My Morning Run

This is my third week of getting up and going to the Y every morning. I do 30 minutes on the elliptical machine and then lift weights. It's making me feel better about myself and I'm still looking forward to it every day. I felt really good this weekend when I walked up a few flights of stairs with someone and I realized they were out of breath and I wasn't! I also noticed I could throw around the 40 pound bag of dog food with a bit more ease than I could before. It's kind of fun to be more prepared for what life hands you because you are just a tad stronger. 

Or not.

I was getting ready to leave for work this morning and needed to put a few things in the car. I was careful to shut the front door behind me because Oliver has a history of bolting out the door and down the street. I clicked the door shut and looked behind me, through the window, and saw him sitting on the couch. I headed towards the car and suddenly I saw Oliver streaking past me and down the driveway. What the *?%$??

I took off after him, screaming his name. He took a left at the end of the driveway and headed out towards Lima Avenue, a very busy street that time of morning. He's an extremely fast little bugger and by the time I had run past the first four or five houses he was approaching the intersection. 

I saw that there were two kids on the other side of the street. They had stopped to look at the crazed, middle-aged woman with wet hair running down the sidewalk screaming, "Oliver! Oliver! Oliver!" at the top of her lungs. I figured they would grab him until I could get there.

Oliver ran across Lima Avenue with cars stopping, or at least slowing down to stare. He ran up to the two middle school aged boys and started jumping on them. They looked at me, still a block behind, and turned around and walked on.

It was at that moment that I contemplated crying. By the time I could get across Lima Avenue's traffic he was gone. I had twisted my ankle and I had no clue where he was. The two boys were staring at me.

"Where did he go?" I gasped. "Between those two houses," they mumbled, before walking away. I had no choice but to take off running again. Not to be too theatrical, but I wasn't exactly dressed appropriately for a morning run. 

I decided that I had to ignore my ankle and keep going or I might never see Oliver again. . .(Perhaps it's a good thing my brain was semi-starved of oxygen at that point or I might have decided just to let him keep right on going!) I cut between the houses and caught a glimpse of black and white spots. They were headed away from me still. I kept going. The only thing that finally stopped him was an open garbage can which proved to be just a bit too much temptation. Guess he was hungry after his morning exercise.

I grabbed his collar and put my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. I looked behind me and realized that we were all the way to Donnell Middle School. At that moment it dawned on me – I had no way to get him home but to carry him. When I caught my breath enough to pick him up I realized he was shaking, nearly uncontrollably. Carrying a 40 pound shaking dog is no easy feat, especially when you're wheezing and wondering if that noise you're hearing in your chest just might be a death rattle. . .

Heading back towards Hurd Avenue, schlepping a dog I contemplated either kissing or smacking,  I wondered how long it would be until Ali realized that half her family was missing. It was only another block or so when I saw the Mountaineer coming our way. 

She got us all home intact and Oliver casually walked to the food dish as if nothing in the world had happened. He munched his breakfast while I collapsed on the couch. I guess there are a few lessons to be learned from all this.

1. If we plan to keep this dog I need a bit more cardio preparation on the elliptical machine.
2. We need to consider replacing the handle on the screen door to one that requires an opposable thumb to operate.
3. It makes no difference what I wear to work – I need to keep tennis shoes on at all times.

Apparently, Oliver is none the worse for wear. I, however, have a problem. I seem to have pulled something in my left butt cheek.

Thanks, spotty dog. How about tomorrow we just do the elliptical at the Y, huh?