Happy Halloween!

Of course I have to work and since most of my patient population is older than dirt and incontinent to boot - well, there will be NO trick or treating there! I had to work the daylight savings time night which sucks half of the time. If you're lucky you can work the Spring Ahead which is an hour out early. I was not lucky. I worked the Fall Behind part of the program which is having to stay an hour extra and since they don't change the clocks til later everytime you look at it you think it's 5 am! And then you deflate realizing it is only 4 am. This is exacerbated by dayshift scampering around happily since they get to come in an hour late. I ended up waking up at 1 today, the shift in time has me off schedule, but I'm off tomorrow for one day so I  can catch up on my sleep then. I made Jackson get out of bed, he doesn't even have the excuse of working, now does he? We haven't had one trick or treater and I'm trying very hard not to trick or treat myself - at least not too much. The weather is beautiful today, isn't it? I had the dogs out and they're still on Gopher Hole Patrol, we haven't seen one yet, but I guess since I'm always digging at the holes, they've probably moved.

Things Are Moving Along

Some more pictures of the family room in progress. Over the winter we'll be furnishing it, there's no hurry so when we come across something we like we'll buy it. Of course we ARE being sued so perhaps it will have to be very inexpensive furniture. Maybe that french stuff, "plas-teak". We're kind of over the shock of it all, David has touched base with thier lawyer and will speak further to her next week. This is all coming at a very bad time, we're dealing with trying to get Adam home, David's mom needs surgery, I'm adjusting to my job, etc. But on the other hand I suppose there is no "perfect" time to get sued! Jackson's doing well, he seems to be making acquaintances in school now, no real friends yet but has been having fun on the bus and at lunch - and of course metal shop. The new thing is smacking each other on the elbows with slags of metal, Jackson got nailed last week and gave it back this week. I've got no idea where the teacher is in all of this, from what I can tell he just sort blanket-yells at everyone once in awhile and then wanders off, no one seems to have an issue with this. Jackson is also taking badmitton in gym - isn't it interesting that in NY gym is all basketball and track - you get out of state and it's cup-stacking and badmitton. Last month he was playing field hockey - the boy version where the goal is not the net, but various limbs of the opposing team. Despite the rough-housing he seems to be adjusting.

A Boy Named Sue

Well, that really isn't a pictureof a boy named Sue, but while we're on the subject WE are being sued! The people that bought our house developed water and mold problems a few weeks after we left and are claiming we covered it up. The fact that we only lived there for 7 months, never saw any of this and fixed everything else from the hot water heater to the septic system -  why would we have let that go?? AND to add to it when David was doing his painting he was trying to find a better color to paint the downstairs so he experimented behind the wet bar, sigh -where the mold is. He couldn't decided on a color so just used the paint the former owners left. so it looks like he painted over it. WV seems to be the never ending saga. They've had the house inspected and it seems the house was waterproofed at one point and there's some sort of french drainage system that doesn't work and no one seems to have known about it. Not to mention they've had record rains in WV which may have been why we never saw this. We're trying not to stress about this - the bottom line is they're suing for $10,000 and even though it's ALOT of money it's not a super scary amount. The problem is even if we fight this we'll still have to pay court costs and that could amount to or supercede the amount they're suing for. David called the inspector that did the WV house and got her wife. When he told her we were being sued she told him to join the club - they're being sued for $15,000 over some peeling wallpaper at some other house he inspected a few years ago. . We're not getting crazy over this however, David's made some phone calls and we'll just let it work itself out. On the other hand any advice would be greatly appreciated at this point (or maybe donations). On other news I will be off orientation on Sunday finally! Just in time for Halloween, how strange is that? I'm also off for the weekend of the 6th in case anyone wants to visit! (BRING CASH)

Change Is Good For You!

David's been working on the house steadily, what a difference it is for him to have the time to actually do the work instead of trying to squeeze it on the weekends and nights. The first picture is the guest room which we're leaving intact for now, the decor goes with the furniture we brought with us. I found some old pictures of the living room and family room so you can really see the difference. After David's done, we'll reorganize and straighten it out, since he's constantly moving things there's no point in trying now. Jackson did make his mountain last night, when it's painted I'll post a picture. David gave him a couple of cans of instant insulation so he just squirted a mountain out on a piece of cardboard. I still dont' see the point of it myself, I can see this project for elementary but for high school students?? I'm still working on my sleeping - I waited to go to bed until 10am and got a few hours. I'll go back to bed after dinner for a couple hours more. I find it a bit silly that I've had to make sleeping a project, of course our Vincent has made it his life. We've been making him go out and it's a struggle, the second you get near the door he starts squriming to get down. He occasionally will ask to go out, but I dont think he'll ever be an outside cat again.

