My company recently announced a small lay-off. A few of the people were long overdue in being shoved out the door. A few of these people were assets that were cornerstones of integrity; they add culture and value and made it a better place to work – You know who you are. I had to say goodbye to some of these today. I managed to hold back my tears, dreading what tomorrow holds without their presence. Change is difficult no matter which side you are on.
I drove home on my normal route – also-known-as the 405 parking lot. I hate that freeway more and more each day. My only amusement is watching the road-rage around me.
After an hour and fifteen minutes to go 30 miles, I picked up my son and we starting our routine discussion about his day, he describes his lunch, recess, classroom activities and the names of other kids that were bad. Then he tells me he got a warning from the teacher for pushing. I typically don’t punish for unsolicited honesty -- I was raised that way -- so he didn’t get punished, unless you consider a very firm discussion punishment. He got the point and quickly.
Upon arriving home I discover that Schnauzer 2 has decided that today is a good day to test out the boundaries of potty-training: “Number 1” and “Number 2” on each side of my bed. We has a little ‘meeting-of-the-minds’ to re-evaluate her decision to stop using the grass in the back yard. During this time, she decided to take a snap at me. (see her description below) at which point all my diplomacy was lost and our meeting turned into a good old fashioned ass-chewing.
After I finish my gnaw-fest, I go outside to do the daily patio clean up and poop patrol. We have two Chinese fire trees in out backyard shading our patio. They are beautiful trees until they finish flowering, when complete they drop their leaves and stems. It’s a fricken mess that requires daily cleaning. Oddly enough, I often daydream about a chainsaw when cleaning up after them. It is also imperative to clean up after the dogs each day. Four dogs can create an unbelievable amount of poop. I think they get bored while we are at work and hold contests to see who can crank out the most. (for those of you not in L.A., we typically pickup after dogs. Land is scarce and valuable and it’s difficult do lots of outdoor living amidst landmines.) Anyway, on the patio, the Bassett Hound has decided to take up the Fashion Model diet and barf all over the patio – including her newly washed dog bed. It’s no wonder she held a barf-o-rama, because when she is not being a Basset Hound or taking the lead in the above mentioned contest, she doubles as a Hoover. So now I have leaves, flowers, stems, poop and barf. UGH!
Normally, my other-half would help out, but here is away on business so I am in single-parent mode.
Dinner plans were scrapped. On the menu instead was an appetizer of vigorous broom action, followed by a dustpan. As a second course I had an ample serving of “pick-up after the dogs daily contest” all of this was wetted down with a good blast of the garden hose and finally the main course, left over pizza from 2 nights ago.
Thank goodness the kid doesn’t mind.
Tonight for desert, my son read to me Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom my favorite children’s book. And as soon as this is posted, I’ll crawl into that big empty bed and count the minutes until it is full again. At least his side still smells like him.
Sweet dreams.
