Just one of those mornings

Staring out of the back window at the pool, the coffee was being stirred.  Almost ready to be run through the filter into the waiting oversized mug, concentration was broken by the cell phone ringing.

It turned out that there was a tractor trailer accident on the Susquehanna River bridge that I-95 ran over, the Tydings Bridge if you are keeping count.  It must have been a massive accident because it happened well before dawn and the bridge and the road were closed down for a 15 mile stretch this morning. 

The phone call was to warn of this and to ask for directions.  One of the more amusing wrinkles of our connected lives is that sitting in South Florida, you may able to easily comply by starting up one of those globe programs and zooming in.  A route was plotted through Conowingo, MD down to Bel Air, MD on US1 which was thankfully free of massive tie ups and finished the call.

The coffee now was cooling, so it was poured directly into the mug along with a nice thick slug of grounds that was neglected to be filtered out, and as it was lifted off the counter, it became the second mug of coffee of the day that painted the floor brown just like the first.

All the while, the faithful companion waited flipping her head back and forth.  You see, she had slept wrong and the ears needed attention, now!  This particular Mc Nab Dog, a breed of dog derived from the Border Collie lines specifically for intelligence, had a history of getting crud into her rather perky ears.  She required them to be cleaned with a cotton swab twice weekly and an occasional irrigation as needed has to happen.

Have you ever tried to clean someone else's ears?  Unless you are a nurse or a mother with a small child it's doubtful.  Try that with someone with sharp canine teeth and you do this when She needs it not when You think it's appropriate.   She doesn't like it either and usually sees the cleaning supplies and tries to look small and unassuming.

Not today.  In the middle of the morning routine, she wanted this NOW.  Setting thoughts of surfing for Project Management Jobs aside for the moment, the tools of the trade were gathered.   A small collection of cotton swabs and a bottle of Aloe Vera and Alcohol preparation were stowed in the aptly named cargo pants and the leash was put on the semi suspecting dog's shoulders as we walked into the Florida Sunshine.

The game was on.  We were going to make Rainbows!  You see, no dog likes to get water in her ears.  The flapping would make a spray of this liquid so the irrigation had to be done quickly.  Giving her head one more scratching rub, there was a quick Squirt and Hold into the ear canal.  Holding the hand in place for as long as the dog could handle, it was time to move as quickly as possible away from the now violently shaking dog. 

...right into the spare tire mounted on the back of the Jeep Wrangler that was lurking in the driveway and then falling right onto the concrete with a loud thud.

Never mind that the other ear had to be done...

Scooping myself up it was time to walk back over to the dog who knew what was good for her.  With a smile, she acquiesced for another dose of irrigation in the other ear.

This time, the elusive rainbow was created in a mist of aloe vera, alcohol and botanical scents as the overspray painted the once clean cargo pants and the right arm.  Luckily the reading glasses that were forgotten worked as eye protection as a brown splat of ear cheese landed on the right lens.

Oh Joy.

Taking the now relieved dog back into the house, the phone rings again. 

"Did you know that US1 goes right over the Conowingo Dam?"
Yes of course, we have been there more than once before and that part of the world is a very pretty place.  Remember US1 through Bel Air MD and you'll be fine... Ok, Catch you later, call if you need more directions.

God save me from bored drivers...

Three emails back and forth about a Domain Change later and the phone rings:

"Hey guess what?  I'm on the other side of the tunnel!"
Baltimore never looked so good in the rear view mirror.

It has been quiet now.  The Domain Change is in play, the breakfast chicken sandwich left to cool on the counter was a passable breakfast although Fajita Seasoning is a bit salty, and the calming classical music is playing quietly in the living room.

Busy Morning?  Much better than the alternative.

A chat window pops up.  It seems like a friend in Atlanta is on a green kick.   He wants to turn off the house air conditioning at night and cocoon up in one bedroom with a window air conditioner.  If you insulate just that one room it will be more efficient.

"Hey! what do you think if I drill a hole into the drywall and inject the air cavity?"
You mean there's no insulation in the walls?
"No, the house was built in the 60s in suburban Atlanta, Georgia Good Ol' Boys know nothing about efficiency"
But how will you know how much to spray in?  Will the wall board pop?

Stay tuned...