mischa and me

today i learned that i take my dog's presence for granted.

even when she's annoying the living daylights out of me.

i'm going to keep this short because some of my dinner got cross-contaminated and i'm feeling pretty ill. in a nutshell, after visiting my parents today with husband and dog in tow, my parents requested that we leave mischa (dog, not husband) with them for the weekend to help socialize their new puppy. my immediate reaction? TAKE HER! that's two mornings in a row- count them, 2!- that i won't have to wake up to take her out in my jammies and goulashes. and, two full days without having to feed her and then wonder if she was going to toss her cookies in some remote corner of the house (she has some digestive troubles). i gave her an extra pet and a hug on our way out, and that was that.

the ride home was wonderfully quiet and drool free. ahhh. and then we walked in the house. no one followed me upstairs. no one laid by the bed while i put on my pj's and brushed my teeth. no one walked over after i laid down to make sure i was hunkered in. and there's no soft snoring coming from the floor as i type this.

i miss my dog.

and i know when she comes back on sunday, tail wagging and barking all the way, i'll love her and hug on her and treat her all special for an hour or two, and then life will be back to normal. i'll get annoyed when she follows me. the drooling will drive me nuts. the barking will be endless.

but she will be here loving us. and i'll be loving her too.