Yesterday was a great day! I had a couple of errands to run after work, but I had marked them on our GIANT wall calendar and I texted M about them as I was leaving work so he was aware. I had also made sure he had dinner foods in the fridge, so he could handle all that without me.
By the time I got home, it was only 7:30, but he was already in the shower. When he got out, I told him I had thought about taking the dogs to the frozen custard shop – and he already had his shorts and t-shirt on before I could finish the sentence. He was ready to go! Suggest a break in his keto-type eating and he’s in!
We got small vanilla cones for the dogs (and yes, large chocolate cones for the humans) and everyone had a great time. Our younger dog is 3 years old today, so she suffered through me putting a birthday hat on her head in exchange for the frozen custard. I think she’ll forgive me soon.
It all went well – M was focused and helpful with the dogs. He even got out of the car (without me asking) and helped me back out of a parking spot when a truck beside me was too big for me to see around it .
He and I also had a calm discussion about our finances and how we’ll handle things when he isn’t able to work anymore. He didn’t get snippy and start blustering about “what do you mean, I’m not going to be able to work anymore?” It was actually a productive conversation. No concrete plans, but we have a direction.
I’ll take every good day I can get.
The picture is of the birthday girl, enjoying her treat.
I was late for work today. It wasn’t a big deal, but I hate that. I had been ready to walk out the door . . . all I had to do was put one of the dogs into her crate for the day (she has separation anxiety and will chew the furniture if I leave her out) when I looked in the backyard to call them inside and they weren’t there.
???
I walked out the front door and there they were, running from the side yard, into the front yard – like a couple of nutters. I asked them what they thought they were doing, but they had no answers for me, so I brought them in, then had to go and check on the gate for the backyard. It was locked, but it was locked without being latched, so it had opened and they were free to roam.
Now, I know I haven’t used that gate since we got back from our trip. It’s probably been six weeks or more since I’ve gone around the side of the house through that entrance. I know the dogs didn’t do it, so it’s safe to say who did. But if I bring it up, I also know what M will say:
“I didn’t do it!”
And he’ll be all offended that I’m even suggesting that he did. So . . . do I tell him my interesting story from this morning or do I just keep my mouth shut? What is that saying – discretion is the better part of valor? Or do I need to say something about *we* need to be more careful?
Maybe something else interesting will happen today.
The photo is one of this morning’s escapees, contemplating a future jailbreak.
(Originally posted in Facebook on February 25, 2019)
What does it mean when you sum up your weekend by saying to yourself “well, the most important thing is that no one was hurt” ? I think that’s your indication you had one doozy of a weekend!
Friday was very much like Thursday for M, as far as back pain and headache pain were concerned, but he did do a better job of staying on top of his medicine and eating, so he was in better shape when I got home from work. I also got out the heating pad for his back and that made a tremendous difference. Friday and Saturday were miserable days where we live – cold and rainy – and then late Friday, M started vomiting and couldn’t keep anything down through Saturday afternoon. I think he must have had some sort of stomach bug. He spent both days on the couch in front of the TV.
It looked as though Sunday was going to be another miserable day spent the same way, but he had been feeling better and had been eating since the night before. As I looked out the window, I could see patches of blue sky, and I almost didn’t know what they were, for a moment – it had been so long since we had seen them!!
Then my mother called – in a panic. She was across town, but had just remembered that she had left something cooking on her stove and would I go check it? I live two minutes away from her condo, so I jumped in the car and went over. As I opened the door to the building, I could hear the smoke alarm from her third floor condo as I was on the ground floor. I ran up the stairs and when I opened her door, the smoke was so black and so thick, I couldn’t see anything inside the room. I ran inside to the kitchen, took the pot off the stove, turned off the burner, then reached for my mom’s Yorkie, that was there in the kitchen. He was scared, of course – with the smoke alarm blaring, the smoke billowing all around him and me running in to grab him – and he bit me on the thumb. Stupid mutt! I finally got him by his harness and got him out into the hallway where we could get some fresh air and called 911.
The fire department was great and brought in fans to blow the smoke out and by the time my mom got there it was much better, but the whole top floor of her building stunk to high heaven of that burnt metal pan. This isn’t the first time she’s left something cooking on the stove. This isn’t the second or even third time . . . so we have now thrown the breaker on the stove so she can no longer use it. She’ll tell you she doesn’t cook, but she boils chicken for that dear, dear dog of hers and then forgets about it. Never mind there’s a grocery store within walking distance that cooks chicken every day that she could buy for the dog.
Even though there weren’t flames with this incident, the smoke damage is so extensive throughout her condo, mom isn’t going to be able to stay there until it’s professionally cleaned. The floor is sticky, the counter is sticky – and it’s all just from the smoke. And the smell – ugh! When I walked in the house from my mother’s, I just about knocked M down, just with the smell from my clothes. I changed clothes and brushed my teeth, because I had that horrible taste in my mouth – and last night, when it was time to brush my teeth before bed, my toothbrush had that horrible smell on it. Yuck!
I offered to have my mom stay at our house, but I knew she would be worried about her dog with our two rambunctious 40 lb rescued mutts. They’re as sweet as sugar, but they do play rougher than a seven lb Yorkie is used to. So that leaves my dad’s house. Although my parents get along relatively well for people who were married 51 years and then divorced (don’t ask) they do have several bones of contention, and they are in the middle of one right now. So I had to get both of them alone and tell them “Look, I have all I can say grace over right now. My plate is full. I can’t take anything else. I need you two to handle your business and get along. If you can’t do it, then I’ll do it for you and I can promise you, when I’m done, everyone will be unhappy.”
By the time we all went to bed last night, mom and dad were both at dad’s house, everyone was getting along, everyone was (relatively) happy and then M went to work this morning. Do I expect all this good fortune to last? No.
