Today was another one of those days for which I'd like to have a rewind setting. It was mostly good, for a bit, in the early morning. That is, it was good after I managed to figure out how to get Teddy to stop his incessant whining. Oh my God. Just put me out of my misery now, please. A single shot through my forehead would do. Squirting him with the water bottle only made him whine more. Closing him into a small space with his portable fencing and throwing a blanket over it worked. Thank you, sweet puppy trainer from heaven.
Then, I was free to order the last of my Christmas presents online. I hope I managed to foil any keystroke virus on my computer by entering all the numbers out of order and mixed together. It doesn't stop anything but the bugs that monitor keystrokes to look for that magical sixteen number combo that almost always translates to a credit card. I'm getting used to this method. Too bad it doesn't solve all the rest of the problems of credit card fraud. I'm sure some resourceful hacker with no scruples will find yet another way to strip me and millions of other people from our money. Online Christmas complete, I put the puppy in his crate, locked the cats out of the room, and fell asleep, hopefully to garner that magic total of eight hours when combined with the not-quite six I got last night.
No such luck. My phone, silenced, but still lethal, buzzed loudly against the bed frame. I had to take it and she wanted to talk. Then, after walking quickly outside to relieve Teddy, the cold had shaken away any cosy sleepy feelings I still had. After that, I got sucked into a time warp and lost two hours trying to make myself a salad, take a shower, and head out for a long, hopefully exhausting walk. I kind of know what happened. The dog wanted to be with me in the kitchen. That necessitated treats, a little training, and about five times the normal hand washing. I think low blood-sugar snuck up on me then too, since I found myself getting more and more distracted by the dog's antics.
After I managed to eat my salad, I figured Teddy could safely be penned on the couch since he looked a little sleepy. I opened up his portable fencing so that the couch was included. He and the cat, at opposite ends of the couch, looked pretty cosy when I left to take my shower. Now, I didn't linger in there. Gone are the days when I run the hot water dry taking my shower. This was ten minutes and even then, I wondered if I'd made a mistake, as I was quickly towelling off.
When I went into the bedroom to get dressed, Teddy had escaped, but things seemed pretty good so I brought him in with me and tried, unsuccessfully, to distract him from the clean socks in the laundry basket and the interesting things that were stored under the bed. I'd forgotten we even had that egg-shell foam pillow that he pulled out from under there and began to disembowel before I could stop him. I managed to get into some of my clothes before I realized I'd have to do something else so that I could finish getting dressed. I brought Teddy out to the living room, holding onto his collar at an awkward angle. Something was off in there, rank, vile. So, I got smart a bit too late and moved the portable fencing to make a very small space and put Teddy into it. It took me a while to realize that the living room wasn't the source of it. That smell was wafting around the corner and up from downstairs. Really?
I had to go clean it up, treat the spot, then clean that up as well. While I was down there, still not quite dressed, mind you, the UPS truck breezed up the driveway and the driver hopped out with a package. Those folks move fast. Here, I need to remind you that we live in the middle of nowhere along a highway. The closest house is barely visible through the trees in the winter, not much need to drop the shades when I get home. There I was, bent over in a Tshirt and underwear, wiping up the mess on the floor, my backside to the window. What's left of my hearing saved me and I leapt for the stairs to get out of sight. I like to think that the driver didn't see me. I did notice, though, that it was a new driver, a woman. Thank God for small mercies.
In the meantime, Teddy jumped up on the side of his portable fencing, pushed just hard enough that the whole thing leaned over, then flattened out with him inside. He was okay. I consoled him anyway and then finally managed to get dressed and move us both out the door. Still, it wasn't the leisurely walk and stop for one that one item at Petco that I'd hoped for. Let's just say that when that box says 'fits all vehicles,' it isn't necessarily true. It took enough time for Teddy to chew my backpack and stick his head into a grocery bag for me to find that out. Now I have to go back to Petco tomorrow too. Thankfully, they told me it would be no problem if I needed to return it. They must get that a lot. What I did realize with my head inside the back of my car is that I can raise the headrests on the back seats and they form a series of bars that will be hard for Teddy to get through, especially since he's growing so fast. It doesn't stop him from chewing the upholstery off the backs of the headrests, but it is a barrier, of sorts. Now, I just have to move the reusable grocery bags, spare shoes, and First Aid kit out of the back of the car. I can leave the wool blanket. If it gets cold enough, that blanket will still keep us warm even if Teddy has layered it with his own fur and some dirt. There they are, those those small mercies again.
