How Work Occasionally Supports My Blogging Habit

- OR - How Do I Not Have Grey (Gray? sp?) Hair Yet?

- OR - How Am I 36 and Don't Know How To Spell The Word Grey/Gray?

Well, that last title option has nothing to do with this post, but it's certainly applicable.

Anyway, long time, no blog. To update you, since several have asked, my Lucy Girl is doing fabulous. As in F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S.! Turns out, once you give her some de-worm medicine, the diahrea (don't know how to spell that either) actually goes away. Since about the day after Christmas (a Christmas present!), Lucy has been doing all of her poopies outside. She has also been good about peeing outside, and it's been weeks since she's had an accident in the house.

Alan and I have gotten into a routine such that we feed her breakfast first thing when we get up, and then about 15 minutes later, she goes for a short walk. Sometime during that walk she does her bi'ness in both regards. And then she is good until late afternoon. This is so, so helpful when I work and am gone all day. Then, late afternoon, we repeat. Sometimes I throw in an extra walkie just for the heck of it around noon. She loves going for walks and does really well on a leash.

So, on the days that I work, Alan has been taking her for her Morning Walkie so I can have time to get ready and get the kiddos up (well, as you might know, Matthew is up at Literal Crack O' Dawn) and going. When Alan came back this morning, he informed me that Lucy had peed, but had not done poopies. Sometimes this happens. When it was time to leave, the boys and I just tucked her in her crate and headed off in our own directions.

Well, as I arrived at my first daycare today, I realized that I left The Notebook at home. This is my notebook with all of my children's goals, data sheets, time sheets, etc. in it. While I probably could manage to do a morning of speech therapy without it, it's a lot harder without it to "guide" me. Since I have a home visit somewhat near our house, I finished my session at that first daycare, and decided to head home, grab my notebook and laptop, and then head on to the home visit. And since my Lu Girl hadn't done her poopie yet, I figured it wouldn't hurt to let her out for a few minutes while I was there.

She and I took a short walk down the street to a spot where she really likes to sniff and potty. Well, she likes to sniff everywhere, but I am learning to discern her Potty Sniff from her Everything Else Sniff. She started to appear to do the telltale hump back, and then! All of a sudden! There was Hammering! DISTRACTION! She's an easily distracted dog, and the construction going on up the street was not helping. I was just about to get her back on track, when again, all of a sudden there was...Electric Sawing! ELECTRIC SAWING!!!!!

THE HORROR!!!

I don't know what it was about that sound that Freaked Her The Heck Out, but clearly, she was having none of it. That little 17-pound dog ripped the leash out of my hand and tore off up the street with the leash bouncing along behind her. Seriously, I have never seen a dog run so fast. I stood there stunned for about five seconds watching my doggie disappearing before my eyes before I started running after her. [Side note: a month of no running and eating crud makes for a slow run. Further note to self : do not brag about ten pound weight loss on your blog lest it all come creeping back during Month O' Illness]. Unbelievably, when Lucy crested the hill [all the while I am praying that a) no cars would come down the road at that moment and hit either one of us, and b) that no neighbors are peeking out the window at that moment and witnessing this debacle], she turned right and continued dashing the quarter mile towards home. At break-neck speed.

Me? Not so much with the break-neck speed. I was huffing and puffing up the hill in my work clothes and big puffy jacket, but when I saw her zoom down the driveway, I crossed my fingers that she would be waiting there when I finally crossed the threshold myself. Turns out she was making for the woods, but got the leash caught in a small tree. Thank goodness, because there is no telling where her sniffy little beagle nose would lead her.

Ironically, as I was trotting down the hill, I did notice a little doggie turd in the middle of the road. See - the saying is true! She had the poop scared out of her!

Next Tuesday? The next day I work? I'm definitely making sure that The Notebook gets packed in my work bag. Well, either that or my running shoes.