Friday...

Well, contrary to my hopes, today did not go as planned.

I decided and I was convinced that today was the day I would drive Bella to Kiera's school and she'd like it. You know, cuz she's coming out of her shell and all. Yeah, no such luck. Even before I got her in the car, she pooped in the garage. Well, it is in the garage and not in the house.

In the car, she tried to be under my feet - you know, where the gas pedal is? I can just hear me now. "Well Officer, I have a really good explanation why I drove thru that front yard, then the backyard and yes, even why I am sitting here on the breakwall of Fowler Lake."

Somehow I don't think that Oconomowoc's finest would agree with me. Things actually went ok while Kiera was in the car. It was after I dropped her off and passed the street to turn down my street that things went awry. She wanted to be under my feet in the worst possible way. So I turned down the first street I could. Wouldn't you know that the car that was following me doing 18 in a 45 did the same?

By this time she was just about beside herself and I had all I could do to keep her in the passenger foot well. So again, I turned down the next possible street. Actually it was the next possible street after that, as I missed the first street because I was wrestling with the dog. I turn in to LaBelle Villa Drive or Village Lane or some such Hoity Toity nonsense, and oh, sure, the guy behind me turns in too. I didn't have the courage to look to see if he flipped me off or not.

Eventually I got Bella calmed down and we decided to go home. Once home, I loaded everybody into their kennels, except Bella who deserves to be free, and off I went to the orthodontist. This was actually one of the highlights of my day. He claims - he being the genius sadist who added a new conformation to the rubberbands in my mouth. He does realize I have job, right - He claims that the braces will be off by Christmas - - If I wear the bands ALL THE TIME. This sounds like a challenge to me. Tell my boss I'm sorry but I gotta get this over with.

Long story about Bella just a little bit longer. (Lori, you may want to skip a few paragraphs here cuz'... well, just cuz). I attempted to put the leash on Bella when I got home but she decided that after the morning's car ride, that she'd had enough of me and peed on the floor. Ok, I guess I deserved that. Later, I went to take the dogs outside and Bella wound herself around the table by my front door. In my effort to unwind her and put the table to rights, I set the leash down. By the time I was aware that she was moving, I had entered myself into a Keystone Cop Movie Marathon. Each time I would reach for the leash, she would lunge and snap up the handle away from me. "Missed it by that much."

"Oh, crap, what am I going to tell Lori? Please don't move, Bella. Please don't move."

Eventually I caught her after she ran into a thickety area and got herself wound around some little trees. I am never cutting those trees. Truth be told, it was maybe a five minute game. But at the time it went on for hours.

I tried to take nap to wait for the ibuprofen to kick in but found that with Mocha laying on my ankles, Te'a on my lap, Zoe (the cat) on my left...ah...side of my chest, and Hawk on the back of the couch. I was unable to sleep. Can't imagine why.

So we decided to go for a walk. Ok, I decided and two of the three dogs jumped right in and agreed with me. Bella wasn't so sure but she came along anyway.

This walk wasn't nearly as fun as it was the other night. Oh, the dogs behaved and that was fine but it was drizzling, then raining, then a downright deluge and back to rain, then drizzle again. Unpleasant at the most. Bella didn't run and cavort in the field like I'd hoped. But then it was daylight and there were too many scary things to see and distract her from having fun. That's ok - we'll get there, girl.

We made it home in one piece and I even got the towel out to dry Bella off. That, that, of all things, that she does not seem to mind. She was even good with me drying her feet. WHAT???

Well, the tea kettle is whistling. Te'a is laying on Bella's bed in front of her kennel. Mocha is laying on the towel and Bella is in Te'a's kennel.

Thanks for reading!