SPARKS WILL FLY!

To say I was exhausted was probably an over statement to some, but to me, it was very real.  Samantha and Edward had been invited to a wedding and were having guests to stay, a week ago on Friday.  The guests had two dogs, and Samantha did not want Sparks to be on his own with two strange dogs, whilst the adults attended the festivities.  Would I take the dog?  Overnight?  Okay!  Edward then suggested that a weekend away would be nice, and of course Samantha agreed.  "Would you be able to have the dog.....?"  Overnight?  A couple of nights?  From Friday to Monday?  Before the ordeal started, I was mentally exhausted.  

"Edward made a boo-boo", said Samantha, the previous week.  "He thought I said 'home on Tuesday', and not 'back to work on Tuesday', so he booked the hotel from Saturday to Tuesday!"  That was not a boo-boo, that was a catastrophe!  Sparks, as cute as he is, has deep separation issues, and if Samantha is out of the office for any length of time, he whines.  I started to panic.  However, what was done was done, and I was sure we would survive!

I slept for ten minutes at a time, with a total of about one full hour of sleep from Friday through to Sunday.  Like a child who does not want to sleep alone, Sparks would cry until I picked him up and put him on my bed.  Then, he would jump off and the routine would start again.  As a mother, I was quite adamant that my children stay in their own bed at night.  However, the high pitched whimper went through me like a bitter wind through a crocheted cardigan!  Any bad habits he formed would only last as long as he was staying with me!

Dana had gone out to get some petrol and a few things at the supermarket on Sunday afternoon.  The dog went into 'meltdown'.  He had not only been abandoned by 'momma', but 'poppa' had left him too, and by all accounts, he was being cared for by Cruella  Deville!  He ran up and down the stairs, into every room, and round the living room several times before sitting at the back door and howling.  I closed all the doors upstairs, to limit his search, not through cruelty but to stop him leaving anxious puddles in each of the bedrooms.  I decided that whilst he was running around the living room, checking under the sofa, and behind the cabinets, for my post two metre husband, I would make some cookies, for a one of our servers, as it was his birthday, and I had been tasked with the project!  However, the screeching reached fever pitch, and I could not concentrate on any recipe.  Much as the dog thought he was being tortured, I felt as if I was in a cell with a continually running recording of 'fingers down a blackboard', coupled with every form of mystical water torture!  Dana returned to find me sitting by the back door, dog in my lap, making hoarse throaty sounds to keep the animal from doing the same.  It appeared that if I made a similar noise, this caught Sparks' attention, and the confusion was enough to make him stop.  I can only imagine how sore his throat was!

By Monday morning, I was functioning on auto pilot.  I completed my housework, and made cookies.  I was late for work.  The dog was ecstatic to see me!  He ran up to me, stood on two legs, and folded his front paws in a gesture that said, 'please pick me up'.  When I did, he was so affectionate, I wondered why he was so opposed to being left with me the previous day.  

Dinner was very late on Monday night, but thankfully, I had prepared some of it before I had left, and just had to throw a couple of steaks on the grill.  Sparks and I went for a walk around ten thirty.  "What a sweetie", said the neighbours who encountered the very demure and loving puppy.  "He is so cute", they insisted, as he sidled up to them and allowed them to pet him.  They all went home.  We spent another half an hour outside, before he found a 'good spot'.  Cute and sweet were not the first words that came to mind, but my patience was not being tried, due to the lack of feeling I had anywhere in my being!  "One more night!" I kept repeating!

It would appear that Sparks was as exhausted as me on Monday night, as he fell asleep on the floor at the bottom of my bed for three hours.  It may have been more, but I remember looking at the clock at one, when he jumped off the bed, and the next thing I knew it was four, and he was still there!  However, Dana got up at that time, and left the room for a short period!  "Where is he going?  Is he leaving me with Cruella?  When is he coming back?  Where is he?"  All this was interpreted by me, as I listened to that high pitched whimper, and watched as Sparks raced in and out of my room.  For a dog that uses his nose, like a pig searching for truffles, his sense of smell inside is rather off.  Dana returned and all was well, for about fifteen minutes!

