Do I look tired?

Allow me to recap: last night I came into the house around 6:30 after a fabulous workout. The weather has gotten quite chill so it was a lovely sensation to come into the house and be greeted by warmth and the scent of something roasting. A note on the counter from T said he was out walking the dogs along the lake. I opened the oven door. Yes, indeed-- a pork tenderloin roast surrounded by chunks of potato, sweet potato, carrots, red pepper bits, onion and garlic. Scrumptious, right?

Uh yeah, unless of course I had defrosted that tenderloin in order to make a curry dinner for Thursday's weekly outing to our friends Ally and John (ever since Survivor Australia, we have gotten together for dinner and the TV on Thursday nights-- it has become a fabulous ritual that I treasure). I had told T on Sunday I would make the curry Weds night for us to bring Thursday. I had told him again about my plans on Monday. And then, yesterday, when I came home FROM THE GROCERY STORE WITH ALL THE FIXINGS TO MAKE A CURRY and raita and chutney and pilaf, I told him I had gotten everything I needed to make the curry dinner for Thursday night.

So, as I gazed upon my purloined tenderloin was I upset? Hmmm, hard to say. It sure smelled good and I was hungry and so I guess you could say I had strongly conflicting emotions.

And then the phone rang. It was T on his walk and I asked him if he was having a gorgeous walk (the sky was streaked with pinks and reds and violet) and he replied no. In fact I believe his exact words were,

"I'm gonna ##$@&&*@ kill those ##!@&%* dogs."

It seems Henry had spotted a deer and began a chase that despite all of our very successful behavior training (they both have spanking new certificates) they failed to respond appropriately to the COME command. After about 45 minutes (and lots of walking and calling and whistling), Ollie returned and T brought him home.

But Henry? Gone. It was now very, very dark out. And cold. I went up to the railroad tracks where he was last seen and walked and walked and whistled and called. Not a sound from the thick forest. My cell phone rang. It was T. He was going to come and get me (I had walked miles away from my car). He came and got me. We drove around more. Our panic increasing.

We called the Humane Society but they were closed so we left a message. I called the police and talked to Tania on the dispatch (who was WONDERFUL) and she told me to hang in there-- her Husky had gone missing and came back 12 hours later. She assured me Henry would find his way home. I wasn't so sure. But she was very comforting and told me she would get this across to all the cops.

We tried to eat. Everything tasted like sand. Tried to watch TV. Didn't numb the aching heart and tummy. Where was our dog? What had happened? Was he hurt? Had he gotten out to one of the busy roads? Had someone picked him up? He'd been gone for hours and hours now.

The Apprentice came on and T went back out, this time with Ollie on a leash and a flashlight and he walked deep into the woods again. He came back an hour later. Still no Henry.

I had a terrible night's sleep FULL of bad dreams (and I never remember my dreams) and dragged myself out of bed with a heavy heart because the most favorite part of my day is going downstairs and seeing the dogs and Henry is always the most joyous and excited in the morning full of love and licking and snuggles, and I knew he wasn't there and the thought just killed me.

So I walked into the kitchen and saw Ollie on his bed looking at me forlornly from behind the gate and I glanced out to the porch where I saw HENRY. ON THE PORCH. And I started shouting up to T (who was still in bed), "he's here! he's here! he's here!" And a most joyful reunion with lots of love and tears was had by all.

And then, I got into work, scanned the news and saw 30 children had been killed in Baghdad. 30 children. My dog is not a child. He is a dog. But all I can say is, love is love. And I love my dog and I feel so blessed that our family was not torn apart last night and I cannot fathom what is happening to families both here and in Iraq because of this war. Is anybody going to stop the madness? And I know you think I am nuts because my dog is just a dog. But all I can tell you is if he was gone for good last night, my heart would've been ripped open wide and I would have had a very hard time going forward. Scoff at me all you like, it's true. And so, I cannot imagine how people go on, find joy again, when the lives they had are destroyed by war.

But since I'm sure y'all want to see his guilty face, here's the repentant villain (we'll never know what his adventure was but he was one exhausted dog when he got home this morning).

And here's his brother giving him a stern talking to.

And then, peace and snuggle.

P.S. That gouge in his forehead? Was already there from ANOTHER trauma this past weekend that I will recount another time.

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