Tonight’s retro-fantastic artwork is courtesy of David Mattingly.
So, Coco and I have a nighttime routine. Coops and I do, too, it’s just that the routine is more involved with the Coco. I take them out to go potty one last time before bed, the Ho usually coming with as well, and then after wiping them down post-pee, we three Coops Coco and myself waddle into the kitchen to get the ears clean. Coco currently has an infestation of ear mites, which we read online should be deal-able using the ear cleaner we already use…not so. It’s been two weeks, and she’s still getting the tell-tale buildup of brownish ear wax that says those little fuckers are still in there winning the war. But, until she goes in to see the doc, we clean them as thoroughly as we can each night, and Coops too.
Then, Coco and I take Coops into the bedroom and tell him to go to his nighttime kennel and wait for us to come back. We close the door, and walk back into the kitchen where she waits patiently for me to fill up her food bowl with a handful of kibble. See, she gets tummy aches by morning time that make her throw up if we don’t give her a little bit of food to tide her over through the night. So, once I tell her it’s okay to come and eat the food, she gobbles it up as fast as she can, and then we prance together back into the bedroom with her nighttime kennel in hand, I make her bed for her, and then she goes inside to wait just like Coops for me to wash up for bed.
I wash my face, brush and floss my teeth and put in my mouthguard (I know, so sexy), and then come back into the bedroom area where she has probably started to fall asleep already. Her and Coops perk up immediately when they hear my hand go into the treat bag, however, after which they each get a single Charlee Bean treat, crunch that down, and then get invited up onto the bed to sleep and wait for me to write my blog, during which the Ho is usually washing herself up for bed time. Then, they plop back into their kennels for a Charlee Bean from her, and back up onto the bed for sleepy times.
Dogs are suckers for routine, just like we can be. Routine can be such a reassuring, wonderfu thing to have. I know Coco loves it, and I do too. It keeps me grounded, on task, and happy. Calm, I should say. I know what to expect, and it makes me feel the same goodness each time I do it. I know Coco feels the same way.
Today was a near-disaster work-wise…I was NOT feeling it. I was tired, out of it, unfocused…I had a badass writing session, so I *knew* that I had it in me to get some work done…but I lacked faith it would actually happen as the early hours of the day wore on. I was just feeling worn down, I think. BUT…I powered through, and I’m going to bed tonight having not only finished right on time, but having done an extra hour of work, helped the Ho with an audition, AND accomplished the afore-mentioned badass writing session. ONE more scene to write from the ground up (already outlined), and then a few days of minor scene rewrites and general tightening up and polishing…and another full draft of the pilot is done. Huzzah!
It’s now 12:30, and time for bed. More tomorrow. Good night!