FREEDON TO CHOOSE A BLESSING OR A CURSE PART TWO

We last left off with me getting overdosed by a possibly perverted allergist and being rescued by my good old family physician. He put me on birth control pills when I was 17, but shush. Don't tell my parents.

The second time he  (the allergist) overdosed me, I stopped going for shots. They may have helped a bit, but not enough to keep my risking my life.

BACK TO THE STORY   WHATEVER THAT WAS

Hmm. I believe I was seeing if I could make a decision. I was also trying to understand how the decision wasn't only mine.



FLORIDA

I believe it was around when I turned 40, after I had visited a friend in Florida that I finally got my first dog. The story of my visit is also a sidebar*(or Another Digression) but I think you will enjoy it and of course, question my judgement in friends. Although she was friends with my mom and that's how I met her.


Anyway, Dot had moved to Florida with her daughter who was maybe 16. Yeah. She was driving so she had to be around that.

BEACH

I was thinking of relocating to FL because of the slim pickings in NY for single women. Dot had just bought a house in Boca Estates or one of those fancy places. I do not know exactly where or how she got her money but she always lived on the edge. She sold used cars, out of her home. Yeah. Probably a bit shady. But, I didn't have a lot of cash to spend and she told me to come down for two weeks. I could stay in her daughters room and use one of the cars she would have on hand. And I wouldn't have to swallow.  Her story. hmm  At the time she was missing NY. She wasn't by the time I got there.

When I arrived, her daughter was still there since her dad had cancelled their visit. Of course he would. I'm not sure if he was not good husband/dad material or Dot wasn't good wife material, now that I'm looking back.
And of course  I couldn't sleep on the white sofa in the living room (the only piece of furniture) because I might "soil" it, so I could sleep in the empty room with no bed, cot or mattress. I went out and bought a futon. I never really liked camping and I think the ground would have been softer. Me? Sleep on tile? No thanks. (by the way, she kept the futon and didn't pay me for it).

Dot had met someone romantically, after we had made our plans. I already had my tickets so I guess she figured she'd make the best of it. She wasn't so keen on having me there, but I served a purpose.

The first part of the trip I remember  running around to the motor vehicle bureaus to register or unregister cars. Of which she had none. And her daughter who had a car smashed it after I was there a couple of days.  Yeah,  when I got there I had to rent one.  I know. This is what happens to a person who is using someone else. That would have been me.  You know, hoping to freeload. And her too.  Only she had had lots of practice and I didn't.

Then, her new beau who of course was there, had to go back north and she followed. I got to drive her to the airport and of course she was late. I remember driving  in the left lane doing 90, and praying not to be stopped by a cop while she's telling me to hurry up or she'll miss her plane. We made it. I can't quite recall how it went down but it was something like she might have had me drive further south so she could pick the flight up as it was doing like a West Palm, Fort Lauderdale, Miami run. Apparently I could drive faster than a plane.    

I got back to her house and got to spend time, and money with her daughter for the week end. She left her kid ten bucks. I also had to feed the dog and cat.


Ah. Finally the part of the story you are wondering about.  I'm getting to it.  She had a cat, that thankfully stayed out most of the time, and a little Maltese dog named Muffin.  She was so cute. And she really took to me. I mean really really took to me.



futon no frame

I was sleeping on the futon on the floor and there was no locking door to the room. Just  two panels that closed shut, but didn't lock. I would go to bed and Muffin would come in and sleep on my head. It was really precious, except that Muffin snored. Very Loudly. I couldn't fall asleep. Dummy that I was, I would wait until she fell asleep and think I could sneak around to the other side and not wake her. It's obvious I knew squat about dogs.

Every time I turned, she woke, got up and moved back  to my head.

Next, I tried to keep her out of the room. I pushed my suitcase in front of the doors. She pushed her way in. Later, to let me know she wasn't happy with that idea,  she shit in my suitcase. The good news was that my allergies were okay. And she was a small dog. Not that I planned to get a dog, but wow. She was just so adorable.

if you see your name, it jumps out at you. try looking

The visit did not end well. Not that the beginning was exactly high on my list for a repeat visit, but when I was checking my flight, I was at the kitchen phone above the counter. Those were the only ones we had back then. I glanced down and saw a ledger that had names and cars and dates on it. I was on hold, and wasn't looking but when I saw my name, my maiden name with Civic, which wasn't the car I  had been driving I got shocked. I didn't look at the rest. And off I went. But I stupidly asked Dot what she was doing with my old name in her ledger when I returned home.

The best defense is a good offense and boy did she take offense.  She yelled at me for snooping in her things. I tried to find out what my name was doing there but didn't get a response. And we haven't spoken since.  No. I didn't have a Civic ...yet.
Now I remember why I got the dog. I needed a car and I leased a new Honda Accord with all the bells and whistles. I had it one night. It was gone when I went out the morning after I picked it up. Bloody Hell.




And this too will be continued.......