Living with teens

How did it come to this? Been there - done that - doing it again. Now there are two teenage boys on the premises. This means - the fridge is always empty, there is never any hot water for a shower and the food bill has risen faster than the gas prices.

I find stinky sneakers smelling up the foyer. I have tossed them outside on several occasions. Clean towels are a precious commodity. I can usually find the wet towels stuffed in the hamper with the lid closed. Piles of soiled clothes live in the corner of their bedroom. I try not to enter the bedroom - it's just too scary. And sometimes there are strangers in there.

Money - seems to be a necessity. I need, I need, I need. I'm broke.

The phone rings non-stop as does the doorbell with frequent visitors.

Then we have the drama with the girlfriends. The animated discussions in the front yard for all the neighbors to witness is most humiliating.

I'm hoping this adventure will keep me young. We can all hope.

Feeling His Oats

'Feeling his oats', not quite sure where this term began but I'm thinking it means - feeling better - or strutting your stuff. Ron is feeling much better and so am I. He looked to be on his deathbed and has recovered to almost his old self. We walked this morning and he actually kept up with ME. Normally it's a race to the finish line with me huffing and puffing and him dragging me. Obviously I am not the pack leader - I TRY.

This morning he was walking around with his toy in the mouth ready to play. Such a good sign since he has barely moved in four days. I threw his toy a few times and he went running across the yard to retrieve it. I didn't want to stress him out too much. So he is still wandering the house with the toy in his mouth waiting to play.

The vet did test that were inconclusive. More test to come and more money to spend. But you love your pets and you do what you gotta do.

Ron Recovering

Ron had his vets visit - wasn't that fun. They requested we use THEIR muzzle. He was not a happy camper. There were four attendants and the vet and yet they still could not contain him. Should have given him a feel good pill before he went in. He just does not like the vets and do I blame him? No. You see them coming with that thermometer and you know where it's going. He has gone from 100 pounds down to 80. That is a significant weight loss - perhaps he could get a commercial on TV. If only I could drop 20 pounds in a week.

So, $164.00 dollars later the vet is clueless. They don't know what his problem is besides the fact that his behavior is atrocious. We try - bought Cesar Milan's book, walk him everyday, try in vain to become the pack leader - we have failed. He is who he is.

Today Ron seems much perkier and he is eating his milk bones and he especially likes his new (expensive - very expensive) dog food. Perhaps he was depressed after all? Right now he seems on the road to recovery. The vets will call today with his test results. I wonder how much that will set us back. I think I should purchase pet insurance.

Ronster Man

The big guy is sick. He had his rabies shot and within several days acted depressed. Can dogs be depressed? Actually it seemed to be more than his shot - we had company and he was sent to the garage to live till the company left. That's when the depression started - or so it seemed.

This guy will eat anything including broccoli and he just stopped eating. He moped around like he was on his deathbed. He layed outside beneath the tree like Ferdinand the bull ( a great story).

Today he is a little perkier and has a vet visit this afternoon. He won't be happy with that. Will have to get the muzzle out again. I'm sure his energy level will spike when he sees the vet.

I miss his abundant energy and his short attention span. It's sad to see him so despondent.

9 to 5

I love the movie 'Office Space'. I thought it was a joke. I am rethinking my theory. Work in general pretty much sucks but one has to pay the bills, get satisfaction from their job and live the American dream. Work ethics are high priority - at least I thought that. I have seen the light or some strange glow.

How is it that a teenager can get a job at an electronics store at the mall and make almost as much as me? He calls in sick on a regular basis. Positve aspect - he does call in. But he calls in when he wants to chill or go out with his friends - not sick.

He gets to work at least one minute before his shift. His response, "I start work at ten, why get there at 9:45?" Okay, I'm lost here.

His female co-workers (including his 19 year old manager) hit on him. I know he's a handsome dude but come on. On week four he gets a promotion and a pay raise. Okay, I'm lost here.

I am so glad he has a job and it helps that he has money to burn and that he does very well. He's always broke and lives from payday to payday. He has all the latest gadgets and hip clothes. He eats out all the time.

Life seems to have taken a path that I am unfamiliar with. That fork in the road and I took the one less traveled - apparently I should have taken the other path. At the end of the movie 'Office Space', the character is living it up on some tropical island. Where is the justice? I'm off to work.