Fifth Monday of the Week

This morning was a hectic one at Diva World Headquarters.

First, some background. As I mentioned several weeks ago, the CD player in my car had decided that the second disk of my new audio book was such a tasty and delicious snack that it refused to give up the goods. Early last week the car went into the shop and after a day of poking, prodding, and computer-like tinkering it was determined that the entire unit would need to be replaced. So the part was ordered and away we went. The part came in this Tuesday afternoon so I called and made an appointment to bring the car in the next morning to have the new radio/CD player installed.

Once the car was returned to me (late Wednesday) I noticed that while the new radio had been install perfectly and would not only recognize CDs but would also return them to me when I asked, not everything was functioning as it should be. Namely all the controls on the steering wheel that control the radio. This would require re-programming which meant…another trip into the shop.

What with one thing and another (and preparing for a trip to the frozen north) yesterday was not an option so the car was headed back to the shop bright and early this morning.

Now last night, according to preexisting arrangements, LibraryDiva set out to meet her parents and retrieve the family dog. SugarBear (that’s the dog) is an adorable, lovable, cuddly mutt. She is mostly white, has the body of a Labrador a very short tail and very short legs. She’s a one of a kind and everybody loves her. SugarBear has no fear, has never met a stranger and snorts like a pig when she is content.

Thing One and Thing Two were noticeably alarmed when SugarBear arrived last night. According to LibraryDiva (cause it was like midnight and I was asleep), Thing Two disappeared under the bed in wide eyed terror while Thing One went into full ‘mongoose’ mode, hopping up and down in an attempt to defend territory. Once the fuzzy punks were separated peace returned and long night’s sleep was had by all. (Except for maybe LibraryDiva who reported that Thing One spent the night wrapped around her head.)

This morning, disgustingly bright and early, I attempted to start my day off on the right foot…only to trip over SugarBear who was lounging in the hallway in front of my bedroom door. After a good morning tummy rub, which brought about a chorus of piggy grunts, I took my shower and then shuffled out to the kitchen to find some breakfast. SugarBear managed to score a piece of bagel.

I managed to make it through the rest of my pre-work routine without too much trouble and was headed out the door at 7:25 AM so that I would have plenty of lead time on day that I knew would be long and complicated. When who should squeeze their way past me but SugarBear, moving as fast as her short little legs would carry her. She tore across the breezeway, down the stairs, through the parking lot and into the woods on the far end of the building. I ran after her, calling her name and hoping that she would actually listen to me.

LibraryDiva appeared a few seconds later, clutching a hoodie over her pajamas and the two of us spent the next fifteen minutes attempting to wrangle one wayward dog that has no fear of roads, strangers, or cars. It was a trying few minutes but SugarBear was finally convinced to jump up into the front seat of LibraryDiva’s SUV.

I made my way through morning traffic (much heavier now that it was 7:40) and had a sinking feeling about the direction my day was taking. My mother was already waiting for me when I arrived at the dealership, a sure sign that I was fantastically late. I turned over the car, hopped into mom’s passenger seat and we headed toward her place of employment. On the way there she nearly rear ended another car.

The good news is: I’m still in one piece. The bad news is: I was over fifteen minutes late to work. *groan* Since then I’ve felt incredibly behind with everything even though I’m actually well ahead of schedule. So here’s hoping that things get better after lunch.

Oh, and for your viewing pleasure, here is a picture of SugarBear and Thing One having a face off in the kitchen this morning at around 9:00 AM. (Thanks for the pic, LibraryDiva!)

The End…or is it?