Wheel of Fortune (SOL17 #9)

My mom came over to visit the other night and insisted on watching the news. I usually don't watch the news because I prefer to read rather than watch the local news channel. So while she watched, I started dinner in the kitchen. 

Right after the local news is over, Wheel of Fortune comes on. We used to watch Wheel of Fortune every night while I was growing up. I used to love to try and solve the puzzles all while admiring Vanna's beautiful dresses. All the familiar sounds from the show echoed throughout my house. The clicking of the wheel as the contestant gave it a spin, the distinct beeping sound when a wrong letter is guessed, and of course the DING DING DING when the contestant guesses the right letter. 

The person who was playing that evening must have been on a roll because I just kept hearing the DINGs over and over. Unfortunately, so did my dog. My best guess is that the DING sound is very similar to a doorbell sound. With each additional DING, the dog would run and lunge at the door barking her little head off. Doorbells and dogs obviously do not mix. 

However after having our dog for five years I wonder if my dog will ever figure out that we do not in fact have a doorbell and that she is barking for no reason!

Skunked (SOL17 #8)

It was my birthday. A day that should have been full of joy, presents, and laughter. This year, unfortunately, was not like that. I woke up feeling sick. My sinuses were clogged, my throat hurt, and I was exhausted. Instead of all the fun plans we were going to do, my husband and I just stayed home and hung out around the house wallowing in my illness. Little did I know, being sick was going to be the best part of my day.

That night, before bed, my husband went downstairs to let the dog out. It is a nightly ritual that they have, and Maiden looks forward to getting some fresh air and relieving herself right before she goes to bed. I then heard a yell come from my husband that I had never quite heard before. "MAIDEN!!!!!"

Something was wrong. VERY wrong. 

I jumped out of bed and headed downstairs prepared to see him chasing her chasing another animal in the yard. Instead, he was dragging her from the patio into the house with a horrified look on his face. 

Then I smelled it. I had never smelled something so horrific in my entire life. Maiden stumbled in coughing, gagging, and foaming at the mouth. "She got sprayed in the face by a skunk!" Maiden paced around the basement, disoriented, coughing and spitting up. Her eyes were watering even though they were squeezed shut. 

What we didn't know then was that all the spitting and coughing up was spreading the smell into the areas that she visited. She coughed up on the hardwood floors, carpet, and our couch thus making everything we owned stink of skunk. 

Phil sprung into action taking her upstairs to the bathroom to get her right into the tub for a bath.  Meanwhile, the smell began to permeate the house. It seeped into all the rooms until the whole house had this noxious sulfur type smell that can ruin lives. 

Again, having never had experience with skunk spray before we didn't know this then, but we had made a crucial error... We should have left her outside and washed her in the yard. By bringing her into the house we inadvertently spread the stink into every room. 

He must have washed her three different times that night, each time thinking we got rid of most of the smell. Wrong. She still stunk. Our house still stunk. It was horrendous. 

Even worse than the new awful smell that seemed forever secured to our beautiful dog and our house was the fact that this event took place during the hottest and most humid days in September. We could not run the air conditioner for fear that it would stay in the ducts and would just recirculate around the house.  So we spent the rest of the week with the windows open, cleaning EVERY surface of our house. We bought every deodorizer imaginable, and had baking soda and vinegar stationed in each room to suck up the odor. We shampooed all the carpets and replaced the area rugs that were too soiled with the odor.

Just when it appeared thought we got the smell out and the end was in sight, we would open a closet door or a cabinet and a hint of the stench would reappear. This went on for about 2-3 weeks. 

I still have nightmares about that smell. 

3 Good Things Have Happened Since the Skunk Incident of 2016

1. Maiden has a great new nickname: Maiden McStink 

2. Our house has NEVER been cleaner. 

3. We learned what NOT to do when your dog is skunked.

Dog Mom Guilt (SOL16 #17)

I pull into the driveway and get out of the car. I don't waste time because I know what is awaiting me. As soon as I open the screen door and my key turns I hear it. Paws barreling down the stairs and the jumping up and down behind the door. Upon opening the door she immediately darts away to find her toy with the obnoxious high pitched squeaker.

It never fails. Every day Maiden and I share the same sequence. She is overcome with joy, where I feel guilt. All she wants in the whole world is to have her two favorite humans home with her each day. Alas, these two humans must work. Someone has to pay for the dog bones and squeaky toys. 

My Dog, The Jerk (SOL16 #12)

There is little that Maiden loves more than spending time outside in our yard. We have a large fenced in backyard where she can run and chase squirrels. Usually it's a beautiful thing. 

Unfortunately there are times of the year where the backyard isn't as pretty. Namely, right after the last snow finally melts and the grass has not come in all plush and green. During this time the yard becomes an awful mud pit. 

At least my husband and I see it that way. Maiden on the other hand finds it to be simply amazing. She still spends her time chasing squirrels. However now as she chases large clumps of mud get wedged under her nails and fly through the air as she rips up the lawn. After the mud flies and she rids our yard of the squirrels, it's time to relax... lying right in the mud. Not only relaxing but also rolling in the mud. Wiping her face in all the "good" smells.  I'm sure it's wonderful for her, but those feelings don't transfer to me when she comes back in the house.  

Thus, my dog... the jerk with mud stains all over her. Unfortunately you can't smell her through the picture... but let me tell you, it's an awful scent. 

Are we there yet? (SOL16 #3)

The bug splattered windshield is hard to see through by the end of our nine hour journey. We are both restless. Maiden is whining because she knows that we are close. We turn off the highway after not turning for hours and head down Long Lake Drive. After a few minutes we see the name plate. It's a small sign with the family name that tells us that our week of relaxation and time at the lake is about to begin. We turn down the long dirt covered driveway surrounded by tall pine trees. The trees swayed ever so slightly with the cool breeze. 

I looked over my shoulder and said in an excited voice that only my dog loves, "Maiden, are you ready to go jump in the lake?" The excitement radiated through her as she jumped into my lap in the front seat. Her nails dug into my legs and I immediately regretted my decision to get her pumped up after the long ride. 

We pulled up to the cabin and stopped the car. At this point Maiden could no longer hold in her excitement. I opened the door and she leapt out and ran as fast as she could around the yards. Dogs started running out of their houses to greet her. Some people say that dogs can't smile, but I beg to differ. Her goofy smile was undeniable. She was elated to see her friends after their long absence.

The dogs, Maiden leading of course, ran in circles around the cabin playing tag. Her ears flapped in the wind as she zoomed around, obviously determined to be the fastest in the pack. Suddenly, Maiden recalled the best part of going to the cabin. The lake! She ran down the wooded path, leaping from step to step all the way down to the waterfront. 

Click click click click click! The dogs paws hit the wooden dock with force. The three native Minnesota dogs reached the end of the dock and dove in the water. 

The poser lake dog (Maiden) put on the brakes and skidded to a stop just shy of the end of the dock. She barked and jumped around, upset that the other dogs had left her, and even more frustrated that she was too chicken to make the jump. 

At least not yet...