FREEDOM TO CHOOSE "BLESSING OR CURSE or IS CHOOSING A DOG HARDER THAN CHOOSING A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE? DECISIONS ARE HARD. YOU MAKE ONE, BUT WHAT IF IT SUCKS?

This was never meant to be a political post. And it wasn't. I mean choosing a dog is a very personal decision. And, you don't need a primary or caucuses to get to a place where you have a few possible candidates to either buy or adopt.

Actually, it is sounding like the same thing the more I think about it. Shit. Why can't anything be easy?

I absolutely believe in freedom to choose. Pretty much, everything we really do is our own choice. Even if it's not to make a choice.

My problem is when there are too many choices and I get overwhelmed.
I was not overwhelmed in my choices of who to marry. I guess I'm really, really grateful for that. My high school grades weren't that good, so I didn't have many choices of where to go to college. That too is another tale which will be told by the idiot who made those poor choices back then, but not now.

You usually are constrained by some factors when choosing. Some are financial. Money always plays into your choice, like can you afford to do or buy what you think you want? Time. Have you got a time frame, or one  you must meet? Like you'll be homeless if you don't find a house or an apartment? Or your eggs will slowly decay and that's not a nice thought.

Preferences are big. What is your taste? What do you like? Do you know why you like it?

Chloe helping dad

In my case, physical issues come to play. Allergies, infirmities, age, all play a role in the decision process.

the dog I didn't get

Also, if you are anything like me, you've been told that you think too much. Like that's a BAD thing.

I am now back. You didn't even know I was gone. 14 hours later. I've lost the flow.
The day really sucked, but, sometimes it does.

So, back to choice. I want a dog. I want the love, the companionship, the fluff, the special bond. I don't want to have to walk it in the rain, clean it's butt (non-allergic dogs are generally white), clean up when it has accidents. Take it to the vet when it's sick and then, lose it. Although, if I were to get a puppy there is a chance it could outlive me. Then what?  That's how we got our Benny. His very old master died and no one in the family wanted him.

Benny at Christmas

And of course, my husband. He wants to wait and not get a dog as small as Chloe. Maybe bigger than Benny. But my allergies, and my heart. That's what I want. I think.

We were very lucky. Chloe was not at all yappy. She was really well house trained. She was a bit aloof and so in ways she was like a cat.
Benny only yelped if you hurt him. Otherwise, no peep. He either couldn't or wouldn't bark.

What if we get a yapper? Or a bad personality? I always said I was lucky with Chloe. I couldn't claim responsibility for her good temper. Just that I hadn't ruined it.

And now for the politics. It might be simpler if we did a Westminster Dog Show for the candidates.  Have someone put each one on a leash and walk then around the ring with the announcer talking about their breeding, pedigrees and so forth. I'd especially like to see when they get lifted on the table by their balls. Hillary would have a one up on that at least.

I mean, really. Where did these candidates come from?  Did they fall out of the sky? Land on their heads? I have lived through many elections where I felt it was the lesser of two evils. But now, it is likely to be the lesser of two weasels.

I like Hilary. Don't crucify me. I'm a woman. I'm practical. I believe that anyone who has made it anywhere it the political arena is a liar and a cheat. I think it's a joke that each one calls the other one names and gets offended when it gets hurled back.

So, a puppy or a rescue? It has to be a rescue, but do I have patience to deal with whatever issues it will have? Probably.

Can't we pick a rescue for President? Someone who's been misused and would appreciate the love and support they'd never known.?

I know. I'm being ridiculous. Oh yeah. That's my name. No matter.

THEORY:
   When people are given too few or too many options, they cannot make a choice.
   This is because people are easily overwhelmed. We were not created to make these kinds of decisions. Survival meant knowing what was edible and what was not. Who was friendly and who was not. One mistake and you learned what the proper choice was.
   I again cite human evolution being far behind the evolution of man. We are going to think ourselves out of existence. Unless, of course, I'm thinking about things in the wrong way.

 

THAT'S ALL FOLKS

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.......