somedays it's not good to get out of bed

Before I was a professional dog walker/pet sitter, I worked in a dental office and babysat for extra income. I still do some work for some of those families, mostly to help them chauffer a kid around when they can't. What I do to pay the rent!
This morning was one of those days. I picked up a kid at 6:45 am to take him to a hockey practice up in Elmsford, about a 20 mile drive north. Usually I drop him and hang out and read for an hour, but this morning I was hungry. I went to the local diner for breakfast.
On the way back to the skating rink, I stopped to fill my tank with gas.
I couldn't get the car re-started.
It was raining.
I asked a man for help. He convienantly worked for a towing company/car repair place, so I called in for assistance. They couldn't help. Too busy today, they said. He tried to jump my car, but that wasn't the problem. I didn't think it was.
Now I am on my own.
Tried calling the skating rink so they could inform the kid I was going to be late. Tried calling everyone I knew that might be of help. No one was answering. I called my mechanic down in Pelham, closer to home. Made arrangements to get my car towed, but I still had to get the car moved the hundred feet, away from the gas pump and into the parking area. I must've asked five or six guys, who all looked like they could bench press 150 pounds with one hand tied behind thier back, and not one of them would help me. Not one of them could take five minutes to help a grey haired middle aged woman. Gee, thanks, misters!
I finally found a guy willing to help, we got the car moved. It got a little hairy at one point. it had to go a little uphill, and we were pushing with everything we had. There were two people watching us, but no one offered to help out. Unbelievable. Finally, antoehr man saw us, and gave us the last push we needed to get the car the 8 feet more....

Finally, I got ahold of someone with a car, to pick up me and the kid, and all his stinky hocky equipment. They were kind enough to drop me at my local Enterprise Car Rental place.
About this time, I realised I had left some very important client keys that I needed in my broken down car.... I called the mechanic and asked him to call me when my car got there, so I could swing by for the keys.

I farmed out one of my dog walks this morning, cancelled another. Got to my 10:00 dog on time, just a little late....
Got the call from my mechanic that my car was at the shop. Got the needed keys.
Ran over to Yonkers for the cat call I was supposed to do this morning. Walked in, and once again found glass all over the floor, this time in the kitchen. That's twice in two weeks a shelf in that house came down, leaving broken glass everywhere for me to clean. My car was parked illegally, thinking this would be a quick stop. Now I am worried I am going to get a ticket or towed. I gotta rush it. I got dogs waiting. I cut myself twice, picking up glass. Now I have blood everywhere as well. I can't leave with glass on the floor.

The day's not over yet. I still have a couple of dogs to walk. I hope my car will be repaired tonight so I don't get a car rental fee for a second day. That means I have to get the rental back, hope they can drop me at the mechanics, and get to the dogs again.

By the way, it was the starter that was bad. I kinda figured that. Including towing and car rental, I figure it's going to be close to $600.

I distinctly remember telling the kid this morning on the way to his hockey practice that it would be a good day to stay in bed today. Who knew how right I was.

Dog Walking For Fitness

Those of you who know me, know that in the past year, I have lost alot of weight. About 70 pounds. I couldn't have done this if I was still working for dentists. Or, like most people, sitting in some office somewhere from 9 to 5 for five days a week. So how did I do it?
Primarily, Weight Watchers. It's about eating healthy and portion control. And, of course, exercise. Dog walking is a great exercise, and I get paid to do it, too! Who has it better than me?
Honestly, it's a little more than that. As I mentioned in another post, I wake up and do my exercises. Ninety sit-ups a day, at least 45 leg lifts, and 100 butt lifts, and another one I do for my legs (i don't know what to call it.)
I gave up eating fast food. A MUST for people who want to lose weight and stay healthy. I eat oatmeal for breakfast, an apple and bananananana for a mid morning snack. Lunch consists of a big bag of raw veggies and a hard boiled egg I munch on as I drive from one job to the other. Sometimes I need another snack in the late afternoon. Sometimes it's a teaspoon of low fat peanut butter, sometimes it's a small tuna steak, or a fruit pop. Dinner is a huge salad with a light dressing, and something else, like a bowl of soup I made from scratch using a Weight Watchers receipe. I never skip desert, if I can help it. I love the fruit bowls I get from my local supermarket.
Then there is the dog walking. I try to keep it brisk, and as I shrink in size, it is a little easier to add some jogging. Also as I shrink, it becomes easier to do other things I have wanted to do, but haven't, because I was too fat. I go horseback riding now, and without the fear of bending over and having someone mistakenly put a saddle on me. I belly dance. I do it for exercise, and for the joy of dancing, so get those sleazy thoughts out of your head! But you should see my belly rolls! Almost as good as my instructor!
I am thinking about bike riding, but haven't been on a bike since I was a kid. It becomes more tempting as the gas prices rise, as most of my jobs are within a mile or two of my house. I would also love to roller blade someday.
In the course of losing all that weight, my cholesteral level has dropped from about 202 to a very healthy 125. My blood pressure used to be borderline high, and now it is in the perfect range. I am sure my flexability, energy levels and stamina has also improved the smaller I get. I do notice that I can jog a heck of alot longer than I ever have.
A word should be mentioned about the joys of working outside. I notice the change in seasons before any of my office working friends. I get to see the wildlife. Yes, even living in the NYC suburbs, we do have alot of wildlife. I have seen deer, hawks, a fox, lots and lots of rabbits, turtles, wild turkey, skunk, 'possum, raccoons. Who could imagine all this wildlife just under 5 miles from the Bronx? I've seen some of this even IN the Bronx!
I love my job.
I love my clients.
I love working outside.
I love getting paid to exercise.
And I am shrinking while I do it.
Who has it better than me?

