You may recall that around June last year we had a lovely dog to stay with us - it was the in-laws (feels like there should be an apostrophe there, but not sure where).
So delightful was the stay that I couldn't cope without a dog of my own any more and we ended up with our dog. This wasn't on a whim you understand I'd wanted a dog for 8 years after our last one died, but we simply couldn't because work had moved on and we knew we wouldn't give one a good home.
But with my new post COVID job I was working from home, the trial week went well and we were good to go. (Well apart from the ridiculous cost of dogs these days).
Aaaaaaaaaaanyway. They asked if we could dog sit again. We thought - why not- we've got one - how hard can it be.
Well it turns out it can be very hard. It's been absolute bedlam since in-law dog turned up on Friday evening. The two dogs are like bitchy teenage girls, they love each other for 5 minutes and hate each other for the next 5.
They are constantly at each other (you can see the blur from our dog in picture - that's speed!). It's not just one of them that's bad either. If it's not one of them having a go at the other it's the other one.
Then if you give any affection to either of them they look at the other one with a bitchy look as if to say 'see they love me most'.
Then there is eating. They literally can't eat around each other - they guard the food with their lives even if they are not hungry. We've taken to starving them most of the time and then when they are really hungry we shut them in separate rooms to eat.
And beds, they have both got so moody over their respective beds we found an old and disgusting duvet in the attic (why it's not at the dump is a good question), this has gone on the floor so now there is a bed that they can share that neither of them owns. It may even encourage us to get it to the dump at long last.
The other thing we've found that works is water pistols. The whole family are walking around the house fully armed at the moment. It seems to be the only thing that will calm them down.
So we're about to start work - one of them is shut in with me and the other is in with husband. Doubtless they will sleep like logs all day because they've given each other no rest at all for a few days now.
Needless to say we're very much looking forward to in-law dog going home tomorrow evening. I think everybody involved will breathe a sigh of relief.
Been a very busy morning, had to fill car up and so did that at 6.00am - then took the dogs for a really long walk to try to tire them out before work. It was a HORRIBLE walk. The dogs fought the whole way, it was windy and rainy and really really cold. And it was VERY EARLY. I have to say it's not left me in a great mood.
I sat down at 7.45 for 5 mins and son looked and said 'Mum it's cooking today'. I can't believe I forgot it again, it would have been second time in a row. If they don't take in the ingredients they have to do the washing up.
Why the school can't just supply the ingredients I'll never know. It's a fee paying school - I'd happily pay an extra £20 a term not to have to have another thing to think about on my list. Anyway, fortunately today it was an easy one, 150g of cheese (tick), an onion (tick) and HORROR a small potato. A year ago this would have been easy - but as we're cutting back on carbs there are not such delights in our house any more.
We've also started doing Gusto (not sure how long that will last - that's a story for another week), so you only get the ingredients you need.
Anyway, went onto the mums chat from school and one amazing mother has saved the day and sent her son in with a potato for son. Phew.
So last week was all about work and the weekend was all about the dogs - not really had much more to cram in. Husband did though - he somehow got VIP tickets for the football at the Amex Stadium. So shortly after dog arrived he went off to be wined and dined and left me with the chaos.
Oh - tripped over dogs in kitchen on Saturday night - they were constantly under my feet whilst preparing supper. I literally went flying. I hit my cheek on the handle to the fridge - really really hurt. Woke up Sunday morning. Apart from a slight swelling on my cheek you'd not have known I'd hit it - however - somehow I have a really bad black eye!!!!! I'm not sure of the logic of that. Cheek really hurts, eye doesn't hurt, but I look like I haven't slept in a year!
I can't go the whole post without mentioning the war in the Ukraine or you will think that I'm completely gaga. I'm finding the whole thing very overwhelming, the stories in the news are just so desperately sad. I just don't know what to say about the whole thing and I'm desperately desperately scared for them and for the whole world.
The only way I'm coping is by not focussing on things too hard. I haven't recovered mentally from the whole COVID episode yet. The future is looking very bleak.
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