Monday, May 19, 2014 

Valentino’s turn at the groomer. Lucy goes tomorrow. Then work all day. Had 12 files to review and get back to a client by the end of the day. While Val was gone, it was peaceful and quiet. The energy of the place was bearable. The minute I picked him up and brought him home (looking gorgeous, of course), the place livened up. A not-so-welcome change when there is work to do.

With mom and Val calling while I worked, it became almost intolerable. I couldn’t yell at my mother, but I lost it with Val, who skulked upstairs, tail down. Of course I was remorseful, but I had to truck on with my work.

I worked late into the night. While mom was watching TV and Val was napping, I heard what I thought was the beginning of a yawn. But it stretched on and on and on and grew louder and louder. At first, I thought it was my mother, but it was too drawn out and too well supported to be anything that came from her. I realized then that Val was having a bad dream. The only other time I had heard a sound like that was when Lorenzo was emerging from anesthesia. Of course I gave Val a bunch of hugs and kisses and massaged his leg to reassure him that everything was OK.

I am not conveying, of course, the tension in this house as I attempted to get the files out to the client at the end of the day. There were questions and phone calls back and forth. Mixed up files. In some cases, they sent me earlier iterations of files that did not have my corrections. So I had to do some scouting. Problem was that so many of the files were closely named, but for a number at the end of the lengthy title. This meant opening a slew of files and checking to see if my comments were there.

By 10:30, the work was in and mom and Val and Lucy were asleep. We roused the pups briefly for their last trip outside for the night. Then off to wind down and watch a horror flick with Rob: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” I think Washington has already been taken over!