Thursday, 12:30a.m. I’m sitting on the couch watching the Olympics, thinkin’ about stuff.
Tuesday I painted. All day. I started at 9 and I finished at 7:30. It is SO MUCH BETTER than the hospital ward green, ohmygod, somuchbetter. Several parts of my body are switching between a dull ache and a pulsating throb and have been since Tuesday at about, oh, 6:30, p.m., but I am really glad I sucked it up and painted. It looks, if I may say so myself, awesome.
The only time I stopped for longer than five minutes, other than to eat, was after Dave had come home with the kids. He and Julia had left early to pick Oliver up and stopped on the way at the Humane Society. Dave has wanted a dog for a long time, but I haven't been feeling it. I grew up with dogs and always pictured myself having one – just not right now. I mean, I was pretty okay with two kids and a husband and a house and a yard. And a cat. I wanted to hold off on a dog, yanno?
But the more we talked about it – and it was something Dave brought up regularly – the more I was willing to compromise. We agreed on a few breeds, a Boxer or a Bulldog, (an English one that we dreamed of hugging and loving and calling Fattie until we discovered how fucking expensive they are), and though he wasn’t too keen I mentioned that I’d get a Pointer again in a heartbeat. My mum and I had an English Setter named Ice Cream for years and she was, in my humble opinion, The Most Kickass Dog That Ever Lived.
So, long story short: Dave went to the Humane Society on Tuesday afternoon and saw cute little brown spotted dog, looking rather dejected, the only dog not barking its head off. He liked the looks of her and when he told me she was a German Short Hair Pointer, I wanted to go see her. So we did – I stopped painting and walked out the door all sweaty in my grubby painting gear to go see this dog, the stray they didn’t know much about but who was gentle and quiet and a bit timid; gun-shy with an air of shame, probably the result of abuse. We took her outside and sat with her for a while and then we filled out the application and put the required deposit down. She gets spayed on Friday; she’ll be home on Saturday.
We got a dog.
Training-wise we’ve got a lot ahead of us, but I get a pretty good vibe from her – she reminds me a lot of Ice Cream. My concerns are that given she’s a Pointer she might try to kill our cat and of course, how she’ll fare with an enthusiastic three-year-old boy (though so far, Oliver’s been very good with her).
I’m pretty excited, truth be told. When she comes home I’ll post some pictures of her (along with her name, which we are almost 100% on).
That excitement kind of waned a bit (okay, I won’t lie to you, it waned more than a bit, goddammit, it waned a LOT) when, earlier this evening, Chewy walked over to where I was sitting on the couch reeking like shit. Reeking, OMFG, reeking. Turns out he’d had an accident, and said accident had gotten tangled up in the hair around his accident hole and in his tail, oh yes, don’t forget the tail!
Don’t forget, either, what kind of cat he is.
Chewy is a Ragdoll.
Fun fact: Ragdolls have a lot of hair.
Lots of hair and poop, together, is a BAD COMBO.
I tried to fix it. Him. I tried to fix him. I tried twice, actually. It didn’t work. Too much, it was too much, so I stopped. I got him some food and some water and I locked him and his sorry little ass in the basement (which is where he stayed until he went to the groomer’s this morning) while I spent a good portion of my evening walking around my house sniffing couches and cushions and bedding to determine if anything had been, uh, compromised.
Oh, the joys of pet ownership!
And we’re getting a DOG!
48 Comments, Comment or Ping
“Lots of hair and poop, together, is a BAD COMBO.”
words to live by. I think Twain said that first, didn’t he?
August 14th, 2008
ah we have a bengal she is a short hair but my god does she stink when she goes lol! cannot imagine how bad that would be!!
glad you are getting the dog though and also that you went for the quiet one they usually get overlooked!
August 14th, 2008
OH the stories I could tell. OH the stories you WILL tell. A dog, a dog, my kingdom for a dog. OH no, that was a broom I needed.
As to the colour, Un-em, that old one is one of my favorite colours in the world but a little old fashioned, yes. Your new colours are very crisp and look great. I’ll just cry a little for the short life of 1950s green.
As to the cat…ew.
August 14th, 2008
The paint looks great!
But a dog? Dude I am SO jealous! Once things get *settled* over my way, I am getting one. Its a maker breaker for me.
And eeeewww. Ragdoll poop. Nasty ass shit. ick.
August 14th, 2008
you got a dog! you got a dog!
hurrah for the dog!
August 14th, 2008
hahahahahahaha
girl…i’ve got SIX dogs right now. ok, a mama dog and her 5 puppies, but STILL! my house smells like a fecking kennel
August 14th, 2008
LOVE the new color! You’re right the old color sucked.
August 14th, 2008
OK that first color? Tragic. Wow.
