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Hitchers and Ditchers
It’s been a while – I know!
I don’t know whether to blame my lack of posts on the absence of a laundromat, or just be honest and say I haven’t been doing much of anything I used to do .
I have had a pretty eventful few days however, and thought I would share them with you.
Tuesday …
I had tried to call in Tuesday morning due to a flipping sinus infection I’ve had for over a month. My boss didn’t get my message until it was after the cut off time for me getting to work on time, so the martyr I am, I drug my arse in.
Turns out my arse was tuckered out after an hour and I had permission to take it home.
I reached a spot where there is a final gas station before coming to my town, and there, on the corner of said station was a woman holding a blue gas can with her thumb out.
I ALMOST stopped – having recently encountered being stuck on the side of that very same road not so long ago, but – I’ve seen too many movies and just knew she had an accomplice lurking.
I passed her, then felt awful.
I vowed if I saw a car on the side of the road (no matter which side) I would go back and collect her.
Not. One. Car.
Which, in and of itself is strange because there’s almost always at LEAST one car showing off it’s hazard lights or exposed engine.
This made me curious and yes, I shared it on my Facebook page.
I was then informed by those ‘in the know’ that the lady hitcher was in fact a hooker.
Hey, I have nothing against hookers personally, but felt like an idiot. And, what if I HAD pulled over? Then what? Would she have come clean? Or got in? I will never know.
Thursday …
Alright, so yesterday, I DID stay home. I slept harder than I can last remember sleeping. (If you are comparing that sleep to other times I did while only utilizing one quarter of one nostril to breathe through.)
Between almost drowning from my own condition or suffocating, I did manage to get quite a bit of rest actually and I was super thirsty due to a lot of mouth breathing. I got up late afternoon craving ice cold iced tea. I had no iced tea. I was to venture out of my infirmary and GET some dang iced tea.
So I did.
Now, stick with me here.
I’ve explained before how dangerous our local highway is. I am very cautious! I get to the gas station just fine, select some tea and prepare to go home to rest some more.
I pulled out into the median turn lane and to my right, both lanes, lots of cars were coming. So I wait.
The ATV next to me however, decided they didn’t want to wait. Oh, and first of all, not sure why he was NEXT to me. Although, I was pulled over pretty tight to the left to execute my turn.
Regardless, back to the ATV.
The driver gunned it!
And as he arrived (barely) safely on the other side of the highway I realized that the ATV was minus a dog.
Here is the actual road (not during the actual moment obviously) – with very professional exhibit markers for you.
There was still throngs of traffic coming and a very stunned looking dog. Beautiful older collie with a worn bandana.
What to do?
GET THE DOG!
I got out of my car, slowly (as slowly as one can while an animal is in danger of being hit) I approached the pupper and grabbed onto it’s collar.
Across the highway I could hear the passenger, who, evidently was the owner, cursing out the driver in a very big way.
He couldn’t cross to me but he did entertain me as I heard sentences like: “You stupid fucking asshole!” and “What a stupid idiot!”
I just nodded in agreement and asked the dog if it was okay.
It didn’t answer – just panted and sat looking at me a little stunned.
Finally the owner was able to come to the middle and thanked me and that’s when the gravity of the situation sort of kicked in.
I remember getting into my car. I remember shaking uncontrollably and I remember making the turn then realizing I didn’t have my seat belt on.
I made it home safely.
But, whoa!
I always like to think I’d react a certain way in different situations – but always suspected I might freeze due to my anxiety.
I was happy I hadn’t frozen. Because I never could have erased the image of that sweet dog being hit by a car on that highway.
Just as I’ll never be able to look at a blue gas can now without thinking of a hooker.
Another Musing from the place I’m doing Laundry
It’s bonkers.
As Alice would say.
It’s almost 3 weeks since I left my home. And I still feel like a dog turning in circles and not able to lay down.
That got me to thinking about the homeless – the people who don’t have shelter to exhale in. Bouncing and bouncing from place to place. I mean, if I feel this way in my parents home – then … Gawd.
It makes me so sad.
