I Am Stressed.

I leave in 9 1/2 hours to claim my very pretty dog.

Those 9 1/2 hours are going to somehow have to include my being awake and coherent and working much harder at packing than I ever have in all my life. Also, my neighbors are old and crotchety and do not want to experience any noise whatsoever, and even their own coughing is too much noise so please, couldn’t they just quiet themselves down, what with all the coughing and breathing, the residential leasing agent really should consider providing earplugs to all prospective residents for all the noise pollution on this floor.

I found the last birthday card my Grandma S ever sent me.

It’s a cheery yellow with a yellow rose. The border around the yellow rose is yellow and white glitter. There are little yellow-and-white glittered flowers on the background.

Hallmark wrote, “For a Wonderful Granddaughter: Watching you grow has been like watching a flower blossom. With every year, you’ve changed in so many beautiful ways.”

And continues, “This just comes to let you know that one of the best things in life is and always will be having a granddaughter like you to be grateful for, to be proud of, to love. Happy Birthday.”

She wrote the date (26 Nov 04) and greeted with, “To my Sweet Ashley,” and continued, “Have a Wonderful Birthday, Honey, and buy something special for your 21st Birthday - Much love Grandma + family.”

I sat here for a moment trying to figure out if my 21st was the last birthday card she sent. It was. The tears came and I heaved this giant sigh of relief-mixed-with-intimate-sorrow-mixed-with-why-can’t-I-just-call-her. I told her, audibly, how much I miss her. How much I want her to know I think about her and wish I could call. I asked her to help me today (was that overly Catholic of me?), because Wow, this is a lot for my bipolar-and-thank-you-Mom-for-that soul to handle right now.

Maybe you ought to not grow quite tired of hearing about my Grandma. We weren’t particularly close. We talked maybe once a year. But when we did, I could feel her like she were sitting right next to me—maybe even a little too close for normal social comfort, but never close enough for Grandma because wow, she loves me. She’d take my cheeks in her painfully arthritic hand and squeeze my lips together as she kissed me. “Oh Ashley, honey, I love you. I’m so proud of you.”

I need help today.

I looked for Ethel’s brother Alex on PetFinder and found this picture of them together. It was fun to see them cuddling and to see her sweet face in a different picture.

I’ve not really quite known when to expect to have her home all week. The extremely primitive plan was to have her stay in shelter foster care for another week while I got settled in the apartment. However, her foster family needed to have her moved out by this weekend.

That was the original “Friday” plan. I talked to them yesterday and the shelter lady said that they needed to bring her Thursday (today) and wondered if I could pick her up at 4:00 p.m.

I thought today was dog day until I got out of my meeting at 10:30 and found out they’re really not coming until Saturday.

So yeah. Unless something else happens and it’ll be May before I see her, I should have my pup in my arms (and lap and legs and … heart—gag.) around 11:00 a.m. Saturday.

She’ll stay with Grandma Camille for a few hours while I get moved into the new house and then I’ll bring her home.

Wow, that was the most boring entry I have ever written. If you made it through, comment and I’ll give you a cookie. You think I’m lying but I am not. I will be sure to send that cookie along with the Christmas card I said I’d send. It will just be August 7th, 2011.

She comes home Friday. Welcome her, people.

Hey maybe I could actually talk about her. What do you think? Yes? No? Oh well, it’s my website.

This (above) is a picture of the newest member of my apartmenthold. Her name is Ethel. She’s Lucy the Hedgehog’s counterpart so it was only ethical and right and good (and kind of silly) for her to be named that.

She’s coming from a shelter in Sevier County, Utah. Here’s the listing on PetFinder.com (and I highly recommend them for petfinding):

This sweet little gal was abandoned along with the rest of her litter and mom when their human family moved away. Ashland and Alex her brother are the only two still waiting for their new families. Her mom was a 25-30 lb Terrier/Bassett mix, and who her father was, nobody knows! She is doing great with her crate training and her foster thinks she will be easy to housetrain. She is still a little shy but she is more outgoing and affectionate of the two. She just need someone that will give her lots of love and a little time to warm up to them.

She’s three months old so she still has some growing to do. The gals at the shelter think she won’t get bigger than 40 lbs. She’s being spayed today and they’re bringing her up to Salt Lake City on Friday, so that’s when she’s coming home. To a very barren and cold and empty apartment. But I will be in it. And love is all we need, right? Well, that and some milkbones. I’ve got that covered.

Also, if you want to help carry some really heavy stuff, you’re welcome to. Or I could just burn it all on my balcony and buy new. Also (hence the really obnoxious comments), I’m moving this weekend/early next week. I’m scared. And unprepared. But that’s the way Ashley does things, folks. Surprise!

So, sweet Ethel is going to have a rough weekend. I don’t expect her to be on her best behavior, but if any of you could maybe send some good vibes her way, that would be really great. Because, her best behavior would be awesome, really. Thanks.

Also, get to welcoming her and start making appointments to meet her and play with her and love her and buy her owner pretty things.