The Bright Side

It is so true that when things go bad, they just get worst sometimes, and the only thing you can do is stay positive and look at the bright side. I am compelled to share the experience I have had in the last twenty-four hours. Yesterday morning started out wonderfully. I woke up early, ran four miles on the treadmill and got ready for work. It was my day working with the doggie patients. I was completely booked since I was scheduled to fly to New York the following day, today. The morning was great. I saw my favorite doggie couple client who kindly gave me a week's worth of snacks for my trip. It was a sweet surprise. Thank you guys!

During my lunch, I checked my phone messages and was horrified to find that my flight was cancelled. After being on hold for fifteen minutes, I finally got to speak with a customer representative who told me that my flight was cancelled due to bad weather. Apparently, this particular airline knew in advance that there would be fog in New York at three-thirty in the afternoon when I was scheduled to arrive. So, I had a choice. Fly out of Long Beach Airport Saturday night and arrive at six in the morning in New York or fly out of LAX late Sunday night and get to New York early Monday morning. The latter was not an option since I was scheduled to start work at seven-thirty Monday morning. The obvious choice was flying out last night.

Because I had to be in Long Beach before seven in the evening and was only half packed, I had to leave the vet hospital early which meant I had to cancel my last three doggie patients. I felt extremely bad doing that but it was an emergency. I had to be in New York today. It was the first time I have had to do that.

Needless to say, I raced out of the vet hospital after my last patient and managed to speed well below eighty miles per hour in getting home. When I got home, I was like the Tasmanian Devil, tearing through the house to get things done. Augustine, who was at rehearsal, came home early so that he could take me to the airport. On the way home, he picked up some Thai food for me since I hadn't eaten. Well, the people at the Thai restaurant gave Augustine the wrong dish, but I ate it anyway since I was starving.

The whole time I was rushing around, my three dogs were looking at me anxiously especially Morpheus. He got so worried his stomach started gurgling. My heart just sank as soon as I heard it because I knew what he was feeling. After I had ran that morning, I had told him and Elektra that I would "spend some special time" with them since I was going to be gone for a week. They seemed so happy to hear that that both just started licking my face which told me they understood. So, having to leave that night caused a lot of stress for everyone. It's interesting to see how your dogs react when they know you're leaving. Elektra was following me around with a frown on her face. She was more sad than anxious. Ripley, on the other hand, was just observing me. She was bothered but kept it cool until I had to go.

After Augustine had put my luggage and carry-on in the car, he said, "Okay, let's go," which immediately gave me a minor anxiety attack.

"My dogs!" I exclaimed. "I need to say good-bye to them." As soon as I said that, Ripley rushed to me and wanted me to pick her up. I knew she was bottling her emotions. She wanted to come with me. So, I picked her up and said, "Oh Dew, I can't bring you with me. I wish I could." I kissed her several times and slowly rocked her as she cooed. Gently, I put her down and went over to Morpheus. By this time, Morpheus' expression was one of reluctant acceptance. He knew that he could neither stop me from going nor come with me, so he held his head down which I put between my hands and kissed his entire head. "I'll be back soon, my boy," I said.

Elektra had hung back and was watching me. I walked over to her and said, "You know I'll see you soon. I'm coming back. Mom's not leaving you." I massaged her orbital ridge, contouring around her eyes and down to her muzzle. She loves it when I do that. Then, I proceeded to kiss the top and sides of her muzzle. That seemed to satisfy her because her eyes softened and I sensed relief on her part.

During my good-byes, Augustine had gone outside to wait. He knew I needed my time with my babies. I miss them already. Before I walked out the door, I shouted, "I love you guys sooo much!!!" Then shut the door.

The bright side of leaving my dogs? There is none unless you count the thought of coming back to them...I take that back. The bright side IS Augustine will be there for them to cling on until I return. But, I could kick myself for forgetting to bring the picture frame with their picture in it which I had intended to put on the night stand next to my bed at the hotel. I supposed I could look at the pictures of them in my cell phone but it wouldn't be the same. I wouldn't be able to see their faces conveniently before and after I went to bed.

