Day of Ash: Presidential Monday

Ah, it’s Presidents Day. It should be a Presidential day. A day to relax, have a BBQ, and maybe do some historical reading on our great nation. Specifically on our presidents.

Except, I’m hourly at this time, and I need to make up hours because I took 4 off last Friday in order to take Julie out to a movie and dinner. As you already know if you read the Day of Ash: Deadpool Friday.

Even more fun, is I had to go to work 30 minutes early, so I can make up those hours.

My alarm goes off at 3:30AM, and Ash nudges my hand lightly. Then he crawls up into bed and falls asleep next to me. Alarm goes off at 3:45AM, and Ash puts his paw on my face. Now, you would think this is his way of making me wake up, but it isn’t. As he goes right back to snoring. It was his way of saying to shut the alarm off and go back to sleep.

I get out of bed, and all the dogs start their morning. Which includes running out to the puppies, and waking up Julie who was snoring on the day bed. She forgot I had to get up early, so we both are now on a grumpy morning.

Ash keeps running to the front door and then back to me. Attempting to defuse the situation and get us moving.

After much complaining between Julie and myself, I finally get on the road. Thankfully didn’t forget anything, even Ash is in the back seat.

We got to work, and Ash was still all sorts out of it. The time shift actually seemed to be impacting him more than myself, that is until he watched the roll of papers come out of a passing car and slap into the ground. Suddenly, it’s work time.

Get the pack on him after the normal potty break for him, and on the way in he grabs the papers. When we get up to the security desk, Ash puts his feet up and hands the papers directly to the guard. Yet, as the guard grabs the papers, Ash puts his paw gently on the guards hand. Ears pop fully up, and tail wags, then Ash gets down. It was almost like he was telling the guard to have a good day. Different.

We get upstairs, get my soda that he carries to my desk, and get to work.

On my way back from the morning team meeting, my notebook slipped out of my hand again. Ash looked up at me and waited for the leash to be unhooked. As soon as I did, he picked up the notebook, and then promptly dropped it because he was trying to not dig his teeth in. So he picks it up again and then hands it to me. Which causes the planning calendar I have in it to slip out. Ash paws it gently until it tents on the floor, then picks it up at the seem. Not a drop of dog drool on it.

As the day progressed, Ash slept under the desk and I did my job. Started to hyper focus on it, and my phone chimed for a work email, which I started to ignore. Ash nose punches my thigh and when I look at him, he looks at my phone. Good thing.

Boss moved a meeting from tomorrow to three minutes from now. I had not taken Ash out in 4 hours at this point.

We rush to the meeting, and I look at my boss and simply say. “Have to take him out. Short notice.”

Boss smiles and says it’s ok. So glad they are understanding.

During the meeting, Ash started to use a co-workers foot as a pillow. Co-worker was ok with it, but I was not. So I spun him from “side to side” to having his butt between my feet facing forward. Meeting did not get interupted by this, like nothing happened. It was nice. After about another 20 minutes, I notice Ash has his head up, but can’t see what he is doing as there is a divider that comes halfway to the floor in the middle of the table. I look up at the ladies across from me and notice they are looking under the table and smiling.

Ash is canoodling with them.

Meeting is practically done at this point, and we are just talking as a team. So I poke Ash and have him curl up. The girls start saying he is fine and not a bother. “He’s cute!” .. Yes, but he is not doing his job. The poke was enough for him to go “Oh, yeah.” and his focus was back on me.

At our normal quitting time, Ash pops up and starts handing me his toys. I just pat him on the head and tell him to get back under. We still have 30 minutes. Instead, he puts the toys on my desk, himself, and then lays down next to me.

I let it go. As I don’t want to discourage the putting stuff on the desk with out me taking it first.

Time to go home.

Drive home actually was easier than I expected. Ash slept most of the way, as per normal for him.

Julie and I talked on the phone, car bluetooth, and eventually decided we wanted junk food for dinner. I wanted Totino’s pizzas and she wanted Chicken Stars soup. Which meant I had to stop at the local grocery store in town before getting home.

Outside the store, I am putting Ash’s pack on and a few people smile. I get into the store, and the buzz starts.

“Why does he have a dog?”
“Is that a service dog?”
“What do we do?”

Thankfully, the manager has seen me use Ash before and I hear.

“It is a service dog, he helps him move. Leave them alone.”

Now, I must have extra cheese on my pizzas, so I head to the cheese packs and buy one of the Kraft shredded mozza packs. I know, it’s not real cheese, but it works. I have the Chicken and Stars soup can in one hand, the cheese in the other, and Ash apparently did not like this. He takes the cheese pack from me and carries it.

I grab the pizzas and make sure to tuck them under my arm so I have a hand free. Ash still carrying the cheese. When we get up to the checkout, he puts the cheese on the counter which happens to be head height for him.

When we get home, he grabs my coffee thermos and rushes in. Right past Julie, and then stops in the kitchen. Julie is calling him back to the front room, and he comes back “talking” with the thermos in mouth still. He was confused, as she normally is in the kitchen waiting.

Before bed, we decide to let Ash say hello to the puppies with no other dogs around.

Which of course means puppy kisses for Ash.

The puppies are his favorite thing.

When I said it was bed time, he gave me that look.

After another kiss, he heads out and to the bedroom.

Time to pass out.

Over all, it was a good and maybe even presidential day.

-Z