Born Free

I took Scooter to Petco again. I needed a chain or something to hold him while we are working at the reno house so he won't run away. I trust Scooter, but he does have a tendency to wander. There are neighbors with a German Shepherd and I don't want him to end up in a fight. 

On the way to Petco, I'd stupidly hook on his leash and he chewed it off before we got there. Now I needed another leash! I try to tie the old one together to get us through the store, but as soon as we step out of the car, it comes aparts and he's running across the parking lot. Wonderful. I start running after him, panicking, but luckily he goes straight to the store. A kid starts running towards him.

Scooter: "A-roo-roo-roooooooo!" Back away from me little person!

There's a Petco employee out front smoking a cigarette. She sees my dilemma and tells me to go to the grooming department for a temporary leash. When I do that, the groomer stares at me like I'm stupid. "Do you have an appointment?"

Me: "No, my dog chewed his leash. The lady out front told me to come here."

Her: "So you need to borrow a lead?"

Me: "Yes. That's what I'm saying." I'm holding a dog and a broken leash. Why was this so hard to understand?

We finally get into the store and needless to the say, I'm already stressed. Plus, it's more crowded than the last time. And the kid that we saw in the front is running around the store like a maniac. I didn't even think about Scooter's fear of little people.

I pull him along and he's fine around people. He even lets a woman pet him. But as soon as he see's a kid, he's like, "A-roo-roo-rooooooooo!!"

The kid from out front comes running down the aisle we are in and Scooter does it again. The kid: "Will he bite?"

Me: "I don't know. I would probably leave him alone." Nothing like scaring a little kid on a Saturday!

I finally grab a retractable tie-out thing and a metal leash. I throw in a Scotty stuffed toy for his stress. I'm pretty sure I will try to get him used to kids before he goes to a store again!

I drive him to the reno house where Smoke is working on one of the outbuilding's we are going to use for storage. I read a book and just enjoy the outdoors. I love being outside. I miss it. I don't get why anyone would want to stay inside. Growing up with only four channels of TV, (five if you included PBS, which we didn't) I  spent all my time outside. Nobody wanted to stay inside with their parents. Especially in the summer when there was no central air and it was hot and stifling. Yes, now I sound like some geezer, but it's true.

We set out a piece of plywood and a towel for Scooter, but I end up using it to stare up into the trees.

Scooter hangs out with Smoke, trying to help:



When Smoke is done working for the day, I drive home and eat a big dinner. Too big. My clothes really are getting snug. I put on a pair of jeans the other day and there's not a lot of space in the waistband as there used to be. I do a hour on my treadmill tonight:



I made that treadmill my bitch! Of course once I got off it, I was walking like I was drunk. Stupid equilibrium!

That's about it for today. Just another Saturday. I did apply for one more job this morning. I can't rest just because I had one telephone interview!

Until tomorrow...