My ugly cry

OK, I have to link you to Crazy in Gilbert to start this story off. Because now I am jinxed into an Ugly Cry syndrome and I have to take control of it! I am going to try and make this entertaining and not too sad. Actually it is entertaining...

I read Marley and Me over the holidays. It was a lot better than I expected. I am usually very disappointed with books "everybody is reading," cue Oprah's book club...most just don't meet my literary snobbishness or are intellectually stimulating (BLINK at book club was one of those). But I figured I needed something besides The Last of the Mohicans to get me through the plane ride and it was at Costco, my favorite book haunt...I always feel like I am getting such a deal!

As a result of finishing Marley, I have spent quality time with my dog, Champ. He too is a big yellow lab and although he has some great Marley-esque stories, he is a very well behaved dog. In fact one night I couldn't sleep during my Move-Me-Home-Or-I-Will-Divorce-You phase of this move and I spent it on the floor curled up with Champ.

Then we took the kids to the movie. I knew it was a tear jerker and was not disappointed. But the boys are a lot more willing to take him for his walks, and letting him sleep in there room (he snores and farts; not a good roommate).

Champ with Carter and Ethan in the Uintahs June 2006




Then I took him to my friend Kaye's house yesterday while we took our girls to McDonald's. This way he would not have to be kenneled in the room to wait and see if house keeping would show up (I am having issues here with that). We got back to Kaye's and Champ was gone. He had jumped the fence and the new snow covered all the tracks. I was sure he jumped it when he saw we were leaving him and not staying in the house. He chases after us at the farm occasionally but he always stops at the end of the lane and then goes back to find Taz (his nephew) to run with in a hay field and is fine.

But this is a strange city not grandma's farm. There are big busy roads and tall snowbanks, not rolling fields of alfalfa! and to make matters worse his tags had fallen off when Carter hooked his leash to the wrong loop and therefore had no ID on him. And I should have microchipped him in Perry when I thought about it in November...

I called and called out to him. After searching for an hour I went back to the hotel to get the whistle and warmer clothes to continue my search. I called CaMee to tell her kids to start a cousin prayer for Champ and that was when the water works turned on. I cried a great howling ugly cry on the phone. I stopped at the front desk of the hotel to let the staff know to keep an eye out for him in case he found his way there and blubbered uncontrollably through that. I whimpered to JaDee and whined to his mom that the kids and I would be there this weekend if we really lost this dog.

Finally in the safety of my room I threw myself on the bed and cried so ugly there was drool and snot and more howling.

Then after being gone for 5 hours and on my way to Kinkos to run of 500 laminated fliers, Kaye called. Champ came back. And I ugly cried with relief in the car and scared Olivia.

And he was sad. There was no guilt in his greeting like there have been other time when he ran off to frolic in the canal above our old house. He came home and drank his bucket dry, curled up and went to sleep. Safe with his people.

Only now the ugly keeps creeping up on me! I wanted to cry just now but I am fighting it back! I wanted to cry when Olivia gave Champ a squeeze around his neck. I wanted to cry reading the blog in the premature twins I found from Mel's blog who were born the same day as my preemie twin nephews. Ugh!

later I have to post my thoughts on The Mohicans for bookclub...I cry ugly whenever I watch the movie so I'll be on the look out for more ugly crying!


Champ June 2006: faithfully protecting camp from squirrels.