The important thing is I have my Teddy. My bear. I think I understand the homeless with their carts. Having things that are familiar to you is so important. THEN I start thinking about people relocated due to fire or flood and all of their possessions gone. Just gone. Then I appreciate Facebook more. I lost a lot of photos in my divorce. But, Facebook is an eternal photo album and also, since they started memories, a diary.
Anyway.
I’ve also taken a lot of photos.
Tiny Dancer with her tongue out
Tiny in the sun
The ‘lover but a biter’
Missing her mom
Tiny dancer sleeping
Plucky on her window seat
Cacti and globe
Gorgeous Cacti
Me, in the window
Clearly, it’s a ‘tad’ windy.
Bottom line, it sucks not to be home. But I’m glad to fill in for my mum and dad that also want to be home.
And, am enjoying the pets, even if it means many scratches. 😉
Musings from … The place I’m doing laundry right now
It’s been a while since I’ve written and I’ve felt the tug and ache of not doing so.
We have family matters going on that, let’s just say, have me covering for my mum at her house – and having my son take the reins at our home.
I’ve been here … 10 days? I feel sometimes like I’m on an island and have forgotten to carve notches into a tree to track time.
First and foremost, I miss my son, I miss my dog, I miss ‘my’ routine.
But, what I’m doing is necessary and above ‘me’ and I am glad to do it.
So let’s get to the ‘Pros’ of being here eh? Keeping the chin up and all that!
Wait – no – first, the ‘Adjusting to the routine’ Cons. Which aren’t really ‘cons’ but, just stuff that I wasn’t mentally or physically prepared for.
Stairs. (And trust me, with C.O.P.D and a heart condition, this is either majorly helping, or killing me lol!)
2 Litter boxes
Longer commute
Lonely
Feeding regimes
Medicine giving
Turning over and picking up dog
Add to that work in the middle and adjusting to new meds.
OH! And two homes worth of food. $$$
Enough bitching.
Here’s my horrible view from the room I’m now sleeping in:
And here is the awful view from the couch 😉
And as for those stairs? While I can’t breathe going up them, coming down them affords me this view:
Have I mentioned the pool?
I actually told my laundry lady I wouldn’t be there for a few weeks – she worries about her ‘regulars’ (gawd, I feel like a ‘John’)
So, I am using laundry thingies that play a tune when the cycle is done.
I do have ONE major issue with the washer …
(Other than it looks like something yawning with its eyes closed) … Steelers magnets!!!!! STEELERS! As a Packers fan, it feels like blasphemy every time I use it.
Other than all of this – today, I accomplished much.
Cleaned – went over the river to visit my son and dog – put in a prescription and shopped for food.
I even got to talk to my mum this morning.
Now, I shall introduce you to the little clan I’m keeping.
Miss you all and I’ll write more when I can.
Baby Bunny Update … After the Musing.
OK, if you haven’t caught up, catch up now. Read THIS post.
Then come back.
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I came home, fed the babies again.
Was speaking back and forth with my mom who is a HUGE animal advocate and thankfully, a huge network of people.
She found someone close who was ready and willing and able to give MY (yes, I totally bonded) babies the attention and love they deserve.
I wavered.
I had bonded.
They had made it through the night!
THEY TOOK THEIR FIRST STEPS WITH ME!!
They really did. When I found them, they were flopping like fish. This morning’s feeding had them using their legs, walking up me … I had to swaddle to nurse them.
I have finally downloaded the videos I took during my short, short time as a bunny foster mom.
The first video … When I was still trying to find Bunny Mom.
And I did.
I played Alice and searched and searched for that rabbit hole.
As I said in my first post, once darkness fell, and rain was imminent … They HAD to come inside.
Life or death situation. (I’ll speak about that later.)
They survived the night! I nursed and they lived!
I fed them. I bonded. And then … My mom, who is very active in animal advocate circles, found someone close who could do better than I could.
Give them more than I could.
So, my last videos:
One of the bunnies with hiccups:
ANNNNND … My goodbye. 😦
SO! My babies are gone.
The adoptive mom was lovely. As were her children.
They already have a bunny. She’s a dog groomer – and as I said before, a huge animal advocate. I slipped her my email address.
“Please tell me good or bad how they’re doing.”
