By Fargo Glover
My boss encouraged me to write about our wonderful life together. When I was a year old, I got lost running along a road. My boss chose me from the online list of dogs slated for euthanasia before the deadline arrived. My mischievous stories could probably fill a book. Like the notes on the doors to assure I didn’t try to escape. The boss could tell you I escaped several times but she caught me while I was running around the neighborhood (this was long ago).
We moved several times before I got my Office Assistant title to help her. We live in Houston now. My boss takes me for a walk twice a day. I sleep a lot and devour a superior new diet. But…I want to share what I’ve learned about moving.
Realtor’s Assistance
When we moved from Sachse, Texas to Katy, Texas, it was different from the previous moves. That time, the Realtor lady helped stage the house and sold it fast. She demanded that we stash furniture in the garage. When she moved some of the stuff to the garage, it made a big difference.
I recall the picture of a Zebra the Realtor (hers) chose for the bedroom. Nasty! Ugh! But she had a plan to help us. We knew where everything would fit in the new house. Things were packed with care to move to Katy to be closer to the boss’s family. Nothing broke and my boss knew what would go where. And, thankfully, the Realtor took that weird picture to her home.
We arrived in Katy, Texas, a cool town outside Houston. I thought it strange that we moved to a smaller home, but thank goodness, we had a small backyard. I still had my fuzzy pad in her office. That’s when I realized how valuable I was to the boss. I helped her in her new office and I realized some of her stuff needed to be tossed.
I loved Katy. There was a big, fluffy ten-year-old dog across the street who didn’t realize her size. Romping with her provided fun and friendship for me. I thought maybe I’d get to visit the youngest grandkids, but they have four dogs, who growl at me. But the fluffy dog and I enjoy cavorting together.
Another Move
Before we moved this time, we went for a ride to Houston to visit one of the other relatives who had a HUGE brown dog who liked to sleep more than play, although I taught her a few ways to play. And then one day the boss told me we would be packing again. I didn’t understand but knew I must remain center stage or become lost. I helped when they sold some of their antiques and moved to an apartment building.
A friend told my mom, (I mean my boss) to purchase colored tape for various piles for the boxes, like colorful green tape for shoes or red tape for office supplies. Several big marking pencils arrived. That neighbor helped our move with her suggestions!
Still, we rushed through the process this time…there was little planning. Just boxes without labels for one area and another small area for my office with my boss. What the?. It took time to get everything straightened out and find where things belonged. But it didn’t bother me. I have my sleeping pad, good food and met the new veterinarian. And I’m still the Office Assistant. I sleep on my pad beside the boss in the little office.
Planning
Another friend moved his mother- and father-in-law to live with them. I hear they brought everything they own and hardly have any place to walk. Not sure I’m saying this well, but those two people didn’t downsize. They brought all the stuff from their apartment to the son’s home. They can hardly walk through the house with a deluge of boxes. They are having a tough time.
Our nearby friends have so many boxes they cannot find what they want and need, while boxes of old magazines sit in the living room. My boss told me we need to pray for them. And pray for others to learn how to plan for a move.
I’m so glad things have calmed down in my office. We know where things are and overcame the challenges of moving so that now we are comfortable. It takes time, especially for an old dog like me with my job. I feel sad for my humans. It requires time for things like this to calm down, especially with senior citizens.
The Moral
Moving requires planning ahead of time. For one thing, anyone who moves should get boxes, different sizes of tape with various colors to know where to put the doggone things. It’s doggone easier to plan beforehand. Thanks for listening!