Two days after our house fire, my family moved into my in-laws’ cabin, located twenty miles outside of town. While my husband, seventeen-year-old son, our two dogs and I settled into our new, temporary home, the restoration crew worked in a frenzy back at ground zero. Removing all our belongings, ripping out every ceiling from each room (plus, some of the floors), tearing our kitchen down to the studs, as well as dealing with anything else that was destroyed.
Our lives had been turned upside down. Traumatic would be an understatement.
Soon after, we noticed our yellow lab, Gypsy, was acting strange, but we just thought she and Nick the pug were adjusting to all the changes.
Wrong.
We hadn’t been there 48 hours when we realized …
Our lab Gypsy had gone into heat for the first time.
Seriously?! On top of everything else, my five-year-old female got her doggie period NOW?!
Wide Open Spaces
I sort of switched between laughing and crying at our latest ordeal. There’s a fence for decoration around our cabin, but animals can hop right through it to roam freely over the pastures and canyons within the gated community. Fortunately, Gypsy and Nick are homebodies, so it’d never been an issue before.
THIS was an issue.
1. Most of the male dogs down there are Gypsy’s brothers. Not to mention the creepiness factor, it’s dangerous for dogs to inbreed too closely within families.
2. We’d just had a fire. We didn’t have time for a litter of 8 – 12 puppies that we’d have to tend to for 8 – 12 weeks, then find happy homes for them. We’d never planned on mating Gypsy, and certainly didn’t want to now.
Nick the pug had already been neutered years before, so he wasn’t going to knock up some innocent pooch on our watch. However, Gypsy had been too young to get spayed back then, so we forgot about it.
Mistake.
R & R
My husband whipped out his phone and called our vet.
They said, “We’d be happy to take care of Gypsy. Our first available appointment is two weeks.”
“No, you don’t understand. We need help NOW.”
He explained our situation: house fire, no containable fence, protecting Gypsy’s virtue.
Our vet’s schedule was full, but another one at the same clinic could take care of Gypsy much sooner. They could even board her at the kennel next door until then.
Perfect.
Three hours later, we dropped off Gypsy at the Canine Country Club (yes, that’s what it’s really called). She stays there when we go on vacation. She loves it, and even stayed a few more days after her surgery to recuperate. Gypsy came home a happy girl.
Problem Solved.
What Passes for Normal
This is sooooo an average day at Casa de McKay.
Isn’t it ALWAYS something? We’ve never been experienced anything as serious as a house fire, but there’s always some headache. The AC that breaks down during the heatwave. Your child who tells you at 9:02 p.m. that she has a poster due tomorrow and you have none of the supplies. Losing your car keys or cell phone multiple times a day.
Fortunately, my husband and I both love to laugh. We’re probably not as funny as we think we are, but who cares? We’re quite sure we’re hilarious.
What’s the funniest/weirdest thing that’s happened to you? I need a distraction from my life.
Please leave comment. Let’s talk.
Pick up your FREE copy today of the mystery, The Moon Rises at Dawn (SkipJack Publishing). Read, enjoy, repeat.
Years ago my husband called to tell me our son’s baseball coach called and was going to have our son play catcher for the baseball game that night. My husband did not have time to go to Buck’s to buy a “cup” for him… could I please go buy one. After going back and forth with this idea… I thought I could do these. I took all three children and marched in to Buck’s. I had it all planned out… if a man came up to help me I was going to ask about socks… ? and then hunt for a lady! But with luck… a lady came up to us and ask if she could help us. I spoke up and said…”We needed an athletic supporter with a”cup”!” She then asked what size. I looked down at my son and back at her and said,”Short!” ? I had no idea that they are sold by waist size! After we both recovered… we bought the “cup” and we were out of there. For years I threatened my husband that he was going to go with our daughter to buy her for first bra! ?
OMG! That’s so funny, Janie! To make you feel better, I wouldn’t have had a clue what to say either. Your story made me giggle. I appreciate how you always brighten my day. THANK YOU!
The cup story brought back memories. My husband was out of town on business when my son had to wear a cup for baseball for the first time. My son asked me how to wear it, and I told him to put the narrow part between the legs. That was completely wrong and totally upside down!!!! Never wore a cup, so I DONT KNOW!!!! Always makes me laugh when I think about it, haha!
HA! Your cup story keeps getting better and better. You need to ask your son how that incident scarred him for life.
Thank you for the comments. They’re the best … as are you.
Thx 4 the freebie & the 99 cent! U r very funny in the story above, sorry bout the fire. Glad everyone & dogs r ok. Looking 4ward 2 reading bout Cooper. Take care.
Hi, Peg. I’m hard at work on the sequel about Copper Daniels. The blessing and the curse about the fire is that it threw me off schedule for a while, but I feel like the fire awakened the RIGHT story, so the words are flowing now.
Thanks for your comment.
I love how you can see humor in the whole mess. That’s the best way to look at life! I’ll keep you in my prayers.
Thank you. I’ll definitely take your prayers, and I’ll hopefully continue to laugh. I know it’s a coping mechanism of sorts, but I think there are much unhealthy ones, so I’ll stick with laughing.
Thanks for stopping by!