The Face Of Innocence

I ended up shutting Mr. Lee down the basement today, I'm having enough problems sleeping without her leading a commando assaults on the bedroom door. It's not as bad as it sounds since the "basement" is actually a carpeted family room and Jackson's bedroom is down there too. When I got up she was playing with Jackson and refused to come upstairs until later to eat, so I'm guessing she didn't suffer overly much. I'm still having trouble sleeping, insomnia during the day is an odd animal. It's not that I'm not sleeping - I am - I'm just not sleeping when I WANT to be. Instead of falling asleep when I get home I can't seem to be able to drift off until noon or so which puts my whole schedule of sitting around and watching tv off entirely. We're currently at odds with Jackson (hmmm, arguing with a teenager, how strange is that?). He was supposed to have done a project for school which was to build a mountain out of  the material of your choice. He thinks it's stupid, as do his parents but it needs to be done. So far it's a week overdue and he's been dodging his mountain building responsibilties all evening. If they thought bringing the mountain to Mohammand was difficult, they should've tried to bring it to Jackson - he apparently has been sprayed with Mountain Repellant. David's planning on launching another assault in a little while. I guess it makes the day go faster!

Hang Ten!

Of course, with Vincent naptime pretty much covers most of his day. He's got this new habit of sleeping with various parts hanging over the side of the loft which we find quite amusing. Mr. Lee's been practicing her circus act by marching back and forth along the handrail so the loft has been a great hit with the feline members of the family. Yesterday was quiet, devoted to phone calls and housework. We went out to the chinese buffet and Jackson tried the sushi. He didn't think much of it and refused to try the squid salad even though it was very cool looking with all it's tiny tetacles and tomatoes. It actually looked like something you might dare a very drunk person to eat. David met a guy down the road named Roman who's from Russia and is very nice. He's a limo driver in NYC but spends every single weekend out here. The weather's been getting chillier and the leaves are starting to turn from thier brilliant colors to drab brown. Jackson is off to see the eye doctor this afternoon and I am back at work. This week  I work a day during the weekend which I'm glad for as it will break up the week - 5 nights straight week after week is a bit hard to handle. I'm starting to Christmas shop, picking up little things here and there. Every year I try to get started early, lose steam and end up running frantically two days before Christmas. We also joined the local video store, it's no blockbuster but they seem to have quite a bit.

Just Hangin' In The Hood!

It's hard to believe it's almost Halloween. Probably because all the stores have been decorated for Christmas since September. Most seem to have thier Halloween displays butted right against the trees and holly. It's hard to feel spooky amongst the twinkling lights and snowmen! We went to a craft fair yesterday, all candles and ribbons type stuff. Jackson and David were a bit miffed, they thought there would be Dead Animal Crafting so in retalitation they persisted in following right behind me like a pair of demented baby ducks. After about half an hour of that I gave up, bought a couple of things and ix-nayed out of there. We ended up in our favorite spot, Commerce Blvd in Dickson City. Jackson reserved the Metroid Game and got a free tee-shirt which he gloated over all the way home. We went to Sam's Club to buy Jackson his weekly Cartful Of Junk which he'll run out of by Wednesday and then trail around the house claiming There's Nothing To Eat. Vincent the cat continues to be quite the popular boy except for Claw of course. He jumped her this morning which caused all sorts of troubles and ruckus - he doesn't hurt her but it certainly doesn't help her disposition. Mr. Lee has taken up walking along the railing of the loft, it's amazing how she's regained her sense of balance after all the damage she sustained back in April - and to think she's be going on 15 this year. David continues to work on the house - we've decided to give it a couple more months. With what we had left over from the sale of the house and my salary we can afford it and it's easier if he just gets it done now, instead of trying to do it piecemeal on the weekends. He's tiling the family room this week and doing the never-ending painting.

