Dog Night.

As I have shared here many, many times, this dog of ours is really Rick's dog.
She loves me for food, affection, walks and this morning from saving her life from a scary flag that was flapping as we walked by at 5:05 AM.

But my goodness if Rick is anywhere nearby, I become invisible.  

Rick is out of town with an employee. We got a contract to remodel an apartment complex. That is 128 bathrooms. They are completely renovating every apartment. When they are done, we are called in to do the bathrooms. When we are done, the apartment is done.  They had 12 this month to do in the first building. apparently they started with the smallest building and that seems to be a good thing.

They had 1 apartment that was for all the sub-contractors to go in and do their thing over the past 30 days. They were now ready for us to come in and do our thing in this apartment. 
Then it was inspected. If things need to be changed they will know it from this one apartment. 
Smart idea to me. After we completed that, they felt we didn't need to change anything and on we go. So the subcontractors began their work and this week they were ready for us so the first building could be completed.

Rick and Gary went down to this city on Tuesday very early morning so they could start at 7:30a. It is a 2 hr commute one way. Knowing that they both were staying at a hotel nearby, I brought Izzy to doggy day care yesterday. She would be so tired when she got home I was hoping she wouldn't notice that Rick wasn't around.  Did my plan work? Well, sort of.

As is her normal behavior after daycare she goes to the bathroom and then runs in the house to eat.
She scarfs down her food and then collapses. But not yesterday, she went upstairs to the bedroom and master bath looking for Rick. She came back down to the landing and tilted her head and stared at me. I laughed. I mean really, that is funny stuff. I could see her confusion. Where is he? He's home at this time every day. At this point she was still making me laugh.

So I gave her some cooked carrot pieces to take her mind off her man.
She finally fell asleep an hour later. But she would wake up and stare at the back door. Why wasn't he coming through the back door? Then she wanted out the back door and sat out there staring at the garage door, all in hopes of it opening and her Big Man would come home.

She got too warm thankfully and came inside and fell asleep on the cool floor under the A/C vent.
Normally that means she is out for the night. But not tonight. She moved to another location but not without looking around first for Rick. This went on all night. At one point, it was raining like crazy, thunder, lightening and she walked to the door. I opened it and she walked backward and then turned around. Guess the rain foiled that walk. I wanted to settle in for the baseball game that was on so I was hoping she would settle down.  We played tug of war, we wrestled and then she went to the back door and just stared. I gave up. 

I finished a load of laundry and turned on the game. She climbed up on the corner of the sofa she lays on and fell asleep. (sorry all dark things and this is dark)

As you can see all was then right in my world. I had on the game, she was asleep and we had calm again.  Until the game was almost over. She awoke. She had to go outside.
We did our typical before bed walk.
We came inside and headed upstairs to the bedroom, but she then went to the 3rd floor. I followed to see what she was up to. She went into each and every room to be sure Rick wasn't hiding. She pushed her snout to move the shower curtain in the bathroom. Now that made me laugh. Yes, Izzy, Rick has been in hiding all night in the bathtub.
Then to make me really laugh, she sighed loudly after walking to the steps and went downstairs to the master bedroom where she would promptly fall asleep! Thank goodness.

This morning she awoke and did the same thing. All 3 floors and all rooms had to be searched for the missing man. We took a walk and she promptly went to our driveway in the back of the house to see if his vehicle was there. Oh my goodness, she was not happy. She wouldn't come inside. She just wanted to sit under the tree across from the driveway. I guess she thought she was going to sit and stare at the driveway until he showed up.

We came back inside but not without fighting me.  I went about my morning routine and she stared at the back door. My God it's going to be a long day for us both. Right now she is sleeping at my desk. Gee am I a bad dog owner that I would hope she is sleepy all day? Yea, that was rhetorical, I know I am.

Rick will be home around dinner time, well dinner time for old people - 5 ish. He won't have a moment to relax because this dog is going to be all over him bringing her boat bumper, meaning let's go to the swimming hole Dad, c'mon. 

Dogs miss you. If this were a child, she/he'd be like, whatever Dad will be home later, I've got video games to play.

Is it 5 yet?