maybe we need a word of the day..... like ANGST.... my mother always had a paper in the dictionary which sat at her elbow.... with her latest vocabulary improving list...
she also had an amazing recipie file where she kept track of what meal she had searved to who... and comments like "ED DID NOT EAT THE PARSNIPS"
SHE DID NOT PASS ON HER ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS ---TO ME AT ANY RATE..... FRANNIE IS PRETTY GOOD... AND DAUGHTER GWEN....
I DO THINK ABOUT GETTING ORGANIZED....
TAKE TODAY... LYNN IS GOING TO TAKE MY CAR TO GET RID OF ALL THOSE ANNOYING RED LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD.. JUST AFTER SHE RE-INFLATES THE FRONT TIRE SO SHE CAN GET THERE... .. THE ONLY WAY I CAN ADDRESS THE SITUATION IS TO GET A 6 X 10 TARP,,, OPEN THE DOORS AND DRAG OUT THE CONTENTS FROM IN AND UNDER... THAT CAR IS... MY OFFICE.... MY SECOND HOME...MY HEATED GOLF CART... ..MY KENNEL FOR 500 POUNDS OF DANE DOGS... TOWING VEHICLE FOR DUMP RUNS AND STONE BUYING... TOOL STORAGE... TRAINING EQUIPMENT.. AND OTHER THINGS I DO NOT HAVE A CLUE ..I WAS TOLD IT IS BASICALLY A TRUCK UNDERNEATH...
IT PROBABLY HAS A WHEELBARROW OF STONE DUST IN THE FRONT SEAT ALONE.. WHEN IT WAS BRAND NEW, I TOOK OUT THE BACK SEAT ONTHE DRIVERS SIDE SO MY OLDER DOG... BAILEY // COULD EASILY ENTER.. NOW "THE OLDER" IS CHAOS... AND NOW BENTLY--- PAUSES FOR ME TO PLACE HIS BACKFOOT CORRECTLY ON THE DOORFRAME. THE DEALER TOLD ME TO REMOVE THE SEAT WOULD RUIN IT'S RESALE VALUE.. THEY HAD NO IDEA HOW USEFUL MY CAR IS TO ME .. AND IT SUFFERS... I USE MY CAR....AND NORMAL PEOPLE CRINGE... LIKE THE DAY A TREE FELL ACROSS THE ROAD AND EVERYONE STOOD AROUND "WOW-ING" -- THE TOP OF THE TREE WAS ONLY LIGHT BRANCHES... SO I JUST DROVE OVER IT... I WAS IN A HURRY...
IF I TOTALLY EMPTY IT , AFTER THEY CHARGE ME A SMALL FORTUNE FOR "UPDATING IT? THEY WILL HAVE A SHOT AT REALLY DETAINLING IT.
EVEN WIPING OFF THE BRIGHT PURPLE PAINT WHICH GOT SPILLED OUT THE PASSENGER DOOR....
MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN CLEAN SINCE MEGAN LEFT... I COULD LOAN MY CAR TO HER AND IT WOUOLD COME BACK ALL WIPED CLEAN AS SHE CLEANED IT WHILE SITTING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS..
-----
KUDOS TO KENNY ( OWNED BY PIGLET) HE COMES HERE OFTEN TO HELP-- AND THEY EHAD HIM FOLDING LAUNDRY.... UNTIL I HEARD THE WORD "CONTRACTOR" CONNECTED TO HIS ACTIVITIES.... I AKSED HIM IF HE MIGHT HAVE SWOME ADVICE ON DRIER VENTING.... WE MOVED TEH DRIER IN THE CELLAR TO HOPEFULLYMAKE ROOM FOR A LAUNDRY SINK AND HANDCAPPED W/C... SO HE PUT THE WHOLE VENT IN FROMTHE COLLECTION OF PIPING I HAD BOUGHT TO ATTEMPT THE JOB. HE DID IT PERFECTLY.. I FORCED HIM TO EAT A N ITALLIAN SUB SANCWIDH TO KEEP UP HIS STREGNTH !! THEN HE ASKED WHERE I WAS GOING TO PUT THE WALLS... AND I HAD TEH NERVE TO SAY "ANYWHERE YOU WANT" -- SO HE MEASURED THINGS AND LEFT.. SAYING "I HAVE A PLUMBER FRIEND"--
MIND YOU ... HE LEFT WALKING WITH PIGLET ... WHO IS TERRIFFIC... BEAUTIFUL AND HUGE... AND KEPT HIS EYE ON KENNY FOR HOURS WHILE HE PLAYED WITH SIZZLE AND JIMINEY....
------
Hi Carlene,
I hope this email finds all well with you. I'd like to give you an update on Hoodsie and I. It has been 9 months since we were matched and our teamwork just keeps getting better. As I've mentioned to you before, I am still amazed at how much Hoodsie thinks about his work. He seems to do a very good job without my telling him what to do. He is capable of thinking in almost all situations, however some small dog distraction is still a work in progress. We are out and about quite a bit these days enjoying more freedoms in these COVID times before the disease transmission rate increases much more and we might be facing more lockdowns.
Hoodsie has allowed me to get back into hiking in the woods which is something I had lost before being matched with him. About 6 weeks ago we had a very strong tropical storm Isaias that brought with it hurricane force winds and tornados leading to downed trees on almost every road in my town and something like 80% of homes losing power. A couple of days later Hoodsie and I ventured to a new hiking area and both of us got a great workout climbing over and walking around downed trees across the trails. This is a completely new experience for us and he just knew what to do with me, no instructions given. He was patient and concerned as each downed tree presented a different challenge. At the very end of the trail as we were both physically and mentally exhausted, there was a very large tree across the trail and there was no way to get around it on either side, and it was up too high over the trail for us to climb over it. It was also too low to walk under it. I was just standing there looking at the situation and thinking and before I could come up with a workaround, Hoodsie got my attention and he lowered his body to army crawl under the downed tree to the other side. He then turned around to face me and stared at me as if to say, "Come on, army crawl under the tree like I did and I'll help you." Somehow we managed, I grabbed onto his service vest and he was able to help drag me out from under the tree while I was attempting an army crawl. Hoodsie then braced so I could stand up. Once I was upright, I took a deep cleansing breath, looked at Hoodsie and I got all teary-eyed. He stood regal and proud.
Thank you Carlene, and thank you to all of the Service Dog Project staff and the army of volunteers who bred, raised and trained Hoodsie. He has allowed me to take back my life and look forward to tomorrow.