Passing The Buck

Driving to work at night has special challenges up here in the forest. First off there are NO streetlights, at all. If you turned your headlights off at any time you would be plunged into a darkness so deep it would be unbelievable. You don't notice how many lights there are in NY until you move out of it. Then there are the tractor trailers that do most of thier traveling at night, most times I'm the only one on the road with less than 18 wheels. I've learned very quickly to keep a close eye on the truck in the next lane - I've been pushed off the road once already - they don't always see the little CRV when they're changing lanes. And the deer, Holy Toledo! They just stand in the road like you wouldn't believe, I almost hit 3 in one night. It looked sort of like Happy Hour at the Boardy Barn - you know how they get all wasted and just sort of stand around in the road? It's exactly like that except the deer aren't wearing wife-beaters with gold chains, barfing in the bushes and making a general ass of themselves in front of thier girlfriend.. I'm once again having insomnia, though it's cat - related. Mr. Lee has not only been scratching the door but has figured out how to pop it open letting the sunshine in. She woke me up 3 times and when I finally got up fit to be tied,  I found her snoozing on the couch like she'd never moved. I've got two more shifts to go this week. Jackson is fine, still working metal in school. David is busy working on the downstairs room, he's carpeted and painted and will doing the tile soon. He cleaned out the woodstove and had it going the other night, wowee!, does it work. Even the loft was roasting. I'm off this weekend, thank goodness.

Greetings From The Pocono Brewing Company

Well, Dad's visit went very well. We stopped in Mt Pocono and poked around a  very kitshy store, Dad bought Jackson a sword there. Then we drove out to the Pocono Brewing Co, the place where everyone goes for lunch at cousin's weekend. Dad managed to almost make the waiter cry - he was brand new and Dad gave him a traveler's check, thereby completely freaking him out. He didn't know what to do with it so he kind of hovered around hoping for guidance. Dad was very kind to him and walked him through it.  Lunch was of course ex-cell-ent  - Jackson was in heaven all weekend, hitting one great meal after another. We went out the Crossings outlets and shopped for the afternoon,then back home again. The drive home was great, all the leaves are in full color so we pulled over and got some great pictures - although the pictures could never do them justice. The colors are beyond amazing, they've got some trees here that turn lemon yellow and orange and when you see a whole mountainside of them it just takes your breath away. For dinner we ended up at the Chinese Buffet down the road and then Dad took off this morning. He's heading out to Lancaster to bother the amish. I don' t know why anyone would like that bunch of fakers, but to each his own. I'm off to work again tonight, another round of 8 hour shifts. David's busy trying to get a "deal" on tires, he's thinking of the place in Honesdale where the tires are $25 - INSTALLED. I hope it's not that Barely Used Tires place, I'm personally a bit leery of what "barely used" might be.

How Spooky Is That!

That's a picture I took at night with my flash - let's face it - there's only so many pictures of gopher holes people are willing to look at. I made it through my first week of night shift. It was much better than the day shift and by the end of the week I've almost gotten back into the swing of things sleep-wise. I had one person ix-nay on me, but it wasn't unexpected nor was it in my power to prevent it. It was actually my preceptor's fault as she had made the statement that no one would die on her shift. In my world, that's so asking for it. I had to work Friday night and got home on Saturday morning - an hour before Dad arrived. He made it here without problem and managed to slide right by the Gate Gestopo without incident. I only stayed in bed for an hour and got up around ten since I wasn't sleeping anyhow. We had coffee and then off to Dixon City. Dad took us out to lunch at the Texas Steakhouse and in case you're wondering - there are a surprising amount of things for a vegetarian to eat on the menu. I had one of those giant fried onions and Jackson had a huge shrimp platter which he not only ate the RICE but just about licked the platter!! I was shocked as there were PEAS in it and he even ate them! We had planned on going out to the chinese buffett that night, but since Dad had left at 3am and I'd been up for about 36 hours everyone  decided to take a "nap". I woke up from my "nap" around 7-ish and Dad got up later! So it was pizza for dinner. Today we are planning on driving around and leaf-peeping of course! And Dad wants to out for dinner to the Olive Garden which of course The Appitite is looking foward to. Claw doesn't like Grandpa because he teases her but then again, she probably shouldn't have tried to bite him. You know how they have wine tastings? Well, Claw likes to have a "guest tasting!"

Jack Frost Will Be Nipping At Our Nose Quite Shortly.

