Poop Bell

When I first got Darby, I put a small bell around the front door, with the understanding that she would use it to inform me when she needed to go out. It serves that purpose well, although she and I have different understandings about need vs. want. In any event, she has never gone in the house when I am here and will ring that goddamn bell to get my attention whenever she needs or wants to go out.

But I rarely left her at home until recently. I took her to doggie day care nearly every day and that solved the problem of what she would do if I wasn't here. That was also ridiculously expensive ($500 a month. I know!) and just recently, I started leaving her at home two days a week.

Now that she has Giardia (Ed. Note: Doesn't that remind you of a certain Food Channel chef? No? Just me?), she is dogma non grata at day care, even though SHE FUCKING CONTRACTED IT THERE. She has to stay at home - everyday - for at least the next two weeks. We are about to test the very limits of the Poop Bell. In a way, however, this is a great way to segue back into our old routine.

When Darbs was a wee pup, I took her for an hour walk every morning and an hour at night, rain or shine. You wouldn't think this little puff of a dog had it in her, but she kept up. Hell, she got used to my weird interval training (walk a mile, sprint half a mile, jog a mile, walk a mile, lather, rinse repeat). If I got lazy, she would pick up the pace and pull me along. However, in this the winter of my discontent, I got lazy and hence the doggie day care. Then I got injured and long distance walk/runs were out.

Starting tomorrow, we're on the 7 mile morning run/walk around Lake Union. If we leave by 6:30 at the latest, we're back by 8 and she'll be spent. That gives me enough time to shower and get to work, hopefully by bus or by foot, by 9. I am usually home by 7:30, so that gives her 12 hours alone. She'll be dying to get out by then, so we can do another hour walk when I get home. I think that will nearly eliminate my gym time, which sucks, but I think that as we settle back into a routine, I'll send her back to day care twice a week and use those days (and the weekend) to get my weight training, yoga, crew, soccer, rollerblading and kickboxing back in play.

I have to remind myself to ease my way back into full on active lifestyle. I got hurt the last time I overdid it after a period of injury. I just miss that feeling of walking into the house, drenched in sweat and utterly high on endorphins. I am going to use the month of June to redevelop a routine, which will most likely be firmly in place when I decide to make some major life changes.

In the meantime, I need to figure out how to invest the foregone doggie day care and parking funds. I blew some savings as of late, so I am thinking it will go to replenish those funds. I am also planning a no-holds barred, week long trip to NYC in September, although that destination may change if the Euro keeps on keeping on. Having never been to Ireland, I am thinking a fall excursion may be in order.

It is all about looking forward at this point.