Is anyone surprised that this is going to start out happy and light and then the last two bullet points will be downers? Don't be surprised. This is 2026 in America.
1) My co-workers has been in treatment for breast cancer. She'd done chemo, surgery, and TODAY IS HER LAST DAY OF RADIATION!!! Woot woot! She has been such a real light during this whole thing and she's wonderful and super and if you could just think of her today and send a smile out into the world, that would be amazing.
2) The riverwalk is open! In just a few weeks it went from this:
To this:
It's now so dry I feel like I might set fire to the grass just by walking on it, but that's the price you pay for living in Wisconsin, I guess.
3) So, dogs can be jerks, you know? One of the things Hannah likes to do on walks is antagonize other dogs who are in their houses, behind a fence, or tied out. And she doesn't just walk by, but she'll stop to linger - to pee, to sniff, to just stare in the middle distance. I try to coax her to move along, but I have a "no yank unless it's an emergency" policy with Hannah, so other than moving myself in the direction I want to go and reminding her that we live in a society where it's not nice to be mean to others, I generally just let this happen.
Am I jerk because of this? Particularly when it's (hypothetically) 5:47am and we're walking down a neighborhood street and one particularly loud golden retriever behind a fence sets off another unseen dog somewhere else and then another unseen dog? Is it my responsibility to maybe use the yank and get Hannah out of sight of the OG Barking Dog? We DO live in a society after all.
4) I mentioned very briefly in my April spending report that I had purchased an advent calendar. J texted me an advent calendar asking me if that was the one I had ordered. AND IT WAS. I hadn't said which one it is - mostly because I want it to be a surprise for my husband - and she KNEW. She's psychic. I am both kind of scared of J now (is she a mind reader?!) and impressed that she knows me that well.
5) The people in the house across the street from our house used to be a nice couple with the friendliest chihuahua I've ever met. But now? That house is a source of amusement and consternation to us. A new family moved in and there are six? seven? eight? people who live there. At least one adult man and adult woman. At least two tween/young teen girls - we see three regularly, but at least five or six are repeaters. Maybe a tween/teen boy? He might just visit a lot. And then there is one (maybe two) young women who are of driving age. And then my husband said he saw an elderly couple, but maybe they were just visitors. ANYWAY. They moved in an immediately put up a trampoline, which the tween/teen girls use daily.
But here's the rub. They have a whole flock of chickens AND at least four dogs (three goldens and a black and white goofball). AND I THINK THEY HAVE AN OUTDOOR CAT.
(Cats should not live outdoors in the city. They kill wildlife and stress out wild animal populations. Cats' lives are much shortened because of cars and predators. And don't get me started on the spread of PARASITES. Grr.)
Anyway. Dr. BB and I are fascinated by this house. We're also pretty sure they're in violation of city regulations about the number of animals they can have. I mean, I'm actually positive they are:
No family shall keep any swine, horses, cattle, sheep, goats or mules, nor more than two rabbits, three dogs, three cats, six chickens, two mink, two ducks, two geese, two doves or two turkeys on any property within the corporate limits of the city; except, the total number of animals, fowl or pets that a family may keep under this section shall not exceed a combination of six.
Whatever. I'm not going to turn them in, but can you imagine HOW CROWDED it must be in there?
6) At work we had these stickers we were supposed to give away to students who came to advising appointments.
I rolled my eyes, but when I started offering them to students, they took them. I had to start going to my co-workers' offices to get more.
But then I remembered that I had a series of dog stickers. Bestest Friend sent these to me and I had them in a drawer in my office.
My students are obsessed with these stickers. No student who I have suggested look at the dog stickers has declined. Only one student has not taken one.
Stickers are a good currency for college-aged students. Who knew?
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Stepdog was the queen of "walkin' past your house real slow" and Doggo is no slouch there either. We let Steppie get away with just about anything since we didn't know better, but we're a little more strict with the second kid, er I mean the second dog. If she's not moving on, then I keep moving so she has no choice except to follow. I don't have to do it too often.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since we've had a doggy GI issues KNOCK WOOD. Poor girl. I would have texted the vet, too.
I'm in awe of J's clairvoyance! I've seen it in action.
Everyone wants dog stickers!
Life is short and parts of it suck, so that's why we need all of the kitty and dog snuggles that we can get.
I just think Hannah's pokiness is on purpose sometimes and it makes me wonder if maybe she's secretly a mean dog. Ha!
DeleteYes, life is short and unkind sometimes. We should find joy when we can.
If people are letting their dogs out in the yard, then they have to accept that they will bark at whoever walks by. I am laughing a little at Hannah lingering though. Seems a little passive aggressive, but I wouldn't yank.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to find out what this mystery advent calendar is!!! I feel like we're getting little clues. It's obviously something so "you" that J immediately guessed it. Hmm....
I've been hearing so many sad stories lately of people dying or being diagnosed with strange illnesses. But then there's your co-worker finishing her cancer treatment! I'll definitely send a smile into the universe for her today.
I mean, the advent calendar is something I talk about all the time, but that doesn't mean it was super obvious! (I guess it was. We'll have to ask her!)