Congratulations on the doggie!
August 14th, 2008
i love the new color! looks great!
the poo caught in the hair…not so much…
August 14th, 2008
Good for y’all! We want pictures of said dog asap.
August 14th, 2008
ahhaha oh Chewy.
The paint job looks amazing. SO much better indeed.
August 14th, 2008
You coward! You should have pinned him down in the bath and showered him, but do not forget your suit of armour!
August 14th, 2008
the new color is so much calmer than the electric hospital green.
No pets for me other than a fish! If he wants to swim in his poo, that’s his choice – I don’t have to comb it or clean it or smell it!
August 14th, 2008
That green? FUGLY, ma’am. I’m proud of you for covering it up.
Poor Chewy!!!! We had a long haired Siamese that occasionally had “souvenirs” in back, and it was a horrible mess. You can’t bathe them, because then you have to have plastic surgery afterward for the injuries.
Kudos on the dog! Can’t wait to see pictures.
August 14th, 2008
Awwwww….I understand the hesitancy, I do, and I say that as someone who had a dog from age 15. They’re a lot of work, but also entirely kick-ass, a lifetime friend, those animals. It sounds like you’ve found another great addition to your family, and I can’t wait to see pics.
August 14th, 2008
If it makes you feel better, I have a two-legged gimp cat (named Forrest: run Forrest run!) and we keep baby wipes on hand just for him. I cannot tell you how often he uses the cat box and then sits in his filth and then swats his tail through it. And then gets a bunch of cat litter to stick to him so that he can trail it through my nice, clean, vacuumed house. It defies all logic.
A couple times a week, my husband holds the critter with his butt out towards me and I wipe him up.
Thank goodness we don’t have carpet. I don’t know what I’d do with all that litter and cat crap. As it is, somebody gave us one of those self-operating vacuums and we programmed it to run twice a day to keep things clean. And that vacuum is a freaking miracle worker. I tell my husband all the time that I’ll leave him for my vacuum any day now.
August 14th, 2008
I feel for you on the cat stank. We had brother and sister Persian cats once upon a time. I’ve been there many, many, many times.
Have fun with the dog when she gets home. With a little training, patience and an careful eye I’m sure she’ll come to co-exist and love living with Chewy and Oliver. In fact the hardest one to train could be Oliver. We still have to remind Princess that she’s too big to use the dogs as a step stool and to be careful that she shouldn’t squeeze their necks so hard when hugging them.
But it was a piece of cake to teach the dogs to simply get up and run away if she tries to lay on them, pull their fur…. you get the picture.
August 14th, 2008
Welcome to the world of dog/cat! Ya!!!
Chewy is cute, but I understand about the hair and shit. NOT cool. Even though my piece of shit cat Connor litters my basement with poop and barf, I don’t have it in me to re-home him. Just wait it out, I tell myself, he’s only got a good 8 FUCKIN’ YEARS left.
The dog makes good by chasing the cat back down to the basement if he decides to venture upstairs. LOL
August 14th, 2008
Fuck, I was second when I opened this, then there were all of a sudden 15 comments ahead of me while I typed out that crap comment.
PiSs: I love the new paint. Ya, that old color? HIDEOUS! LOL
August 14th, 2008
Dogs are gifts! I had a complete nervous breakdown when my hubby brought home the second one from the pound. Stories upon stories you will tell! I look forward to it!
August 14th, 2008
I want a dog AND a cat. Right now all we have is a fish. And a toddler…toddlers being half human-half animal.
Sorry about the cat-butt-hair-poop thing. BTDT. We went short hair the next time.
Can’t wait to see the new pooch!
August 14th, 2008
Love the new color. Neutral without being boring. Very nice.
We had a similar situation last night, only it was with the preschooler. Ah, the joys of motherhood.
August 14th, 2008
Our cat Willow is part Ragdoll and part Scottish fold and I know the poop problem of which you speak. ALL TOO WELL. It’s happened a lot. A LOT. We’ve taken her to a groomer and gotten the “lion shave” a couple of times. Much better. She looked a bit freaky at first, but she seemed to really like it, and it was much easier for her to maintain. I highly recommend it.
Can’t wait to see pics of the new addition!
August 14th, 2008
I grew up in a cat household, but my husband’s and MIL’s allergies mean we are now a dog household. I love the dog, must say. But he is a lot of work compared to a cat!
August 14th, 2008
My parents had a German short-hair pointer before I was born. Apparently she had a lot of energy and liked to run a lot. In the winter, her favourite pass-time was to grab the toques off little kids as they walked to school. One day my mom’s friend’s daughter had one of those toques that tie around the chin, and Heidi grabbed it like she did all the other kids’ toques. But she was attached. She ended up dragging the girl some ways. I was still a toddler when she died, but she sounds a hoot.
