Routine

Yes, I needed a herding dog to teach me that. For ten years I’ve been mercilessly trained and re-trained as herding dogs never do something fun once.

A long time ago a neighbor knocked on my door and asked for a screwdriver. Not the drink, silly! I asked Phillips or regular? And what for? He locked himself out. I turned bright red, invited him in and opened my laundry closet. In it I had 20 keys all named after dogs with no owners’ name or address, just the dog. Yes, I was a closet dog walker, the best in the neighborhood.

I still had the keys from the former owner of Prego and Paisano, two Aussies pere et fils. I gave him the key. Five minutes later he returned the key. I said, no, I’m embarrased to still have it! He said no, I’ll do this again and I want you to have my key. The next week, he needed it again.

Today I did the unthinkable. I had a maid here and packed up with the dog to go get muffins and knew my front door was unlocked. I forgot my keys, no-one has a spare so we had to go ’round and find someone who could let me in. Of course the keys were hanging on the hook where Her Routine-ness always places them as she walks in the door with the herding dog. I even had a phone number to call, but left it on the kitchen counter and I couldn’t get to my kitchen!

Perhaps Alzheimers is setting in after all. I never forget keys. I even had my wallet and phone and was downstairs reading the papers and putting them back in order for my neighbor to read later. He’s a retired architect with a far better memory than mine turns out to be.

Time was when I had everyone’s key in the neighborhood and they’d call and ask if I could take Woody out. Woody dragged me to my house to visit his good friend, me. I’m at the other end of the leash, Woody! Can you take Makai for the weekend? Sure. She placed all my dog’s tennis balls in the tub while I was in it, then chased the vacuum cleaner. She also tried to “kill” the park’s sprinklers by putting her face right in there. Clever, nice dog.

There are no pet-sitting “trades” here which actually is good. A few years ago I ended up walking everyone’s dog and once in five years I had a family emergency and needed to be away for a few days and everyone said no. So I’m glad I don’t have a door full of neighbors’ keys or the responsibility that entails. Everyone leaves pets with family or hires a sitter. I still like to be called “Aunt Dee.” Keep a watch on those keys, dear reader! Aunt Dee