The monkey made me do it

Hoo boy

I knew I was treading on unstable ground when I decided to bathe the pups last night, a full three days before their cleanliness was actually needed. I also got a new vaccuum, and the combination of uncomfortable situations (dampness, loud noises) left me securely on the canine bad side. To be fair, they still want to cuddle and give doggie smooches - the "bad side" for Roo and Monkey means that Roo only brings me 3 tennis balls during the course of the morning instead of his usual 18, and Monkey refused to sit by my side with her head on my knee while I was drying my hair (instead she lay down in the same location).

On a normal morning I simply open the door to our shared backyard and let the pups roam while I shower. This morning I did the usual, but when stepping out of the shower I heard Rooster give a few booming barks and then a metal clinking sound and then ominous silence. I threw on my robe and ran out into the backyard, only to see his curly tail disappear down the road. Luckily, when I ran back inside to get shoes I also took a couple seconds to put pants on. He led me two blocks up the hill (he KNOWS when he is in trouble and has never been the best at ending his beloved self-guided tours of various areas) and then back down to the offleash park, finally allowing me to catch him by loudly pretending that I was going to open the gate so he could go inside. Sucker.

What made the morning extra-special was that not only was I running around in 40-ish degree weather with sopping wet hair, I also had on mismatched workout pants, trashed tennis shoes that I'd smashed the heel to put on (saved lace-tying time), and a ratty men's robe that I love to wear during the winter because it's long and wraps approximately 4.7 times around me like a big blanket with sleeves. AND the dog walkers were out at the park, which meant that along with all my neighbors heading out for work, I was viewed in this state by approximately 20 people. Most of whom I will see again, and often.

Now I'm sneezing, and was late for work, and am 90% sure that whatever it was that Rooster found to roll in during his tour (of COURSE he found something stinky) is now being rubbed into the upholstery of my chairs, sofas, and spread liberally over my once-clean carpet.

I should send this out to everyone who is currently trying to buy their children a cute "Christmas puppy". Along with a warning that they (any puppy) will bring you presents that you do not like (guar-an-TEED).

posted by LadyJay @ 10:20 AM 0 comments

Bittersweet

That's the word for the week.

Last weekend I took the Motorcycle Endorsement course (having never ridden anything other than a bicycle and a horse) (not simultaneously, and not in any sort of way that would have helped prepare for the class) (YOU try shifting a horse sometime, see how far you get) and while I got 100% on the written, I missed the riding exam by 5 points due to my apparent inability to counterbalance and do extremely tight turns while fussing with the clutch and accelerator and brake smoothly. I did the u-turns, I just put my foot down and went outside the line (one or the other and I would have passed, but I did both. Stinkin' overachiever). But I got to learn how to ride a motorcycle, and figured out that I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! And I get to retake the test in a few weeks, and one of my classmates pulled me aside after the course and said that she loved to watch me ride (even if I screwed up some things) because she could see the joy and said that the bike and I looked so natural together. I think she was hitting on me.

And then I went to the dentist yesterday for the first time since 2002 (no insurance when you quit your job and head back to school, and no time in recent months until now). They poked, prodded, X-rayed, scraped, shot me with a mini stream of water, made me bleed, and then told me good job and that I didn't have any cavities. I think that's the first time I have EVER heard that! They also told me that I should get root scaling and scraping done just to help things (how is numbing me and attacking me with power tools helping? I'm not really clear on that part) but it's not anything that is urgent and I can put that off as long as needed.

And then the worst (best?) is that I found out on Monday that I'm getting laid off in 2 weeks. Yes, again. Work has been slow all spring/summer, and now 3 of the 8 people in my office are being let go. I didn't really see it coming, since recently they've been contracting me out as a drafter to another production company and I thought that would ensure my layoff survival. Oh well, the sweet part is that even though I love the design part and really enjoy the work, my office environment is anything but friendly and I've been unhappy with bosses and coworkers for months now. There are a couple coworkers that I will miss, but I can keep in touch with them easily.

Now I get to find a new job, and hope that I can find something as creative and fun (or failing that, at least something that is somewhat mentally stimulating). Wish me luck.

posted by LadyJay @ 4:31 PM 0 comments