Saturday, December 24, 2022

Day 4748

Dawn surprised us this morning. We thought she'd want to stay inside because it was cold, but when we took her out to poop this morning she wanted to walk. She picked her own route and had a good time smelling things. I was glad that Dawn's day started well because I was afraid it wouldn't end well. Janet left for the airport right after breakfast this morning and sooner or later Dawn was going to figure out that she wasn't just out getting more groceries.

After finishing my own breakfast I paid a bunch of year end bills before going to the gym and doing my weekly grocery shopping. I went to the gym first because I didn't want food to spoil sitting in the car. What was I thinking? It was like a refrigerator outside. I could have left food in the car all day and it would have been fine.

After I got my steps at the gym I quickly found everything on my list at the grocery store and came home. I didn't need much this week because there are a lot of left overs from our early Christmas dinner. I thought that people would have finished their holiday shopping by now, but the stores were packed. I had a hard time finding a parking place at Central Market. I was going to get gas today, but there seemed to be long lines at the pumps. Never mind. I didn't really need to get gas anyway. It seems like I just filled my tank a few days ago.

About mid-afternoon Dawn seemed to figure out that Janet wasn't coming back anytime soon. She's been acting depressed ever since. We've gone through these vacation periods before. Dawn will be fine. The first few days are the hardest. The last time Janet was on vacation, Dawn wouldn't even leave the bedroom to eat her breakfast for two days. I had to bring her bowl back to the bedroom and then stay out of sight until I could hear that she was finished. Things gradually improve, but Dawn definitely does not like Janet being away. Since Janet is frequently out of the house and I'm almost always here, life still seems fairly normal to Dawn. Things will get real when it's time to go to bed.

Janet tries to make things easy for me. All Dawn's meds are in little baggies labeled with the time and day the pills are to be given. I already feed Dawn anyway, so I know what she needs for meals and when to give her treats. I am more likely to run out of food for myself than to run out of food for Dawn. We are well stocked with dog essentials.

I didn't think that anyone would be at the gym on Christmas Eve, but about half a dozen of the regulars were there working out. I was only there because it was too cold to walk in the park today. I don't know what their reasons were. I never talk to these people even though they all seem very nice. It's good to always have the option of going to the gym. I think I made my cold worse by trying to walk in the park on a day when any sane person would have stayed inside.

I won't be mall walking tomorrow. The mall doesn't close for many holidays, but it does close for Christmas. We won't be doing Dawn's Sunday outing either. That would be traumatic for both of us. Dawn has actually never been inside my car and I don't think she wants to start anytime soon. We'll try to keep things really low key while Janet is gone. I just want Dawn to be relaxed, eat all her food, and take her meds. It would be nice if she still pees and poops on a regular schedule as well. 

Christmas should be a happy time, but my Facebook feed seemed filled with sadness today. Several dogs died today. Other dogs were sick and owners were wondering what to do when they were stuck in a blizzard. City pounds and shelters were still euthanizing dogs on Christmas Eve. Many people seemed lonely, but a few seemed to be having a good time with family and friends. I'm glad Janet enjoys being with her family. They'll have a great time this week. I'll be fine as well. My cold actually seems to be getting better and I enjoy spending time with Dawn even if she has other ideas. Hope springs eternal I guess. I keep thinking maybe we'll be best buddies by the time Janet returns.