Never Never Land Weather Chronicle brought to you by TANK GIRL: The morning started out cold and windy, but the by noon, it was sunny skies and 65! The Exchange Rate still sucks....
For the last two days, I have committed myself, along with my marching partners, Princess Peach and Cholo, to, in preparation of the Nijmegen March (100 Miles in 4 days), walk 7.5 miles in the morning.
After completing 7.5 miles yesterday I felt fabulous! I came home and decided to cut the grass and do some more gardening. I let the dog out, while I put groceries away and chatted on the phone with Princess Peach about our weekend plans.
When I came outside I could tell that Karmella, my darling Velociraptor, had escaped my yard AGAIN.....it was one of those escapes where I knew that she had been gone for quite sometime.
My heart started pounding, and I started to get really scared that she was gone forever or had been hit by a car. I searched and searched for her, but I could not find her. I went over to Princess Peaches' house and asked her to help me. A while later, I saw Karmella, walking across the street near my house. I ran up the road and once Karmella saw me she came running toward me in a very happy reunion.
(Insert huge sigh of relief and a little prayer of gratefulness here)
Today....when I woke up, I was exhausted and sore. I couldn't tell if it was from cutting the grass, walking seven miles, or chasing after the dog......Either way.....
I am serious about my training, and despite my lack of energy and soreness I walked another 7.5 miles this morning. By the time we finished the walk all three of us started to feel the effects of yesterday's walk in addition to today's walk. How in the heck are we ever going to manage 25 miles in one day?
I left the gym with ID card in hand, and climbed into my Tank to run a few errands on base.
Then I realized......I lost my ID. I drove back to the gym, searched the dirty towel bin for my ID (YUCK!), searched the entire car, emptied my purse and retraced my steps. And there it was........in the last place I looked......on the ground next to the recycling bin.
(Insert another huge sigh of relief and a little prayer of thankfulness)
I went to the PX to buy packaging tape. I got right up the register and realized that I had left my wallet, with my debit card in it, in the car as as result of the lost ID situation. I walked back to the car and got my wallet, walked back to the PX and successfully purchased the packaging tape. (walking to and from the parking lot sucks because its pretty far)
(Insert sigh of relief- I was finally finished with all the things I needed to do, now on to the things I WANTED to do.)
I got home, put on some old jeans, a old T-shirt and my rain boots. I needed to get out and do some things in the garden, even though I was feeling quite tired I told myself to put a few more hours of work in and then I could relax. I wear my rain boots when I garden because of how muddy it is and how comfortable they are. Since I was going to be out in the yard, I let Karmella out there with me, vowing to keep an eye on her.
(Many of you are probably thinking I am stupid for doing that, but part of me also wants to find out how she is managing an escape so I can rig the yard up so she won't escape.)
Sure enough, the dog escaped.
Running After Dog ACT II:
I walked up and down the neighborhood.
I drove up and down the neighborhood.
I saw Karmella.
I called Karmella.
Karmella ran full speed AWAY from me.
I found Karmella again.
I ran after Karmella.
She ran AWAY from me.
So......there I was.......the loud American Girl, in Tye Dye Jeans rolled up over my brightly colored rain boots, running, sweating, screaming, crying, kneeling, pleading, and begging my dog to come to me.
And every time Karmella answered with the painful rejection of running further and further away from me.
I saw the dog almost get hit by a car. I saw the neighbors watch me in utter disbelief. And......I actually thought about how horrible my life would be without the dog, that runs away from me.
I ran through a farm field. (Which I have been told the farmer DO NOT LIKE)
Then she ran into a large gated and fenced in Mansion. I was able to corral her into the corner and scoop her up. All I could think was the Germans that own the place were going to come out and tell me I was trespassing in German.....
I marched home, tired and utterly pathetic, dog in hand. At this point I have completely made a mockery of myself to the ENTIRE town.....NICE.....
That's it. I will have to chain her up, and I have decided, the only way Karmella will live to see another day..... is to get her a shock collar. I was going to go right down to the pet store and get one RIGHT NOW.
Nothing is this easy in Europe. I had to plug in the town in the GPS which took WAY longer then it should have, then I had to go to the money machine, and then I had to drive for 45 minutes.
I took the money out of the machine and stuffed it in the cup holder of the FJ. I started blearily driving toward my destination.
In my mind: 'My GOD! It is hot in this car!' So I rolled down the windows.
And then.....the money in the cup holder, fluttered up and danced all around the cab of the car. I screamed, slammed on my breaks, pulled over. I quickly grabbed what I could find blown around the car and counted.
Oh Thank you GOD, none of the money had blown out of the car!
(Insert the promise of suicide if today does not go any better)
I drove lethargically 45 minutes to the pet store. When I got there, they did have a very long zip line, but no shock collar.
Well......Karmella lives another day without shock treatment.
I came home rigged up the zip line and put her on it. She sat in the yard and very charmingly, struggled, whined, helplessly threw herself on the lawn in utter despair.....and I just kept telling her 'you did this to herself.' How's that for parenting? Tough Love baby....I am capable.
I decided that while my whole afternoon was shot, I could not neglect the weeds that had sprung up overnight another day. So I spent several hours doing the back-breaking chore of pulling weeds in the very large Veggie Garden.
And then I promptly locked myself out of my house........
(Insert the mad laugh of Jack Nicholson in the movie 'The Shining' here)
I had left a ground window open.
(Insert a 'Thank You Jesus!')
I put a chair up next to the house, I hopped up, and grabbed the ledge to hoist myself into the house. (At this point I hope the neighbors are not watching me).
Because I was soooooo tired from the day's events, I spent what seemed like a life time, shaking, shimmying, kicking my feet for extra umph, and struggling to pull myself into the window. Completely exhausted I just laid there on the floor and felt sorry for myself.
I'm spent. Enough is enough, I was done for the night and seriously considering the option of suicide.
I went out in the yard to close up shop for the night. Just then my neighbor Mariannae came out and gave me something.
She gave me a pair of socks that she knitted for me.
What she doesn't realize is this........
when I have days like today, I try sometimes to call LEGS, but its kinda hard when you are flying a helicopter to answer the phone.
And then.....I want to call and cry to my family.....but I don't do that because frankly they have plenty of their own drama......
AND.....I have pride, I don't want to call home crying about having a rough day..........
So today in particular I felt sorry for myself. I was in a foreign country, nobody speaks my language and the one thing I know I can count on for a pick me up- just spent 2 hours running away from me.
Mariannae with her beautiful, sweet gesture, saved my spirit and possibly my life......
1 Random Fact:
When I got home and changed, I realized that I probably walked around base with a 'female emergency' all over my jeans.......(YES!)
OVER and OUT.....
Just another day in the life of an unlikely military wife......**
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