DeleteI'm so happy for my co-worker! Today's the day!
I'm not surprised stickers are popular. I use cat stickers on good tests and homework. I see them later on laptops and water bottles. Maybe some don't care, but most find it a happy little boost.
ReplyDeleteI think with 13 kids she's allowed to drop out. Esp as kids get older, they're so much they need. ( Babies and toddlers are the easy ones.) And, yes, I'm Catholic. (Though LDS- that's the other guess when people find out I have a soccer team of kids.)
Happy thoughts to your coworker on completing her current treatment!
For Hannah, could you come up from behind like a sheep dog does to sheep and sort of nudge her along? A barrier between her and the fence? Guide her away?
I bet the friend will be happy to see your husband- old ties can be very supportive in times of sorrow.
I mean, she has thirteen kids, but two of them are married with kids of their own. It's gross, but it is what it is. The older kids raise the younger ones and the parents just post photos of everyone in church clothes. I have strong feelings on this.
DeleteUm, I cannot nudge Hannah along. She's a stubborn shepherd who would just look at me like "who the actual hell do you think you are?" Hence, the need to yank. But I could do better about it. I just feel like she should be able to walk on the sidewalk freely. I fully acknowledge I may be in the wrong, maybe even probably.
I'm sorry about Dr BB's friend's husband. That's very sad.
ReplyDeleteNOT sad is your friend who is done her treatment, consider me smiling in her direction!
Thirteen children, good lord. That is a lot of children. Also - that house does sound crowded, and I totally agree with you on the cat thing. When I lived in Calgary there were so many missing cat posters, and there was a coyote problem in our neighbourhood so...
Okay, funny story that is Hannah-adjacent. Speaking of our neighbourhood in Calgary, on our walk route there was a house that had two tiny barky dogs who would sit in the window and just go nuts anytime we walked by. And then Barkley started to just...take a shit on their lawn while watching them in the window. I swear he would hold it all in until we passed that house and then...squat. He was like 9 or 10 by this time and if you've ever tried to dissuade a dog that is going for it, well. (obviously I cleaned it up, but still). They would be barking and he would silently be staring at them while shitting. GOOD TIMES. I don't think the owners were home in the day, I never did see a person around there.
YES!! She'll stop to do her business. And she makes eye contact. IT'S SO AGGRESSIVE. Like...would you like someone to do that in front of your house, Hannah? No, YOU WOULD NOT. Oh, well. Dogs don't understand societal niceties, I guess.
DeleteMaybe a gentle tug. No, I don't want a sticker, but I don't think I'd refuse an offer.
ReplyDeleteA gentle tug leads nowhere. LOL.
DeleteClearly Hannah is not very food motivated, if it were Mulder I would a. Yank because I’m a jerk, or b. Offer him a treat. My walks were much different than yours though, mine were to get my morning exercise before work, where yours is very kind and Hannah centric. Thankfully Mulder didn’t know your way, and was mostly fine with it. Also, every time I let him stop to give a good sniff, something would end up in his mouth, and then later I’d be cleaning up vomit. We babysat another dog for a weekend a few months after he died, Theo, and Theo did NOT put things in his mouth and it was like, WHAT? All dogs don’t do this? Amazing.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the advent calendar, I love that the internet now thinks I’m clairvoyant, but really I remembered you liked the thing, and then I saw an ad on FB, and if it had NOT been the one you bought, I would have gotten it for you, because it was so CLEARLY MEANT TO BE YOURS. Or at least tried, as you told me, they sell out quickly.
I’m so glad your friend is finishing up her radiation today! That is great news. What a journey. I’m so sorry about Dr. BB’s friend’s husband. That is rough, and I’m sorry that you can’t be there with him today.
I was surprised that I was able to walk beneath the Main Street bridge this morning; that section of the River Walk was still underwater a week ago...but like you said (and I pointed out myself), we could really use some rain now. Crazy how quickly things can change.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually shocked to learn I can own two mink without a permit.
I think dogs should be allowed to do Dog Jobs: i.e., barking at other dogs, sniffing stuff while on walks, growling a bit here and there if they're unsure of strangers, and generally licking stuff/people until it becomes gross. If you take those away from them, then what are they supposed to do?
ReplyDeleteJ absolutely is a Psychic Friend, and not like the weirdos who charge by the minute and advertise on TV. So much of it has to do with her innate compassion and kindness, and all of that makes her a special person.
When I was teaching high school, my students ADORED stickers! They became badges of honour because I only put them on perfect papers. Sometimes, I'd even let them come up and choose their sticker, and that became a Big Effing Deal. Some kids would actually weaponize this by choosing a sticker that they knew someone else would want, just to be a snot. It was all in good fun, however; no one ever got angry about stickers.
Great news about your courageous friend and the now-dry river walk. Both are huge mood boosters and delights.
So sorry about Hannah's ongoing gastro concerns. Ugh. And your husband's friend--that's sad. Hang in there. PUT A PUPPY DOG STICKER ON YOUR LAPTOP! I have the Princess Cow on mine--thank you again!--and it always makes me smile.