Yesterday morning, I was sitting on the curb of the landscaping outside the hotel I was staying at. I was just staring out into the sky, thinking, and drinking a cold Cherry Coke.
From behind the bushes, a yellow lab bounds up towards me and makes a face.
I noticed right away that he was wearing a bright red vest. I knew what that meant, but I read the writing on it just to make sure. Sure enough "Service Dog - Do Not Pet Me". So I stood up and looked around.
There was no one in sight.
I began to panic. I got nervous as I thought about all the wonderful people I have met, who needed a dog like this. I got anxious as I thought about how the owner might feel to have lost a life companion. The dog was ambling away in the bushes. And I panicked further, knowing that we were a mere 40 feet from Highway 99. So I pleaded internally, "Please dont let this dog run away from me. Please."
I began calling the dog in a very soft voice. "Hey buddy. Come here. Come here."
He came. And I pet him. I scratched his ear and asked, "Can you wait here please?" And I started to reach for his collar. "Thats a good dog. Good dog!"
He moved a bit. "Buddy, I need to look at your tag. Please stay."
He sat. "Good dog!" He chuffed and licked the air between his mouth and my face.
After a few minutes of mucking around with his collar and my phone, I got the number and called. We lost connection before they heard my Hello. I called again and explained the situation. The woman asked if she could call me back, because her phone was about to die. So I gave her my number. I heard something off in the distance and the dog went bounding towards the hotel.
I saw a woman in an electric wheelchair, smiling and cooing at him. He was wagging his tail furiously. So I inferred that he was her dog.
"Is this your dog?" I asked her as I approached.
"Yes. I dont know how he got out. He is not being very good - he should be at my side!" She replied.
"Oh okay, well I just called the number on his collar to report him missing."
She thanked me and told me that she would just explain to them that her dog had been returned. She told me that she was from Chicago.
A moment later, I got a phone call. The woman at the service center was audibly fretting. And I explained that I just returned the dog to his owner. She confirmed that it was the woman in the wheelchair.
And then she said:
"You are a Hero. Thank You"
I didnt feel this was correct. So I said that it was nothing. That I didnt do anything. It was just a phone call.
She replied, "Most people dont make that phone call. They dont even think to look at the collar. She must have been distraught to be without her companion. So yes. You are a very kind soul, and a Hero."
We wished each other wonderful weekends and hung up.
And you know what? This makes me sad for the state of affairs in this world. Extremely sad.
Since when is doing the Right Thing so abnormal? Since when is it so out of place ... that a simple phone call is enough to warrant a proclamation of being a Hero?
I am not a Hero. I didnt risk anything. I didnt really even do anything that required work or time. I just made a phone call. I just have empathy. And wanted to do what was right.
And if that does make me a Hero. Well ... the world is very dark and filled with indifference.
Dont contribute to that. Ever.
I just did 6 miles with the running group... it's been a month~!! i can't believe how much i missed it!
So that's all good. I'll never vacation again.
Love!
This is me and the wife at the Arts Festival. Sad thing is that I'm totally sober. Hmmm...
The kid is on vacation with my parents. They decided to drive halfway across the country in an RV to see Mount Rushmore. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise why I opted out of that adventure.
Here is the kicker:
This was originally billed as a two week trip. But last minute my parents decided to inform me that they had changed their minds (months ago) and they would be back three days earlier. Yep, they hadn't even left with him before they are bringing him home early.
But the interesting part: My son, if left home alone, calls me about every 20 minutes to ask me a question. I tell him to use his best judgement (haha, that is funny, boys don't have good judgement). On the other side, when he is with my parents? Nothing... he hasn't called me in three days. I called all three of their cell phones, not one of them has been on.
Finally, I got an email today from my son. If there was any doubt that he is mine, the closing of his email wipes that out. Here it is:
"I love you. See you when I get home! E-mail me... cause if you don't god will eat a hamster."
- 21:57 Get Smart was kinda funny but 30-45 mins too long. #
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I've seen this book before, but it just came up again and its still just as unbelievable. I mean, I'm a liberal guy but these books are ridiculous. They basically paint the Democratic party as the saviors of the human race without any kind of opposing view. And even if it had an opposing viewpoint, its targeted toward children. Children don't know why (as an example in the book) funding the fire department is important or what the trade offs are if you don't. These books are pure, brain washing, shameful propaganda. I'm reminded of the poor kids I used to see in college who came with the fanatical preacher who would talk in front of the student union. They would walk around with signs that said "Jesus hates fags". When you'd talk to them they'd give scripted, robotic answers back about what the Lord says. These books are full of scripted thought and are no different.
Today in the Twitterverse:
- 00:51 rumbles of thunder all evening, now the rain comes pouring down #
- 21:19 Do I have bars? The power seems to be out all over the city #
- 09:08 I NEEEEED an In-n-Out Burger right now. Too bad the closest one is too far to justify the drive. Um...dare I say: I can haz cheezburger? #
- 11:35 Mmmm. Nothing tastes better than red Kool-Aide #
- 14:40 Making Ginger Simple Syrup to make Ginger Mojitos later. #
- 16:57 I swear I just spent the last 3 hours standing. Prepping and making mijitio pops and stuff for mojitos tonight. #
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i'm so freaking thrilled about my new job. my brain is, like, on fire with awesome. I'm learning again..! it's like college again! I spent my first week taking notes, then I went on vacation for 10 days, and expected to lose all of it with some help from gin and jinkies. haha.
but no, i didn't lose a step.. I was super motivated all week, learned a ton, and I'm actually comfortable on one or two very-low-level tasks. After spending so much time in a job where i didn't actually DO anything, it's a joy to actually deal with something from start-to-finish, and call it done.
When i was expressing all this to one of my coworkers, he was actually laughing to see so much enthusiasm... I am not sure he remembers the last time someone that enthusiastic worked in the vicinity. I just can't help it, i'm positively GIDDY.
PLUS and PS and BY THE WAY.. we have recycling bins in the office now (i bugged my boss repeatedly). Oh Yeahhhhh! I stayed an hour later than our early-release time (i love my company) in order to make 'Mixed Paper', 'Cardboard', and 'Plastic/Metal & Aluminum' labels for the new bins.
AND i just played a bunch of really awesome scrabulous words on facebook.
Now for the completely off-the-wall... My mom sent me a build-a-bear. No shit. with sparkly sunglasses and ponytail holders on its little bear wrist. anyone else think what-the-fuck??
