Play-by-Play

Mid March marks the beginning of the St. Mary's campground weekends for my son and his girl friend. These campground weekends will continue until mid-November when the site closes for the winter.

Last year the dogs were regular residents of our house almost every weekend. They aren't big fans of the campgrounds. So my Thursday to Sunday weekends typically look something like this:

Thursday

• 12:00 pm - Pick up Milo from Bethesda for the weekend.
• 4:00 pm - Pick up Grimace and Meathead from Elkridge for the evening.
• 4:30 pm - Manage the 3 dog's worth of reunion excitement. Only Milo is excited but it is enough for everyone. Trust me on this!
• 5:00 pm - Attempt to make dinner, serve it, clean kitchen and walk dogs, before someone has an "accident" and without loosing my mind (successful 50% of the time).
• 7:00 pm - Relax on the couch. "Relax" is a relative term. Think "war zone".
• 9:00 pm - Take Grimace and Meaty home. They are pleased. Milo is sad.
• 10:00 pm - Set up the living room day bed for Milo and me, walk Milo for the night
• 11:00 pm - Go to sleep. Last decent rest I get until Sunday night.

Friday

• 8:00 am - Cuddle with Milo, get morning coffee, coax Milo out of bed for his walk.
• 9:00 am - Clean up the living room from the sleep over. Feed Milo.
• 10:30 am - Nice morning nap for the Milo.
• 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm - Pick up Grimace and Meathead in the afternoon for the weekend.
• 4:00 pm - Manage 3 dogs' worth of excitement at another reunion. Milo is overjoyed. The other two - not so much.
• 5:00 pm - Make dinner for 3 dogs and 4 people. Daughter arrives after work. (Seldom lose my mind when she is here!)
• 6:00 pm - Isolate Milo in the kitchen with me - to manage all the excitement.
• 7:00 pm - Clean up from dinner, walk the dogs, "relax" on the couch, isolate Milo.
• 9:00 pm - Set up the living room day bed for another sleep over - this time for 3 dogs and 2 people. Cozy like sardines!
• 10:30 pm - Go for the last walk of the night (Ha!)
• 10:45 pm - Manage the Milo excitement of sleeping with the "cousins".
• 11:00-12:00 - Lights out, get everyone settled in their sleeping spots. Remind Milo he has to share the bed.

Saturday

• 12:00 am - Dogs snoring. People trying to sleep.
• 12:30 am - Stinky farts. Someone didn't do his business at the evening walk.
• 1:00 am - Scold Milo for getting testy when Meaty changes positions on the bed.
• 2:30 am - Meaty has to pee. It sucks to get old. Everyone tags along.
• 3:15 am - Scold Milo for getting testy when Grimace changes position on the bed.
• 3:45 am - Adjust your position to accommodate stretched out dogs.
• 4:30 am - Scold Wally, my cat, for clawing the underside of the bed.
• 4:45 am - Throw a shoe at Wally.
• 6:30 am - Grimmy, the morning dog, is ready to "rise and shine". No one else is.
• 6:45 am - Everyone goes for a short walk.
• 7:00 am - Grandma and Grimace go for their traditional one-on-one walk together around the block - usually 45 minutes. Grandma has her coffee and iPod, and Grimmy has his Grandma. No sharing. Meaty and Milo eat. This is a very good time for everyone.
• 7:45 am - Grimace eats.
• 8:00 am - Milo badgers everyone to death. Many orders are shouted. Milo is isolated.
• 10:00 am - Morning naps for the dogs, more coffee mixed with Advil for the humans.
• 11:30 am - Long walk with 3 dogs (to get them tired again).

Rest of Saturday?

• Repeat.

Sunday

• Repeat, but ...
• Everyone goes to their own home. Dogs get cookies and kisses from Grandma before going home.
• Cats finally come out and relax in the living room.
• Silence once again descends on the house.
• Mom says, "You know, I miss the dogs."
• I sleep (finally) in my own bed.
• *sigh*
• I miss them, too!

"What! I love my cousins!!"

Dogs can be so expressive - the body language says it all.