I don't remember Tuesday very well.  I do remember it rained.  "Who is going to be a gentleman, and spread themselves over my car so the rain doesn't make it dirty?" I asked.  I received no applicants!  I did not need references, or 'previous experience', but just wanted a cover for my shiny vehicle, which was now getting abused by the short sharp shower that was splattering on her gleaming surface.  However, as little rain as we got, Imelda, the latest tropical storm, was started to make herself felt over to the east of the state, at the Louisiana border.  Samantha and Edward were travelling back from Mississippi.  They had left around midday, with the gulf coast looking beautiful, and just before they made it to the state line, the rain had started to bucket down!  At 5:40 p.m., I received a video showing the severe weather, as they entered the Lone Star state!  "Welcome home, ma'am", I messaged back and felt a strange sense of emotion at their coming back into familiar territory.  Although they had only been away for a few days, their arrival back into our 'home' state had a moving affect on me.   The journey which should take around eight hours would now be nearer to 11.  Yes, they were going to collect the dog when they returned to Austin, which would be around 11:30!  

Dinner was once again a mystery, as I took out a bag from the freezer, and let it defrost during the day.  It was chicken.  Thankfully, I had frozen some pasta in the same bag, and the complete defrosted pile was placed in a bowl and cooked under the 'sensor reheat' button of my microwave.  A 'ping' emitted from my phone, and more videos of torrential rain were broadcasting!


At 11:35 pm there was a great reunion.  The dog was fast asleep as Samantha and Edward came in, and she called his name very quietly.  Ears pricked, he jumped up. Sparks definitely lived up to his name, as sparks appeared to be flying through friction as he leapt from one to the other.  "Say goodbye", was followed by a quick run to Dana, and then back to Samantha, just in case she should change her mind!  I did not get so much as a 'cheerio' from him, but I was going to go to bed and sleep!  I was happy he was happy, and happy he was going home!  

It took me a while to go off to sleep, but I must have drifted off around thirty minutes past midnight. 

The strange sound that I thought was my alarm was not!  "Sorry, it was a mistake.  My phone rang you while it was in my pocket, and I couldn't turn it off.  Sorry.  Don't panic. Nothing to worry about.  You can go back to sleep".  The face on the screen was Richard.  The voice was his too.  I was not worried.  I was not panicking.  I was exhausted!  I had no idea what was going on!  "Okay", I said and we hung up.  Going back to sleep was not as easy as it sounded! I looked at my clock and it was 1:45 am.  What had just happened?  Where was the dog?  Panic started to rise, until I realised he was not hiding under the bed, not peeing in the bathroom, not having an argument with himself in the mirror, and not chewing something that was not to be chewed.  He was not here.  I came to the realisation that my concern was for the animal rather than the material things he has the propensity to destroy.  After all, if he eats my shoe, the shoe can be replaced, but the leather or rubber is not good for him!  My waking to bring him on to the bed was for his safety more than my sanity.  It was a strange reality.  I felt a little remorse.  It had been a year since Frank had passed, and I was comparing the two animals.  I was wrong to do so.  This was Frank's home as a baby.  We babysat from the moment he arrived home.  Sparks does not live here, and whilst he visits almost every day, it is not home.  I fell into a fitful sleep for little more than an hour.

With 'no Joe' and 'no nails', I was in the office at a little before eight.  I had prepared dinner, dessert was chilling and all the washing up had been done.  I could not think of anything that would cause me to be 'behind' when everyone arrived for our fellowship evening.  Of course, I did not take into consideration my lack of sleep, and my lack of motivation and my lack of energy!  I swam when I got home, and went into auto pilot again. When I said farewell to the last of my few guests, I suddenly felt as if the strength had gone from my legs, and almost fell at the front door.  Of course, getting myself ready for bed revived me, and I remember the clock ticking over into Thursday morning before I fell asleep.  I was awakened at four and was amazed that I had slept solidly for four hours.  I then woke to my alarm, which is a phenomenon in itself and realised that Dana was not here. He said he was going into the office early, but I normally wake when he does and was amazed that I had slept through his leaving.

