No. 81 Say “Yes” instead of “No”
It started innocently enough. Travis invited me to a cookout/party in Prospect Park yesterday…for those not familiar with New York, that’s in Brooklyn. We live in Manhattan. He suggested we walk and we could take Shirley, who would then be tired out by the time we got there and would act halfway civilized. I thought, “This will be good exercise and it will get me out of the house. And maybe I’ll meet some nice people. And it’ll be good to spend the day with Shirley. Don’t see why not.”
I said, “Yes.” Instead of “No.”
We walked the first 9 miles (out of 12.4 ). [note: if you Mapquest the two distances it shows that it's only 8.25 miles from my house to the park...but if you use GmapPedometer and track the walking route, it's much further. We came down the Hudson River Parkway along the walking trail and then cut through the financial district to get over to the Brooklyn Bridge...once in Brooklyn, we had to circle around a bit to get off the walkway and to get to an area with major intersections so we could get a cab.] Once over the Brooklyn Bridge we took a cab the rest of the way ($10) because (a) we didn’t know how to get to Prospect Park because, though Travis looked up a map online, he neither actually LOOKED at the map nor printed it out (b) I was getting tired and cranky and (c) it was now 2:30 and the party was to have started at 1.
Shirley must have thought it was a free day for her, because for the entire 9 miles, she acted like it was her first day on a leash. I believe she probably pulled me most of the way. She lunged and ran and yanked and pulled and generally drove me to the brink. But I kept thinking, “at least she’ll be tired when she gets there.” HA!!!
I put her in the little pop up crate and expected her to lie down and rest. I turned my back for 2 seconds and the next thing I know all the party goers are looking on in horror as Shirley is rolling her crate down the hill, end over end, doing all sorts of gymnastics inside. I’m just thankful she didn’t crash into anyone…or knock over any grills, etc. The little girl in the bubble is dangerous!
About this time David showed up and decided that all she needed was a little walk to calm her down (as if 9 miles wasn’t enough for her…i think she caught her second wind in the cab). So he took her to dog beach…a little area of a pond fenced off for dogs to play in. She dipped her toes in the water and wasn’t too interested until another dog showed up with a ball and suddenly she forgot all about the water and was all about going after the ball. It was funny to watch her dive in after the ball and get out there and suddenly remember she didn’t know how to swim. But the ball HAD to be caught and technicalities could wait. So she quickly mastered the art of swimming. This lasted for 2 chases of the ball before she turned on the other dog and we had to “remove” her from the water and from the park. (Remember, she’s supposed to be tired and sleeping in her crate at this point — but she’s fighting and getting evicted from the dog beach). David had to change shoes, Travis needed a fresh drink and nearly an hour and a half later we arrived back at the party. Shirley was still lunging at everything that moved as if she did not understand the concept of a leash and limited mobility. I’m suprised I can even move my arms today.
By this point I realize I am STARVING. We didn’t actually “bring” any food to the party with us, using the excuse that we were walking all that way and we’d stop and get something nearby. Once we got to the park, we found that we were in an area where there was no “nearby.” So quick thinker that Travis is, he spots someone heading to the same party, LOADED down with grocery bags, and offers to help carry them…thus he can be seen arriving at the party with actual food. But I wouldn’t let him eat other people’s food, so by a little after 5 we packed up and headed out of the park to start trying to find a cab in Brooklyn (like finding a 4-leaf clover or a winning lottery ticket). Add to that, we had to find a cab that would also accept a wild dog who was still lunging at everything that moved.
Low and behold, by 5:30 we were in a cab headed back to Manhattan, and $29 later, we were back home.
So that’s what happens when you say “Yes” instead of “No.”
The Score is Now:
33 Things Done
68 More Things to Do
525 Days Left to do ‘em in
This one was pretty easy up until the last day of the month. I was really jonesing for the sweet nectar of Atlanta. But I persisted. Not sure if I’ll start back again, but at least I did one month and broke the cycle and the daily cravings.
I’m going to miss that crazy bastard. He’s gone to live with a nice family in New Jersey that goes all out decorating for their kids on Halloween. The $200 helps ease my pain, though.
No. 4 See the Eye Doctor