Routine

My life has little to no set routine. It makes the days a little hard to track. It's not quite to the point you get to when you're traveling and don't remember what day of the week it is. You have the subway construction on weekends to remind you of that. But things I think of having happened weeks ago, I'll talk to my friends and it was actually two days prior. Things like that.

So, when I came in to dog-sit my tutoring employer's three Portuguese water dogs, it was a bit of change. They were to be walked from 8:00-9:00, 12:30-1:30, 4:30-5:30, 7:30-8:30, and 10:30-11:30. They're fed once at 9am, and again at 6:30. This is their life, each day they are in New York City. They had a routine.

Against all odds, it actually turned out to be kind of relaxing. Except for about half an hour at the beginning of the first day, when the cleaning lady was in the apartment, it was just me and the dogs whenever I was there. Life was pretty simple. Make sure the dogs were fed, watered, and walked at the times they were used to.

They each had their preferences with things. Cooper seemed to want to stay out all day, prancing around as soon as I took him to the hallway, and only reluctantly turning home after half an hour or more. Casey would stick to the shade whenever she could, stop in front of open doors with air conditioning, and drink lots of water immediately after she got back inside. Carlos couldn't wait to go back home. After he did what he needed to do, he'd tug and tug homewards, dragging whichever other dog I was walking at the same time with him. When they'd get in the elevator, Casey and/or Cooper would be looking at the ground or the walls, while Carlos would be happily panting at me, wagging his tail. All of them wanted to take a second and check inside the bathroom trash can each time before they left for a walk. All of them really enjoyed kids and meeting the other dogs we met. None of them barked.

I'd sometimes sit in the office they were in, doing stuff on the internet while Carlos licked my hand, his food bowl, or Casey's face, whichever seemed more appealing at the moment. Casey would choose her favorite stuffed bone to take a nap with on one of the doggy beds, while Cooper would just stretch out on the floor. Hanging out with them wasn't a bad way to spend an evening.

Plus I got to use a really nice kitchen to make a couple meals, and the laundry machine to do all my laundry, so I was happy.

The dogs' owners are back now, and I'm back to going to be anywhere from midnight to 3am, waking up anywhere from 9 to noon, each day having something completely different to do. It sounds nice, but a little routine like the dogs every once in a while makes it nicer.