Well, what a delightful surprise, Wonderfuls!!! 🙂

I’m back again so soon, and feeling fantastic…

So, here’s the inside scoop (Wheeler up and give him the biggest squish! : )

Pouch potato that I am,

I’m tucked inside the (duck-)downiest fleecy blankets while reveling in so–fa-so-good leisure time…

Yep, with three more “Glory Days” before I go back to work,

my love affair with my newish couch is in full “swing (from the chandelier”);

and, it’s such a re-Leif (Garrett) to let my (feathered) hair down.

And, as I wave “Sia!” to oppressive s-tresses,

I’m over-taken by the spirit of Bruce Sing-steen…

swept “Overboard by a “celebrate good tines” fork in the road to recovery after a long bout of sleep deprivation, stress, worry, guilt…

and swept-up by the best thing to happen to me in years!!! 😊

Yep, it’s been four and a half months since I adopted my delightful 6-month-old puppy, Wheeler.

(Most oft referred to as S-W.T. Pie (S-W-Tee-pie)—I named him after, storybook character, Trixie Beldon’s best friend Honey Wheeler; and his middle name is Toto).

(*The dog from “The Wizard of Oz”…not the band…as much as I enjoy Toto’s plethora of hits, they don’t rate namesake status*)…

Pause for the because (a random/not random happening just occurred):

Okay, okay…I know I may risk eye-rolls given another of my, “I Saw The Sign”, revelations, but…

Not wanting to cheat awesome band, “Toto” of its due, I Googled/found the official video for the enduring (1981) hit, Africa”…

and—

seeing it for the first time—

was delighted/a little freaked out to find that the video features countless/beautiful hard-cover books, and what I interpret to be a glamorous writer.

(*The opposite of “real-life-writer” me…in fact, I’m most disheveled when in the writing zone* 😊)

But, in the zone I am!

Couched in entertaining silliness

(silliness is a low-maintenance audience that requires no prerequisite growth and discovery),

today’s offering is tripping off my fingertips like melted-snow-drops…

(*Yes, New Brunswick is experiencing, yet another!, mix of heavy snow and rain*)

Oh—but back to my sign-sighting…

So, the Toto “coincidence” happens and I see it for what it is,

But,

leaving no room for doubt,

the (1985) video, “Take On Me” started right after “Africa”…

and, if you are familiar with this song,

you might know where I’m going…

“Take On Me” is sung by the band…

(*drum-roll, please!*)…“A-ha”.

Making for an Aha Moment!😊

Any old “Who (cares”, you might be thinking—”Get on with your guilt-stress-puppy-point, Trules”)

(*Don’t worry, since you’ve stuck with me this far, I know the thought is an affection one 😊* )

I have greater empathy for parents juggling work and kids…especially single parents!

Now, I’m not saying that puppies and babies are the same, but working full-time requires leaving Wheeler in a dog-crate–

and work being what it is (see prior post https://trulyunplugged.com/2019/02/14/20531/ if you’re inclined)–

too often, I don’t have the time (and/or energy) to drive home on lunch break to relieve/spend time with Wheeler and Jubilee (my 14 year old puppy).

Thankfully, Wheeler is safe, and relieves himself on puppy training pads,

but I feel awful that he doesn’t have far to go when he has to “go”…

And, I hate that he and Jubie are on their own until I return.

(I was married for the vast majority of time I had Jubilee and my dear departed Frosty, and schedules were such that they were rarely alone for long…and, both have long, long, long out-grown the need for crates).

Consequently, Wheeler likely sleeps most of the day,

and is super-hyper by the time I return…

Which requires that I stay up later than I easily can—

so he can burn off pent/penned-up energy while basking in my overcompensations for the lost hours of playing and love  he’s accustomed to.

And, boy-oh-Boy George…do I adore him!!! ❤

Doting on Wheeler has firmly rooted me in the (sub-)“Culture (Club”) of those whose love for their non-human family members is as over the (top of the) moon(y) as it gets!!! 😊

The best I can explain,

as much as I love Jubilee and Frosty,

Wheeler is magic!

Another pause because… :

It’s early morning, and I glanced up from writing in time to see my wonderful neighbor shoveling the end of his driveway where city plows piled the snow extra high.

Having turned my attention back to writing a sentence or two,

I looked up a the thought of (later) asking him if he minds—

next snow storm—

having my plow guy plow his driveway on me…

When, what do I spy?!

“J” pulling his 3-year-old son on a toboggan and turning to talk to him…

“What a loving dad” I thought…

And then it hit me!

A dad caring for his child ON HIS OWN (he has him alternate weekends)!

Another sign!

And, in the moments it took me to write this,

“J” and son are no longer anywhere to be seen…

and, this is the first time I’ve seen J’s little boy all winter;

and, I know from prior chats that

(without fail)

“J” has “B” bi-weekendly).

