Sometimes You Need New Balls....

This has been an odd day, even by my standards.  I woke up at 5 a.m. so I could be at Carol's home by 6:30.  Today was her grocery shopping day.  Carol is a night person, we always start our day in the dark.

As soon as I woke up, and walked down the hall, I stepped  in dog poo. It was dark. I had no clue what I had just hit with my big toe, but I knew for sure whatever was on my left foot did not belong  there.   About this time Sabella, my german shepherd, runs up to me  in a frantic rage, heading for the back door.  She was on a mission, pausing only once to make sure I was behind her.  I hobbled to the door, by now I had figured what was on my toe, and let her out. This never ever happens, my dogs have been house broken for years.

 Evidently I woke Tommy up because he comes staggering down the hall asking, "Do you know you have dog shit on your toe?"  I hobble to the kitchen and throw my foot up on the trash can.  This was no where near as simple as it sounds. I ask Tommy to  get the poo off my toe.  Looking at me wickedly, he wants to know when I started saying "Poo"?  I inform him I have always said "poo".  "Right" he says and starts to walk off. I ask him where he is going and he says, "back to bed".

"You can't go back to bed! I need help. My toe has poo on it!"  He  just looks at me, laughs and throws a paper towel in my direction. After my foot is cleaned up, the coffee is going and I am more than awake. I turn on the den light. 

  Surprise does not even come close to what I saw.  Sabella usually sleeps either in the hallway or in my writing room in front of a bookcase.  I didn't leave a night light on. I should have. I was tired and forgot all about our nightly routine. I won't forget again.

The way Tommy and I tried to piece together this unusual mess was Sabella was sleeping, Mother Nature called and there was no one to let her outside.  She made a run for the back door and got tangled up in the twenty foot phone cord.  Sabella must have had one heck of a fight with the phone cord. The receiver was on the love seat. The phone and answering machine were in the floor. My small book case by the computer was knocked over spilling paper and books everywhere. Not to mention a few piles of poo thrown in just to make things nasty. It is a reasonable guess at best.

I open the door and try to get Her Majesty, Miss Sandy to go outside.  She looks at me like I am speaking pig Latin and turns her head so she can't see me.  I knew she had to go, she had been in as long as Sabella.  The old girl didn't want to give up her recliner.  I won, I guess.  They were  finally outside and I was cleaning up poo. I wouldn't exactly call that a 'win' for me.  However, this accident really was our fault. We dropped the ball and didn't take care of our other kids like the responsible adults we are supposed to be on a good day. Three hours later, I was still mad at myself for letting this mess get out of control and for putting my dogs in an uncomfortable situation.

 While shopping with Carol, I find a ball that I think is absolutely positively adorable. It is about the size of a baseball, clear plastic with diamond facets on the inside. It is filled with a clear gel and has a light transmitter in it. When it is thrown or bounced it lights up and is awesome looking.  The ball changes colors fast, the hues are intense displaying a light show that is unusual.  I played with that ball all over the store!!!   I just knew my 'girls' would like it as much as I did. 

Carol liked the ball for awhile. However, when I bounced the ball into the cheese isle and preceded to take a picture of it, she was no longer amused. I bought two balls and the cheese.

The girls were still outside when I came home.  I let them in. I couldn't wait for them to see their new toys. 

Sandy made a beeline for her recliner, Sabella lays down in front of the t.v.  That's new.  I'm like what's up with that??  She never does that.  I bounce one ball a time or two so the lights start working.  I am telling Tommy to watch this.  He sighs, Judge Judy is on and he doesn't want to be disturbed.  Sandy sighs turning her head to face the t.v.--she also likes Judge Judy.   Sabella just looks at me. The ball is ready and showing off its colors. I toss the ball to Sabella. It rolls to her feet. She sniffs it, looks at me, looks at Sandy then Tommy.  She looks back at the ball. She gave me one of those, "If you think I am chasing that ball, lady you are nuts!!  You bought it, you can play with it." She then gets up and saunters in to the den, lays down facing my desk.  Her stomach starts to rumble and make all kinds of sounds.  I head for the door and out she goes. 

Apparently, she was still ticked at me for letting her down the night before.  It was going to take more than a pair of balls to get this ole girl in a good mood!

I left Sabella outside. Sandy was asleep before I had time to fix us a sandwich. The ball is now on my computer along with my other collection of odd things that I like. The second ball is in my purse.

Sometimes when I am writing if  I get to a place where the words stop flowing, or my muse is having sex with some dude she met the night before, I find myself playing with some odd toys that I have collected since I have retired.  

It is a mindless activity that helps my imagination run free for a few minutes.  One of the toys is a little gerbil that cries when he runs into the wall and goes "uh ooo" in a tiny squeaky gerbil voice. Never fails to bring a smile to my face.  I also have a green Frankenstein that winds up and waddles around. There are days I know exactly how he feels. Now I have added this iridescent ball to the mix. I think it is beautiful, fanciful maybe even a little on the magical side, especially when seen in the dark. I have no clue why I am the only one in my home that likes the new balls.

The day is almost over.  Sabella appears to have forgotten she was mad and upset.  She still doesn't give a flip for the ball.  So it is now officially mine. Our nightly ritual will be observed. The night light will stay on for the girls.  Everything is back to normal at my home....at least for the time being. 

I think I will turn the lights off and bounce the ball a few times.  It really is something pretty to watch.  Once again, it doesn't take  much to make me happy.  That my friends, is the truth.