While a lot of the country is still looking for the first sign of spring, we have just had our first taste of summer. We damn near hit 90 on Saturday. We are promised an unexpected return to delightful cool, with highs only in the low 70s, for the entire approaching week, and I intend to spend it outdoors, walking and working in the yard. Might as well enjoy the unemployed life. I did 3 miles yesterday and again today, and each time .3 of a mile happened with my faithful canine walking companion. And the hell of it is he really doesn't mind this arrangement - he doesn't get jealous and decide he will walk nicely. After I swear at him and turn him around, he trots for home quite content. His favorite parts of walks are 1) nagging to go; and 2) not walking after he gets out there. He is content with this, so I am resigned to the dual-walk plan - take him for his short stroll, put him in the house, then take the Real Walk. He can't walk in the heat anyway, he's very heat sensitive and a lot closer to the hot pavement than we are, so this is how it will be.
Today's walkie was really embarrassing. Murphy was doing his, "No, I will not walk, I want to go stand over there in the sun and sniff blades of grass and watch them grow," and I had given up and was trying to turn him toward home, and he's digging in because he's not ready to cooperate yet, and I am gently "dragging" him - I am not hurting him, he is wearing a harness, he is quite capable of walking, he's just a little asshole. And I'm exhorting him to "Walk! We are going THIS way!" and he is digging in and his little toenails are scrabbling on the path, I am engaged in a battle of wills with an 8 lb. dog, and I realized to my horror that a neighbor I don't know, who doesn't know my little bossy dog, is watching this from the roof of his house, where he is working. I can imagine how it looked. I have even more sympathy for Rosie O'Donnell right now.
Currently listening to John Adams on my iPod. Audible was running a half price sale last month, and I thought I'd be ambitious and take on a 30+ hour book. I am loving it. I canceled a lot of things when I lost my job, but I have found the Audible membership to be money well spent.
I'm knitting, I'm crocheting, I'm too lazy to take photos of any of it yet. When I do, you will be so impressed. No, you won't, but I will provide visual evidence that I really am still making things. I lost Saturday morning - I was going to do all sorts of house-y things, things I hate, and damn, USA showed Apollo 13. It is on my list of movies I watch whenever it's on, so I spent the morning knitting and watching. House isn't clean, laundry isn't done, but I've started the Suggestive Shrug from Yarn Girls' Knits for All Seasons. I would link to a photo but I didn't find one with The Google and I don't want to be insensitive to those who are not on Ravelry yet. Though there can't be too many left, there's 100,000 people on there now. Anyway, it's one of those very simple tied at the waist sweaters, in Euroflax Sport Weight, loosely knit. Just a line of defense between air conditioning and sleeveless. It's a very fast project, I finished the back and have started on the first front piece.
So this week is supposed to be cool, and is almost certainly our last week of decent weather before hell sets in. I have a phone interview with an agency that claims to have something suitable for me, more contract work to do, and with a little bit of luck the job that is pending will come to pass, and I'll be employed again soon. Yesterday was my 4 month anniversary of unemployment. I never, ever thought it would take this long to find a job. I thought I would have to weed through a few choices to find a decent job, but never expected the market to be this dead. Scary dead. Local housing news is appalling, and selling prices in the neighborhood are still dropping, to the point where I may walk away with almost nothing after 12 years, and after all the work I've put into the place, thanks to the second mortgage I had to take out to absorb the debts incurred during my husband's illness.
I could be really brave and philosophical and say that it's really okay, because considering what I've been through in the last 5 years, getting out at break even is better than a lot of people do. And this is totally true, and it also totally sucks.
Hey, my dogs are bastards, too! Big ones, though -- 65 and 70 lbs. I keep thinking "gee, a small dog wouldn't be such a pain," but look! It totally might. Heh.
ReplyDeleteThe financial thing really does suck. After your Delicate Flower musings, especially. One would think that perseverance and fortitude, along with a willingness to suck it up and do what you have to do, would at least come with financial rewards. It really doesn't seem fair to walk away with so little, especially with buying way before the bubble, and having insurance in case of health disaster(s).
Silver lining, silver lining. Hmm.
Okay. You'll be a sassy old lady, and at least you're mentally intact, so you'll be present for it, and be able to tell stories to anyone who'll listen?
Murphy may be a pill, but I'm not partial to small dogs, and I sent that one to my husband. Good LORD, that face. OMG.
--Shana in MO
That face is the only thing that keeps me from killing him at times. Regularly, in fact. He is a funny little character, but I do miss having a normal dog.
ReplyDeleteYour last two posts had me laughing so hard. You totally described walkie times with my pain in the ass, er, my sweet little dog.
ReplyDeleteI've been on a weight loss and exercise quest and when I was heavier, a meadering walk was good. Now that I've dropped weight and am in better condition I want to WALK, but the little sweetheart wants to pick up and leave "pee-mail" at every lawn and hedge we come to.
I started power walking during lunch at work and do the meandering thing with the dog in the evening.
Yeah, the two track walking plan is the only option - Murphy gets his stroll and reading and leaving of pee-mail, and then he goes home and I walk. Walking a Yorkie does not resemble honest exercise.
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