i've spent the last few days at my old place. kid moving out, kid wanting to move in, but can't quite yet. enjoying the air conditioning more than a bit. what a hell outside. happy, in spite of no tv, no cable, no wifi.
friday, daughter was going to be out very late, and probably end up staying at her friend's house one night, so i figured i'd take her dog over, so he could start getting used to the idea of a new home. i also had to take my car in for service on saturday early, so it was going be good going, all the way around.
i think i've mentioned before, that she's never trained the dog to stay off furniture. not too much of a problem right now, as the only real furniture he can get onto are the beds my kid left behind. i thought he'd be unable to get on the bed i will be using, as it is a monstrously high thing, with a thick mattress, aloft on a high bed frame, because of deep underbed drawers. but the dog, with his gangly legs, figured out that he can easily jump up, if he just took a little running leap from the top of the stairs. like, no big deal. ugh. who knew there was a long jumper in the house?
i found the other dog’s toy stash, and let him help himself to all of the toys that were left behind, so the evening was spent checking out every tennis ball, kong toy, and squeaky thing there was. spent a lot of time playing tug-o-war with him. he walked around working a tennis ball in his cheek, like it was chewing tobacco. wonder what the psi on his chompers is, if he can mostly flatten a ball like chewing gum?
i made dinner, and was closely observed. purposely made more than i wanted, knowing i'd be giving him some, just to get him to stop staring. shame on me.
later, got ready for bed, then wished for a step to get on the bed. had to heave myself up backwards, using the side bedframe for footing.
barely under the covers, when the beast jumps up, with a squeaky ball in his mouth and parked himself up against my back. sort of a pacifier effect, he munched on the ball until it fell out of his mouth onto the floor. squeak squeak squeak.
about midnight, he suddenly jumped off the bed, barking loudly...really he has a deep, loud bark...and down the stairs. barks echoing in the empty space. it was nothing but the ice machine in the fridge popping out cubes. he isn't used to the sounds yet. calmed him down, imagining the neighbors falling in love with him already. them, with their football size yappy dogs. not that sorry for them.
he did it again around two am, this time a noisy car driving by. i have a hard time getting back to sleep, so rolled around a bit. big bed, but the dog kept parked up next to me. he'd jump off, get a toy occasionally. in the dark, squeak, squeak, drop. at some point, i finally managed to get a few hours of sleep.
toward early morning, i rolled over, and opened my eyes. looking into the red eye of the dog's ass in my face. he'd parked himself up against the headboard. doberman, so no fur to hide anything.
did i mention he's also a very flatulent boy? so that's not the end you want to wake up to. i moved out of the way just in time to see the muscles start to relax...wondered how many times i was fumigated while unconscious. omg, and they are foul. nothing to do with whatever tidbits of my dinner he had, and all about the dog food he eats.
ya, daughter apparently snuggles with the dog, so he had been trying to get under the sheets and blanket. air conditioning too cold?
anyway, not the way to start the day, believe me.
i had to leave him alone while i ran my car to the shop. too hot to walk back, even early in the morning, so caught an uber.
dog was fine. was up on the other bed, looking out the window. noticed some drops of blood on the sheet. he had a cut on his knee, been there for a few days, that had opened back up, or he had licked it open. he'd played too rough at the dog park and some dog must have caught with a claw or a tooth. decided he needed to go to a vet for stitches, or at least to be reassured it would heal ok. but i had no car. found a vet with a later appointment, and called the shop to see if they could push my repairs quicker.
it all worked out, made it to the vet with minutes to spare, and now the dog has five staples and a cone head now. he bumps into everything. expensive day, but got through it.
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had to come back around a second time later in the morning to get this shot. parked next to vendors’ booths, there was too much action going on around it, and the owner unloading stuff from the trunk. such a beauty. i should lighten the sky a bit; it was overcast, but this looks gloomy and almost malevolent—and the opposite of how i feel about the picture.
