3.08.2008

babysitting

My neighbors are out of town for the weekend. They asked if I could let their dog in and out while they were gone. "i would be happy too" I reply - which is true. I owe them more favors than I would ever be able to pay back, so anything I can do for them I jump at the chance.

But there is one slight problem. Molly - their dog. She hates me.

She does, it's true. I am not exaggerating. She FREAKS out when I come anywhere near her. Usually Mason is the one to let her in and out. If I go over she will just hide under a sofa or in one of the kids rooms.

And the shift couldn't have started out in a worse way. She was inside!!!! For me it is damn near impossible to get her to go outside if she is already inside. I can do the other way around and that's pretty much it.

This time I had no choice. Mason is gone and so are the neighbors. So I suited up.

I put on Mason's hunting jacket, my snow boots, dish gloves with oven mitts over them.

As I stood there facing Molly - all 3 pounds of her (yeah, that's right 3 pounds) she barked and growled and snapped viciously. I stood frozen in my tracks with all my gear on. I tried figuring out how to best get her outside. And no matter how long I stood there (sweating now) I could not summon the courage to pick her up.

I felt completely ridiculous. THREE POUNDS for crying out loud, and still I just stood there.

Finally a thought came to me... BROOM! I could just gently nudge her out the door.

So off I go traipsing around my neighbors house trying to find a broom. Laundry room - no - kitchen - no - hallway no DAMN!!!

Ah ha! Garage.

Now let me tell you that trying to grasp a broom that is hanging by a clasp on the wall with dish gloves AND oven mitts on proves to be a futile undertaking.

So off come the gloves, the mitts - down comes the broom - back on with the glove and the mitts.

Drench in sweat now from the heat of Mason's jacket and my own nerves I walk back into the kitchen to the dog bed.

She's gone! What!? Oh no.... I bet she ran under a bed... now I will never get her out.

Just then I notice her.... almost waiting for me to see her. She pauses looks up and then without another growl or bark she walks right out the back door - tail wagging.

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