Happy Birthday, Dear! I've brought you a....

dog?

I left work early yesterday to get home and make Rob's favorite birthday meal, Swiss Steak and mash potatoes.  I use the recipe from the 70's.  His mother loves it, but doesn't remember making it for them when Rob was a kid.  Rob hovers over the stove when I make it, watching it in anticipation.  Afraid Mable's going to miss a bear and the bear's going to get his dinner. 

Anyway, I was going to vote on the way home too, and then the phone rang.  Sydney missed the bus.  Can you pick her up?

Sure, but she's going to have to wait til after I vote. 

Then I got the second call from a weeping teenage girl...there was this dog and it was loose and it was running in the street and it was going to get run over and it's really old and really docile.  What do I do?

I told her we would talk about it when I got there.  After I vote. 

Then the phone rang again.  Rob.  What do we do? 

I don't know and I'm not going to think about it til after I vote. 

I picked up Sydney.  And, this is a really old dog.  But he's cute and really docile in her arms.  We stop at a veterinarian's office across the street from the school.  The dog has a chip, but he's not one of their patients.  So, we call the chip service.  The chip information has never been entered so they can't help.

So, home comes the dog.  Because the animal shelter is across town and in 5 o'clock traffic, it would have taken at least an hour and a half.  And, honestly, this was easier. It was a choice between the shelter and the swiss steak.  And, the swiss steak won. 

Sydney is still weeping.  Rob is a little freaked at this interruption of his special day.  And, I just wanna cook some Swiss Steak.  So, put the dog in the crate and put the crate in the garage so our dogs will settle down.  Give it some water and go do your homework.  And, for God's sake, stop weeping!  That put the focus back on Rob and we had a cocktail and a nice long chat and proceeded with the birthday. 

I got dinner to the point it could take care of itself and I just needed to watch for pots boiling over and pulled out the laptop.  I found out how you're supposed to report a found dog, did that, the city called and matched the chip number to a phone number they had on file, called the number and made a young man very excited that his dog was alright, and put dinner on the table...on time.

Cause I can.

After dinner, Syd and I met Romeo's daddy in a parking lot where they got all kissy faced with one another and the grateful but awkward young man thanked us profusely before we drove home.  We were both smiling. 

 

Life is all about balance.  Balancing what I need and what my family needs and giving back to the Universe for the good life I live.  Friends, family, work.  Balance. 

Y'all have a great Friday.  We still have no Prom shoes.  Maybe I won't thaw anything for dinner and we will have to eat out...and I'll pick a place near DSW.  Balance.

Lane