Just Another Day

I had to go into  work at 3:30 today. It was so hot outside it felt suffocating. Somehow, someway, Ziggy chewed through  the rubber coated wire cable that attaches to his fifty foot run across the back yard. I had two cables but loaned one to a neighbor two doors down when I saw them chasing their little dog  down the street one day. I went down to their house to "borrow back" the cable line but they weren't home. I walked around back and saw the cable...well it IS mine and I needed it so I unhooked it from  the corkscrew anchor in  the ground (which I had loaned them too) and went back to my house to hook on our line which runs from fence to fence. I should have left a note but it was a billion degrees outside and I had one hour left to get ready and be standing out front of the house for  the fellow server who  was giving me a ride to work. I hooked Ziggy  back up and went inside to iron my work shirt. I went back downstairs  to let the other two dogs out and Ziggy  got all excited to see his buddy, Ham. They really ARE close, they cuddle together all  the time and sleep side by side every night. Ham walked out into  his blind world and Ziggy pounced on him, trying to play. Ham didn't know what was going on and reacted just like a blind dog would...fight. Charlie simply walked past them both  and seemed to say "No Thank You"  to the ensuing and quickly escalating fight. Of course I freaked (the totally wrong thing to do) and they fed off my reaction and screaming. No one was home but me and luckily Ziggy  was hooked to the line. I pulled and pulled on Ziggy's line and Ham's collar when Ham's collar slipped off and suddenly was grabbing them neck by  neck. I was knocked to my knees  and just started screaming (another wrong thing to do ) "Somebody help me!" I thought maybe Zach  was next door at  the neighbor's. It took me about a full minute to get them apart which in dog fight time seems an eternity. I shoved Ziggy  back into  the kitchen door and slammed it. I thought I was having a heart  attack if not a stroke. Dog fights absolutely terrify me.  What scares me most is that it will happen when no one is home and they will fight to the death. I love all three of my pups and know they love each other, they just don't understand Ham is  blind and  Ham doesn't understand what's  going on around him. Ziggy is still a playful pup and his good intentions are sometimes misinterpreted by  Ham.

So I got them apart, crated Ziggy upstairs and left Ham and Charlie out back. Both my knees were bloody  and bruised but  still had three dogs and none of them were bleeding or hurt. Yes I am an avid/stupid dog lover and that  was my first concern. I finished getting ready for work and took Ziggy out of  the crate on a leash and put him out back on  the run with two bowls of water filled with ice cubes and left Ham and Charlie inside. I was exhausted by  the time I got to work and my heart was still pounding.  So I started me a pot of coffee...misery loves company.

It was busy at work but at least I knew Zig was out back and Ham and Charlie were inside. Bummed another ride home from work at  ten thirty. Ziggy was peering out his peep hole in the fence. I shut Ham up in a bedroom and let Ziggy in. Then I crated Ziggy and let Ham and Charlie out back.

This is getting too crazy  for me. I'm going back  to the GVS for Ham's surgery. The  foundation who  offered to sponsor the surgery only works with GVS so...GVS it shall be and the sooner the better. I weigh ninety nine pounds soaking wet, Ham weighs over eighty pounds, Ziggy weighs sixty. I'm no match for their fights. They have never turned on me and the fights aren't about dominance, just Ham's reacting to  not being  able to see or know what's going on around him. I can't blame him one bit.

They are both laying behind me now like besties, stupid idiots. It's not like I had good looking knees anyway and when I came home from work tonight, Ham licked both my knees for five minutes then Ziggy  took over for ten.

Dogs...you either love them or hate them. I love all three of my pups,  just want Ham  to see again and everything will be  right with our world...at least the canine side of it!

Til next  time...COTTON

Bring Back Simple

I'm not so sure modern technology is all that great. There's talk of not teaching cursive writing in elementary schools anymore. Guess my grandchildren will sign their names in big block figures. No one sends hand written letters anymore...all I get in the mail box is bills and junk mail. I can't remember the last time I got a letter written in long hand. Nine of every ten Americans own a cell phone. How many TVs do you have in YOUR house? We have five.When I was a kid we had one and there were five of US.

 There were no gluten allergies or celiac disease. Your momma cooked dinner and you  ate it.
 There was no Alzheimer's just crazy ole folks we all put up with. When I was a kid the only things that could kill you were running with a stick, war or a car wreck. Now it seems every thing is bad for you. Holding a cell phone to your head, flour, milk products, caffeine , peanuts , shellfish and even strawberries.

Now there are all kinds of ADHD meds for our kids. When I was little the teacher sent home a note saying "Kelly is talking too much in class and not paying attention." When my Diddy got home from work and my Momma showed him the note, he took me in the green bathroom (where everything horrible from enemas to whoppings happened) and suddenly the next  day I shut my trap and paid attention. He may have repeated the process a couple of times over the course of a few years but I got the message and  the thought of taking it up with our doctor never crossed their minds. The only thing that came across was my Diddy's belt over my butt.

In this economy there are millions and millions looking for work.  Do  you  think they can walk in and just apply? Nope! You have to go online and fill out an application which will sit in an inbox for who knows how long with hundreds sometimes thousands of others.

You need more documentation for a driver's liscense renewal than you do to drive across our border.

And it's not just us humans. When I was little my Diddy got us a dog. They got it a rabies shot, brought it home and were done. No Frontline, no Heartguard no chip in the neck or clipping nails. Just a bowl of food and a bowl of water. It's insane what they charge for a pooch these days and don't even guarantee it will live a lot longer. My pups have been flying commando but I just recently learned I can take them to the Humane Society and get all the fancy dancy stuff done for whatever I am able to pay.

Since we have no health insurance  I'm thinking about seeing what they can do for my kids. They are all due for re vacinations and flu shots. Isn't Parvo and Kennel  cough  a lot like the flu? I may even see what they would charge to have Zach neutered...it's gotta be along the same lines of procedure. My pups have two balls, so does Zach and I don't wanna be a granny and Massey definitely needs a chip in her neck having her own car.

 I'm just trying to be funny but it amazes me that I grew up in a time when so many of these problems didn't even have names or seem to exist, yet I survived .  Are we over thinking or parenting less?

On  an up note...Ziggy hasn't crapped in  the house in over twenty four hours...a new record. We got up this morning and the living room (his dumping ground) was dooky free. We all hugged him and kept saying "You're a GOOD dog!" He kept cocking his head from side to side like "I'm a WHAT?"

Life is never dull around these parts. Sometimes it's tough but at least we have a house to have tough times in...millions and millions would love to have my life, so I think I'll keep it!

Talking with the vet specialist in  the morning about setting up a pay pal account to get Ham's eyes fixed. Things are looking up for us and I want Ham to be able to see them.

Til next  time...COTTON