OK, the incident, finally.
I was sobbing, the kids were sobbing. He was gone.
It was horrible.
I’d chucked Charlie outside for some doggy time and asked the kids to show me how to play their new Wii. About 20 minutes later I thought … hmmm … normally the dog would be barking his head off to be let in by now.
But someone had left the side gate open and he’d done a runner.
We walked up and down the street shouting his name in vain (he doesn’t know what his name is). I castigated myself for not getting him a name tag yet, for not checking the dodgy gate properly.
We knocked on doors. Nothing.
I called my sister and cancelled her birthday gift of taking her to Gold Class that evening. I suggested she go with her boyfriend instead. But she said she’d come and help me look. We drove up and down the streets while her boyfriend did some more door knocking.
Darkness was falling. My hope was fading.
Then a call came. He was at a veterinary hospital 15 minutes away. Someone had taken him there because it was the only 24 hour vet in the area. They would bring him back now if it was OK with me …
Cue more sobbing.
Aren’t people GOOD. It never ceases to amaze me that they would do something like that for a stranger.
And then I made the cynical decision to go to the movies before Charlie got back. Would a loving owner do that? Well, they were Gold Class tickets …
So Husband was left to thrust a bottle of wine into the reluctant rescuer’s hands.
And I got to go all wobbly over Bradley Cooper’s hips while sipping a restorative Cosmopolitan.
I am checking the gate like someone with OCD now.
It was quite ironic that the dog escaped while I was playing Wii. Because I’d just had a furious argument with Husband about it.
Husband is very good at playing with kids. When children come over for playdates and he’s around, chances are you’ll find them all in the backyard having a water pistol fight and ganging up on him.
Me, on the other hand, I’m not so good at that stuff. I am better at the “taking care of everyone” stuff. Making dinners, packing lunches, washing clothes, organising school holiday activities, buying new school shoes …
He got very cross about my lack of play last week. The example he used was the fact that I haven’t made something with the kids with the Hama beads they got for Christmas, or played on the Wii (which they also got for Christmas against my better judgement).
Husband has spent hours making things with Hama beads and playing on the Wii.
I feel that if me not playing on the Wii is an issue … then Houston, we have a problem.
So I played with the Wii … and look what happened.
Ah well, it all turned out alright in the end.
As for the rest of the week …
>> There were the aforementioned BC hips moment, which I blogged about in “I feel love (actually it’s another L word)”
>> And How To Throw a Totally Crood Party.
>> I offered personal proof that people present fairytale versions of themselves through social media in “My year: rainbows, turkey necks and email apnoea”. One day I’ll tell you what REALLY happened in 2013.
>> And I saw out the year with My Top 10 Blogs of 2013.
Meanwhile over at iVillage …
>> How this photo sparked a ‘racist adoption’ row >>http://bit.ly/19OglO7
>> They named their son after their favourite football team … and the internet melted down in horror. Click here to find out why >>http://bit.ly/1ixPmv9
>> Already having trouble sticking to those New Year’s resolutions? Click here for some adorable animal GIF assistance >>http://bit.ly/19DFPQE
>> 11 things raising a terminally ill child taught me about parenting >> http://bit.ly/1gs7p2K
>> I copped it for writing: Surprise baby news for reality TV’s most famous couple >>http://bit.ly/1lCZSyt
Because … I don’t watch reality TV … so I don’t really know who the most famous couple are since the last time I saw an episode of Survivor many moons ago … so all these people were like WHO? ARE YOU KIDDING? And I had to cravenly apologise.
>> This was my favourite meme of the week.
>> I almost got divorced over how much time I spent compiling this gallery on New Year’s Day: We’ve added 34 fun shots to our celebrity NYE gallery. Check ’em out here >> http://bit.ly/1cYRwSu
>> “Treat him like a dog” and 9 other relationship resolutions I’m making” went totally VIRAL. Check it out here.
>> On the subject of viral … this one was huge too – The best parenting advice we got this year … “You’re not a terrible parent if you …” Read it here.
housegoeshome 
I love that meme. I was never one for playing on the wii. That’s why I had 5 so they could entertain each other 🙂
Wow! 5! that’s dedication. How old are they now???