Hmm. What's new in my life? I think I'm too tired to even really know. I feel like I haven't slept for a week. Which I really haven't .
I've been working like a crazy woman. I've been dealing with some family issues. I've been trying to address the cat hoarding issue (which is as of yet unresolved since the little furballs were at my back door this morning). And I've been dealing with my crazy dog, who is experiencing a period of decompensation.
Usually, her many disorders are manageable (anxiety disorder, ocd, bipolar, eating disorder and occasional psychosis). For the past couple days though, she seems to be struggling. As a result, I too am struggling - struggling to focus on the pretty little face that I love rather than the neurotic pup who is disrupting my sleep and threatening my sanity.
It started on Sunday night. When I got home around 10pm, she was her usual hyper, manic self. Running around, chasing me through the house, wanting to play. This little manic episode usually lasts until I get settled in and go to bed. Then, she will settle down and go to bed too. Not on Sunday night.
It was one of those nights when I regret putting the jingly tags on her collar. I did it because they are cute, but also so that I know where she is at all times. This is extremely important when owning a partially deaf dog since they don't always respond to you calling them.
And it helps identify when she is in a room she's not supposed to be in for whatever reason. Like the kitchen after I've placed a freshly baked apple cake on the counter. She's banned during that time due to her eating an entire apple cake with caramel icing in the past.
Have you ever seen a dog on a sugar high? A true sugar high? It's hilarious (and slightly disturbing). Her eyes were bugged out while she was running from room to room at full speed, drinking everything she could get her little lips on. Not a night I want to relive. Hence the jingly tags.
Sunday night, the jingling was nonstop. From the living room to the bedroom to the bathroom to the kitchen to the patio door. Repeat. Repeat. And repeat again. And continue.
Jingle jingle jingle. Tap tap tap (her nails apparently need to be trimmed). Pant pant pant (and she needs to learn that panting directly in someone's face while they are sleeping is rude). This little routine paused only long enough for her to stop and gulp down some water. She was eating her dinner (which was served much earlier, but apparently is only tasty in the middle of the night when sustaining her manic energy) as she was pacing. She would stop at the food bowl randomly and munch on her food while she jingled and tapped and panted and so on.
She never did stop. After I took her outside for the 5th time, I crashed on the couch. I just couldn't take it anymore. I felt her breathing on my face a few times as I slept, but I just didn't have the energy to respond.
When I got up at 3:30 Monday morning, needless to say I was exhausted. When we loaded the pup into the car for our little road trip, she was still manic. In the confined space of the car, we were able to get a better idea of what may have made her so restless. Apparently, she ate something that didn't agree with her little belly. I don't even want to imagine what it must've been. Eventually something will turn up missing and then we'll know. A sock. A box of tissues. A chicken. Whatever.
I will spare you all the details of our suffering. Just know that when you don't have Febreze, body spray and open windows at 55mph works just as well.
You would think she would return to normal after purging her system of whatever it was that she consumed.
I thought so. I was hopeful when she jumped up on the bed with me last night and snuggled in to sleep. All seemed well.
Until 2am. I was rudely awakened to the pup pacing on the bed. And on me. And then panting in my face. And then nudging me. And then pacing again. And jingling. And pacing. For crying out loud, it's not that big of a bed!
So, I got up because who the hell can sleep through that?! I reached over to pet the pup and try to calm her down. That's when I felt the wet spot. Dammit. She had peed on the bed! And on me! Dammit again! (and other choice words which I tried to suppress at 2am as a guest in my mother's house)
Outside we went. And to bed we returned. This time, she had been banned to the floor for obvious reasons. As it was 2am and I was not about to do laundry, I threw the blanket and sheets on the floor. I found a sheet in the closet and somehow managed to snuggle up in that. Of course, I was freezing so I had to crank the heat up. Which resulted in the pup panting all night because she was so hot.
At least she wasn't jingling. Or tapping. Or peeing. Sometimes you have to be thankful for the small victories.
Hey, she's crazy. But at least she's got personality.
Hopefully she will be through with her little manic episode and I can actually sleep tonight. Think good thoughts for me and my sanity!