Be still my heart! I have just met the handsomest little man in Boulder, and I am in love. Okay, so we only interacted for five minutes, and he happens to be a therapy dog at Boulder Community Hospital, but he captured my heart all the same. His human and I chatted briefly about Shelties, and I told him (the human) how much I wanted either a Sheltie or border collie. He shook his head and said, oh, border collies are so much work. You have to exercise them every day or they get so bored and impossible to live with. I asked whether Shelties are generally good with cats, as that is a key requirement to live in my house. He assured me they are. (I know, it's all in how they are raised.) On the down side, he warned me it's extremely difficult to get a Sheltie puppy, as the litters are spoken for well in advance. He recommended going to the dog show next month, and networking with breeders. If I remember, I'll do it. I'm in no hurry to acquire a puppy, so if I had to put my name on a year-long (plus) waiting list, I would be on target.
I was at the hospital paying the third installment on my karmic debt, of which I have a significant principal balance. I've made people accompany me to many medical procedures, so I would have moral support and a ride home. It's usually been the Mr who had to sit around for my outpatient surgeries, but a few trips have been dependent on other family members and friends. This time it was I who wandered the waiting area, and sat in a moderately comfy chair reading Twitter over a giant cup of coffee, while my friend had a procedure done under sedation. She tried to minimize how much she asked of me, suggesting that she could drive herself there early in the morning, if I'd just pick her up after. No way. I've been on the other side, and I assured her that I would get her there and escort her all the way home. I even volunteered to sit with her in the staging area while she waited, decked in a hospital gown and cotton blankie, for the stressful yet boring part. I've been on that gurney too many times to leave someone else I cared about all alone in that space, where you can easily get too far up in your own thoughts and build tension while you wait. Besides, it was interesting listening to the discussion of how the procedure was going to go, the specifics of what they would do and how, and so on. It's not a procedure I'm guaranteed to have done in my lifetime, but it's one that I could potentially need, so learning what is involved was enlightening.
My friend did very well for this medical experience. I've taken her home after the dentist before, and she's had a hard time waking up from the sedative that guy gave her. The drugs this time cleared her body quickly, and she was coherent by the time they brought me back. I didn't have to worry she'd fall on the way up the stairs to her home, as I did last time around. I have a healthy confidence that she'll read this essay, so I'll say directly to her: It really was no trouble. Don't hesitate to call me again. You're not taking advantage of me. I'm happy to do it. Look how well it worked for me this time, getting to meet that handsome boy...
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