyfor TV. Oh, and kid shows. Currently Teen Titans, Go and Toy Story 3 get big play. My son loves Nightmare Before Christmas, too.

That's right, he is the Pumpkin King!

My best,

Jon

I am still working, just 2 days a week in case management, so it's an office job instead of killing myself as a nurse at the bedside. Who would have known it was a BAD choice of profession?! I am still raising kids; 2 teenagers.

I too, love animals. We have 2 dogs (a Lab & a Puggle), 2 cats and my younger dtr. has a guinea pig. All rescues, so I keep up with local rescues and try to help anyone who asks me to find a dog or cat. I love sitting outside and watching birds. Meadowlarks are my favorite; I love their song. And I am always on the lookout for great horned owls.

I used to be very big into gardening and moving things around, digging things up. I am transitioning to container gardening due to my limitations. I just love spring time and going to garden centers and just browsing.

One of my previous hobbies was cleaning! Loved to clean! Now I look around and see what I can still do and what I need to hire out. I loved painting rooms and rearranging furniture, shopping for home decor. This is harder now. Maybe tied to this--I love looking at virtual tours for homes that are for sale. I know more about the local real estate market than some realtors!

Netflix! I binge watch some days when I just can't do anything else. I love dark comedies--Breaking Bad is probably the best example of this. And I love all things British, BBC anything, and historical fiction from 16th-early 20th century England. The Cooking Channel and some forensic-file type reality shows.

Exercise in the form of focused PT and stretching is now taking up a good chunk of time. I'd hate to see what shape I'd be in if I didn't do this. Walking, usually with dogs. So, alot of start and stop walking!

Thanks for sharing, I'm getting new ideas! It's so important to keep our minds occupied on other things besides PN.

I forgot my saving grace- music.

Work, insomnia, what have you, it helps me.

I would recommend not overdoing you more dour or contemplative selections too often. For me it is like a rabbit hole at times.

The problem for me is it is so much pain in my hands and fingers. my hands and fingers get so bad that if I just pick up a fork to try to eat or use a pen to write my fingers and hands go totally numb and that I get all that pressure buld up and then it starts to throb, even if I don't use them it is a constant numbness and pain... With my feet I am seeing that when I do walk my toes get so numb that they feel like there going to pop and the more I do walk the worse it gets, then it shoots up my leg with sharp stinging pain. I am so frustrated with this pain that goes on all day long every day and I know all of you understand what I am talking about... most of the time I just want to cry..

Are you wearing carpal tunnel braces? At least at night?

When my hands were so bad I wore them all day long. (during pregnancy).

But if you wear them at least at night, then the nerves in the wrist get some protection and the lessened compression helps to reduce symptoms.

I'd ask the doctor about them. I got my first pair at the office of the rehab doctor who diagnosed me and gave me my first EMG.
(they are called physiatrists now.)

I did have one on each hand for six months, but they never did anything for me, it got to the point where it made it worse.. Thanks mrsD!

Last time I wore them was last month..

If they are too tight, they make matters worse.

Fitted properly, they can really take the pressure off that carpal tunnel.