My sister...

...is talking today.

Home.

The past few weeks have been HARD for me. Besides the obvious struggle I'm having with my sister being in the physical rehabilitation center (although this is MUCH better than what could have been), it's just been personally draining and stressful for me to have so many things going on. My parents are both in Colorado and have been for several weeks. I found out 2 days before my Dad left that he needed me to house sit for them while they were gone for almost 3 weeks. And house sitting for the Harvey parents means taking care of their dog, Charlie and their cat, Riley. Awesome.
Charlie is not a bad dog by all means. But he IS a hyper dog who coincidentally is used to constant attention since my parents are always at home. The same goes for my mom's cat- attention wise. Top that off with the fact that I now have my own 4 month old puppy and Newps, and I am now the proud caretaker of a zoo. Let me give you the basic run down of the past week or two:
*Wake up at 6:30am to Newps grinding my arm and purring that she needs her breakfast immediately upon penalty of over-loving.
*Feed Newps.
*Charlie has now heard me get up and is awake and whining to go outside to go potty, although he has already gone all over the bathroom (in all fairness this was only ONE day). Clean up bathroom.
*Stumble to find a sweater and sweatpants, also slippers. The slippers are most likely underneath the bed because Nora likes to hide them from me. I find it somehow less funny.
*Let Charlie out. The past 2 days have been the first 2 without rain, so lately he just stays outside for a while. The first week consisted of me having to wait around the corner (so he wont see me and fuss) while he does his business, then let him inside and towel him off from rainwater before letting him loose in the house.
*Now Nora is awake. Her whining is a lovely thing to hear when one is not quite up yet, I highly recommend it. For more on Shiba Inu's cries, go here:

*Take Nora out to the front yard to go potty since she only likes to "go" on grass and my parents don't have any in the back yard. Nora will usually go #1 right away, then take her sweet time to go #2 while you stand there in the rain/cold. She's really, really funny like that. REALLY funny.
*Towel Nora off from rain water while she and Charlie try to murder each other. In a perfect world you would have put Charlie someplace else but your brain doesn't work this early.
*Finally let them lose to kill each other. They actually love one another, but they nip each other and wag tails until you separate them. This actually IS funny to watch.
*Attempt to lay back down in the bed for another 15 minutes before the alarm goes off. You know- the alarm you are SUPPOSED to wake up to. Thanks, Newps.
*Alarm goes off. Which doesn't matter because you're awake already. Crawl out of bed, turn on the hair straightener, brush teeth, etc.
*Put Nora in her kennel while Charlie eats his breakfast. Feed Riley and scoop her litter box.
*Get ready for work, taking a break to let Charlie out again.
*Make the bed, put Charlie in the dog run, Finish getting ready.
*Pack Nora up, leave for work. On a good day, stop for a Chai Tea to wake up a little bit.

***WOOORK FOR THE MAN***

*Leave work and head home on the stupid 22 freeway. Find a shortcut to avoid the 5 to the 22 traffic. Rejoice. Tell Nora about how happy you are while passerbys look at you like an idiot.
*Get to parents house.
*Take Nora to go potty.
*Let Charlie in, watch he and Nora play Murder Dog. Put Charlie in his kennel and take a shower.
*Feed Newps.
*Feed Riley.
*Feed dogs in separate rooms.
*Let dogs out to go potty.
*Sometime before doing those things, make sure to have gotten fully clothed from the shower. Pile wet hair on top of head and be amused that the neighbors have never seen you out front without you looking totally disheveled.
*Start making something for dinner.
*Clean up mystery upchuck on the living room floor. Blame Riley.
*Finish making dinner and eat something.
*Take the dogs out again.
*Come to the realization that the song "Who Let the Dogs Out" is actually autobiographical because you, in fact, have let them out. About 15 times today.
*Clean up the dishes from making dinner.
*Sit down for the first time all day.
*Get up 30 seconds later because it's the week before Christmas and you are making home made presents this year. Realize that that whole "thought that counts" thing is bologna and you should have just gone shopping for gifts.
*Sew, cut, paste, stuff, wrap, bake.
*Put the dogs out one last time.
*Clean up the potted plants they decided to knock over.
*Put Nora in her kennel, Charlie in the office.
*Put Riley away and let Newps out since she has been locked in a room all day. Let her have run of the house for the night.
*Wash face, brush teeth, etc.
*Go to bed around 11:30 or 12.

... I miss having my house. I miss my stuff and having more than 5 rotating outfits. I miss my cute dog bowls and not having to wash the same 3 bowls every day to reuse them. I miss my warm upstairs bedroom, my ipad music player, and my bathrobe for the cold mornings of letting Nora outside. I love having my parent's place to myself and peace and quiet without anyone else home, but I sure do miss my house. One more week of this. I can't wait.

Self.

"We teach people how to treat us."

...Think about that one for a minute. It may be my new credo.