I’m musing on my notepad since the internet connection is not connecting at the laundromat.

I was thinking on the way over, of change.

It’s amazing sometimes isn’t it, when we look back over the years, sometimes months or even just days and think ‘If I knew then that things would be so different now …”

Then what?

Nothing, that’s what.

You’d end up changing the outcome by knowing what it was supposed to be.

That whole seeing into the future thing is not a good idea.

If you knew a job wasn’t going to work out – you might quit before learning a valuable skill you needed for later.

If you knew a relationship wasn’t going to end up being your ‘forever after’, you might abandon it before experiencing new emotions, or becoming stronger for having made mistakes.

A song was on the radio in the car and it reminded me of someone.

I think about exes from time to time – then I segue off onto wondering if I ever cross their minds.

I hope I do.

They all meant something to me and always will.

So back to change …

Since the start of the year I have now been in 3 different jobs, gone from not knowing what life would be like without the constant that is my son, to living alone lately.

The thing that hasn’t changed, and rarely does, are the friends I have.

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I was surprised to hear a friend was coming to town that I usually only see once a year, usually Christmas time.  It was literally Christmas in July to get to see her for dinner Sunday night!

On the heels of ‘friend Sunday’ came ‘inevitable Monday’ and a pretty rough week.

Work is amazing, I love my new position.

The logo I created was delivered and stuck to our freshly painted red wall … I remember the first time I was published and seeing the paper – yeah, it was a little like that.

I’m blurring so much here – but want you to see the logo at least.  I assure you, the wall does not look like a horrid smudge of letters.

We’re still figuring out procedures and I’m still on a crash course of figuring out how to do what I do. This I have no problem with. I adapt. I learn quickly, that was no lie on my resume.

My forte is creation. Creation, progression and completion.  Love it.

Needless to say though, even a whole day doing your favorite things can be exhausting.

I found myself coming home and sitting on the couch in a hyper-minded/numb-bodied state every evening.

On top of the exhilarating chaos that is the birth of a new company, we had ‘sabotage day’ or ‘Cablegate’ as I am thinking of it now.

Our suite connects to the old company we all worked for. It was sadly closing while we were opening. A very emotional thing to watch.

I get attached to people and routines. After 3 1/2 years, to see the people I care about slowly leaving, while an office that once thrived emptied to nothing but a shell – well, it wasn’t pleasant to say the least.

Our office parties, the holidays we shared, the smell of Thanksgiving turkey, the sounds of laughter – phones ringing, microwaves beeping, deliveries arriving – the hustle and bustle, Gone.

All gone now.

It was down to just the Broker this past week – and a trickling of agents bringing out the last of the items going with them.

One morning I arrived to the news that the keys to the mail box were missing and all the drawers had been left open.

Did I know where they were? No, I did not.

Also the internet was down.

No problem, I told the Broker  he could use our WIFI, I would give him the code.

I finally made it into our suite only to discover that our internet was not working either … nor our phones.

The utility closet that houses the cables and technical ‘things’ is located in the old office.

And it was locked.

And that key shared the key chain that had gone missing.

A locksmith was called out and after summoning the internet technicians out too, the long and short of it is that someone had come in the night and left a final ‘F-you!’ for us.  (Yes, we have a very good idea who it was – no, we have no proof)

Equipment lay on the floor of the closet and various pieces hung from the wall.  Then, discovered hidden in the ceiling, the recently cut wires that connected our suite to the outside world.

The police were called – locks were changed and a temporary fix was made to attach cables to the frayed ends of the severed ones.

Sabotage.

A lot of talk about karma came up.  I’m of the mind that anyone angry enough or capable of such a crime already has to live with themselves.

We were back up and running and were not going to let that set-back have anymore power (or lack of) over us than it deserved.

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Friday arrived and I was ready for a relaxing weekend.

I climbed out of my car, came through my gate and opened the front door.

And was greeted by – silence.

Butters was nowhere to be seen – or heard.  And trust me, my hairy manatee is an excitable girl.  She wriggles and whines and leaps at my return.

I had locked the door so she couldn’t be out?

Then slowly, a small noise and as I set my purse down, she limped out of my bedroom.

She hadn’t eaten – hadn’t taken a drink from her water bowl.  Her tail hung between her legs and she moved gingerly.

I dropped to the floor beside her and started an examination – and to my horror, she let me.

I’ll try to describe her exuberance … I can’t get a leash on her in any time under 20 minutes.  Trying to get her to stay still for her collar after a bath is like trying to hold back a herd of children at the Disneyland gates.

And she lay there – letting me probe between her pads for burrs – press her leg to test for warmth or tender spots.

I could see nothing out of the usual.

She then left me to lay in the bathroom.  Not limping.  (Perhaps she had just been laying awkwardly on it before I got home?)  Now she was listless, shivering and unmoving.

I checked her ears, her eyes, her gums, her stomach …  all the while wondering “What will I do? How will I afford to get her care??”  And telling her – “Don’t you leave me.”

My eyes welled with tears as I reached out to the online community for ideas.

My friend that ‘always knows when to show up’ threw some clothes on and abandoned her Friday night after her own long week, and headed over to be with us.

Butters perked up a little.

“Maybe she’s depressed.” Said my friend.

She had a point.

Life as she had known it had changed too.

From having the run of the yard all day to being shut indoors – and the absence of her boy.  Big changes for a little canine world.

Perhaps she was just depressed.

By the time my friend left, she seemed to have perked up.  I stayed up with her until after 1 a.m. to be sure.

The next morning she was herself again.

Just like that!

I quickly went to the grocery store returning with lots of dog treats – cleaned the house and just as I finished Butters barked at the front door.  (Music to my ears to hear her vocalize by the way.)

In walked my friend holding coffee and polystyrene boxes.

“I brought brunch.”

We sat across from each other and shared half of each box.  Butters was treated to some bacon.

“My heart is smiling at my stomach right now,” I said.  “This is right up there – top 10 happiest moments.”

And it was.

My dog was okay, my friend had showed up and the food was amazing.

Before she left I added, “You’re her favorite person that comes over.”

“I’m the only person who comes over.”

I had to laugh at that.

Point well made – but things change. Could be in a few months that I don’t even live here anymore.

But I can count on who will walk through my front door.

I can always count on my friends.

And I don’t want to know the future – because I might miss something getting there.

Until next time –