This past week, the dog had been showing an unusual level of
interest in something going on underneath a shrub in the front yard. Today, I found out why. Just before I was
ready to walk out the door to go to the dentist, Levi made a quick trip outside
to pee and when he came back in he was chewing on something hidden by his long
Schnauzer beard. I almost didn’t check it out and I’m so glad I didn’t make
that error in judgment. When I pried his jaw open I discovered he’d brought a
bird inside! At least it was dead. The
last time I had to pry his jaw open a live toad dropped out. Thankfully, it
wasn’t a species that makes dogs sick but I had a heck of a time catching the
thing before he disappeared under the couch.
Minus the bird prize that Levi wasn’t happy about giving up, he still
had a great day. Going to the dentist I drove by (and over in one case) four
dead skunks. Nothing makes Levi happier than inspecting the wheels on my car
when I return home from an outing and he actually finds something of interest.
The minute I unlock the door coming in from the garage, he’s there to do his
walk-around my Malibu. I think he was a detective in a former life. He also
checks my pant legs for signs that I’ve been cheating on him with another dog
or cat. And in the mornings if I sleep later than he’d like he checks to see if
I’m still breathing, his lips pressed against mine in case he has to do
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Ohmygod,
I’m setting the alarm the rest of the week or he’ll give me his dead bird
germs!
I had my first weigh-in at the drink-a-diet-shake-and-talk
meeting. Five pounds down in five days. I don’t expect that kind of results to
last long but it was a great way to kick off my get-fit project. They have me
eating high-protein snacks throughout the day so I feel like I’m getting more
calories, now, than before. In addition to the snacking and two shakes a day,
you have to have one healthy meal of whatever you like and I can honestly say
I’m not missing the sugar fixes and Starbucks I’ve become too dependent on
lately. I did a bad thing, though. I was at my doctor’s office yesterday for my
biannual appointment and I didn’t run this diet plan past him. Not that he’s
the boss of me, and I did check the product out on the internet for safety
alerts and I couldn’t find much. He’s big on Weight Watchers and I know it
works but all that talk of cooking, recipes and counting points whips me into a
cross-eyed frenzy. Weight Watcher math is time consuming and you’re always
thinking about food! It’s not unusual for me, though, to go on a diet from
Halloween through New Year’s. If nothing more, it keeps me from gaining with
all the holiday temptations around.
Also on my agenda this week of old people maintenance obligations
to do before winter sets in I had my first annual checkup at the hearing aid
center. Yes, the little buggers are still
annoying in large places with all the background noises amplified. No, I didn’t
drop one of the aids in the toilet or otherwise compromise its functionality. And
begrudgingly, I bought the insurance against things like that happening, says
the woman whose dog destroyed two of her deceased husband’s hearing aids. Earwax is so tasty, mom! Crunch, crunch.
When the Baby Boomers die off, what are younger people going
to do for jobs? Think about all the services and products that it takes to keep
us old people up and running. The economy will go down the drain. Housing
values will plummet with a glut of unsold grandma houses on the market. City
budgets dependent on real estate taxes will suffer. But the solution to those
problems that the long-range government planners want---increased immigration
of younger people to bring on another baby boom---isn’t flying right now. They
say we can’t be a strong force in the world without something driving our
economy like the Baby Boomers have done for their entire lives. Others argue a
larger military complex/industry can drive commerce better than babies. Babies
or building weapons of war, what a choice! It’s all too complicated, isn’t it? Thankfully, I’m
from a generation of women who can imitate Scarlett O'Hara and say, “I can't
think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that
tomorrow.” Well, aren’t I little Miss Sunshine today?
Speaking of sunshine, the dog is laying in his own ray of
that warm, wonderful stuff coming in through the dining room door. I wish I
could do that, but alas I need to step away from the keyboard and make myself
useful. I have a garage to clean, perennials to cut back and three door frames
to paint this month so I can check them off my fall to-do list. Gone are the October
days when I had rake leaves, take down screens and put storm windows up, or to help
get snow plow equipment moved out of storage and I am grateful for that. Not
having to work so hard is one of the perks of growing older and I’ll take all
of those kind of perks I can get. ©
