Finally Getting My Whine

Lots has happened since I have been writing regularly. I had a birthday, as I do every year. There was no whisper of a possible bar fight this year. Child and her bf took me out to a very nice seafood restaurant, then we went to another for dessert. I felt spoiled. It was nice :-)

I never finished my travelogue of Arizona, but suffice it to say that I had a very wonderful time, sans tree pruning and weed pulling. One day Late and I walked with Myra, who lives not all that far from Late's house there. We walked in Sabino Canyon. Late and I had not been there before, but we will go again. I also won't be able to stay away from the trails in the park that is so close to Late's house that I can find it all by myself now.

Late is going back to AZ on January 1, with her son. Her husband has already been there for a week. Late could get every day off to go with him except one, so she had to go later. I am not going with them. I am leaving not long after for Florida.

Finally, after several years of asking for my favorite whine (I want to go to Flooooridaaaa!) someone came through for me and I get my whine. We won't be there very long, but it will be long enough for me to meet up with Martha, which should be a hoot to watch. After lunch, we are going walking on the beach. Me, with my feet in their current condition and Martha after surgery for her poor exploding body.

If my feet don't improve, I will have to have my Achilles' tendons sliced. You bet I am wearing my Santa Boot cast every night on my left foot. However, every morning I find it on the floor. I have been going to physical therapy three times a week. It's going well, now that I tossed out the orthotics. I am almost positive I can avoid the surgery. In fact, I have set myself a goal of being able to walk long distances again by the time I leave.

Optimistic, you say? I was recently up close and personal twice with someone with the flu. The six-week real flu. Child's boyfriend had the nastiest cold on Christmas that I have ever seen. Me? My feet hurt. Didn't catch anything. Tried again today to get the flu, but I betcha I didn't. I sometimes would like to trade my exceptional immune system for fewer weird body injuries, but I think if I got sick now after all these years that I would be so miserably rotten that I would drag everyone else down with me. Maybe I am better off with weird injuries.

On Christmas, I was supposed to go to my nephew's house because Child never got back to me. Two days before Christmas, she decided to call me and say they are coming for dinner. I was in no mood at that point to set up a big dinner, so I said I had recently made some chili and froze most of it, so we would have chili and snacks. She is not a big eater (any more) either, so she said that would be fine. At the last minute, she called and said they were eating dinner at her bf's family's house, and would be late getting here. Like 8:30 pm. it wasn't my chili, which she loves and insisted on taking some home with her. I think they just went there to exchange presents and couldn't get out of dinner. This time I had de-farted the chili - some of you might remember the time I didn't when I was slightly annoyed at the child.

Feeling a little neglected, I started making up bags of homemade cookies and dog treats. The dogs and I delivered them to about ten neighbors, which was very cheering. 'Tis better to give, and all that. However, at one point, when I was carrying two bags of treats and cookies, I spied a German Shepherd who clearly outweighed me and the dogs together, almost. It was off leash, and a small woman was sitting on the porch next to him. I mumbled, "big dog," and dragged the beagles to the other side of the road, just in case. The dog does not live here, and we have leash laws. Strict laws.

Predictably, the dog put his hackles up and charged us. I froze, other than to put one arm up, and yelled firmly at the dog, "NO!" Sometimes that makes a well trained dog stop. Not this one. What does the owner do? I am waving my arms around, yelling at her, telling her we have leash laws, that I have pepper spray, I get it out of my pocket (I had no intentions of using it unless someone was bleeding badly), and generally carry on rather loudly about her dog (with its hackles still up) who is all over us.

Maybe it was the cookies. I don't know. She seemed surprised that her dog did that, but I wasn't. I seem to attract dogs off leash. I heard her very gently say, "bad," and then she ambled over and dragged her dog bodily by his upraised hackles back to the porch. We continued on to the next house we were delivering to. When my friend opened the door, she asked if I was OK. I explained what happened, and went through her back yard for the next delivery, because it was the only way to avoid running into that dog again. I wondered afterward if perhaps she had a hearing disability, but I think my body language was very clear, and she never offered any kind of apology, verbal or by gesture.

It's not that I don't get along with and like almost all animals. The Friday before Christmas I was at a small party at a home with three cats. They told me that one of the cats was feral. They have had him for years, and no one has ever been able to get close enough to pet him besides them. It wasn't long before they noticed their feral cat rubbing my hand. Purring. He seemed more than pleased to have me pet him. I just don't like unknown unleashed dogs charging me when I am walking two tasty beagles. What am I supposed to do, pick them both up? One lady here now carries a wooden staff, at least 6 feet long. A very large dog from outside our complex attacked her and her one little dog one day - I heard it was scary, but no one was hurt, luckily. I can't carry a 6' dowel and walk two dogs. I would impale myself trying to scoop poop. A real Kodak moment, I am sure.

Where am I going with all these unconnected thoughts?

Florida.