That' right - they are predicting SNOW on Sunday! One of my co-workers assured me it would only be flurries in the higher elevations. That would be me in the higher elevations. David's got the woodstove in working order already, he had to replace a pipe and clean it out good. We've got tons of deadwood behind the house so we're going to burn that first before getting any more. He had to shut Mr. Lee down in Jackson's room, she is determined I will sleep with the door open so consequently, I didn't get to sleep until 10 am again due to her picking at the door. I tried to keep her in the room with me but she just picked the door from that side to get out. She's driving me crazy I might add. I'm doing alright at work, the first night I just followed my preceptor, the past two nights I've done half the group and tonight I get the whole enchillada. I can't see them keeping me on orientation for FOUR WEEKS, can you? Jackson is great, really enjoying what he refers to as "the dungeon". He's been down here every evening arranging and rearranging, David hooked up his cable and he has a phone. He'd like a small refridgerater, but I'm afraid if we get him one we'll never see him again!

Help! I Fell Down a Hole And I Can't Get Up!

Yes, I am once again perfecting the art of photographing Gopher holes - getting better aren't I? Today is Adam's 21st birthday - I can't believe he'll be celebrating another one without us. Anyone who wants to email : lestera@gary.navy.mil -he's a bit down in the dumps as he's stuck on the ship again. He has been approved for leave and is just awaiting official word, but will be home from Dec 10th to the 28th. Work is going alright, I'm still getting used to the night shift. Yesterday I went to bed at 8:45 am and was awakened by Mr. Lee busting her way in. I put her out. She busted in again. I put her out and blocked the door. She stuck her paw under the door and scratched it. I pinched her. She did it AGAIN. I shrieked and she patted the door. This went on for an hour and a half until she finally gave up and then I laid there too awake to fall asleep. Sigh. I love animals - don't you?

What Song Mentions Pennsylvania??

There is: The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia, Sweet Home Alabama, New York New York, etc - does anyone know a Pennsylvania song? Otherwise we might have to Whistle Dixie. Ray went home this morning after a full weekend of excess and debauchery - the Hideout is a racy place you know. On Sunday we set out for Mt. Pocono and had to detour due to an accident. I don't know about you but when there's a detour it's supposed to bring you back to where you were supposed to be in the first place, not just leave you in the middle of the woods. It was a lovely and somewhat long drive due to the "detour" but we finally made it to Mt Pocono which was not as great as it had been touted. We continued to drive and Jackson and I recognized it right away (picture #2!)  when we saw that sign - it was where we went to the Smith family reunion. So in case anyone is interested, the Cheesecake Factory is about 25 miles from our house. David has been busy all day, he finally got Jackson's room to the point he can move into it. He's been sidetracked by one thing after another so he got Jackson's furninture down there and is currently setting up the guest room (HINT HINT EVERYONE!!). I start 11 to 7 tonight - I'm looking foward to getting back on "my" shift, but the adjustment of going from nights to days will be a bit rough. I haven't been on the night shift since July, can it have been that long? The cats are fine, Ray found our newly expanded zoo very amusing and at times overwhelming I think. Mornings around here are pretty wild complete with a ruckus. David and I are strongly suspecting Vincent was an inside cat and Vincent of course is hoping to continue that tradition by not going out AT ALL. I'm still mucking about with my computer - has anyone else had problems with the Windows XP update? I told everyone here they are NOT to update under pain of death. If anyone has any suggestions or comments feel free!

All Systems Are Go - For The Moment At Least!

The advantage to living here in the fall is there is an endless opportunity to take postcard quality pictures at all times. Ray arrived yesterday much to our delight - he's so happy we're within driving distance again and so are we! We went to Olive Garden yesterday for an early dinner. We had a great time, the food was WAY better than any chain-restaurant should be and our waiter was hilarious. Then to Borders where Jackson fed his addiction for Caramocha coffee. We're braving Mt Pocono today. I'm still having issues with my computer - in order for us to be able to connect to the internet again I had to restore it all the way back to October 1st along with strict warnings to all not to update the XP no matter how much the computer begs and wheedles. I got kicked off again this morning with the computer sullenly insisting it saw a Norton Firewall but it did NOT - I have no idea where it comes up with these things. David had said to me yesterday it was "just a computer", but it's really not. I've found that computers are now as necessary as washing machines and refridgerators. Without it, there's no way I can stay in touch with everyone - even this website has replaced letters and phone calls. Everytime something goes wrong with it and we can't get on the internet my stomach clenches up and I get a bit frantic. I really feel like I've lost all communication - I know that seems a bit overboard, but I doubt I'm alone in that feeling! Anyone with advice or knowledge feel free to contact me.And of course there's Adam, the bad sea monkey. He will be on leave from the 10th to the 28th so we'll have to start making plans soon. But the airport in Wilkes-Barre does get flights from Japan which is a good thing. I swear this month has been nothing more than an uphill battle all the way.

