So this morning I had to be at work at seven forty five.
Oh, yes. I went.
In my pajamas. And a little pink jacket over the shirt because it's always really cold in the store and I don't wear bras so I didn't want to distract anybody.
Somehow while I was there (and I really have no idea how this happened because I was mostly asleep) my phone got out of my purse and wound up sitting on the counter. I didn't realize it wasn't in my purse. When I got home I went straight back to bed and didn't wake up again until twelve twenty.
That was when I reached for my phone and realized it wasn't next to the bed. Or in my purse. So I went to I Can't Find My Phone and dialed my number. And then it hit me. I had left my phone at work somehow and I was going to have to walk in the midday heat to get it.
Well, Padawan is working today because we took Sunday off for the wedding (I will get pictures up soon. I promise) so I thought, "Well, I might as well take Choo Choo with me."
I'd been talking about taking her to work for some time now and it was a golden opportunity. So I strapped her into her harness, slipped her collar on her, made sure the leash was secure, and off we went. Choo Choo is a very good walker. Or, she is now that we've got her in a harness instead of just a collar and leash. Gone are the days of her strangling herself regardless of discomfort. She walks just a foot ahead of me now, looking back ever couple of seconds to make sure I'm still behind her.
I did worry a little when we came to the cross walk because there were a couple of times where she tried to run out towards cars stopped at the intersection. She danced on her hind legs when I held the leash firmly and wouldn't let her go. She did it twice before we finally got to cross. And I didn't want her crossing the major highway. The asphalt is black and it's pretty hot, so I picked her up and carried her across the big intersection.
But I felt it the moment we got to the shopping center where I work.
There was something different about my dog.
The first sign was when she spotted a family about twenty feet in front of us. Three kids and a mother, all walking ahead of us towards the store. Normally, Choo Choo would bark to announce her presence. Instead, she picked up her pace to prance forward until she caught up to them, then tried to sniff their heels while they weren't looking. I picked her up after that. (Some people have a problem with dogs sniffing around them.)
When we got to the door our delivery man was there and Choo Choo immediately sniffed him, and then Manager Man as well, who were very amused that I'd actually brought her to the store. (They've been trying to get me to for a while, but with her barking habit as bad as it's gotten, I never bothered doing it before.) I took her all over the store, to each and every coworker and she happily let them pet and adore her. She never once shied away, never growled, and never even tried to bark.
I didn't put her down, though. There was a toddler in the store and Choo Choo wanted desperately to get down to see him, but the mother pulled him away when she saw the dog and I guessed she wouldn't like Choo Choo's way of putting her paws on his shoulders to lick his face. It broke her heart. She whined and looked at me and at the boy and back at me, but I couldn't do anything for her. So I stuck her in Origami's lap (she's the new receptionist on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) for some attention. Origami also works as a receptionist and tech at a vet's office, and she's got eight cats and three dogs, so she loves animals. Choo Choo adored her.
All in all it was a great step for Choo Choo and it's given me an idea about her barking. Maybe if we take her out more she'll bark less as she gets used to people.
It's worth a shot.
In other news...
Wheat and MoMo are putting off their plans to move to Colorado for another year. Apparently his grand mother broke her ankle.
But there's more.
A direct Facebook quote from Wheat herself:
But I felt it the moment we got to the shopping center where I work.
There was something different about my dog.
The first sign was when she spotted a family about twenty feet in front of us. Three kids and a mother, all walking ahead of us towards the store. Normally, Choo Choo would bark to announce her presence. Instead, she picked up her pace to prance forward until she caught up to them, then tried to sniff their heels while they weren't looking. I picked her up after that. (Some people have a problem with dogs sniffing around them.)
When we got to the door our delivery man was there and Choo Choo immediately sniffed him, and then Manager Man as well, who were very amused that I'd actually brought her to the store. (They've been trying to get me to for a while, but with her barking habit as bad as it's gotten, I never bothered doing it before.) I took her all over the store, to each and every coworker and she happily let them pet and adore her. She never once shied away, never growled, and never even tried to bark.
I didn't put her down, though. There was a toddler in the store and Choo Choo wanted desperately to get down to see him, but the mother pulled him away when she saw the dog and I guessed she wouldn't like Choo Choo's way of putting her paws on his shoulders to lick his face. It broke her heart. She whined and looked at me and at the boy and back at me, but I couldn't do anything for her. So I stuck her in Origami's lap (she's the new receptionist on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) for some attention. Origami also works as a receptionist and tech at a vet's office, and she's got eight cats and three dogs, so she loves animals. Choo Choo adored her.
