UGH! Today! Today is the day where I have the most to do and feel the worst.  Once a month I seem to have some "upper GI" issues and can't keep much down for a day or two.  Today is one of those days.  Lucky there were no morning visits today, so I just sat around and rested for my afternoon.  In this time, I had to take a nausea pill for I could not keep my Trader Joes toaster pastry down :( And let me tell you, it is extremely difficult to walk dogs with no food in you and completely dehydrated.  So I ate a banana and had some water, felt ok, and went out to start my  lunch dogs. 

My first one was a neighbor.  We go to the same place every time because they seem to like to "go" there. It is about a block away, 2 empty lots next to each other.  One side is slightly overgrown grass and the other side is more "garden-y" for lack of a better work.  Wood mulch, stones, some plants, etc.  I always just let dogs on the grass side, but lately since the other side has been COVERED in trash, I figured it was fine if the pooped over there.  It's not like I wouldn't pick it up.  So today, we head over there, and while they are sniffing around I get a call from a potential new client.  A lovely, sweet, elderly woman was telling me about her sniffly cat and thought I could come over to do an exam.  I told her that I am not a vet, nor authorized to do such things, but discussed the symptoms, etc. 

In the middle of my conversation, this man starts yelling at me about keeping the dogs out of the garden.  Not a trashy man, not a stupid man, just an inconsiderate man.  I move the 2 dogs over with one hand, still on the phone with the other, and he continues to talk to me!  I do the ever popular point to the phone while mouthing "I'm on the phone" and he says, "I know! But you....." and rambles again while this poor woman is trying to talk to me about her sick cat!  She hears a commotion and asks if everything is ok, I told her someone was yelling at me about dogs on grass, and then we get cut off.  I look up at the man and say, "Thanks, I was on the phone with a client, you could have waited to talk to me."  He starts bitching about keeping the dogs out of that area and how he does work in here and sticks his hands in dog poo, etc.  And he is right, there is a TON of dog poo over in that whole area.  No one seems to understand the concept of a plastic bag on that street.  I told him that I completely understood where he was coming from, but that I ALWAYS pick up the poop as this is my job. 

I am armed with poop bags at all times, sometimes picking up stray poop!  AND there are cats that live and poop in that garden too!! Anyway, we reached a civil understanding, and I understand that he does not want to kneel down in a garden and interact with feces.  Who would?  My whole point of this is that I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH A CLIENT!  Fuck!  Just wait until I get off the phone and THEN talk to me if it's that important to you!!! 

Luckily the woman called back and we talked for another 10 min or so about her cat.  She was as sweet as could be and will call me over the summer for pet sitting. 

A word to the wise for those out there not wanting dogs in a certain area - Put up a sign!  There are TONS of signs up all over the city, and I respect them!  Do not have an empty lot with no fence and stray cats, trash, and other dog poo and yell at a dog walker for walking a dog there!    Deep breath.......

Here is a cute pic to now make us all smile