A Dog’s Life, Part II

Ralph eats one-half of his food and presents himself to me to get his face washed. This is necessary, as the food is greasy and he will immediately wipe his face on the living room carpet if I don’t. They have their own little stash of wash cloths in a kitchen drawer just for this purpose. I then turn to the pink lump inside the dining room door and sweetly inquire “Are you ready to eat beck’as little missy?”. I know, I know. If she raises her head, I pick her up, blanket and all and deposit her on the countertop, punch twenty-three seconds into the microwave and put her eyedrops in as we wait. We are ready to move forward at the third beep.

I place her food beside Ralph’s half-eaten breakfast and sit her before it with her banky draped around her like a shroud. She sniffs it once then walks about three feet away. From this point, she gives me The Look. That’s what we call the unflinching stare she uses to communicate anything and everything she wants. Our task is to decipher just what it is she’s waiting for. This one’s easy though…she wants her meds and peanut butter before breakfast.

Having anticipated this demand, I am already busily placing her four pills into about 1/8th teaspoon of peanut butter – heart, thyroid, allergy and fluid retention. She deems these her first treat of the day. RC’s pills (thyroid and glucousamine) are given with whole wheat bread, so these are also quickly prepared, not at RC’s urging, but because Chelsea must also have a small bit of RC’s whole wheat bread. This done, she moves to her breakfast while I roll the bread into a ball around RC’s pills and dose him up good.

While Chelsea and her pink banky are at the breakfast bowl, I quickly stow away the medicine basket and put very hot water on the washrag. Chelsea does not like lukewarm face washes. She is about now moving away, having eaten about half her food. The other half she has spread around the floor so she could pick out the good parts. My exclamation of “Chelsea…what a good girl…you ate your breakfast” is Ralph’s cue to return to the breakfast table, consume anything Chelsea has left and usually the remainder of his.

Meanwhile, Chelsea approaches me for her face sauna and then returns to her throne, banky intact. I patiently wait for Ralph to finish and rewash his face. Somewhere during all of this, George has managed to eat his breakfast, thank me for it, take his vitamins (which were carefully laid out for him somewhere up above), poured his ‘to-go’ cup of coffee (which I have pre-heated with hot water) and exited with a kiss as I wish him a good day and close the door behind him.

Finally, everyone is walked, fed, washed and medicated. RC is watching The Today Show, Ralph has returned upstairs for another 40 winks and Chelsea is snugly snoring away. I pour myself a cup of coffee. Another day has begun.

This is a true accounting. Sometime I’ll tell you about the rest of our day.

Log in to write a note
January 28, 2002

You’ve already adopted a few strays — got room for one more? I don’t get a hot breakfast or remember to take my vitamins. A mutt jealous of the ones getting the royal treatment,

There is nothing like a morning routine to make the day feel so right. RYN: My diary is private to OD, and I don’t go there anymore – I like being safe and snug here in “OD+ only-land”! Now that you’re here, we can freely visit each other. Aside from that, I don’t know why it would have said “private” to you – the welcome mat is always out! And yes, I’m ready to go forward with my books…

Pity you lost those OD entries. I recall they were very good

January 29, 2002

Whew, I would have wet my pants by now! LOL Ho Ho

January 29, 2002

I think maybe I’ll move into your house 🙂 (Re: TBS’ note above, in OD+ many diaries will appear private if you haven’t signed in…that confused me at first.) Btw, there is talk of a PNW OD BBQ this summer over at quieted’s and I’m hoping anyway to make a trip up that direction. xxoo,

I have ONE cat and find her fastidious habits hilarious but more than a little inconvenient. You must be preparing for canonization. I love these entries and am glad to have found you!

January 29, 2002

i wonder if i can teach my cat to watch TV, that would give me some time to get chores of my own done. hmmm.

March 9, 2002

It sounds like a pretty good day. However, I must confess I’m a tad worried about RC and the Today Show. That Katie Couric is bad news. (ha). hugs,

I love this! Bub is a cat person and he and his cat came to me as a package deal, so we have cats. Since his cat is was just that – his cat – I got my own. Now Beau doesn’t believe anyone should sleep past 4:30 even on weekends and sees to it by walking all over us that we are awake. Hence I’m up reading your journal already this morning. Yawn….

April 8, 2002

*large grin* It sounds like a retirement home for indulged dogs. The payment is intrinsic but I’m sure it’s more than money could ever buy. 🙂 Furballs make the greatest friends, accepting us for who we are and letting us know our companionship is a precious commodity. Catman rules our household, weighing in at a wopping 12 pounds. hehehe

October 4, 2003

That’s good mundane living. A year of that and it’s time for a vacation break