August 14th, 2008
It could have been worse: the cat could have rubbed its tail in the fresh paint.
Congrats on latest addition to your family!
August 14th, 2008
You so crazy.
We’ve talked dog. I’m the one that wants one. But I don’t want one now. I want one later. When the kids are more independent. When I’m done wiping butts. That sort of thing.
I can’t believe you did all that painting you Superwoman! It looks lovely though and well worth it considering the green that so reminds me of the green in my kitchen that I need to cover. Yup – neon toxic waste green.
August 14th, 2008
I’m STILL laughing at “accident hole”!!!!
Congrats on the dog!
Great job on the paint!!! I could never do that…. My dad’s a contractor, so we get people to do it for us!
August 14th, 2008
And, btw, Ragdoll cats are the BEST! I think Minden is part ragdoll. I LOVE IT! Chewy’s sooooo adorable!
August 14th, 2008
Oh my god, when you said that paint was green, you weren’t kidding. The wall looked like it was pulsating.
Yes, Molly is a cavalier. I hope your new addition will settle in well. Keep a close eye on her until you’re sure she’s house trained….
August 14th, 2008
Aw shit indeed. Dallas has those accidents and we have to cut his little “pants” in the back which totally solves that problem. It makes everyone happy and we try to maintain it at least once a month. So sorry that you had such a shitty experience.
AND OMG A DOG – you just need a picket fence now my dear.
BTW – that first green does look like surgery scrubs – the new one looks classy.
August 14th, 2008
loving the paint!
August 14th, 2008
Cool!
The green is awesome. And you’re right, NIGHT and DAY how much better the second one is. Holy GOD, you must have had a heart attack!
Dog and cat stuff is. Just is. Of course, I have an exceedingly stupid dog.
August 14th, 2008
oh wow that colour looks great.
We had the EXACT same carpet. Your home will be completely transformed once that is gone.
August 14th, 2008
I want you to get down on your knees and thank whatever god you pray to that you didn’t get a bulldog. I have a bulldog. He can slobber on all four walls and the ceiling of a room just by shaking his head one time. He constantly smells like his ass reached around and licked his face. He can’t go outside if it’s more than 85 degrees. (I live in the South. That’s like 60 percent of the year.)
Hooray for adopting from the Shelter! That’s what we are going to do next time.
August 14th, 2008
Wow, you people are brave. That’s a lot to take on on top of a lot already. Ihope she brings you lots of great, joyful, waggy, licky times!
August 14th, 2008
We rescued a German Shorthair Pointer and she is great. Once you have your trained and love her up, she’ll be great. And the dog may be just want your wild three-year-old needs because our Pointer started out all calm and sweet and now she’s wild (for the afternoon) and sweet.
Have fun!
P.S. Even though this is a first-time comment, I wandered on here awhile ago while blog surfing and think your blog and humor are great.
August 14th, 2008
I’m excited about your dog. I think having a dog in the family is the best, we love our boy. Work, yes….constant dog hair, slobber, paw prints, and the list goes on and on, but still worth it.
BTWI love english setters.
August 14th, 2008
Love the sage!
August 14th, 2008
Just when I think my computer is finally safe, I read one of your blogs and spit tea all over the keyboard.
August 15th, 2008
We got the dog first and the cat second, but yup. 2 kids, house, cat, and dog. Oh, the cliches!
August 15th, 2008
The sage totally rocks!
I hope dog ownership is going well!
Poor you. Poor Chewy. I can relate – I have had to chase Chaos around and scrub his butt, although much less so since I changed food. But still – I keep towels on the furniture, just in case….
August 17th, 2008
wow, good luck with the dog!
August 18th, 2008
I have a Persian named EC and she has the same problem with her butt-hair. She gets crap EVERYWHERE. And it smells…and sometimes she sits on the hard wood floor and we find little tiny Hershey kiss-like pieces of dried poop. Once, EC managed to poop on her own chest.
About two years ago, I started getting her shaved. The groomer will shave just her butt and the backs of her legs for 20$ and that lasts about three months. Or, for $45, I can get the whole cat shaved…Google “lion cut.” It’s been a God-send.
August 18th, 2008
Thank goodness I’ve never had that problem with Ophelia or Phoebe! Chewy is one incredibly hairy cat. I’m really looking forward to seeing your dog.
August 19th, 2008
Ewww…. I have that issue at times with Barkley bc of his ‘feathers’.
I *LOVE* the new color. You did good chickie ;)
August 22nd, 2008
Ahh, I remember my cat’s dingleberries lol. He was part mancoon, and a vicious asshole. Couldn’t even try to help him by cutting them out if I wanted to, so he got to sleep on the porch those nights.
August 26th, 2008
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