She Came In Through the Bathroom Window

Ok, I admit, it wasn't really the bathroom window. It was the living room window. And I HAD to. There was no one to let me in the front door, and the back yard just had a bunch of wet cement deposited, so I couldn't use that entrance. The dogs new I was there. They wanted out. I needed to get in.
Good thing I recently lost 70 pounds, so my formerly fat ass could fit through the window!

Pet Psychic

Aunt Sue. My angel. She died in Feburary, and I miss her more than words can express. She was my best friend since she came into my life in 1991.
Last night I had a consultation with a pet psychic that was referred to my by my pet sitter. (Yes, even pet sitters have pet sitters on occasion!) I am a little bit wary of this kind of thing, but this woman was amazing.
After she contacted Aunt Sue, she told me that The Sue told her "I'm the best cat!" She was. She was more than the best cat. She was an incredible cat.
Later in the reading, Aunt Sue wanted to make sure I knew that she made it to 20. She said that was important to me. It was. I always wanted Aunt Sue to live to be 20. I thought she was 17 when she died. When I obtained the Sue, she was an adult cat already. The local shelter felt she was a year or two old. I wanted to believe she was a year old, as it would give her more time with me. She was just a small cat, filling out and growing even after I brought her home. I mentioned this to the psychic, who insists Aunt Sue was 20...that she was just a small cat for a long time.

We also dicussed my current cats, Grumpy Angelo and Max. I won't bore you with all the details, but I will bore you with this story:
Grumpy is not an affectionate cat (neither is Max, for that matter). I asked the psychic to ask Grumpy to try to be a little more affectionate with me, as I really need that from him. He agreed he would give it a try.
After the reading, I was working on my computer. Grumpy walked passed me, as I sit at my desk typing away. Usually, he would run past me, but on this occasion, he walked slowly. I put my hand out for him to sniff, which he did, and he even allowed me to pet him! That in itself was rare. What happened next was short of a miracle. For the first time ever, he head-butted my hand. I knew he was trying to be a little more affectionate with me. Thank you Grumpy!

If you are interested in a really great pet psychic reading, I can highly recommend her. Her name is Ginny Palmieri.
Her website is: ginnyscommunication@gmail.com
Fees are $40 for a half hour phone reading, $75 for an hour.
Let me know how your reading went!

Unexpected trouble

This morning proved to be a little different.
I had my early morning four vacation clients to do: three sets of cats and a dog walk. I was out early, and to avoid traffic, decided to do the cat stop in Yonkers first. What should have been an in-and-out job turned into a major project.
A shelf had fallen off the wall, and all the glass jars containing bits and pieces of different beaches the couple had visited were in bits and pieces all over the room.
First I had to take the jars that miraculously did not break, and put them somewhere safe (the kitchen counter). I picked the shells and rocks out amoungst the sand and broken glass and remove the very heavy shelf and put it elsewhere. Then it was in search of the vacuume cleaner. Once I was satisfied that the cats would not cut themselves on any glass shards left behind, I could actually do what i was paid to do: feed them and scoop the kitty litter. Forty minutes later, I was on my way to my next client.

Typical day

Rigger
Memoirs of the Dog Walker

Typical day, for a weekend in summer.
Up at 5:30 am., did my exercizes (90 sit ups, 45 leg lifts, 10 sets of 15 each butt lifts and one other leg exercise I don't know what to call.) Feed my cats, take my meds, and off to the dogs. And cats.
First stop, Peanut, an orange tabby in Pelham. Also in the household, a bird and two fishtanks. I had to change the mullet, ir is it millet? (Something like that.) That was a fiasco. I can't take the bird out of the cage because the wings aren't clipped, and I couldn't figure out how to get the damn m(u/i)llet in the damn m(u/i)llet holder. There i am trying to get both arms into a tiny opening to push the damn thing into it's holder. Mission accomplished and off to the next pet.

Two cats: Lexis and Malachi, in Yonkers. They have a turtle, too, which I checked on, but it wasn't feeding day for him. This job is a little difficult because there is no parking, so I have to park illegally, and hope I don't get a ticket. So far, so good.

From there, I head off to Larchmont to a beautiful affluent community, to walk a portuguese water dog named Onyx. Great dog. And i love to walk dogs early in the morning on a weekend when the rest of the world is asleep. Also a two cat household, so it involves scooping poop and feeding the lot of "hungry monkeys," as i so affectionatly call them.

More coffee.

To the Bronx, for a cat (Sam) I didn't even see. I scooped the poop and fed the cat, and changed all the water dishes. Sam's human goes a little overboard. Water, water, everwhere, and about four different kinds of food. That is some spoiled cat!

Now to one of my favorite regular clients. (all the prior clients have been vacation clients.) Rigger, the old yellow lab. What a sweetheart. I wish I could give him a big ol' hug and kiss, but he is of the school of thought that girls have cooties. I keep telling him it's not the girls who have the cooties, but you can't teach an old dog new ideas. Or something like that.

Home for now, to practice my dance and play on the computer. then it's off to lunchtime rounds, which today is only Rigger and Onyx.
Being Sunday, i get my manicure and pedicure today, and dinner rounds tonight include Rigger, Onyx and Sam the Cat again.

And that, my dear, is a typical day in the life of a dog walker/pet sitter.