June 22, 2013: The search is on!

Well, I’ve started my search for a new dog-sitter and so far, so slow. There are a bunch of people/places that offer pet-sitting services, but most board the animals at their homes or places of business and I’m looking for someone who would be willing to stay at my house for the four (ish) days that we’re away.  I have found a few who WILL actually come and stay at the house with the dogs, but not during the weekdays when they’re presumably working at their day jobs. I thought I had finally found the perfect sitter but two things she did/said when she came over gave me pause: 1. Leaving the dog she was watching alone in her car with the back window open while she came in to visit and, 2. Her response upon learning Jelly’s age (14): “Wow.  I can’t believe she’s alive!”.  Hmmmm.  Maybe I’m being picky, but I’d rather be extremely careful now than very sorry later.  Always in the back of my mind is the story of a local woman who lost her dog after he sitter forgot to shut the front door – and front gate.  This poor woman’s dog disappeared back in November of 2012 and she still hasn’t given up the search, constantly updating her dedicated facebook page and following up on suspected sightings all over town.  Given the same circumstances, that would be me!

Seriously, how hard can it be to find someone willing to lounge about my house for four (ish) days, watching movies in my home theater room, sampling from my well-stocked liquor cabinet, and, occasionally, bringing my dogs out to the backyard.  And getting paid for it?!

Well, the search continues tomorrow when I hit the local pug meet-up for advice.  In the meantime, I have few things to get done this weekend including…

…meeting up with some friends from out of town, in this case Jeff and his lovely wife, Barbara.  We went out for lunch (spicy Korean!), then double chocolate shots and sweet, sweeeet snacks:

And NOW I am officially on the program.  No, really!  I mean it this time!