Okay, back to my “parent” guilt…

Wheeler was planned for (I paid a deposit several weeks before he was born, and before I had any idea that Frosty was not long for this world);

and I think the left-ever love I have for Frosty has spilled over into the love I have for Wheeler.

But, that only accounts for some of the (resultant) saving-grace–and relief-beyond-measure–love he inspires!!!

Wheels is just sooooooo adorable and delightful…

so puppy-like…

curious, funny, floppy, cuddly, joyous, exuberant, playful, loving, social, trusting…and, on and on 😊

And, although—

be-4 Wheeler zoomed into my life (that’s how he rolls)—

I was chased awake, nightly, by (mostly) work-related anxieties,

I was able to maintain my prone (to worry) position while I deep-breathed my way back to sleep.

Not so anymore!

For the past 4.5 months,

if I don’t sleep light enough to read the signs that Wheeler is making his way off the couch/my legs,

I awakened to a (Mr.Bo)jangling, bone-jarring sympho—knee-jerk reaction that has me springing off the couch with none of Sammy Davis Jr.’s litheness!!!

(*This is my interpretation of Jubilee’s barking-alarm when she’s ambushed awake by Wheeler’s overtures*)

As for sleeping on the couch,

until Wheeler can be trusted not to sneak from my side and pee on my queen-sized bed,

we’ll continue to sleep on the couch.

And, thank goodness that—

having slept in bed with me since she was a few months old (as did Frosty)—

Jubilee is content to sleep in the luxurious dog bed that,

previously,

had been the equivalent of a second “couch” …

Oh, here we go again!!!

Curiosity triggered,

I just interrupted myself so I could Google the lyrics for “Mr. Bojangles”

(uncharacteristically, I never did pay attention to the lyrics),

and discovered that,

contrary to what I thought,

the song is not about a little dancing dog and old man/street entertainer–

It’s about a dancing old man…on his own…

But, I swear that,

as a child,

I remember Sammy Davis Jr. performing this song on TV and there was a little terrier dancing on its hind legs…

Anyway,

timing is everything,

because if little me knew what the lyrics were,

I would have been sooooooo very sad!!!

Hmmm, maybe the child in me sensed that I couldn’t handle the truth…

As it is,

I couldn’t read the lyrics in their entirety today…

They are soooooo poignant,

and as much as I love poignant,

(all) right now,

I am thoroughly enjoying the “less sensitive”/whimsical side of my empathetic soul. 😊

And, on a last note…

A few weeks ago,

having discovered that Wheeler chewed the battery-charging cord for my laptop,

I went to the local electronics store to have a replacement ordered.

As I was leaving,

I spied a gorgeous couch against the wall that had been to my back when I entered!

(One of the perks of living in a small town with no malls is the fantastic product-combos some stores have.)

I was so delightfully-startled…

for,

none of the (main stage) furniture rated much more than a cursory/dismissive glance.

Long story short,

months ago,

I ordered a beautiful navy leather couch from Wayfair, and,

inexplicably,

the day before it was scheduled to be delivered,

I received notification that it had been delayed…and delayed…

Then came an email that it was out of stock and would be re-stocked in a few weeks

(this is over two months later)…

Very disappointed–

and wary–

I canceled the order and decided to put couch serving on hold…

So, can we agree that, if not for Wheeler and his antics,

I wouldn’t have found the most stylish, comfiest couch I could have dreamed of…

and, at a third the cost of the leather one?!

(*Part of the magic of my deep-grey-with-hint-of-blue couch is that it looks like leather, but is soft fabric…and, is so fabulous that I bought the matching recliner.*)

Now, if that isn’t another sign that things are happening in my life for a reason, I don’t know what is 😊

And, with that, it’s time for me to sign off,

Wheeler’s patience has worn off,

and he’s clamoring for much-deserved love and attention!

(I had to put him in his crate so I could write–

he kept pawing my hands in bids to make me pet him, and play fetch…

and, smarty that he is,

when charm failed,

he made sure I had to get up to stop him from biting random things 😊)

Until next time, friends…thanks for being here/hear. 😊

God bless you and your loves,

Truly

P.S. I’m budgeting for part-time doggie day care, and making a renewed effort to take time to take time for lunch/home-hour.

P.S.S. “Glory Days” is Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 hit; “Chandelier” is Sia’s (pronounced See-a) 2014 hit; s-tresses is my stresses/hair pun (tresses is another word for hair, and the expression “let my (your, our, their) hair down” means to relax); Leif Garrett was a 1970’s teen idol when “feathered hair” was a super popular hair style—not sported by the likes of this curly-haired outlier; “Overboard” is a 1984 movie starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell…Goldie Hawn has awesome hair/bangs to this day…and, back in the day, I loved my bangs; “Celebrate (Good Times)” is Kool & The Gang’s 1980 hit; “I Saw The Sign” is Ace Is Base’s 1992 hit; Boy George is the super-awesome lead singer of 1980’s (and current) band, Culture Club; “Mr. Bojangles” has been covered by many artists, but I’ve only ever heard Sammy’s rendition.