The Sh*t Storm

I woke up this morning feeling a little under the weather. I felt it coming the last two days, but it finally hit me. A bad sore throat. My energy non-existant. But of course, I had to give the day a shot. Making money is a priority at the moment as Rian and I prepare for a move up to the Portland area.

I zombied through the day, walking dogs in the cold morning air, bundled up like it was below zero outside. Dog walks are nothing compared to a 90 mile bike ride, but today I felt like I could fall asleep at any moment if my eyes closed for just a few seconds. I got through them and started my grooming work. Three older dogs were on the list today. The old ones are my favorite. They are always a little less stressed, and require a gentle touch. This was exactly what I needed on a day where I felt like I couldn't muster up the strength to contain a ball of energy that wants to put up a "fight." I put that in quotes, because obviously that's not what grooming is really like. Positivity and comfort is key, which can take a lot of effort and energy working with those dogs that hate the grooming process.

The first two dogs were a breeze, which started turning me around with the end of my day in sight. My last dog happened to be one of my favorites, Jock. He is an elderly black lab, that in all respect is nearing the end. Every time I see him I fear it could be the last. So, getting the opportunity to groom him today made it feel like one last hoorah. I took a lot of time with him, making sure he was as comfortable as possible. Worked with him gently and compassionately, admittedly fighting back tears. I let him lay down through most of the work because his hips are shot, and tried to make sure he was never under stress. After he was clean, all that was left was a quick blow-dry before our time together was over. Because he was laying down most the time, the last area to dry was his rear end. I guided him up into a standing position and started blow-drying his back legs. As I got nearer to his, ahemm... hole, it triggered something in the poor guy, and with high pressure air blowing around, he started to poop. Shit went flying everywhere, including all over me.

I couldn't get mad at him. I knew it was not his fault. But, I couldn't help feel defeated after just turning my day around. A whole morning of feeling like shit, and now it has literally blown up in my face. It's hard not to be in a bad mood after such an event, but this entry is my opportunity to grow from it.

Life is going to throw some curve balls at you and all you can do is take a second to think about the positives. I got to spend time with my buddy Jock. I survived a day I probably should have stayed in bed for. And I was "gifted" with a good story.

My illness came at a pretty terrible time. I was just starting to find motivation to get back out on the bike and crank out some miles for the spring racing season. And now I am sick and another freezing rain warning is upon us. While I'm stuck inside trying to get better I must use this opportunity to cuddle up with my own pups and write, work on a few projects I'm almost done with, and prepare myself for more job hunting.

-Cass