The alternate title to this post could be:
Obviously My Life Wasn’t Chaotic Enough
or
Yes. Yes, I Am Crazy
Because, that mutt pictured above is our new dog.
I know. No, really. I know.
Here’s what happened:
Saturday dawned bright and beautiful, a day full of hope and promise. We all were a little giddy at the thought of being footloose and fancy free – we had nothing planned! Nothing to accomplish! Wonder of wonders! Jac and I lingered over breakfast, sharing the paper. We threw around ideas for the day and Jac kept reading aloud about dogs from the classifieds. I mainly ignored him – sometimes (or most of the time) it’s hard to tell when he’s serious. When we made a plan to visit the library and Elizabeth came over, I thought the day was under way.
After Elizabeth left, Jac casually asked if I’d like to go to Baken Park to look at some puppies. They were free! The lady was only in town for the day! It would be fun! I eyed him warily.
“Are we getting a dog today?” I asked. I was NOT ready for that commitment. Or the poop.
“I don’t know! We’re just looking!”
I stewed on the way to meet the lady. I had a bad feeling about the whole thing and told Jac that it wasn’t fair. I just knew that we’d get there and I wouldn’t have a choice but to say yes. I felt rather sick about the whole thing.
Sure enough, a farm lady with a truck and camper top was there with 3 pups. The bed of the truck was filthy with hay, cardboard and waste. The dogs cowered in the corner – it was heart breaking. I didn’t like that the kids had to see something like it. Ugh. The lady told Jac to go and pick one out and the dogs were petrified. The kids told him which dog they liked and I needed desperately to get away from the whole mess and offered to go get a collar from the nearby pet store if we were doing this.
“I guess so.” Jac said as he shrugged his shoulders.
The boys and I hurried off to get a leash and collar. By the time we came out, the lady was rapidly driving away and Jac already had the dog in the car.
Oy.
We brought her home with joyful children full of plans. Then we struggled to get her out of the van, she was so freaked out. Jac finally carried her to the back yard and we attempted to make her comfortable so that we could go get the necessary accoutrement needed for a puppy. The leash was fixed around an old laundry line pole, water was given and one of the kid’s playhouses was moved for shelter. We all agreed it was satifactory and scurried away to the pet store before the threatening clouds burst.
We didn’t make it.
Coming out of Pet Smart, the sky was black and big raindrops came down. The kids were concerned and encouraged Jac to go faster. We had to get her out of the rain! Half way home, the rain turned torrential and we couldn’t see through the windshield. At that point I was past angry because I knew this could not end well.
Getting home, we raced for cover and to get the dog. But when we went into the back yard all that was there was a collar and leash.
You can imagine the agony.
As the storm raged, so did I. I didn’t even WANT the stupid dog and this was NOT what I wanted to teach the kids about keeping an animal. This was not us!
Jac and I combed the back yard in the rain and then he left to search the neighborhood in the car. The kids worried inside and I fumed. What now?
Jac drove to the Humane Society and called me from the parking lot. The lady who gave us the pup had the other two there to drop off. He was mortified. He tried to avoid her and the desk workers told him they had relayed to the lady our pup was lost. She mater-of-factly replied that, yeah, no surprise because they are masters at getting out of fences.
Awesome. Coulda been some helpful information.
A missing dog report was filed and Jac came home dejected. What were we to do?
Sunday we looked and prayed but no dog.
Monday morning, the kids and I prayed morning prayer. I prayed through clenched teeth, “Lord if we are supposed to have the dog, we pray you’d bring her back to us.”
Later, the humane society called and said a dog matche dour description. Jac went and walked thorugh the place, but there was nothing.
Then, as I removed clothes from the line, I heard a rukus on the fence. I thought it was the squirrel. When I looked, it appeared to be one of the stray cats. But the cat fell off the fence and that was odd for those tricky beasts. It threw itself at the fence, only managing to get it’s front paws over. That’s when I noticed the white tip of the tail.
The stupid dog.
When I approached her, she took off and I raced to get Jac. He dutifully went next door and searched their yard. Nothing.
The next house turned up nothing as well. We laughed and swore and shook our heads about the trouble this dog was and we came inside.
Over the din of the kids, I heard barking. We went outside and saw a neighbor girl cradeling the dog in her arms.
“I think I have your dog!”
Sure enough, she had seen the dog behind a shed with it’s head stuck in a ladder and rescued the quivering shaking mess.
After some water and food, we gave her quick bath and took her to the downstairs bathroom so we could make our dinner meeting with the Phalen cousins at Bob and Connie’s. On the way there we decided the dogs name.
Monday.
Monday because she came back to us on a Monday and because like a Monday, you wish you didn’t have to deal with it.
I’d like to stay angry about the deal, but it’s just not possible. In the middle of my fit on Saturday I told Jac that I didn’t want to have to explain to the kids why God didn’t answer their prayers to bring the dog back. But then he did. I guess he wants us to have a dog.
*Update: Monday was really scared when we got home, but Jac studied up on the Dog Whisperer, took her for a walk and bonded. Then it was my turn. She spent the night just fine in the laundry room but it was clear she was happier outside. Today she was reintroduced to the kids who were so eager to become friends and at the moment she is sleeping peacefully on the porch, free of any leashes or ties. Jac says she figured out she’s got a good thing here. I’ll keep you posted.
