I’m not current on the MMP, but from what I do remember, sorry and hugs for Taters; ooooh, what a bitch to be talking smack about rigs behind her back; bears in S.F. oh my oh my; swampy and Drae good thoughts sent your way to find the perfect job, including the big bucks and all the perks; Mama Tigs and palebunny brrrrrr, I hope you are toasty by now; DB must be watching hockey, hope your team wins; SCL, whatever today is in your line up of hockey related days, I hope that you are having a good time. You guys talking computers, why don’t one of you fly up and fix the glitches on mine? Pretty please? Its irritating me that I cannot install the software which came with my new cd rewritable drive and that which came with my new camera. I am unable to burn cd’s and I can’t fool around with my camera as much as I would like to be able to. Everyone else, hugs, congratulations, sympathy, etc.
So, today I got the spit scared out of me, and then it all got very surreal. Here’s what went down:
The temperatures have been mildly temperate, meaning over the freezing point, and I really wanted to check on my outside beds in the hope that I would see bulb tips pushing through. Across the road and two doors down from me lives a family, husband and wife, and two smallish children. They also got a puppy last summer, I believe she is a Golden/Chesapeake cross. She is a good sized dog now, and I have never had any problem with her, even though dogs are not supposed to run loose and she is always off lead. So I went out with #3 daughter, and the two kids (Jess and Rickey, only he pronounces it “Wickie”) were outside playing in the remains of where Dave’s home was before the fire. (It was razed last weekend.) #3 hit the bottom step and I began my careful maneuvering down the stairs, and as soon as I hit the gravel the dog came at me. I have been bitten before, and this dog was going to bite me. I kept my walker between myself and the dog, and #3 was on her toes, ready to intervene. The kids took hold of the dog’s collar, but the dog outweighs both of them. I was talking to her (the dog) in my non-threatening voice, and slowly tried to get around the other side of skiffman’s truck when the dog came in low and fast. I had to use my walker to keep her from getting me, and I was running through the possible scenario of the dog hitting me on the leg and causing me to fall down, and even though I know how to put a dog in submissive mode I am not certain of my strength with a dog that large. So I told Jess to take the dog home and that I needed to speak with a parent. Several minutes passed before the mom came out, along with Jess who had the dog on a leash. I motioned for her to come to me (gimpy lady using a walker, puhleeze don’t make me come to you, the snarling dog not withstanding) and when the dog began dragging the little girl, once again with hackles raised and muzzle pulled back showing all of her teeth, beginning to sling a bit of saliva I asked the mom to please take the dog’s leash. She did, and I told her in a calm and reasonable tone (even though I had a pretty bad scare going) that her dog was trying to attack me. She became very defensive and told me “If she bites you I’ll shoot her. In fact, I will bring her over and shoot her in front of you.” :eek: 
:mad: I was taken aback, and told her that wasn’t the resolution I was looking for, and after telling her that I have never had a problem with the dog before, and I believe that she was reacting to my walker, or trying to be protective of the kids, or just trying to stake out territory she relaxed a bit, and she sat on the edge of the deck with me. At that point the dog went into submission mode, and after talking to her softly I had the mom (Lucy) take my arm in her hands, showing the dog that I am not a threat. Then I had the dog smell my hand while Lucy was still holding onto it, and the dog went back into goofball I love everybody mode. She gave me a few hangdog looks, she knew she had been bad, but it all turned out well. Lucy and I spoke for a bit, and she confessed that some other woman had recently been in her face about the dog and that was why she was so defensive, and that she apologized for having attitude before hearing me out. All in all, I am very happy to not have to make an E.R. visit and make enemies out of a neighbor. I am going to buy a can of pepper spray though, because I am often out in the yard alone, and I really don’t want to get bitten.
So, that was my big event of the day. Hope that all of you cool kids have had a better one!
But really, cats are cool, deadly piercing weapons and all.