I tell you, I really need those small mercies. I try to be aware when bits of my life go right. Once in a while, though, I have to close my eyes, ignore the whining, and tell myself that things really aren't that bad.
They just seem that way.
Thank you for listening, jb
Then, I was free to order the last of my Christmas presents online. I hope I managed to foil any keystroke virus on my computer by entering all the numbers out of order and mixed together. It doesn't stop anything but the bugs that monitor keystrokes to look for that magical sixteen number combo that almost always translates to a credit card. I'm getting used to this method. Too bad it doesn't solve all the rest of the problems of credit card fraud. I'm sure some resourceful hacker with no scruples will find yet another way to strip me and millions of other people from our money. Online Christmas complete, I put the puppy in his crate, locked the cats out of the room, and fell asleep, hopefully to garner that magic total of eight hours when combined with the not-quite six I got last night.
No such luck. My phone, silenced, but still lethal, buzzed loudly against the bed frame. I had to take it and she wanted to talk. Then, after walking quickly outside to relieve Teddy, the cold had shaken away any cosy sleepy feelings I still had. After that, I got sucked into a time warp and lost two hours trying to make myself a salad, take a shower, and head out for a long, hopefully exhausting walk. I kind of know what happened. The dog wanted to be with me in the kitchen. That necessitated treats, a little training, and about five times the normal hand washing. I think low blood-sugar snuck up on me then too, since I found myself getting more and more distracted by the dog's antics.
After I managed to eat my salad, I figured Teddy could safely be penned on the couch since he looked a little sleepy. I opened up his portable fencing so that the couch was included. He and the cat, at opposite ends of the couch, looked pretty cosy when I left to take my shower. Now, I didn't linger in there. Gone are the days when I run the hot water dry taking my shower. This was ten minutes and even then, I wondered if I'd made a mistake, as I was quickly towelling off.
When I went into the bedroom to get dressed, Teddy had escaped, but things seemed pretty good so I brought him in with me and tried, unsuccessfully, to distract him from the clean socks in the laundry basket and the interesting things that were stored under the bed. I'd forgotten we even had that egg-shell foam pillow that he pulled out from under there and began to disembowel before I could stop him. I managed to get into some of my clothes before I realized I'd have to do something else so that I could finish getting dressed. I brought Teddy out to the living room, holding onto his collar at an awkward angle. Something was off in there, rank, vile. So, I got smart a bit too late and moved the portable fencing to make a very small space and put Teddy into it. It took me a while to realize that the living room wasn't the source of it. That smell was wafting around the corner and up from downstairs. Really?
I had to go clean it up, treat the spot, then clean that up as well. While I was down there, still not quite dressed, mind you, the UPS truck breezed up the driveway and the driver hopped out with a package. Those folks move fast. Here, I need to remind you that we live in the middle of nowhere along a highway. The closest house is barely visible through the trees in the winter, not much need to drop the shades when I get home. There I was, bent over in a Tshirt and underwear, wiping up the mess on the floor, my backside to the window. What's left of my hearing saved me and I leapt for the stairs to get out of sight. I like to think that the driver didn't see me. I did notice, though, that it was a new driver, a woman. Thank God for small mercies.
In the meantime, Teddy jumped up on the side of his portable fencing, pushed just hard enough that the whole thing leaned over, then flattened out with him inside. He was okay. I consoled him anyway and then finally managed to get dressed and move us both out the door. Still, it wasn't the leisurely walk and stop for one that one item at Petco that I'd hoped for. Let's just say that when that box says 'fits all vehicles,' it isn't necessarily true. It took enough time for Teddy to chew my backpack and stick his head into a grocery bag for me to find that out. Now I have to go back to Petco tomorrow too. Thankfully, they told me it would be no problem if I needed to return it. They must get that a lot. What I did realize with my head inside the back of my car is that I can raise the headrests on the back seats and they form a series of bars that will be hard for Teddy to get through, especially since he's growing so fast. It doesn't stop him from chewing the upholstery off the backs of the headrests, but it is a barrier, of sorts. Now, I just have to move the reusable grocery bags, spare shoes, and First Aid kit out of the back of the car. I can leave the wool blanket. If it gets cold enough, that blanket will still keep us warm even if Teddy has layered it with his own fur and some dirt. There they are, those those small mercies again.
I tell you, I really need those small mercies. I try to be aware when bits of my life go right. Once in a while, though, I have to close my eyes, ignore the whining, and tell myself that things really aren't that bad.
They just seem that way.
Thank you for listening, jb
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