Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Bailey & Me

So, where do I begin? This morning started off like any ordinary morning with Bailey. Her usual routine includes going to the bathroom in the backyard and then enjoying a treat while I fix her breakfast. Within thirty minutes we're taking a walk together out front to get the newspaper and then we play fetch to run some of that morning energy out. The weather these past couple of weeks has been wonderful so I've gotten in the habit of leaving the front door open for Bailey to wander in and out on her own while I'm working from my home office. She knows exactly where her home is so she never wanders outside of our acre lot. However, the lots to the left and right of us are just now being cleared and prepped for concrete. Periodically, I check on her to make sure she's not getting into something she's not supposed to. Well, today she did just that. I walk out front to yell to the construction crew next door to send Bailey my way if she's bothering them. They yell back that she's no problem at all but I might want to wash her off. At this point, I'm thinking to myself that she's probably gotten in all of that red clay mud again. No surprise. But just as they say this, I see Bailey running full speed ahead towards me as frisky as ever. No, she wasn't covered in the red mud but instead in CONCRETE! At this time, the construction crew are laughing and calmly saying "you might want to wash her off soon or that concrete will harden on her legs. The concrete contains chemicals and it might burn her legs off." WHAT?!?! My first born (not technically mine) baby's legs might burn off??? I'm freaking out by this point. I immediately rush her inside to the tub to wash the concrete off. She was actually really good about her bath. I still worry that it might have been burning or hardening already and that's why she was so good. Anyway, I successfully clean Bailey off and run straight to the phone to tell her Daddy, Russell, what his Bailey Girl did. Note- she's never mine when she acts this way. Anyhow, I explain in detail what just happened and Russell immediately asks "you didn't wash the concrete off down the tub, did you?" Ugh, yeah. Hello, why wouldn't I? Supposedly water is what makes concrete harden. How am I suppose to know that? I retract back "why didn't they tell me that before I did it?!?!" He says "Who?" I say "the construction crew!" Russell then proceeds to explain to me that they probably didn't think I was dumb enough to wash the concrete down the pipes. Oh well, I guess I've learned my lesson this time. Luckily, everything's draining properly even though we might have a higher water bill this month. In the meantime, I've called Bailey's vet and they said that the most the chemicals would do is irritate the pads of her feet and to use over the counter Cortisone cream. Bailey on the other hand has had no reaction what-so-ever and has milked this little incident for all it's worth. I felt so guilty over my negligence that I ended up buying her special treats and a new toy at Wal-Mart! See my Bailey Girl below, taken shortly after her concrete adventure...

PS- For those of you who have read the bood, Marley & Me, don't you agree I now deserve my own chapter???

4 comments:

Crystal and Billy said...

Hillary - I laughed so hard, that I was almost crying!! That was great! I would have done the same thing with the bath. Billy and I are the same way with our puppy...Maddie is always Billy's when she is acting up and always mine when she is being a sweet angel!!

jgaskin said...

Hillary- Am I going to have to come and take Bailey away from you? Look how much she's grown! Marley and Me is a great book but beware...it will make you cry! So funny- I hope the pipes still work.;)

Christi said...

At least it wasn't the double headed shower...I could just see you turning on two shower heads to wash that poor baby off!

Katie said...

That is a great story!! Too funny. I agree I would have done the same thing with the tub too.