Getting Things Done

I didn't get anything done today, unless you count chasing a puppy through the bushes before I took Nick and Adrian to school for band practice. Unless you count waiting at the grocery store for forty-five minutes because the pharmacy wasn't open yet. I'd forgotten to pick up Nick's Advair yesterday when I was already there. Nick really depends on his Advair and it was completely empty.

I didn't accomplish anything unless you count cleaning up puppy pee right after we came in from outside. Unless you count throwing the rug into the washer that Teddy had peed on a half an hour later. These days, you're supposed to clean up the mess, then treat it with some stuff that keeps the puppy from wanting to pee there again. Then, you have to clean that up. Productive, right?

Do you count picking up the pieces to the headset that he chewed and spread out on the floor? Do you count going to school to read with your buddy only to find the boy and his mother leaving school early?

What about 'No ... Leave it! ... Give! ... Quiet!' Does that count?

Does it count as productive that you are washing your hands eight or nine extra times while trying to put lasagna in the oven because you have to touch the puppy in between for corrections, treats, and pats?

Sometimes it's easiest for me to physically move him away from something he's getting into and regardless what the trainer said, I'm going to have a dog that allows me to take something right out of his mouth if I need to. Teddy likes to chew on candy wrappers. Plus, I'm spending lots of time giving him treats for what he is doing right. It's hard to think of cooking without more hand washing after I've handed him a treat. If I throw them, they just bounce off his head.

Okay, so what did I accomplish by teaching Teddy to wave? Oh man, that was so cute. Nick and I are also working on having him fall over and wave his legs in the air when we say 'Bang' too. It wasn't really accomplishing anything though, right?

I didn't get anything done by walking Adrian home in the dark and taking Teddy up the neighbor's steep driveway a couple of times to burn off some puppy energy while the half-assembled lasagna sat on the counter.

What about running around the house trying to find one of the four squirt bottles Mike bought to spray a puppy who is barking at an irritated cat?

It wasn't useful to run to the store yet again, this time for chocolate coins and candy canes, before the Cub Scout meeting tonight either. Those kids need candy like they need holes in their teeth.

We finally ate lasagna at 8:15 pm because it took so long to finish making it. Now the day's over and I didn't accomplish a thing. Still, I like the wave. Teddy is just so cute when he waves.

Thank you for listening, jb