So much to tell you!

But not enough time. Never is these days. You know I had to arrange an appointment today and darn near cried when I looked in my diary, as I have two hours free this week. Two hours, how bloody ridiculous is that?! When people ask, I’m still saying I’m a full time Mum, but in truth I’m living in fear of one of the kids getting sick as it’d take me weeks to catch up! And I can’t even think about the house. I have been thinking about Kobi though, and I’m feeling so guilty about all my commitments this week I’ve arranged a dog-sitter for my worst day, so he won’t have to sit in the car. Which he still hates.

So what’s new? We had kids around Friday afternoon, friends of P who wanted to come see the puppy. Except they and their parents forgot to mention both boys are afraid of dogs! To cut a long story short I did something I’ve never done with other peoples’ kids before, I lost my temper. Luckily I didn’t shout, but I did say I was going to call their mothers for collection, and warned them both they wouldn’t be invited again unless they bucked their ideas up.

That sounds really mean now, and I guess I should explain that the little sods kept slamming doors in Kobi’s face, screamed so long and so loud S is now afraid of Kobi, and gave me a rude ultimatum about locking Kobi up. But it was supposed to be my relaxing afternoon and after a couple of hours I thought ‘Sod it!’ and read the riot act. Worked out okay, and without tears, but I’m still gobsmacked they wanted to come at all or that their parents let them come knowing we’d just got a puppy. And I’m also hoping P finds some new friends before he hits the teenage years.

Anyway onward, though still about Kobi. Have I mentioned how cute he is? And I’d like* to think smart as he’s figured out I’m the hand that feeds him and ‘tis better not to bite me. Unfortunately he’s still having a LOT of accidents, but in fairness if he didn’t have his wires crossed about peeing indoors, I’d be considering him a genius!

And last night he didn’t howl when we put him to bed. Thank goodness. But then he didn’t have the best of days yesterday and was doped up, so we’ll have to see how he is tonight. Bet you’re wondering why he was doped up, but I’m wondering about telling this tale as it makes us sound incompetent.

So I’m going to start be telling you something about our deck. When we moved in there was a balcony off of our kitchen, made on the cheap without enough bars, so we covered the thing in green mesh. Then last September we finally had enough saved to get it done. And properly too, with specially ordered, extra high, safety rails (those who have read about my kids accidents will understand why we went to the trouble ;o)). It is now a wooden thing of beauty. But, and there’s always a but, this thing was put together by hand (as some things still are) and as such some bars have a few millimetres difference in space from the bar next to it. Now when we got Kobi we did bother to made sure he couldn’t get through the bars. But (another damn but!) we didn’t check each and every bar’s distance as it didn’t occur to us that such a tiny difference would mean anything.

Turns out it means everything when your lazy Labrador puppy wants a short-cut down to the garden to join the kids. He took a fourteen foot fall onto the tarmac below.

The vet reckons it’s thanks to his age and soft bones that he’s alright, and only nursing some bruising and swelling. Though the flip-side is, if it wasn’t for his age he wouldn’t have been able to wriggle and jiggle his way through in the first place.

From the bruises it appears he landed on his left side and the poor devil may have his limp for a day or two yet. But (don’t mind this but!) he’s alright and that’s the important thing. Damn shame about the bank balance though, as it wasn’t prepared for emergency vets bills and the pet insurance won’t cover anything for the first two weeks of cover! I’m hoping to get a small table and chairs for our new balcony when funds allow, and at this rate, I reckon October should about do it ;o)

But at least the time will fly. Always does when you’re having fun. Did I really just write fun? Ha! I think to have fun, you’d need the time to be able to stop and think whether you’re enjoying yourself! Don’t get me wrong, life is good, but fun is pushing things a tad. And I don’t think fun times happen with this level of exhaustion. I got nearly six hours sleep straight last night, and I can barely move today. And in case you’re wondering, I know other people sleep more, but to me six hours straight is phenomenal.

You know I can’t say that word in real life. Phenomenal. Or Phenomenon. And have you any idea how many times they say phenomenon on Star Trek (TNG)? Trust me when I say LOTS. You notice these things when you can’t say them.

But back to time (I’m drifting, what’s new?) I keep trying to figure out where my times goes, but it all just seems to get wasted when you analyse it. Take today, I left the house at 8:20 and didn’t get in until 1:20, but I only worked two hours. What was I doing for the other three? The weekly shop took around forty minutes, and the dog walk (on the beach! Yippee!!) probably added up to twenty, so I’m down to two missing hours. As far as I can tell it was driving between schools, work and the shop. Though when you consider I live on an itty-bitty island that’s ridiculous! Granted we have silly speed limits compared to most, but even so, it seems like such a waste. Each and every day, and that doesn’t include the afternoon runs. Bloody hell that’s depressing. Maybe not to you, but this is my life for the past decade, and the next.

And with that thought, I’d better get off. The kitchen floor needs washing, but I can only get that done after the kids have been put to bed, and I need to have a bath sometime tonight. Umm, less talk, more action. Bye.


* Obviously (assuming you've read to the end) as much as I'd like to think Kobi's smart, he's not.