Sunday
Jul042010
Working Girl
July 4, 2010 * * * * * Posted by: Marcie 
Sit – she says..and I sit.
Down – she tells me..and my belly sinks to the floor.
Wait – she said…and I am.
Waiting. Patiently. Counting.
Five whole days.
At the top of the very long list she left….it says ‘WRITE’. So – I’m writing. I’ve never written before. I’m not sure I know what to say.
Five whole days.
Five morning bowls..and five evening ones. Food. How else might I measure a day other than what and when it is that I’m fed?
She said something about it having been a long time since they’ve taken a vacation… that she needed it and was looking forward. I understand. I watched as she and that alpha male – the one who sleeps on MY pillow in HER bed – packed up the car and drove away. Without me.
He’s not a bad guy. I actually like him – a lot. On most days he leaves after my morning walk and returns soon after I’ve eaten my evening bowl..but sometimes he surprises me and gets home before. When I hear his car..I like to sit at attention and wait to greet him. Altho he always seems pleased to see me – he doesn’t like when I jump on his nice clothes.
I just want to play. It’s not that I mean to get him wet or dirty. Sometimes I have to remind myself that he is only a mere man.
But then - he goes up those stairs and into that room - y’know the one where MY pillow lies next to HERS - and returns in different attire. Then..and only then –he tells me – it’s okay to jump..and we can play. And that’s good. And I like that.
The truth is? I’d rather have her alone. It could be ME sleeping on MY pillow…all curled up and snuggled in close. Because it’s always he who claims that warm spot as his own..I’m forced to sleep at her feet. Happy that – at least – I’m welcome there instead of that hard floor…but still wishing for that soft spot beside her.
On some mornings she takes me with her. We walk to the nearby pond. I sometimes chase geese…while she chases us all with that little black box thing that she looks thru. I heard her once calling it a cam-e-ra…but I’m not sure what it’s for. She says it helps her see. But I think she sees just fine without it. I like sitting quietly next to her. Just listening to her breathe.
Oh..she didn’t leave me alone. She left me with the other one who walks on two legs instead of four. The one who I wonder and worry that she may love even more than she loves me. She calls her – her daughter. I like her a lot. Better than the alpha male. At least SHE doesn’t sleep on MY pillow. They smell alike – she and the daughter. They talk alike They even somewhat look alike..only the daughter is a little taller.
Five long and lonely days.
Oh..how I miss her.
My favorite days are the ones where I can lazily lie at her feet..while she does all of the things she does in this crate of hers. At least my crate had bars thru which I could see and hear and touch. The crate she seems to like – has solid walls..with a door and a couple of windows. She can enter or leave anytime she wants…which is better than what I did in those days when I had to be in there instead of roaming freely. But – I’m not sure otherwise what is the difference.
And I live for those late afternoons when she’s finished all she does..and we go out together. Most of the time she takes me to the park where I can be with my friends. Or some days – we go into the woods and it’s just me and she and we walk and listen and smell all the good things that are for smelling.
I’m a working girl.
My job is to always keep everyone in order and in line. Thankless sometimes. Other times..and when the job is well done..so rewarding. The other dogs – especially the white fluffy ones that remind me of sheep - don’t always like me bossing them around. They don’t understand. I’m just doing my job. I’m always working.
I’m a good girl..really. I do what I’m told…even when I’m not sure why it is I’m doing it. Without her – things are feeling out of their right order and place..and there is nothing I can do to make things straight.
At least she didn’t leave without a long list ‘to do’. She told me to write. So – I did.
Two more morning bowls..and three nights. And she’ll be back again.
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For those of you who don't know me..my name is Sami..and I'm writing for my master and best friend while she's away.