All in all it was a great step for Choo Choo and it's given me an idea about her barking. Maybe if we take her out more she'll bark less as she gets used to people.
It's worth a shot.
In other news...
Wheat and MoMo are putting off their plans to move to Colorado for another year. Apparently his grand mother broke her ankle.
But there's more.
A direct Facebook quote from Wheat herself:
Now, we're just going to disregard the glaring typos and the complete lack of grammatical structure in her little blurb here. We're just going to focus on the disease she named.
Oldtimer's Disease.
Oldtimer's Disease? I don't actually think that's listed in any medical texts... unless...oh! Wait! Could she possible be talking about Alzheimer's Disease?
Ah, yes. That's probably it. Well, she was kind of close....ish.
In defense of this "wheat" person I know nothing of, oldtimer's is playful lingo in some circles for those who have Alzheimer's Disease, because some people are easily offended and America is incredibly sensitive when it comes to name calling. Now, this only applies if Wheat falls within this "circle", if not, There is always modeling, if she able to achieve that kind of thing...if not, porn is a lucrative alternative.
ReplyDeleteYou have to show de dominance, and be da pack leeeder.
ReplyDeleteSo then you got to the store and Choo Choo had a jam session with your co-workers right? Was she was on drums or keyboard? Maybe she had a tiny electric guitar.
"Oldtimer's disease" If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone make that mistake.
Scott, my sister is twenty. She is certainly not in that circle. She's also too young for Huntington's, though it doesn't run in our family so not even on that count.
ReplyDeleteOn that note...how much do you know, Scott? I can't believe the last comment is just a coincidence.
Bryan, I do have the dominance! I make the rules! She obeys my commands! Um...most of the time.
If we still had the tiny pink drumset I would have totally put her on it and taken a picture. Alas, it was only there two days and then someone bought it and we haven't ordered another one.
You'd be a rich man, right?
I too have heard that mistake made before. It's a load of hogwash though, because Alzheimer's disease can actually begin as early as 40-ish. Maybe even earlier. True story.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Choo Choo had a lovely day out in the town. I'm glad she had fun at the store. Also, way to go to work in PJ's! That's sticking it to the man! :)
About porn? Not much really. Never did anything for me. As for modeling, I gave up the business after marriage, but still get residuals from France where I modeled underwear. But, I don't think that is what you meant with asking me how much I knew, is it?
ReplyDeleteYou really should let Choo Choo get out more. It's good for dogs to learn to socialize. Mine hardly ever go anywhere and they are social misfits and totally rotten. Daisy, especially, barks her fool head off at anybody who isn't us. And you may think I'm just a dirty old man (which is pretty much true) but that third line just distracted the hell out of me. Woof!
ReplyDeleteI hear the "old timers" thing a lot as well, usually from the much older set though.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice that you got Choo Choo out there to meet new people. Maybe she could start her own blog and relate her adventures.
Looks like you're training of Choo Choo is going better than my training of Xander. He still barks when he sniffs people's heels.
ReplyDeleteCandice, yeah it's surprising how common early onset Alzheimer's is. It CAN start really young. I'm glad I'm not genetically predisposed to it. I'd hate to lose my mind while sitting on the Throne of the World. I'd guess I'd have to name you my successor.
ReplyDeleteScott, of course that's not what I meant. I know you're on my facebook and therefore you have access to my Wheat's page and may know things.
Rev, we used to take Choo Choo out a lot. She used to practically go everywhere with me and she did well.
It's a guy thing, I think.
George, I hear people call it "All-himers" and "All-timers" but not so much do I hear "oldtimers".
If Choo Choo had her own blog it would be barking mad. She'd tell everybody about how we raced from the stairs to the door today and she kicked my butt.
Brent, you should really teach him that giggling is a much more effective use of energy and cuteness than barking. He's a smart kid. He'll learn.
I have never seen that page, but since you mention it I will take a gander.
ReplyDeleteSo your store doesn't have any rules about dogs? That's AWESOME! I keep wanting to take my pup out to local restaurants that allow dogs on the patio...but I'm afraid he'd be too excited to lay still while I ate. I mean, there's a big size difference between my overgrown mutt and Choo Choo.
ReplyDelete