RISE 'N SHINE

Tammy’s usually awake by 7:00am, but her day typically begins a bit later. So she has a couple of hours where she needs me to distract her from her full bladder… I do that by nuzzling her face from the side of her bed. She doesn’t let me up on the bed with her – even though that supercilious cat gets to sleep there every night, ahem! – but I get as close as I can. (Sometimes a little too close, I guess, and she growls at me! But I don’t have any more fleas than that cat Rocket! And I know I smell good!)

I can see Tammy planning our day as she lays there waiting for the attendant to get her up: sometimes she talks to herself!

“Are all of my arrangements in place? Transportation, meals, bathroom breaks, cell phone charged, water available…”

“Hey!” I growl, “What about the treat-bag!?”
“Oh yeah, gotta get more doggie treats…” Her list seems endless sometimes, but the day’s accoutrements all need to be ready, and I make it my responsibility to see that she remembers everything. (Even the poop bags, though I don’t see the point.)

Of course we don’t need a full two hours to get our day lined up; so Rocket helps with the distraction angle, too. He keeps her occupied, often by washing her face and hands, kitty style. That’s fine, but sometimes he also heads to the bathroom and flushes the toilet, which I bet really bugs Tammy. You’ve heard of Pavlov’s dog, no doubt: this is more like Tammy’s cat, but the same idea… Bell, food; flush, pee…

I like the attendant, she gets Tammy up so we can be together and do our day. I always answer the door with a big “Good morning!” growly. And she says “Good morning”, to me, too, with pats and hugs. It’s pretty short and sweet, though, because we’ve got to get our day going. And of course, once I’m dressed, it’s all business: no more pats. I don’t even wag my tail…
I watch while Tammy’s hoisted out of bed, and prepared for a shower. It’s part of my job to make sure everything’s done correctly!

Washing and dressing seems like an arduous process. I don’t know why she doesn’t just go with fur, like me, it’s a lot easier! Dressing Tammy is a unique experience each time; it seems her attendants still have difficulty understanding the concept of “left leg” and “right leg” when they’re helping her. I hope they get it soon, because sometimes she looks like a chicken being trussed for dinner.

Anyhow, after she’s dressed, she eats her breakfast, Rocket eats his breakfast, and I eat my breakfast. Then Tammy and I brush our teeth; I get chicken flavoured toothpaste for dogs – mmmmmm! She uses nasty minty stuff, and that cat, who’s thinks his hygiene is impeccable, never gets near a toothbrush! What’s the story there?! So then it’s work at the computer for an hour or so, then I get dressed too, and we all rush out the door.

And so begins another exciting day, and I hear tomorrow we're supposed to take a city planner on a wheelchair tour downtown. Sounds interesting, especially since he doesn't use a wheelchair for mobility...