Dog Gone Monday

First of all, I don't generally have Mondays until Wednesday. Wednesday is my off-kilter day. Today, however, was Monday all the way around. Very early this morning I realized I had inadvertently left my bigger-than-life Shrek blown-up all night.W ith the storm coming in, the wind had turned him into near lift-off. Fortunately I was able to scrub the mission.
I drove down to Target to fill a prescription which they misplaced in a rush of sick people. It wouldn't have been as bad if it hadn't taken so long and I didn't have frozen food in my cart. I love those guys dearly, tho.. they felt really bad about it and to cheer myself up I quickly grabbed a bag of candy corn on the way to the checkout. Yep, " Clean up at the Halloween Candy, please." The bag got stuck on the corner of the shelf and tore open.
As I pulled up the cul-de-sac for home I noticed 2 HUGE dogs running free, both black but one with long hair and the other short. I am scared of dogs. I am terrified of big dogs. I am pathetically petrified of huge, loose dogs. These guys stopped in the street upon hearing my car behind them and barked at my car. I am safe in steel so I proceed up the steep driveway slowly and remain in my car a few minutes. I opened the door and quietly exited to see both of them at the foot of the driveway waiting for me. "Be calm, they sense fear, Kathy. Breathe." I'm remembering my melting groceries and step slowly to the trunk when one of them began to charge up at me barking!! I nearly fell over hopping back into my car. Eventually, the dogs left and trotted up the circle barking at something else. It was like being in the tabernacle getting back out,groceries and all, literally tip-toeing around the car and easing into my house without attracting their attention. They continued to roam and move aggressively I noticed, from the window. I called Animal Control and... well, I am more than happy to sign a complaint. Thanking goodness no young children were outside... the child in me that was there was enough. My husband, realizing the danger went out with a steel bar to make certain no children were around until they were out of sight. It has been over 2 hours now and I am still afraid. I think for sure I heard them bark as I began this. Hmm, I can't wait to find out who owns them. Not wanting to lose you with too many words, let's just say this was and still is a real Monday.

Scared Happy

I finished putting out my Halloween decorations earlier in the day yesterday, having purchased most of them on close-out from Target the previous year so they were new and unused. Two of the items were a white and a green skeleton head with only arms coming out the sides of their necks and no torso. Ugly little suckers, that when turned on, wiggle and move all the while saying, ( in those dead, low awful voices)" Where Are My Legs? No More Experiments!!" Eyes shooting back and forth, it is really creepy. So I set them down in front of my television for decoration and to turn on now and again for the grand kids and trick or treaters.
I was in a bad mood last night and over-killing myself with pity. I had been in my office most of the night when I needed to go take my evening medication. The front room was dark but for a ray of light from the hallway and you could hear Halloween bones faintly rattling outside in the wind.
With just a few steps into the hallway I could hear shuffling in the dark and was startled. I took a quiet step into the dark and suddenly saw two set of eyes rattling back and forth and as I gasped I heard in loud agonizing wails, "Where Are My Legs?" No More Experiments" !!! I let out a quick scream before I realized: Those ugly creatures had MOTION DETECTORS inside of them and I had set them off.
After laughing for sometime I realized what a gift it had been in not knowing; I had scared myself happy!!

Black Monday

It had been one of those typical Mondays until noon. Who ever thought that twelve o'clock noon could be called the Devil's Hour but yesterday that is when it started. My breakdown. I was taught early on to not visit your unhappiness on other people...just because you're miserable doesn't mean they have to be. But, if I had someone to talk to.. maybe I wouldn't turn into a living helium balloon. Things you are taught very young stay with you as you age and quietly embed themselves into your soul without your consent. It is what you do when the bad lessons come to the surface that really matters. Everyone needs someone at sometime for some reason and to deny yourself that necessary moment is to deny someone else of coming to your aid, of doing a good deed, or the chance to come to you. I hereby announce my most sincere effort to be more open and forthright, to tell others how I feel instead of staying silent. I will say "no" to things more firmly and do my best not to talk around the block instead of talking straight up the path. I will "try" to believe you don't have to be nice 24 hours a day, but I have my doubts as to being successful. Why can't you be nice 24 hours a day? I don't believe there is a time or justification for rudeness, abruptness and disrespect to name a few. You can be firm and steadfast but nice about it; you can rebuke a wrong, engage in verbal debate, confront a negative moment but you never have to become part of the dark side. It is amazing what calm assertion can do.
I had a bad day as a result of a bad few weeks. Instead of easing through each downturn I hid it away and forced it down until I let it show and made others quite uncomfortable. That was what I wanted to avoid all along.

Fall 2009

It is a real uneasy Sunday today and for no one reason. The temperature is perfect for Fall. The gray sky is speckled with blustery leaves of red, orange, yellow and brown. You can hear the hush of the breeze as it sweeps along picking up a howl or two, navigating the half naked trees. The sun only lightens the cloud spray, not quite able to shine. It is a scene for October and Halloween. If you close your eyes and listen real hard you can hear the faint whistle of children down the decade..echoes of the past that still linger;you can smell the leaves and the dust kicked and stirred.
I love this time of year and the signs of change. The summer is shaking itself off, ready to be cleansed and renewed. I am filled with the end of summer today.. shaking myself off and ready to be cleansed and renewed.