Samantha brought her record player into the office on Thursday, and I took some 'LP's' in on Friday.  The kids were fascinated with my collection and enjoyed the music of the 70's and before!  I danced my way through Friday morning, and returned home to swim.  

The flooding that was taking place following the storms Samantha experienced, was once again on a level of 'emergency'.  The east coast of Texas was being submerged under several feet of water, and many were evacuated.  The death toll was rising, and the reality of Imelda was making my daughter's videos look like a storm in a teacup!  It was heartbreaking to see the sights.  However, it is heartwarming to see the response of the National Guard and many volunteers.  If only I could do more .........! 


Raul had mentioned that one of my elderly neighbours was not 'taking as much care' of herself as she should be.  I knew that she was invited into 'tea' with some other neighbours, but wanted to offer assistance without embarrassing her, or betraying a confidence.  I know my mum has a carer, and family around, but my neighbour really only has her neighbours.  "Look out for her", I told Samantha as I went to shower after my swim.  I was getting dressed when my daughter alerted me.  The dress I was wearing was not the easiest to get on, and had to be pulled around, and tugged down before zipping up!  "Quick, she is going inside", shouted Samantha.  I ran downstairs, picked up the packet I had prepared for her, and ran across the street.  Looking like I had been 'dragged through a hedge, backwards', I called her name.  She looked at me with a quizzical smile.  "I had some leftovers, and wondered if you would like it for supper.  That's if you don't have plans.  It will last for a couple of days", I breathlessly spouted, and tried to pull my dress down to a reasonable length.  She was very grateful, and told me that she loved living here as she had such wonderful neighbours who cared for her.  If I had wanted to appear 'nonchalant', I failed miserably, as I stood with my dress, apparently, hiked up to my thigh, and the zip half done up, with loops hanging out from both sides.  Samantha was laughing so hard when I returned and I saw why when I looked in the mirror.  I was more dressed when I had my swimsuit on!  

With the dress removed, and reapplied, I went back to the office for the Friday afternoon onslaught.  We did not leave late, and were home at a very respectable time.  I sat down when we got home, looked at Dana and said, "It's Friday night.  We have no dog.  We have no guests".  He looked at me and said, "And?"  I simply replied.  "Nice.  Isn''t it!"

Samantha and I were on schedule for a 'usual' routine on Saturday, but she had been commissioned to make a cake for someone, and they were going to collect it at 10:30 am.  Of course, my ethics and sense of propriety, dress permitting, do not always fall in line with others.  It seems that eleven o'clock was an 'okay' time to turn up to collect the cake, and without an apology, or excuse, the cake was taken and off they went!  

I went to the pool at two, and swam for about thirty minutes.  I then slept for forty, swam for thirty, slept for fifty, swam for ten, slept for sixty.  I read very little.  I finally came up to the condo and could have slept for another few hours.  I do not believe much in 'catch up' sleep many days after the event, but I think I had slowed down enough to shut down!  

Storm clouds are brewing, and there was a slight cloudburst this morning, but there is no rain in the forecast for another week.  Samantha's father and his lady love are due in on Wednesday and whilst I am not having to look after Sparks this week, or next weekend, I may have to 'fend for myself' on Saturday, and during the week.  Time will tell!  

Apparently, today was the first day of autumn, although the temperatures were not indicative, with an actual of 98, and a 'feels like' 101. It does appear that triple digit numbers are out of the heat forecast, but no one can be really sure.  I feel much better today than I did last Sunday, and feel quite ready to start another week. Swimming is probably still on the menu for lunchtime, until the fall really settles in.  I have a feeling next week will be uneventful, but I will tell in ................ another story!