Patches

Wednesday night I went over to meet the dog our son is dog sitting and get instructions about how to feed him, two cats and one kitten. I went home and felt sick to my stomach because I got scared of the dog! I worried about it all night long. I didn't sleep all night, I kid you not, and Patches grew bigger and scarier in my mind until by morning he was big as a horse.

He was really nice when I met him outside once about a month back. I petted him and he's a big dog but I didn't feel afraid. Then one day I went to their front door and Patches barked and lunged at the front window like he was going to eat me up. I didn't like that. I told the owners he scared me and they said that's what he's supposed to do.

I know how hard it is to get animal care when you go on vacation and when they asked our son to dogsit I easily said, "Fine!" I didn't think I'd have to do anything. Our son sees the dog frequently and they get along swimmingly and with two sons in Patches' family age 4 and 11, I considered him safe. Plus, with a doggie door what's the big deal? Just feed the whole crew twice a day and scoop the kitty litter box and our son has his first paying job with responsibility.

But when I went over to get instructions, Patches the dog was very standoffish. Nervous. He made me nervous. And he barks. He barks giant barks incessantly. And my greatest tactical error, there is no doggie door. Isn't there some saying about assuming things? I was dying on my way home thinking about what I'd gotten myself into.

So we're getting up at 7:00 am and driving over to feed him and the two cats (the third kitty is in the hospital for gall stones) and going back at 4:30 pm to feed them and going back at 8:45 pm to let them in the house to sleep for the night. It's a three minute drive, but geez. It's cold out and I'm never up this early anymore. This morning was 25°.

My fear has subsided considerably. Still, I don't make any sudden motions! He does bark a lot and he is scary and big, but they say he was abused before they found him. In just two days he's gotten used to me. I always tell him to sit and I give him a tidbit so he's cool with that. He waggled his tail and came by and let me scratch him this morning. He still barks terribly, but I think he's an angel of a dog. I wouldn't want to see him in a kennel because I don't think he'd do well, so I'm happy to do something that enables him to stay in his home. If ever imprecatory prayers are prayed I think it should be for animal abusers. This dog had to have been treated real bad, real bad before they found him at the shelter. I'm so glad this gentle, loving family has adopted him. He has an excellent home for life with them. Surely there must be a hot place in hell for animal abusers. There's just got to be.

No one at e-Bay has responded to tell me what the return policy is for that dress yet. I bet she's on vacation. I hope I'll hear from her!

Last night I dreamt about myself. That's weird. I dreamt I was sitting in a car and I was looking out the side window and saw myself at age 15 walking by outside. I said, "Look, look, it's me." Next thing I was holding the hand of my 15 year old self and looking at it. I thought the hand felt so small, looked so young, and the temperature of my younger self's hand was a little too cool. It should have been warm. I had the Farrah Fawcett hair style (which I really did have when I was 15) and I (my current self) started to cry. Don't know if it was about the hair or not. Haha! And I told my younger self everything was going to be okay - trying hard to impress her with my sincerity. She seemed empty and distant, not hearing me and she didn't look at me. End of dream. I'm sure I dreamt of that period in my life because I've been emailing with a newfound (refound?) friend from high school.

Tonight we're going to a potluck. My husband is making barbequed ribs and deviled eggs.