August 17   What a weekend!

This weekend was really kind of a disaster, but we made it through.  First thing, hubby had a business trip to an electronics show in LA.  He called me yesterday and said he had gone to an early dinner and was on his way back to the airport to come home, went to the rental car and the window was smashed in and someone took EVERYTHING.  His briefcase, laptop computer, and suitcase.  Included was the brand new digital camera (top of the line I got him for his birthday), his I-pod and Bose headphones (they are so expensive), CD player with CDs from the library (more money we have to pay the library), electric razor, all his clothes and his new shoes and his prescription medicine!  I could not believe this happened.  Of course, he called the police and they made a report but he'll never get any of his stuff back.  Some rotten luck!   Nobody thinks they're going to get robbed in broad daylight. He got back today, but we're still so upset over this.  Now we have to find out if insurance will pay for anything and fill out forms, etc.

And then yesterday I was home alone because my son was away for the weekend also.  So I was left to take care of Connor.  I love him and he's doing better so I thought, no problem, I'll have a relaxing weekend with the dog.  Connor is great with doing his *business* outside but he likes to go out a lot, and LOVES to walk to the park.  Well, I don't know if you would call what he does walking, it's more like pulling on the leash.  I have to get this dog to slow dog.  He's a bit hyper.  Happy, but excitable to say the least.

I had a hair appointment at 12 so I took Connor out for a long walk in the morning.  I fed him and played with him.  Put him in the kitchen, went to my appointment and the store.  When I came back in the afternoon, of course, I had to take him out again.  Had another walk.  My knees were starting to hurt, so came back home.  About 6 pm I decided I had to wash my hair because it itched from the color and the haircut got little hairs all over me.  I did that and I wrapped a towel in my hair.  Connor was in his little bed.  I thought I heard someone at the door, so thinking maybe my son got back early, I went to the front door and opened it to look out in the driveway.  I don't know how he did it so fast, but Connor RUNS through my legs out the door like a little maniac and starts running down the middle of the street.  I screamed CONNOR, but of course, he didn't listen to me.  I pulled the wet towel off my head and grabbed my sneakers and Connor's leash.  I must have looked like a freak.

By this time, he was all the way down the street and I saw him heading through one of my neighbor's yards toward the lake!  I panicked and started crying, trying to catch up with him, but the more I chased him the faster he went.  He goes up the *new road.*  This is a nice road they just built with million dollar lakefront homes.  

Of course, I can't run very fast because I'm old, too heavy and have bad knees but I did my best.  I was starting to cry because I knew I would never catch that dog!  I didn't know what to do.  All of a sudden a young guy comes out of the yard of the beautiful house that was on that property.  He had a big golden retriever with him.  He said *is that your dog?*  I said, yes, sorry, we just got him and he ran away.  He tried to help me catch him and Connor got scared of the big dog and the two dogs were running around.  Connor still heading for the lake.  I tried to grab him while the big dog distracted him, and I slipped in the wet grass and my shoes were full of mud.

Then the man said to me, *I have an idea* and asked me where my house was and to give him Connor's leash.   I was desperate and so I said OK and he told me he was going to use his dog to chase Connor home and try to get him on his leash.  And he told the golden retriever to come to him and they started running toward my house (which was a pretty long way up two streets).  Connor ran like crazy.  It took me a longer time to walk home, but when I got there the man said he got Connor into the back yard but couldn't get him on the leash.  I wanted to thank him, but I had to grab my dog before he got away again.  FINALLY I got him corner by the garage and, Oh my gosh, I was so happy to have that dog in my arms!  We were both exhausted, and I took him inside and he knew he was bad, he had his tail down and his head down and looked so sad.

I didn't even get that guy's name, but I wrote a thank you card and dropped it in his mailbox today.  If it wasn't for him, I know I would never have caught up to my dog.  I don't know what would have happened.  Connor has a nametag, but he doesn't seem to have any sense of where he goes and he'll run right into the street.  I guess it will take time.  I've been trying to train him, but it's going so slow.  

The result of this is that I can hardly walk today and I have so much pain in my legs, knees and low back from running all over the neighborhood.  It was bad luck, again, that I was home alone when this happened.  I have to watch this dog better, I guess.  I'll never open a door again unless I have the dog in my arms or on his leash, or he's locked in the kitchen area!  I feel so bad that I almost lost my dog already!  He's just amazingly fast on those little legs of his.