All's Well That Ends Well

What a crappy week - nothing catastrophic by any stretch of the imagination, more like a continous level of anxiety fueled by one event after another. First was the old cable co. from WV which I hope is straightened out, but only after David and I took turns with everyone from Monique to Shamicka. One would tell us we owed nothing and the modem had been returned while the other one was busy sending us yet another threatening letter. This has been going on since August, can you believe it??Then I'd lost a huge filling that I'd been dragging my feet about - I was going to wait and see and in the meantime the dentist was going to clean my teeth and do x-rays. BUT instead it was way worse than he'd thought it was so instead of half an hour after work it was an hour and a half of drilling, molding, and off I went with a mouthful of novicane and temporary crown. I didn't get home til after 6 pm. The computer has been on the fritz all week, we had the cable guy come and he restored it. It worked for a few hours and then that night refused to connect to the internet despite threats, bribes and pleas. I'm finally on again today -I think the windows XP update isn't combatible with our internet connection - not to mention the firewall thing we've had going all month!! - so I did the time warp thing and returned the computer back to happier days, before the update, to a simplier time in it's little cyber-life. I'm crossing my gigabytes and hoping it stays this way. We had quite a time with Adam and his little drunken escapades in Thailand, but he's all squared away, so to speak. He's been told it's alright for him to put in for leave so he'll do it on Monday and will buy his ticket when he gets back to base - if that goes alright he should be home for Christmas. He should have plenty of money for a ticket since Mr. Happypants is on restriction til they get back to port. Today things seem to be a bit better, the computer is working, Ray is coming for the weekend, Jackson's doing well, and Vincent is upstairs laying on the couch (within earshot of the rustle of food bowls). Mr. Lee is upstairs on my bed, hanging out. She's been a bit of a pest lately - her new thing is marching around the bed at 3 am and purring loudly. It's very annoying and there's no way to stop her, who can hit a happy cat?? Especially our Mr. Lee!

Not Quite The Yellow Brick Road

That's the bridge I take in Scranton to get to Route 84 - for some reason it reminds me of driving thru NYC  so of course I took a picture of  that instead of the magnificently restored victorian houses that surround the hospital. We've been currently going around with our Adam (AKA The Sea Monkey). It seems someone got a "bit" tipsy and then showed up very late to the boat, without a buddy to boot. He thought they would cancel his leave, but after all was said and done, not to mention a flurry of emails I think the end result will be no liberty for awhile. He was a good boy and took complete responsibility for his actions, but he will be a sorry boy for his 21st birthday next week. And to top it off he lost his ATM card in the machine in Thailand and will have to wait until he gets back in port to replace it. I had to call Navy Federal for him - it is completely staffed by morons. Apparently I can CANCEL his card without being on his account but cannot ask them to send him a new one. They said he could call or access the internet but he doenst have access to either on the ship. I pointed out if they sent a new ATM card it would go to HIS address not mine but they refused. When it rains it pours. His email address is lestera@gary.navy.mil if anyone wants to drop him a line. Not much going on in the Hideout this week, I'll be done with tele on friday and then starting Monday back on the night shift. This weekend we are going exploring in Mount Pokeyournose which should be fun. It sounds very tourist-ty so we should be able to come home with at least a tee shirt or a mug. Or maybe some Lederhose!!

Ask Not For Whom The Bell Tolls....

it tolls for thee. That's Jackson right before Claw bit him, again, She does NOT like Vincent at all and has been very bad lately taking out on everyone. Of course, as I've pointed out, she doesn't like US either but she needs to lay off the biting or she'll find herself being one with nature (I will be planting her!). David's been referring to Vincent as The Bum since we've noticed if we don't put him out he'll lay around on the loft for days one end, only getting up when food is in the bowl. I'm on my last week of dayshift, I've got to sit telemetry for a week. As much fun as it is to sit for hours on end staring at a screen of wavy lines, the novelty is wearing off fast. I'm sure though when I'm back on the floor next week I'll be missing it. I got a letter from Adam, he might not be home for the holidays, he screwed up on leave and thinks they may yank his approval for leave - we'll just have to wait and see. I'm hoping very hard that won't happen, we haven't seen him for over 2 and a half years and having to wait again will be awful, to say the least. Jackson is fine and continues to love working in metal shop - he's been set on fire once - from his reports that seems to be a class activity. But he hasn't sustained any serious injuries and when you combine teenage boys and blow torches, you've got to expect a little mayhem here and there.

