German Shepherd

Hm. Familiar setting, not sure about events. I just wish the people who graze the sheep would either not use electric fence, or develop a flippin' gate. My poor character has had a long not-just-a-day, and he just wants to lie down somewhere he can watch the sheep, and first he has to negotiate this death trap involving electric wires and panels. Did you know my body remembers those fences well enough to give me an identifiable shock in a dream? It was almost a relief when we went back to yetis in the shed and Gollum skittering away across the barn roof. Gollum was a lot more identifiable as such than the yeti, was, though--someone had to tell me what it was.

Lot to do this morning, so I'll get off now. Lee is here for Grandma; she told us that she can't discuss Grandma's medical care without Grandma's presence. Hippocratic Oath and Federal law. Feh. Have fun, Mom. We called while she was here, to, so Grandma could sit in, but Mom had gone to town. I think it was Peter who picked up; he sounded remarkably dead.

Went over to Sid's for directions on cat-sitting. She sent the milk-jug home with me, to be returned after we go shopping. Nice.

We larked a little before ten. It was over half-way through the walk when I realized it was humid. Hm. We didn't meet anyone, anyway. There were rabbit bits scattered around  under a pine: I looked up, and there were a few more bits of fur on the branch. Good hunting, Owl? 

Karen was here when we got back, doing the INR. I asked what microcoagulation was. Just what it says, apparently: tiny clotting. Oh well. Karen knows enough to explain terms, but not enough to explain how it works.

Discussed with Grandma the possibility of extending my stay through August. She says she likes the company but can do without me. Well, yes, but should she? And can I handle the extension? ......Probably.

Father Paul brought his wife; she's nice. I sat in on the chat (Nancy says I might try vet tech--interesting thought) until Father Paul asked if I wanted to take Communion with them. I explained that I wasn't communicant and retreated. Scary man..... well, sort of. At this rate, though, I predict at least one awkward moment per visit. Drat him.

Finished rereading Beauvallet. Note: ask Phil about Public Enemies, Moon, Walking with Dinosaurs (theatrical show--Denver) and a Colorado sightseeing roadtrip, recommended by the Rector and his wife.

Phil came in about four-thirty, while I was virtuously occupied with Mistress to an Age. I promptly abandoned it.

After dinner I ran across to Sid's, through a brightly dripping world, to give Maddie her teaspoon of cat food. She didn't show much interest in it, but concentrated on me. I didn't give her enough time to get actually friendly, though: I had a date with Phil.

Ben was hosting College Night for church. There weren't too many people there, but it was pretty lively. There was Ben, of course, and Tom, Keith, Sarah and Rachel DeBenedittis, Marcy, Josh and Elise Mann, and the Matt who's dating a DeBenedittis. I'm not sure which; there are two more, Abby and Liz. I checked my last bulletin for their spelling, but some lazy person abbreviated it to D. and I threw out my old bulletins a week ago. They help out a lot, with the nursery and stuff. I think he's dating Abby. Anyway, they're all pretty fun. I'm not too sure I want to spend much time with Josh, though: he is dangerous. The man is an expert at instant recognition and effective utilization of an opening. I don't know why Keith lives with the guy, because he, of course, is the main victim--although I have to admit, he doesn't make it very hard. Josh isn't the only person who can spot openings, either. Oh, well. Anyway, those two are going to Geneva College in Pennsylvania, and I think Rachel is too. Elise will be going to college, and Tom may have been there a decade or two ago. I think Ben's in college, I know Sarah isn't, and Marcy's a nurse. A Gainfully Employed Adult, in fact. They're pretty fun all together, anyway. Although any DeBenedittis is fun. They're nice. So, yeah. Period of general conversation accompanied by pop while Ben tries to order pizza on his laptop, period of everybody else eating while I wish I hadn't had dinner (not that it stopped Philip, of course), period of conversation while the eating slows down, period of prayer around the table (give the person on one side of you a prayer request and pray for the person on your other side--I had to ask Rachel for her name when it was my turn), then they got a game out. Apples to Apples is this game where everybody gets seven red cards with nouns and definitions on them. There's a deck of red cards and a deck of green cards, which have adjectives and synonyms on them. Someone draws a green card from that deck, reads it aloud, and everyone chooses a card from their hand that they think is best described by that adjective. The person who drew the green card picks the best card, and the person it belonged to gets the green card. Everybody draws a new red card from the deck to keep their numbers up, and the next person draws a green card. The first person to have, in this case, four cards (it's determined by the number of players) wins. It got pretty silly by the time Elise won. I had two greens, "graceful" and "funky", both won off Philip. Everybody made remarks about siblings--although, in my defense, he didn't know the cards were mine and I didn't lobby for them. I guess we just think alike. Incidentally, I got "graceful" with "violins" and "funky" with "John Philip Sousa." The game ended pretty late, and it was eleven when we got home. Philip, mind you, had said we'd probably be home by nine. No, really. He said that.

Fifteen pushups, fifteen situps, in sets of five, before showering.

The title is from the dog in the house we parked in front of. Good, deep voice--German Shepherd, on the other side of the screen door.