checking in on me ...

Sam called.  To check on me.  How absolutely wonderful is that? 

He called to see if I was freezing.  I just thought that was so thoughtful, and he made me feel loved.  Just a small gesture, but amazing how it means so much.  

Mark and I went to Ruidoso this past weekend, and we found a store named "No Bones About It".  I grabbed a few things while in there ... 

I did get myself two new work shirts.  (great thing about this job - don't have to dress up!)

One shirt has a picture of a doggie with the cone around his neck, and it reads, "It's all fun and games until someone ends up in a cone"

The second shirt says plainly, "Your dog doesn't know SIT" 

They made me laugh; I hope they make others do the same.

Becky...

A few weeks back, I got a call asking if I could babysit three dogs over Thanksgiving.  The owner is Becky (and her family), and the dogs are two labs and a beagle.  She wanted me to spend the night, because her dogs do still go out at least once during the night.

I agreed, and I went to meet Becky and her dogs about a week ago.
She lives in a nice, big comfortable house with a gorgeous view of the mountains.  I loved her house, because it's a beautiful house, but it's comfortable and 'lived in'.  It was clean and tidy, but not perfect.  She has kids, and it shows.  She has dogs, and it shows.

This is why we love Becky...
She's taking me on a tour of the house, and as we hit the master bedroom, she informs me that the dogs will probably sleep on the bed, and that's fine.  She has a love seat in the mater bedroom.  She says to me, "I wouldn't sit on that couch if I were you.  The dogs love it, and it's covered in dog hair.  I do vacuum it, but I think I'm losing the battle."  I LOVE pet owners like this!

I informed her that I had a lab puppy who also needs to go potty at night, so could I please bring my puppy with me?  I told her about Dolce, but I told her that Dolce would be fine to leave home alone.  Becky told me that I could bring both of my dogs.  She didn't care.  As long as everyone got along.

I spent a couple nights at Becky's house with Becky's dogs, and I did take both of my dogs along as well.  All the dogs got along wonderfully.  Well, I'm not so sure Boomer liked Dolce, as Dolce decided that chasing Boomer (the beagle) through the house was a great deal of fun.  And I'm not so sure Sage (the female lab) liked Georgia O'Keeffe as Georgia O'Keeffe kept circling Sage.  The cutest thing was when Dolce was attempting to protect Georgia O'Keeffe.  As Georgia O'Keeffe circles, Sage growls to let Georgia O'Keeffe know that her behavior is not welcomed.  Sage does not snap.  Sage does not bark.  Sage just growls.  But Dolce did not like it.  So my tiny little dauchshund decides that she is going to protect Georgia O'Keeffe (who is bigger than Dolce) against this growling lab (who is much, much bigger than Dolce).  Dolce was quite worried and barking her little head off at Sage.  I had to convince Dolce that Sage was not doing anything wrong ... she was just showing who was boss.

Sam...

Sam was in the hospital again recently.  He was in the hospital about a week, and then he went to rehab for another week.  I was surprised when he got to go back to his own apartment though, because I thought he'd be in rehab a bit longer.  So happy that he was not.  He must have done really good in rehab to get out so soon.....

Sam was very depressed for a while.  He was under the impression that he was having delayed mourning.  He decided that their was just too much change in the past year of his life, that he did not get to mourn his wife properly.  Days before he went into the hospital, he had a nightmare.  I have no idea what he dreamt, I didn't ask; he didn't tell.  But whatever it was, he was quite upset, sad, depressed ... and he stayed that way for days.  While he was in the hospital, I would sit with him and we would talk.  I mentioned that when he was back home, he might want to check into seeing a psychologist or a psychiatrist.  I asked if he had ever gone to one before, and his reply was, "No.  Never."  I told him that the only time I had been to one was while going through my separation and divorce, but it had helped me immensely and made me feel so much better.  He thought that was a good idea.  He'd think about it.  He'd look into it.  He told me that just talking to me helped.  I loved that I could be there for him.

Sam has been going through a lot of pictures and photo albums.  He'll come across a picture, and he'll ask me to have it framed.  Then he'll come across another one, and he'll ask me to have that one framed.  He's told me on more than one occasion, "OK, that's it.  I'm done with the pictures.  I'm not framing anymore."  Only to find another picture that needs framing.  He came across a professionally taken one of his wife, and he told me there was a story behind that picture.  He asked his wife to please go have a picture made of herself. He realized while he was in Korea, that all of the other guys had pictures of their wives or girlfriends, but he did not have a picture of his.  He asked her to please remedy that problem.  She got all dolled up.  Her hair is fixed up, she's wearing her 'cat-eyed' glasses, and a string of pearls around her neck.  The picture is not quite sepia, but it's not black and white either.  Somewhere in between.  Sam's wife sent him the picture, but then he got sick.  He was put in the hospital, and he was sent home.  He didn't pack up his bags or pack his things.  The Army had that done for him.  He said he didn't even think about that picture for years, and by the time he did think about it, he had no idea what had ever happened to it.  He said he and his wife talked about it off and on throughout the years, but neither one of them ever knew what happened to the picture.  He found it about a month ago.  Memories came flooding back.  He asked me to have it framed, and I found a beautiful ornate gold-leaf frame.  At first Sam did not like the frame ... until I put the picture in.  His wife looked absolutely beautiful in that particular frame.  We have it placed on a shelf just across from Sam's chair.  As he sits in his chair, he can see his wife looking out at him.

