Relax, Have a Puppy!

At the moment I am off work for a few weeks.  It sucks, and I feel like a total arsehole but I guess I need to accept my limitations.

Going back to a 40 hour week after 9 years of being a housewife, ok… might have been able to manage if it wasn’t something too busy or stressful.

Going back to a busy and stressful job after almost a decade of not having to answer to anyone?   Only if it’s part time, at most.

Going back to a 40 hour job that is stressful, busy, slightly unstructured and endlessly confusing.  — Disaster.

Yeah, I bit off more than I could chew and after five months of trying my hardest to manage, I got sick.   Not sick in the vomiting kind of way but stressed and getting physical reactions to it (headaches, anxiety, and other things I’d rather not discuss that have to do with the lower back end, that’s all I’ll say).  My huisarts (family doctor) knows my history and told me I was probably a bit ambitious to take on this kind of job full time.   I had been seeing her about some of the symptoms and as they had been going on since about April and hadn’t healed, she told me I needed some time off and to contact my company doctor.

So I did, and he agreed and now I am off until further notice.   I see him again on July 2nd and we’ll take it from there.  My work has been VERY understanding about it and seem quite keen to compromise in regards to the hours so when I’m feeling better we will talk about it and go from there.

You’re probably wondering about the title of this entry, and those of you who know me are already shaking your heads but I swear this one wasn’t my fault.  You see, my husband has been itching to get a puppy for a while.  He’s been in love with one breed in particular and has always wanted one but I had always refused because it would have been too much with the animals we already had.    I always said that once the cats were gone I would definitely consider having two dogs.

Well, since Spencer has been back there has been a tremendous change in him.  It seems that being the only cat in the house suits him and it’s like we don’t even HAVE a cat most of the time.   The hair is hardly an issue at all and he is as quiet as a mouse.  It’s quite mind boggling, really.

So, the cat issue being out of the way, and me being home… Xander got me while I was weak and I said yes.   So now we have a puppy.   Not quite sure how housebreaking, crate training, pee on the floor and one older jealous, barky and out of sorts dog is meant to help me de-stress, however.

Don’t get me wrong, she’s a cutie and I love her, but man – what was I thinking?!!   I blame Xander, I couldn’t say no to him again… especially after all the pets we’ve gotten over the years because I wanted them.

Whatever, I’ll manage somehow.  The little shit better be worth it (you can probably take that as being the puppy OR Xander, although I’m already fairly certain Xander is).  It’s not that bad really as I watch over her in the mornings and he’s home by about 1pm and takes over then so I can chill out a bit.   He knows that if he wants to have a puppy at this time he will have to take on a lot of the responsibility himself.

So anyway, let me introduce — PIXEL!

She is an 8 week old cross between a Miniature wire-haired Teckel (Dachshund / Wiener Dog) and a Chihuahua.  She’s very small with short little legs and a long little wiener body, pretty cute, I must say.

Bailey is not sure what to make of her.  At first he was scared to death of her and now he’s reached the curious stage and just crouches down with his arse in the air and tail wagging while barking his head off at her.

To Spencer, she may as well not even exist.   He just walks around or over her to get where he is going and otherwise pretends she is not even there.