I had the bunnies tucked under my cardigan, it was pouring rain. I had their little bag ready.
And I cried, and I cried, and I cried.
Still crying.
I feel like Alice had something to do with my ‘meeting’ of these beautiful creatures.
I went down her rabbit hole. A healing. Being of service. Loving something smaller and vulnerable.
And it happened with my mom.
‘Alice’ knew one of my favorite books (other than Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) was Watership Down.
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Sensible informative part of my emotional post:
If you see a baby w/out it’s mom … Wait!
Rabbits will abandon (temporarily) their young to redirect a predator.
The babies may not BE abandoned!
There is a LOT of work involved in raising wild rabbits – they NEED the environment for immunities and such. So, it’s not ideal to try to raise one without doing MUCH research.
Rabbits are one of the few that DON’T abandon their young if you’ve ‘touched them’. If you give one shelter for the night, and feel it’s safe to return, RETURN IT!
My situation was dictated by a storm, a very dangerous spot that I found them in and the fact that we have many predators … Otherwise, I would have left them alone.
Ok, maybe I would have watched to be sure mom came to get them, but, I would not have taken them inside if there was no other way.
I assure you.
Two babies live today – and wouldn’t have if I hadn’t taken them in.
Of that, I’m certain.
And thanks ‘Alice’ – you know who you are – even though you’re not reading this. I think you put those babies in my path.
Musings from the Laundromat: Tracks and Crumples and Butters edition.
Tracks! Tracks in my yard. The two doves that spend a lot of time in my neck of the desert seem to have nested nearby because I see them daily now.
Here’s one to refresh your memory:
There’s a few other creatures sticking close to my home – one of which I have lovingly named ‘Crumple Bunny’ which has morphed to ‘Crumples’ already.
It’s little left ear is in constant flop – or – crumpled mode. I’m not sure if it was born this way, or has been injured. I’ve started leaving baby carrots around the area for Crumples and his able eared friend.
A closer shot. It isn’t caged by the way – I took this from my porch, the rabbit was in my neighbor’s yard behind the fence.
Or – my EX neighbor’s I should say!
YES! They finally left!!!!
They also left, 3 tires, an old car, a broken shed full of gawd only knows what – a mattress, toys – and various other items. *sigh*
I didn’t expect less of them.
Back to animals – and speaking of little left things …
Butters has been stepping gingerly on her left hind foot.
I investigated as much as I could considering:
A) She doesn’t like to be prodded or examined – doubly so when there’s something to actually examine.
B) I am not a vet.
I can’t find anything in her paw or pads – but she had been nibbling furiously on the foot attached to said leg for some time. I thought she needed a bath – but that didn’t fix the problem.
Then she seemed fine.
I should also mention I switched her food to a more expensive “joint care” one after her last limpy period.
(This happened last year and the vet had suggested it could be arthritis since the anti-inflammatory’s she was prescribed with seemed to give her back her usual gait.)
I then noticed she wasn’t – um – ‘Answering natures call’ on a regular basis. Also noticed her food bowl was left for meals at a time untouched.
I (again, with all my veterinary training) just assumed since her foot/leg was bothering her, perhaps she just didn’t feel like eating.
Yesterday I thought I’d buy her old food and give that a shot.
I had barely put a scoop in her bowl and she dove in head first!
Kibble was flying – the bowl was clinking and … I felt like the worst dog mom on the planet.
She freaking HATED the ‘better’ food!
Poor thing has been hungry! No wonder she hadn’t used the yard, she had nothing to give it!
I swear she gave me dirty looks all day yesterday after that. At one point she lay on the couch opposite mine with my son – I could feel her looking at me, but when I returned eye contact, she turned her head.
She was probably thinking, “Really? REALLY mom? It took you a bag of food to realize I only ate it when I was flipping starving and wondered why I wasn’t going potty??!”
Sufficiently shamed.
She is now giving what little attention I deserve as she works on forgiving me.
As for her leg – I guess it’s back to the vet with us.
THAT will be an adventure. And when I say ‘adventure’ I mean a drama packed, hyperventilation filled 5 minute drive followed by self asphyxiation by leash in a waiting room. And that’s just me! 😉
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Debauchery Soup 