Reader Comments (20)
Job well done, Sami! You just keep counting down the days and she'll soon be home. Yay!
haha, i used to have a whole website where coco wrote in her blog, those were the days and now they are gone... this was very sweet to read, now i know what its like to go on your shooting sprees with you :)
Oh my, did you have to write this just a couple of days before I have to take my best friend to the doghotel? And I am afraid he has to stay there longer than 5 days :-(
Hey Marcie, I think I'm in love with Sami, that beautiful, sweet working dog. There is nothing finer than a good, smart dog....thanks for sharing yours.
Oh, gosh this totally brought tears to my eyes! I am always wondering what they think, how they see us, how much they really understand. You wrote this perfectly, I mean, Sami wrote this perfectly.
And now excuse, me, I have to go and blow my nose...
Love it!
Well done. You got into the mind of your dog. Have you read the two books by Spencer Quinn: "Dog On It" and "Thereby Hangs a Tail" written from the point of view of the dog?
I actually have a lump in my throat, Sami, because I see working girls like you near me in Holland...like when I go to the grocery store...and I see how they wait so longingly at the door outside for their best friends. The sadness of being separated even for a few minutes nearly breaks my heart for loving, faithful friends like you. But having seen you, I now understand why she-who-loves-you takes such fabulous pictures of all your friends in the park. I had no idea you were such a good helper for her. You're a keeper! BTW, I'm writing this to you from a long way away...from France, to be exact...and I can tell you for sure that she-who-loves-you is counting the days and hours just like you till you are in her arms again. Patience, my friend. You're such a sweetie-pie!
Marcie, I've been having trouble leaving comments lately, getting the response that 'captcha cookies could not be read' (or some such thing. Half the time the comment takes anyway, but this time I don't think it did.
Sooooo, what I said was, I loved your take on this, and by chance a friend of mine who is a journaist wrote a little piece for her paper today on this very topic - humans leaving dogs behind!
Quite fun to read and the picture is perfect. She's waiting for you.
The number of morning bowls and evening bowls is getting smaller until HER return! I'm sure you are happy about that...
Thank you Sami for your "guest post" today. You are sooooo talented! Will you join us again one day at Vision and Verb?
And, you are such a pretty girl. I enjoyed making your acquaintance.
What a lovely, lovely post Sami:)
And what a lovely, lovely dog you are. Looking so much like my own!!
i love this!!!! and i have printed a copy and shown to bear, bobby and finley just to remind them of what might be necessary for them to do one of these days. have told them they can all contribute a bit, no jealousy now...they can all have a voice!! :)
Wonderful post! I've always enjoyed blogs and or posts 'done' by our cats and dogs and this is certainly one of the best of them.
I've always been a big softie when it comes to pets so I felt quite emotional reading this. xx
I just adore this! What a lovely prose the dog wrote. I feel like I'm seeing your family through her eyes. It reminds me that my own dog has thoughts and feelings too. Come home soon!
sami is a stunning story teller ...and friend...even to alpha male!
oh how very sweet!
how cute Marcie. That's the thing about Aussies when they don't have sheep to keep them busy, they end up wanting to herd other dogs and people. You should see our 2 Aussies trying to keep us all in one nice little flock :) Btw, I too sure wish my husband and I could get away together. We've tried hiring people to live in the house while we go away but that has ended in disaster each time so now we just stay here -- all . the . time . :)
This is so cute Marcie and such a good dog you have :-)
How adorable and well done is this ... I just love it! Very creative Marcie. I hope you're having/or had fun during your away time. You make me want a dog even more than I did before. I have to wait until later ... when I'm a woman of a seriously certain age and when we are not traveling so often and for such long periods. Well ... at least dogs are everywhere here and I get to play with them all. It's funny because I generally learn the names of people's dogs long before I can commit the names of the people on the other end of the lead/leash to memory.
Love it! Read it to my master -- this is actually Ellie of the 4 paws writing -- and she smiled. She'd never leave me for five days she said -- ha! not true. She forgets -- and she thinks I don't have a memory. Wrong!
I'm with you pal. How about we go check out those geese?