Anything But Boring: Day 2

Last Updated on: 8th May 2023, 10:51 am

DOOOOOOOOOG DAAAAAAAAAAAY!

No, I’m not excited at all.

I have been awake since 4:30 this morning, partly because my body still thinks it’s on Eastern time and partly because I went to bed before 10. But thanks to Santa, I feel ready to rock!

I’m starting to know my way around the room. I’ve started to group it into sectors. There’s the living area and the sleeping area. In the living area, there’s the fridge closet and the coffee maker desk and the giant short-people-grabbing recliner. If you get in, plan how you’re getting out if you’re small like me. And the TV that has voice guidance and voice commands. And there’s Dog equipment alley with the leash and grooming supplies and a kibble pouch and I threw my cane over there. Oh yeah and next to Giant recliner is a dog bed and tie down.

In the sleeping area, there’s of course the bed and the clothes closet. There’s another desk over there. I call it the phone desk because it has the land phone on it and that’s where I charge my phone. Of course each desk has a chair. Phone Desk also has Santa. On the other side of my bed is where the crate will go. There’s also a bathroom, a dog sink and a human sink. The sinks are outside the bathroom on either side of it. There’s a medicine cabinet above the human sink so I stashed my pills there. On the phone desk side, there is a little carpet to stand on. Oh and the room has 4 exits: 2 to the hall and 2 to the patio. Remember, 2 people used to sleep in here. Steve, did I mention everything here that I said on Whatsapp?

We eat without a dog for the last time this morning. I forget what I selected, but it will be gloriously delicious.

Also, I have 0 headache! Yaaaaaaaa!

Ok, I should shut up for now. Time to go chomp! Don’t leave without my key!

It was banana bread with cream cheese and a delicious fruit cup. We had a really fun conversation about all sorts of stuff. I guess a classmate’s wife grew up in Kitchener. Small world!

Then I went back to my room to brush my teeth…and I got sick! I threw up in my sink and clogged it! Dammit! I must have eaten too fast and then I was furiously swallowing morning meds and my body threw a tantrum. Let’s not do that again! I feel mostly fine but I’m a little shaky. When I got to the fireplace room, there was a career change dog hanging around so I grabbed its leash without thinking. While I was in the dining room, I thought I heard a dog. I guess I was right.

WE just did a pace assessment and I didn’t die. Progress is possible. Boy did that feel good. The nurse came by and offered me some juice and a granola bar. Now we’re playing with rolled up rugs…er doing Juno obedience. Good times.

Juno was a good Juno. We went over obedience commands and I’m not half bad. They showed me a new way to go through an over here door, that’s a door where it would hit the dog when it opened. She showed me this spin command where you open the door and then hold it open with your right hand and then you do all the spinning and the dog just heels through.

I’ve done my first stupid thing already. I held the wrong part of my keys up to the door to my room.

I’m exhausted. Let’s try and recap. Did I talk about the chat we had about all these new changes to our lives now that we have pooches? I don’t remember much because it wasn’t surprising to me, but the newbie was hoovering it up. Then we had lunch. I had a delicious potato soup and more yummy bread and a salad. I didn’t have room for dessert. Then we went and did this transitioning to a new guide dog chat with the guy who is the new counselor. He seems nice enough. It was nice to know I’m not alone in some of my feelings. Then, it was the big exciting time. They would bring us our dogs. In previous classes, we would learn all our dogs’ names together. But this time, we found out our dog’s name when they brought them to us. So I went off to my room, filled up my kibble pouch, discovered that this kibble pouch strap thinks I’m fat because it wouldn’t fit around my waste at the default setting, and waited for the big knock.

Now this is where it gets hard. I don’t want to reveal his name yet, but I’m so tired that I’m afraid I will. They brought him to me. It’s a him. He’s a 3 quarters golden retriever. He feels just like a golden. I have a golden! Who knew? He’s about the same size as Trix and Tansy. But he floats along so smoothly. He is the best heeler I’ve ever had in terms of early heeling.

So I snuggled with him on the floor until it was time for heeling practice. At first, you give kibble every couple of steps. It’s slow going. Man, does he ever drool. He is so drooly that they attached a rag to my kibble pouch for wiping my hands. After that, we did some obedience and talked about sitting in the dining room and scooching them under tables.

Then it was feeding and relieving time. My pooch ate with gusto and he drank a lot of water. The instructor told me it was because in the kennels, they have to work hard at getting the water out of something like a hamster water bottle.

I took him out to relieve, and relieve he did. A big disgusting poop. Then we went for dinner and had pork chops and sweet potatoes and bread and this bundt cake with pecans for dessert. It was the first meal with all the dogs and adventures ensued. Only mild ones. Then we had a lecture on t touch, or doggy massage. Most of the dogs just wanted to play. Mine mostly fell over in a heap. His nose is always on the move and for once it stopped.

And this was the point where the fatigue set in. I could barely think. I was getting lost in my own room. I was making wrong turns all over the place. At one point, I was motoring down the hall at high speed and vroomed right past my room because I was so in the groove.

So after the massage, I gave him more water, which he slurped up. I realized that he stops whatever he’s doing if I say his name. So the poor beast was merrily drinking and I said “Holy crap, dog name goes here,” and he immediately stopped drinking. And no amount of “ok” would convince him to continue. It could have been a coincidence, he drank most of the bowl, but I noticed him popping his head up even when I was dictating his name into a message.

I think that was everything. I’m crashing now. Pooch is in his crate, not making a sound.