PATRICK'S BRAIN SURGERY

It's 6:58 a.m. dark out, 34 degrees and Patrick went back to bed with Junior.

In less than an hour, Patrick goes to the vet for surgery to have his topknot removed. It is a pink wart or hairy something that has steadily grown over a two year period to the size and shape of a Hershey's Kiss without the pointy part. It's right smack dab on the top of his head, and we decided before it get's any bigger, to have the Vet cut it out. So, this will be a worrisome few hours this morning...

Now it's 8:51, and I'm back from the vet's, having dropped Patrick off. Of all things, who was there, but one of my ex-wive's daughters with a weiner dog puppy. They live in a town 18 miles away, what are the odds? They were in for 2nd puppy shots. I can only assume they came all this way for the cheep prices this country vet charges. Or maybe they owe all the vets in her town and can't go back. I know she owes me over 1500 dollars that I've never asked for and know I will never get. She was "family" then. 1500 to most people is probably not much, but to me it's a small fortune. She told me she had gotten "rid of" ( I didn't ask how) her two adult Rottweillers (these particular dogs were not people friendly, but then again, niether is she) because they had moved to a smaller house (?) Read, bank took house back, probably. I say that because she built up quite a history of renting apartments, then skipping just prior to being evicted, oweing many months rent... all over this part of Indiana--Trailer Trash, you say? No, no self respecting Trailor court would take her. I guess the last straw with her was when she stole some my family (my family, not her mother's) heirlooms from my house when I wasn't there. I don't have any proof, but she had means, motive , opportunity and they showed up missing just after her last visit...I've lived in this house for nine years and never locked the front door, but every since my ex "family" stole from me, I have to now. Anyway I was cordial to her today, even told her how to buy shots at Tractor Supply and save some money. She is the type of person that throws dogs away, they are not a life-time committment to her, as they are to so many good people.

AS a matter of fact, the reason Patrick is with me now is that she threw him away to her mother, who abandoned him with me. I have told him he has a home with me for life, just like my son Junior does, Just like his mom does, should she ever need it, just like the 9 Siberian Huskies outside do, just like the Wolf Hybrid outside does.

People abandoning animals at shelters is a HUGE problem in this country. But why not? Wives and husbands abandon each other to the tune of what, 50% of the marriages? At least the cast off spouses are not killed after three days. But who knows, with the murder of unborn babies and old people going on in this country, that may be next.

Got to say prayer for dear little Patrick now. He is a great little guy.

Come to think of it, I guess God works in mysterious ways in bringing this little dog to me.

Ok, it's 4:26 p.m., snow flurries outside, and Patrick is home, sitting on my lap. He has a HUGE three inch gash on top of his head, pooched together with seven staples, so he has a hairy skin mohaawk on top of his head, and he looks pretty pathetic. He gets the sutures removed in ten days and has antibiotics to take. I asked the Doc why the incision was so LONG and he took the time to demonstrate origame-style using scissors to cut up a napkin. It made sense, but I'm not entirely buying it. Anyway, the little girl wanted to charge me two dollars and fifty cents and she was real serious about it, and so I hurriedly got out three dollars, but one of the other gals stopped her, the doc hadn't rated the surgery yet, anyway I got out of there for sixty bucks and that included the pharmceuticles (sic). Aren't you glad that girl is not working for you? In a few years she'll be voting for president if she's not eligible now. How's that for a scary thought? Had we had gone six miles up the road to the upscale vets, the bill probably would've been closer to $200.00. (I've paid for dog surgery there before. and actually it was worth every penny since they repaired a pretty badly chewed up and mangled dog fight hamburger nose and in six monthes it looked PERFECT)

I remember taking Junior's mother's dog to the Vet in Los Angeles County, before he was born, for something or other, and the prices were outrageous. When we went to pay, our bill was under two hundred bucks, and all the people in the waiting room literally and actually CHEERED us that we got out of there so cheep. (And that was over twenty years ago.) I wonder what Patrick's surgery would've cost in L.A. today? Six hundred bucks? Well, I guess that's one of the perks in living in Fly-Over territory--Location, location, location.

So, Thank the Good Lord our wee liddle doggie is back with us and alright...


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