Even the initial drive to Long Beach Airport was somewhat upsetting. In my hurriedness to pack, I completely forgot to get directions to Long Beach Airport. Neither Augustine nor I were familiar with how to get there. Thank god for cell phones and sisters. I started out calling my sister Rowena, who lives in Long Beach, hoping to get directions. My call went directly to voicemail. So, I called my younger sister Dal. No answer. Finally, I called my eldest sister Jennifer in San Diego and was so relieved when she picked up the phone. She quickly gave me directions and wished me luck.

Okay, things were good again, or so I thought. A few minutes later, the car started making a rattling sound. "What the heck is that?" I asked Augustine. Instantly, I visualized the car breaking down on the freeway and me missing my flight. As quickly as that image came to my mind, I dismissed it. I did not want it to come true. "Oh god, please help me," I whispered silently. I couldn't believe what was happening.

"I don't know what that is," said Augustine. "I've never heard it before. I think something got caught in there."

I couldn't help but picture a rat gradually being torn apart causing that odd noise in the car. The reason I thought of a rat immediately was one had gotten into the same car a year ago. The rat had chewed away something related to the brakes. However, as we approached the airport, the sound had diminished, and I told Augustine, "I think the rat is nearly shredded." I took that as I sign that my aggravation was coming to an end, which was almost true.

The flight to Salt Lake City, where I had an hour stop over, was bumpy but not as turbulent as the flight to New York City. At that point, I didn't care anymore. Just get me to New York, I thought. And because I could not sleep, I felt like a drugged bloodhound with an extra droopy face that was becoming numb due to fatigue and stress. But, on the bright side, the flights were on time and I didn't have to run to the gate for my connecting flight because the same plane was used to get to New York. Very cool.

My last assault of the last twenty-four hours was the insane taxi fare from JFK Airport to my hotel. The total amounted to ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS!!! I was caught breathless as if someone literally squeezed all the oxygen AND the carbon dioxide from my lungs. Do these people not know we're in a recession??? I had to calm myself down and tell myself, "Look at the bright side. It's a business write off!" That will be my mantra this coming week since I chose not to rent a car and will neither take the train nor subway down to the Bronx.

I got this idea of looking at "the bright side" when I was waiting to depart from Long Beach Airport since there were many distressing things that had happened. I thought, if it were one of my dogs like Morpheus, how would he react to all these annoyances that continued to happen? I realized that he would always look at the bright side of the situation since he is such a positive being. Yes, my dogs were bummed that I left, but I am guessing that as soon as I closed the door behind me, they were cheering, "Yay, she said she loved us!!!" They are amazing in how they can maintain such a happy state which implies that they focus on the positive. They live in the now. It is the only place to be. The past is gone and the future is but our imagination, which is what Eckart Tolle professes. Thank god for dogs. Thank god for MY dogs! They continue to teach me through their own behavior.

Love your dog. If you don't have one, adopt or save one. Then, look at the big picture when life is throwing wrenches and screws along your path and you find yourself stressing about it. Consider what your dog would do. Most likely, he will give a big bark, maneuver his way through his obstacles, and move on cheerfully. He lives in the now and knows how to appreciate it. In the panoramic view of life, what happened to me in the last twenty-four hours was just an irritation that happens to everyone, and the best way to respond to it is to let it pass through you instead of having it stuck on you. That's what a dog would do. As it turned out, everything was for the better. I was glad to arrive here in New York that early. It allowed me to walk around the neighborhood where my hotel is located. I was able to take a short nap. Best of all, it gave me the time to write this week's blog. Finally, watch and learn from your loving dog. A nuisance to him last but a moment. Thank dog!...I mean, god.

Thank you for visiting my weekly blog. Any comments are appreciated and welcomed.