We are experiencing a few bumps along our path here at Steffi's House. Let's start with this morning: Millie woke me up at 5:40. Lick lick, wag wag. For a second, I consider putting her in her crate, but decide that she is old enough just to wait until I'm ready to get up. She'd been out at 10 pm. She can wait until 6:30 or even 7. I roll over and fall asleep again.
I get up at 7. Millie is under the bed. Well that's okay! Good girl Millie.
Not so fast. When we finally do go downstairs...
Millie in sunlight)
...I smell that bathroom smell and sure enough, she'd gone to the bathroom. On the bathroom floor. I have to smile. She'd seen me go there -- it's an obvious solution for her when mommy Nina refuses to get up and walk with her. Still, we start the morning with a clean up. I then canvas the rest of the house to make sure there are no other surprises. All good. We go out, she poops again. Ah, a tummy upset. Too much excitement?
Breakfast: I switch gears now. From Millie, to my friend who is not well.
I need to stop by and visit, but when? I have a much delayed car maintenance appointment at 9. That means I have to take Millie to doggie day care earlier, even though I know she needs a good morning rest. Ah well, I'll pick her up as soon as my car is ready.
And on the way, I attend to my ailing friend, briefly. Big bumps there. Smooth road not visible yet. Will it ever be visible? Sure, unless we all careen off the cliff of life and fail to wear seatbelts in the process.
And speaking of seatbelts, I then go to the car place to leave my Alpine Blue car for servicing. And to put in an order for a seat belt replacement. Henry had thoroughly destroyed the back belt. Time to get that fixed. I am given a loner for the day -- a beautiful 2026 Subaru, with bells and whistles. I love that the side mirrors flicker when there is a car in the dead zone! Oh capitalism! How you like to mess with people's wants and desires! (No, I'm not getting a new car. You don't miss that, which you do not have. Except when they give you a loaner that's spiffy clean, has not a single sticky piece of food stuck in some hidden crevice in the back, and has a light that goes on when someone is in your blind spot.)
For once I have a quiet day. I still have 6 plants (well, maybe seven) that need to go in, but they're not here yet, thus gardening is at a standstill. It may rain later, so I am holding off on watering.
I feel drained.
Ed asks to meet up for lunch at Tati's Yes!
Then? More calls, conversations, consultation. I do pause to rip out some sod. Digging away at something tough can be good for you.
(roses in bloom...)
In the late afternoon, the car service people call to tell me that the car needs more work and the seatbelt wont be in until Friday at the earliest and yes, I can keep the loaner until then.
The thing is, I forgot to stop over at the service place to pick up Millie's car seat and so I arrive at Happy Dogz in this spiffy new car that smells like a car straight off the factory floor, without a familiar place for her to rest. The girl is not a fan of car rides under the best of circumstances. I put her in the front seat so that I could keep an eye on her and rub her ears with my right hand.
She trembles the whole 18 minute ride home. Poor pup -- no soothing words help. It is all just too strange for her.
At home, I make chili. I haven't been doing dinners lately and I'm beginning to think that I am not feeding myself well (except for breakfast!). A pot of chili, even split with Ed, will give me at least four or five dinners of solid food.
Millie rests, and me -- well, I try to think about my roses.
..And about Millie. All the way until I deem it late enough to go upstairs. She loves this routine: outside, stairs. bathroom, bed. So familiar! Not like a dumb car that has absolutely no familiar scent attached to it. Yes, Millie, but it has these flashing lights on the side mirrors! Millie looks at me seemingly with pity. They say doodles are very judgy. Maybe, but I see compassion in those lovely brown eyes...
with so much love...
