All in the Course of a Day

By Jody Worsham

All rights reserved for dog auditions

For whatever reason, our nine-year-old has decided she wants a small dog for a pet. She has been wagging around a tiny rat dog (I don't care if his breed makes Taco Bell commercials or has two Beverly Hills movies, they look like rats). Recently a more acceptable type dog, a Shih Tsu has taken up residence at our house but it is just a matter of time until the owner comes to claim him, I'm sure, then the crying will begin. However, it was beginning to look like we could be taking care of this lost dog for a while. He's been here off and on for over two weeks.

For us this was all in the course of a day. Of course my day went something like this:

6:00 a.m. Lost dog is sitting on top of 9 foot sand pile waiting for the children to wake up.

6:01 a.m. Half naked children are running around on the sand pile playing with lost dog.

7:00 a.m. I manage to get sand off children and dog.

7:30a.m. We leave for school with hubby holding crying dog.

8:00 a.m. Am at Wal-Mart buying dog shampoo, dog food, flea stuff, dog brush, leash, chew sticks for the lost dog

9:00 a.m. Home to shampoo lost dog, scrub bathtub, dry off lost dog, blow dry lost dog with hair dryer.

9:30 a.m. Print FOUND DOG signs on computer for neighborhood

9:35 a.m. Post FOUND DOG online with local newspaper

9:45 a.m. Ok, still mastering the online thing and now scanning local paper for dogs. Find two promising ones.

10:00 a.m. Call first number, nobody home, call second number, yes she has a year old dog but now the pine trees are interfering with phone reception. Remember, I'm buried behind the Pine Cone Curtain. Promise to call back on land line.

10:04 a.m. Puppy needs to go outside so we walk out the side pasture next to the road to tell Hubby about the possible dog

10:05a.m. Pick up truck goes by, stops, backs up, man climbs the fence and asks if our lost dog has a black collar.

10:06 Lost dog recovered, I am now in a panic because school will be out in 4 hours and the crying will begin.

10:15 Call lady back on land line. She's an hour and a half away, could meet me maybe Thursday or Friday yadda yadda yadda. She has a 12 year old granddaughter with puppy that doesn't get along with her dog; I have a 9 yr. old who will cry a river of tears when she learns lost dog has been found. Bottom line I need a dog by the time violin practice is over. She will bring me the dog at 6:00 Hooray!

10:15 and a nano second What is so bad about this registered Shih Tsu that she's willing to leave work, drive an hour and a half to bring me this dog?

10:16 Me: What does dog look like?

Lady: I'd send you a picture with my phone if I knew how.

Me: That's ok, my phone doesn't have e photos. It does, but I don't know how to connect it. Send a picture to my computer.

Lady: I would except my granddaughter is in school and she's the only one who can do that.

Me: I understand. That's ok. Mine is in school and I can't open a picture without her.

Lady: I'll just bring the dog.

Me: Ok.

10:16-3:30 Dog ready the house!

3:30 p.m. Give hubby instructions. Drop five-year-old at ballet at 4:30, take nine-year-old to Girl Scouts and drop her off at 4:45. Then pick up five-year-old from ballet at 5:15, then pick up nine-year-old from Girl Scouts at 5:50 and take her to violin lesson at 6:00 while I wait for dog delivery.

6:05 Lady calls and we agree to meet to the right of Wal-mart in the grassy area.

6:06 She hangs up but I don't know if it is the right of Wal-Mart as you face it or the right as you are coming out of Wal-Mart.

6:07 Calling her back, get voice mail as my phone is beeping telling me she is trying to call me again.

6:08 Finally get her, tell her I'm driving the Medicare Mom mobile, wearing blue pants, white shirt and I'm standing in the middle of the street…dodging cars. I see a lady on the grassy knoll at the back of Wal-Mart parking lot walking a small dog and she's talking on the phone and waving at me. I think it's her. How do those online dating services ever get anybody together?

6:09 Hubby drives by Wal-Mart sees the Medicare Mom mobile, a pair of blue pants dodging cars, lady with a dog and stops.

6: 15 Dog, dog bed, dog leash, dog crate, dog clothes (she has 4 outfits) dog bowls, dog papers and money exchanged.

6:20 Load up everything, hubby hands over five-year-old who is all smiles holding Miss Tia and heads for poker game.

6:25 Arrive at violin lessons. Five-year-old is walking Miss Tia. She poops on the grass. Five-year-old is ecstatic! "Look, she pooped. Ahhh, it's so small." "Don't touch it", I yelled. He's going to be such a good little daddy.

6:30 Violin practice is over.

6:31 "Why are you smiling so much? What's going on?" Ok, I could never play poker.

6:32 Sees five-year-old with Miss Tia. "Is that my dog? You got me a dog? This is just the best day of my whole life. I can't believe you got me a dog. This is just the best day ever."

And it was. Sometimes things just seem to work out!