I Wish Fall Was In The Air......

instead of all over my driveway -and it's only October! I hope the Homeowners Association doesn't expect us to rake up all this crap.  After all, when you build houses in the woods you've got to expect leaves here and there. And there. And there. And... well, you get the point. It does look pretty right now, the leaves all over the drive are still colorful and red. I suppose when they turn crappy brown it will be another story. But then there's tons of snow to cover it up, so I think I've got it all under control. I always enjoy a master plan that requires no effort on my part. We're fighting with our old cable company from WV - we got another bill -this one is almost $300. It seems that the person who was supposed to shut off our service back in August didn't and the new homeowner who is recieving free cable - ain't complaining. We can't call the new homeowner because the cable company says they've tried and the phone was disconnected. We get a different story out of everyone and I'm taking names. David got home today, it only took him 3 1/2 hours the way he went this time. He's brought a small aluminum boat his dad gave him, my bike and a few other items we've got no room for. The weather's a bit chill this morning and we had a herd of turkeys in the yard. A gaggle? No, that's  geese. A cell? No, that Al-kida. Hmm. I guess we had a small grouping of turkeys. They were sort of cool in any case.

Knock, Knock. Who's there?

It's Vincent of course! Back from the dead or where ever he hangs out. I'm starting to think  this cat is actually the reincarnation of the guy your mother told you to stay away from and all your friends hate. I mean - think about it. Vincent shows up whenever he wants or he needs something, eats my food, hogs the couch, never calls, disappears without any explanation and then shows up expecting to be welcomed with open arms and a bowl of wet cat food. And in David's opinion there's also the money we spent on him but it's not like he borrowed  the $65 and blew it all on catnip and rubber mice. I'm sure he would've preferred if David had kept his $65 and he'd been able to keep his parts. We just enjoy him while he's here (like all the guys that are no good for you there's just something about him that's irresistable!) and don't worry when he's not. David is due home tomorrow, he's busy collecting all the stuff we left behind last year. I'll be glad to have my bike back, just in time for autumn leaves. Jackson and I went to Sam's Club - according to Jackson we're "completely out of food". That is true if you consider Fruit Roll Ups, Slim Jims and Pop Tarts food. The Sample Lady was giving away samples of rolled chicken which he LOVED so he talked me (the vegetarian!) into asking for one - I felt like a bit of a fraud to say the least.  I was afraid PETA would see me, but I seem to have escaped thier radar at the moment. Better yet - while she was giving me my free sample she asked Jackson if he would like another piece (SCORE!!) so we hurried around the corner and he proceeded to snarfful down all his ill-gotten gains. We bought a box so he's having it for dinner also - he's a happy camper today. It's raining again, but I don't mind. I finally found the book I've been haunting Borders for - it's about a little known epidemic of the bubonic plague in victorian San Franciso - gosh, I love buboes, don't you?

Hang Ten!

Well, it's finally Friday and the weekend has not started so good. Stinkin' Vincent went out 3 days ago and hasn't come back. I would worry but he seems to do this. As much as I like him but if he comes back he does, if he doesn't, well, chances are  he found better digs and better chow somewhere else. David called last night and it rained again so he got held up on the roof and Jerry wants him to do some work so he'll be home on Sunday. Work was super busy today  - and  I appear to be working my magic. One patient died, one stroked, and one I found unrousable in the past two days. They had prior conditions leading up to these events of course - but  I had my other patients so that made for a lot of running around. Then  I get home and Jackson informs me he missed the bus this morning. He left at the usual time but missed it by about two minutes so it probably just came a little early. However, since we don't have or know any of the neighbors he had to stay home for the day so that's two days he's missed this week. And I've been battling Charger all week (AKA "Poo Dog") over the litter box. I am determined he will NOT go treasure hunting for tiny tasty nuggets and he's determined to snarf down as many as he can before I catch him out at it. The end result has been me lurking around the sand box like some demented ghoul and when I catch Poo Eating I come out of no where and attack. It scares the crap out of Charger but that's about all it does, he's one stubborn dog. I've pretty much given up and just try at this point to beat him to the litter pan and clean it out. Before he does, figuratively speaking.