(re-run)
After a five mile hike, my legs ached, and I wanted to go to bed. I turned off the news at 10:15, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and then headed down the hall to the main bathroom with the doggy door. Both dogs were outside barking. I turned around and went to the kitchen slider, opened it, and saw that the dogs were looking up and barking at a corner of my house just beyond the porch.
A rat. It had to be up on the corner plant stand. I’d moved everything else away from the house so a rat couldn’t hide there. This one must have been at the fountain and had to dash behind the plant stand for cover.
I went back down the hall and climbed into bed. I would listen for the dogs to run through the doggy door and then would jump up and lock them in for the night. I had just dozed off when I heard the doggy door. I jumped up and found Pepper inside. I shut the bathroom door.
One down. I climbed back into bed and drifted off again.
The barking woke me up, Even though it was at the other end of the yard, Daisy was still at it. I glanced at the clock. 11:30. What were the neighbors thinking?
I got the flashlight, walked back down the hall, opened the slider just wide enough for Daisy and turned the flashlight to strobe. Daisy usually fell for it and would run to the light. She ran over, I got my hand on her collar, but she pulled away and took off again for the corner beyond the porch.
I don’t want to go out there and see a big ugly rat.
I tried again, this time turning off both porch lights. She wouldn’t come to the door.
Flippin’ dog!
I padded back down the hall to my bed. An hour (+) later I awoke to fainter barking, but now it was almost one o’clock. The neighbors must have been ready to kill me. No one called. Were they sleeping through the gradually weaker barks? I knew I had to go outside and get Daisy.
Flippin’ dog!
I put on my sandals and my robe and headed down to the kitchen slider with the flashlight. Daisy was still looking up and barking. The rat must’ve been at the top of the plant stand, about five feet off the ground.
I went outside, shined the flashlight on Daisy and threw her a treat. No luck. She was heavily focused on her prey. Finally I kicked a metal bucket, which scared her and broke her concentration. She ran into the house, and I stepped inside and quickly shut the door.
Flippin’ dog.
I went back down the hall and fell into my bed. Daisy jumped in next to me.
You flippin’ dog!
By now it was five hours till sunlight. I was so mad at my dog for screwing up my good night’s sleep. My legs were still aching from the hike. I wrapped the heating pad around one of my calves and drifted off to sleep.
The stupid phone alarm went off at 6:00. I’d set it once for a medical procedure months ago and have no idea how it came back on or how to delete it.
Flippin’ phone!
I got up, opened the bathroom door, went back to sleep and woke up 75 minutes later when Pepper came in to lick my hand.
Flippin’ other dog!
It was time to get up and write this blog post. Now they are both pawing at me so that I will go down the hall and cut up my morning apple (they get the skins).
Gotta go. After I get dressed, I am moving that plant stand away from the house.
Filppin’ rat!
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 