Things That Go "Ache" in the Night

Well, here I am awake at 4:30 am.

For several nights - well more nights than I can count - I have had great sleep. It's been exciting! I even slept well for the 3 nights Bryan was out of town this week. And that's unusual. But tonight, I'm not so lucky. Could be because I went to bed immediately after Grey's went off. I was in bed before 10 the night before too. But I've been so tired during the day that surely I'm requiring more than 6 hours of sleep.

Actually, tonight I think my being awake can be contributed to a soreness factor. I ache from head to toe, with more in my back and butt. Why, you ask? Well because on Wednesday I got to tangle with two dogs (nice dogs, not attack dogs) that rendered me splat, face first on the ground both times.

First there was Sully, my next door neighbor's dog. I was asked to walk him in his backyard twice while his people attended a family funeral. You know me, I love dogs - of course I will do this. And Sully is a sweet Golden Retriever - I'll definitely enjoy this.

Well, the first time I walk him I am amazed at the Brut strength he has as he tugs me all over the yard. He yanks so hard on his leash every time he begins walking that I am sure I'm getting whiplash, and I'm definitely getting a wrenched back. I was thinking to myself, "Self, how in the world is this dog, who probably weighs 40 pounds less than my dog, able to manhandle me so?". And to bring the tug fest to an end, he decides to "mount" me the second we enter the garage. And not just my leg - a full on, body mount. Well, I never.

Hhmmph.

So, the next morning I'm walking him again. Again with the pulling and tugging. It is really best described as YANKING. And then, before I know it, he has yanked so hard that I have flown through the air and landed on the driveway and been drug a few inches. Oh, the disbelief! I now have a whole in the knee of my jeans with a nice skinned knee underneath. I am also sporting a skinned ankle. Which actually hurts way worse than the knee. OUCH! To say the least. And then there's the humping again upon return to the garage. Sully's version of salt to the wound I guess.

Well, neighbors weren't home at 7:00 pm so, not knowing exactly when they'll return, I feel the need to go relieve the poor dog again. I'm doing this because I am a nice neighbor, they hadn't asked for a third walking. The tugging is still happening but not with nearly as much gusto as earlier. Thankfully. I learned from another neighbor that Sully probably yanks so hard at the beginning of his initial stride because he is used to pulling his 11 year old boy around the neighborhood on roller blades. Well, that explains it.

Then, as I get back to my house, the second run in with a dog occurs. I am at the spot in my foyer where you turn to go down the hall. I'm in the process of taking the step to make the turn when my 100 pound dog eagerly runs up to me to smell her friend Sully on my pants (thanks to all that humping) and knocks me right off my stride. This sends me and my pivoting, turning self careening into the corner of the wall, yelling out as I brace for my body and face to meet the corner (and the end of the chair rail) . I again, am flat on the floor. Peeing in my pants, crying out in pain, and scaring the crap out of my children (husband is out of town - their only available protector is in the floor crying). I'm already sore from my morning driveway ride and now, I can feel what's going to be a bruise on the entire side of my body from my jaw joint, to my elbow, down to my hip and backside. Seriously, I'm reduced to a crying baby girl, right there for my children to have a good look at.

So, after pulling myself together, wiping my tears, changing my slightly peed in pants, drying my empathetic and scared children's eyes and reassuring them that my tears were more from frustration than pain (well, maybe equal parts of both) here I am more than 24 hours later, awake and aching. Guess this is what being a dog lover feels like.

My cats don't do things like this to me.