Feel Like Complaining

Last weekend was another tri-fecta in where we still had Hans at home, I was doing drop-ins for cats, and also staying at another house. The house I stayed at for 2 nights was almost 10 miles away which isn't a real short drive. I didn't need to be there during the day so I was able to do my drop-ins, go home for the day and then reverse it all before dinner. The animals were no problem at all but the house itself was kinda gross. The owners are a very nice young couple but have no idea how to go about basic cleaning. The floors were sticky. The stove top, fridge, and microwave were filthy. The bathroom had no bath mat or rug to step out on, just a wooden plank. Thankfully I brought my own bath towel and just laid it out on the floor. The sheets were clean but it was too hot and the bed too hard to even sleep in the room. They have a window a/c in the living room only. So again thankfully, I bring a sheet to throw on a couch when a bed is uninhabitable. The first night I di...

Most of the pet parents I've dealt with are very nice and appreciative of what I do. But there are some.... The family I sat for recently who had a beautiful house on the river just asked if I could sit again at the end of this month. Their dog is the one that about ripped my fingers off by chasing a car on the highway we had to cross. I told her I would love to, but I wouldn't be able to walk Jack. I didn't tell her what happened, just said that he was too strong for me and it was very difficult to get him to the trail we walk on. She then asked me if I would reduce my price for not providing a walk. Oh boy, talk about my hackles going up! I said no because many dogs don't need a walk and my price isn't reflective whether they do or don't. She then took a pass. Really lady? This lady is a Psychologist and her husband is an M.D. and I'd say between them both they could easily make 400K a year. Yet she is going to quibble over maybe a 15 dollar discount I m...

Last week we had a one night repeat with us. I have never known such a toy destroyer...or humper. We could not let her have one of our soft toys because of it. I even went to the dollar store to buy some plastic squeaky ones but they were all destroyed in less than an hour. She's like a tiny Tasmanian Devil. Thankfully her family packs her own toys which so far seem indestructible. Bad Mimzy On Thursday we got a new dog for 9 days. Hans is a 2 year old German Shorthair Pointer. He has stayed with another sitter with more dogs but his owner felt he wasn't getting his afternoon nap. Well, we can oblige that and might even join him! I was hoping he would be a good walker, but he is one of the strongest pullers I've ever had. Plus, he doesn't walk straight; instead weaving, which makes my knees and arms hurt getting yanked around. He uses a harness and they included a leash that hooks at the chest and back at the same time. It's supposed to slow him down but ...

Last week we had four days off but kept busy. Faith's 23rd birthday was on the 1st. We didn't do anything special because she was working on a project as part of a job interview. She didn't get the job--broke my heart. The next day we went to the orchard and picked some more green beans, a few peaches, and of course green tomatoes. I cooked up a batch last week and they were wonderful. So far, all our garden is producing is zucchini. Maybe we just planted too late this year because it sure isn't for the lack of sun. Then Friday came. We had a return dog dropped off in the morning. Faith went downtown to a Humane Society block party held by a new local Rover headquarters. I wish I could have gone too but had to go to my Moms. After a quick dinner, Faith and headed to the Casino to see Willie Nelson. They've had an outdoor concert venue for several years but have never been there. We ended up parking on the top floor of the parking garage and then walking the wron...