Kennel Cough

THURSDAY. Why they call it "kennel cough" baffles me. We haven't been anywhere near a kennel. The general consensus is that Murphy came in contact with an infected dog at the dog park. He sounds a bit like a honking goose and leaves nasty puddles of unappetizing slimy stuff all over the house, the product of loud, prolonged coughing spasms. Chasing him all day from pillar to post, paper towels and enzyme spray in hand, has worn me out. Neither Murphy nor I slept much last night due to honking, coughing and the aforementioned paper towel chase. I trust this unpleasantness will soon be over, and I'm certain Murphy is as eager as I am to see this chapter closed for good.

In between tender ministrations to my confused four-legged companion (he doesn't understand why his kibble keeps coming up when he coughs), I worked with clients and did laundry. On days like today, I understand what it's like to be a working mom. I also fully comprehend why women my age don't have children. Aside from the obvious (we'd forget where we put them), child (or dog) rearing requires a great deal of energy and flexibility, both of which are no longer my strong suits. Frankly, my "get up and go" got up and went when my biological clock stopped ticking. Who would have guessed that a wiry high school athlete who ran like the wind would eventually hang up her running shoes for a comfy couch and a bag of chips?

Speaking of couch potatoes, our freshly-installed gazillion cable TV channels are deliciously seductive and tempting. In all honesty, with a gazillion channels there's still nothing to watch. We did succumb to the lure of the digital converter and caught a few "favorite" shows this evening. At 9 PM I accepted a challenge to turn off the TV. Pressing the Power button on the remote was quite simple. I must remember to repeat this healthy behavior in the coming days.

Snow is expected tonight in the "high mountains" (i.e., 8,500 feet), and they say it might snow at 7,500 feet. Living in New Mexico promises to be interesting (especially since we have cable). Now if only they could do something about the spinach...