Okay I’m going to tell a story, really embarrassing one on myself. Me and my family were heading out of town to go camping at our deer lease. So we had to stop off before heading into the back wood of no return, which in my opinion would of been great, except when your 16 years old, camping in the back woods while all your friends stayed home to cruise drag just didn’t seem fair. So as my dad was filling the truck, Mom and Trophy (yep I picked his name and refused at the Tender age of 5, not to win that right), anyway they were in the store, as I looked up the cutest Cowboy about my age walked by. So to NOT look to obvious THAT I WAS SWOONING over him, I picked up the first thing in the seat to look at so I wouldn’t seem ogling him. Not paying attention to what I grabbed my brother got in the back seat with me and started laughing. He said “Well I bet he thinks you’re a real dog, now!!”
As I looked down I was holding a can of Alpo dog food my dad had brought along for our dog. I turned 20 shades of red and my family still laughs about that to this day. Memories, yes they are priceless.
FUNNY! Of course, your brother had to rub in your mistake. That seems to be what siblings are for. Thanks for the chuckle.
m3
Since you and both share the house Fire experience I thought you might like this I found a coffee cup in the midst of nothing but pure ashes a coffee cup unbroken and unburned and the really weird thing was that it had the Serenity Prayer on the side of it which I definitely needed at that time. How that cup survived the fire had to be Devine providence just to give a lift in my low spirits. Have a Blessed Day!!! I am anxiously waiting on more Copper Daniels
WOW, Glenda! That’s incredible. You hear stories of things untouched in tornadoes and hurricanes…I LOVE that it was the Serenity Prayer. I’m going guess that you are a coffee drinker, too.
FABULOUS story. Thanks for sharing! I’m anxiously WRITING more Copper Daniels. xo – m3
When I was 17, my mom, two brother’s, a friend, me and a Chihuahua named Chili that we rescued drove to Idaho from Wyoming to visit friends. Day two of being there, our friends four year old, asked, why are there a bunch of dogs in the yard, and why are they pushing Chili around? We all went running to the window, then someone went out to get Chili. She didn’t get to hang outside by herself anymore, and she ended up having three babies, we think she bred with a crocker spaniel mix. Our friends kids made sure that everyone they met knew about Chili, oh the best part, the friends, were music pastors at a large church, so that is who the kids told. The four year old said, he was never going to have sex, if you had to scoot on your bottom in the green grass in the front yard. That four year old is now 44.
OMG!! That four-year-old was probably traumatized for life. Great story. Poor Chili, getting pushed around in the front yard. Funny. Thanks, Veda.
While building our dream home My husband almost died from a saw zaw accident,He had severely cut his hand in the process, but luckily he was able to retain all of his fingers and ability of use all appendages! We felt blessed! A few years latter I fell off of a roofing platform that stood 15 feet and busted both of my heals. My house was still under construction! The Doctors told me that I more than likely would not be able to walk normally again! I proved them wrong and am now able to do most everything I did before except use a shovel to dig! We felt blessed again!So our family joke is it takes an arm and a leg to build a house on Cedar Creek lake!
You have to look at life differently. Things will unexpectedly happen to you in your road of life. You have to have faith and a sense of humor that all will work out as it should! In my book ” WHAT ARE YOUR TREASURES?”, which can be found on Amazon, I experienced my own bizarre death! I learned from this experience that no one wants to carry their own boots and saddle down life’s roadways alone! Thanks for sharing the cute stories of life! If it makes you chuckle Isn’t it worth it?
WOW, Cindy. You and your husband are so lucky to be alive. I love all the blessings that you discovered and doubly love that you published a book about it! Congrats!
We’ve definitely learning from the experience, and are gobbling every blessing we find. I LOVED your story! Thanks for stopping by!
Dear Marcy McKay, It appears that you have a new reader and fan. First I received the recommendation from Tonya Lucas then saw what book it was. Reading it first thing. Now for the embarrassing moment. My husband was in the US Army for 26-1/2 years. We were married for over 16 of those years. As you all know, traditions are a big part of the military life. Well, one tradition is the Commanding General’s Reception on New Year’s Day. This particular year, we had gone out for New Year’s Eve and partied well but we got up, got very dressed up, and went to the reception. When we got there, all we had to do was go through the receiving line. No biggie. I could handle a receiving line. No small talk involved. So my husband and I and our friends went through. Now nothing embarrassing about that, right? As we got a drink and were going to get some food, one of our friends asked me, “Did you go through the line like that.” I said, “yes, why?” He just started laughing so I turned to my husband and gave him the tell me look. All he had to say was, “You still have your sunglasses on.” Well, that did it. I had gone through this reception line with my sunglasses still on. They probably thought how I had partied. I wanted to crawl in a hole then wanted a do-over. No can do. I just had to tough it out. Talk about embarrassing.
Cricket
Remind me to give Tonya a big ol’ hand for recommending Pennies to yet another reader. She’s the best.
Your story cRaCkEd me up. I’m sure the Commanding General just thought you were super cool! HA! That’s for making me smile.
Every day you can make someone smile is a great day. I am so glad you enjoyed my story. I laugh at it now but right then I was mortified. And for your book I can hardly wait to read it. Thanks again for a great book
So true, Cricket. Expect the sequel to Copper Daniels in mid 2018!
You are a star, Marcy! In my pre-caffeinated state the only thing I can think of to share is how often I’ve put the pot on, and gone to it some time after, only to find I’ve left either the water or the grounds out of the thing. Eek!
Me, too, Em! I’m SO GLAD I’m not the only forgetful one around here! Thank you for your comments, and more so, your friendship. I always smile whenever I see your name. 🙂