Another picture he wanted framed was his wedding picture.  We put it into a nice simple frame that he already had at the house.  He and his wife are so young.  I believe she was eighteen.  He was twenty-one.  I keep telling him, "Wow, Sam, look how young y'all were." And we both smile.  He told me yesterday that framing those two pictures have helped him so much.  He thinks it was just the medicine he needed.  He has been much happier since looking at those pictures each day.

Yesterday, I spent part of my Thanksgiving with Sam.  His daughter was going from place to place to place with family and friends for the day.  She did invite Sam, but he did NOT want to do that.  He did not want any part of that.  He asked, "Why do I want to go from house to house sitting around with people I don't even know?"  He told me that for years his wife did do the big traditional family Thanksgivings, but not the last few years of her life.  Once she got sick, she couldn't.  He said Thanksgiving was not that important to him anymore.  So he and I spent the morning together.  He's not a fan of professional football (he prefers college), but he was planning on watching the Saints and Cowboys when I left him.  His daughter called me later in the day and invited me over to her house for dinner, which I thought was so so sweet of her, but I declined.  Instead I was on my way to spend the night watching five dogs ..........

By the way:  tomorrow is Sam's birthday.  He'll be 83.

Sailor...

I talked with Fred this morning, and he informed me that 'my dog' had gotten in trouble.  He was being grounded.  I asked what Sailor had done....
Fred let Sailor out this morning, and shortly thereafter, Fred heard a loud crash.  He went out, but could not find Sailor.  What he did notice though was that his large city-issued garbage can had been knocked over.  The lid was on, but the garbage can was on its side.
Fred went looking and calling for Sailor; eventually Sailor came crawling out of the garbage can.  Apparently Fred had thrown out a chicken carcass last night, and that is what Sailor was going for.  Sailor was not about to come out until the last of that chicken carcass was gone......

Sam, Fred and Sailor

I got a new puppy.  My daughter found Georgia O'Keeffe, and she picked the puppy out for me.  I had to take a weekend off to travel back to Texas to grab the puppy.  I am busy these days, which is a good thing, but it made it difficult to get back and pick up my puppy.  I sucked it up, and just did it.  

Taking time off to get Georgia O'Keeffe meant not seeing Sam that weekend.  I told him what I was doing, and he was understanding.  I also talked to his daughter to make sure that she would be in town  that weekend, just in case of an emergency.  The sweetest thing was that on Sunday night, Sam called to check on me.  He called to make sure that I was home safely.  That touched my heart.  He was worried about me.  

The next time I did see Sam we had quite a nice talk about our dogs.  I showed him pictures of Georgia O'Keeffe, and he wants to meet her at some point.  His family often had two dogs; the family dog and his hunting dog.  Sam said he had one dog who was so well trained, that Sam could take the dog into town, leave the dog sitting by his truck, and the dog would stay there until Sam returned.  I know I've seen that before, but I guarantee NONE of the dogs that I've ever had would ever be there when I returned...!  Sam lights up when he talks about the dogs in his life.  I love seeing him smile.  I love seeing the light in his eyes.  

Fred also went out of town for just a few days, and I got to take care of Sailor.  Remember how we love Fred because he saved Sailor's life?  Well, now we love Fred for another reason.  On the forms I have clients fill out, there is a question about 'in case of emergency'.  In case of emergency, if the animal needs to be taken to the vet, what dollar amount is the client willing to spend?  People will write in different amounts depending.  What amount did Fred write in? "any amount" .....  awwwwww.  I loved it.  

The nights are getting a bit cold now, so Fred wanted Sailor out in the yard during the day but in the house for the nights.  No problem.  Well, it was no problem until I locked myself out of the house.  Now, if I am going to be stupid enough to lock myself out of the house, thankfully I did have Sailor, I did have Sailor's food, I did have my phone, and I did have my keys.  I could see Fred's house key.  I just couldn't get to it.  I just stood there looking at the key telling myself how stupid I was.  Sailor kept looking at me not understanding.  Oh well .......  I took Sailor for a walk, sucked it up and called Fred to tell him what I had done.  Great way to make a first impression.  Fred is so nice.  Fred is so understanding.  Fred and I both laughed at me, but he still wants me to take care of Sailor, so it's all good.

Fred and Sailor have both met Georgia O'Keeffe.  They also met Dolce, because I could not leave Dolce at home while introducing Georgia O'Keeffe to people.  That would not be fair at all.....