I’m having the shittiest string of days.
Yesterday, there were horrible storms and torrential downpour all day long. I had work, which entails driving to a few different locations and walking or (in this case) feeding and caring for people’s dogs. I drove to Izzie’s, fed her, left a note for Kathy, the other sitter. Then I drove to Jeanine’s to feed and hang out with Murphy, Sorsha, and Molly. I was running back out to my car through rain that had me soaked to the bone three steps out the door and my cell phone fell out of my pocket. I didn’t notice it missing until I was in the car and about five minutes down Schaumburg Road. I turned around and ran back, used Jeanine’s house phone to call myself…Checked the house, checked the car…Finally, I found it. Completely submerged in a puddle of rainwater at the edge of the sidewalk. Still on. I shut it off, I got back in the car, I took the battery out…It’s still working, two days later. After sitting in a puddle for at least ten minutes! Fucking crazy.
That same day, my car wouldn’t start. Charlotte is not in good condition. It may or may not have something to do with the fucking enormous pothole I hit when I was on the way to the munch on Thursday. Fucking city streets. Seriously, I thought I had blown out a tire. It was bad. But anyway. Dad said the “Service Engine” light is on, which is just all kinds of bad news…*sighs* I can’t afford this shit.
Today was the icing on the cake, though…I was walking Murphy, Sorsha, and Molly when Sorsha went down on me…Legs shaking, couldn’t get up. Panting like mad. Heat stroke. Thankfully, this family was behind me on bikes…The woman got off, rushed over, gave her some of her water bottle…I left her with the lady while I ran Murphy and Molly home and got my car. When I got back, there was a cop car pulling up and a crowd of people around her. Someone had brought bags of ice to try to cool her down. We got her into the back of the suburban and I followed the officer to the animal hospital. He was kind of a dick. And didn’t really seem to appreciate the urgency. I mean, he coulda turned on his lights and cleared traffic for me like they do in the movies, right? He didn’t. And then when we got in there I thanked him and he was like “Oh, we’re not done yet.” And had me write down contact info for me and Jeanine. While my hands were still shaking and I was trying to stop crying. I was fine until I had to call Joe, my boss. Once I had to talk, I broke down and bawled my eyes out. Anyway. They wheeled her into the animal hospital on a gurney. They gave her an ice water bath, got her temperature down. Joe was there and his wife, Michelle, and two other sitters, Kathy and Deanne. Joe kept telling me how great I did. How terrific and wonderful I am. I didn’t feel so great, honestly. I felt like shit. She’s spending the night there. Deanne told me to go home and have a drink. Told me to go into the basement and have a shot. She’s good friends with Jeanine, so…I did. Funny how something like that can take the edge off, isn’t it?
I wish I had gotten that woman’s name. The one on the bike. I would go see her and give her hugs and chocolate and flowers and thank her a thousand times over. I don’t know what I would’ve done without her.
If this dog dies, I will never forgive myself.
