Until Tomorrow

The crust still in her eyes, Loretta awoken to Lucky her kitty’s face peering at her as to say, good morning mom oh and I am hungry. Stretching and trying to move her newly awoke state of mind, she looked into Lucky’s sweet eyes and said, good morning to you my friend. Glancing around the room, she noticed that the sun was not peeking through the window shades. Ah, it must be a cloudy day! She moved her blankets off her and placed her feet on the bedroom floor. Lucky is waiting patiently and making her sweet yet squeaky meow. Well, as usual you will eat before me, Loretta laughs. Civilization has changed, she thought. Here I am being ordered around by my pet and not a regular boss at work. Lucky plants her little furry body by her food bowl and waits patiently but not so patiently. The cold floor of her kitchen reminds Loretta that this is the cold hard facts of her new lifestyle of working from her home. But is it so bad really, she asks herself? Reaching for the can of cat food, she leans over to see that her back door appears to be unlocked. Lucky is now satisfied that she has been fed.  Loretta is, off to check the suspicious activity with her back door. She reached for her bat that she keeps hidden beside her back door just in case she would ever need to beat a prowler. As she arrives closer to her door, she notices that there is a wet, green paw print on the bottom of the door. Laying the bat down, she peers out of the back-door window and there sits Riley, her unattended dog. Well, case solved as she assumes that she did not lock the back door. Well, good morning to you Riley as she opens the door. Wagging her tail Riley runs her over leaping into the house. Finding herself on the floor, her bat lying next to her and a cat scared out of her mind, she says out loud, and it’s only nine am!

After rounding Riley back to the backyard and settling on her sofa, coffee in her mug, she can now finish her work that she started yesterday. Just when she thought nothing else could rattle her day, her doorbell rang. Placing her laptop aside and phone, one foot in front of the other, she made her way to her door. Standing at her front door was her neighbor Stan with Riley in his arms. Riley was not a large dog, but she wasn’t small and this sight of her kind and yet not looking so kind today was her dog in his arms squirming away trying to jump out. Riley! She exclaimed. Stan, I am so sorry, I suppose Riley got out of the yard again. Stan did not say a word, he only handed Riley to her and walked away shaking his head. As he walked, she shouted I truly am sorry, and I will investigate it right now. What am I going to do with you Riley? Lord knows how much I love you, but you have got to learn, and I have work to do! 

She placed Riley on a lease with a generous length. The grass is wet from the morning dew and her feet are now turning green as she walked the grounds. The whole while she is complaining to herself and mumbling. The birds do not even out sing her. I have so much pressure to get this work done and all I do is tend to my pets she exclaims. But then Loretta glances over and Riley is sitting quietly with her sweet head down as to apologize in the only way she knows how. I know, I know that you don’t mean it as if Riley

can even hear her from the other side of her yard. The fence graces the permeator of the yard with only two gates. Suddenly she slips on a hole. Now she is green from the wet grass. Great! Now I will need another shower! At last she has found Riley’s escape. A hole that she has dug to the great outside. Picking herself back up and wiping her now green hands onto her shirt, she makes her way to the garage. As she walks by her escape artist, she tells her, I am onto you girl! But with a laugh because she knows that she could not imagine life without either one of her fur babies. Riley watches as her master shovels away filing up her escape hole with so much dirt. Wipe that smirk off your face Riley because I am going to go to the store and purchase a tree and plant it there. Then she thinks to herself why am I even telling her this? Filled with hunger pain, she decides that the store will have to wait. After a shower and a good meal, I will settle down once more and finish my work. This time, she sits at her kitchen table so that she can keep an eye on her dog. Opening her laptop and placing her drink next to her, she begins to work. Finally, some time to catch up! The clock that is on her kitchen wall ticks away. She feels that everything will be fine now. A loud noise startles Lucky who was quietly sleeping next to her feet and she lands right on her laptop spilling all her drink. Falling back in her chair, she found herself again on the floor!  Loretta looks up at the clock on the wall and says, and it’s only twelve o clock!

It is clear to me that today is not going to be a workday but a pet day! Getting up off the floor and placing her chair back in its place, she realizes that her day has gotten worse. Her laptop is now flooded with her drink. It’s ruined she cries! Tears rolling down her face, she honestly doesn’t know whether to laugh or to continue to cry! Lucky can’t be found. She says her name over and over and assumes that she is hiding.  Loretta decides to shower for the third time. Keys in hand, she starts for the garage. Lucky comes out of hiding and sits at her feet. Ah, my sweet princess! She picks her up and gives her a kiss. I will be back. Again, she thinks why am I telling her this? Driving home with her new laptop and tree, she has hope that this day could end better than it started. Her newly purchased laptop neatly placed on her lap, she hopes to begin what she started yesterday yet again. Lucky is curled up next to her on the couch resting as a good little kitty should do. Riley is sound asleep outside, and she assumes that all is well. The sound of silence is so peaceful, but I do think a little music could not hurt my work atmosphere. Fumbling for her remote, she turns on her music. Lucky is still asleep and not bothered by the quiet sounds of jazz. She begins to work and praying that she may finally finish. The music plays as the cat and dog sleep and she knows that life is good.  Or is it? Suddenly Riley’s loud barking startles her and she leaps to her feet. Running for the back door, she swings it open and Riley is barking where the newly planted tree is. 

What on earth Riley?   Quiet girl or you will upset my neighbor Stan more than he already is! Loretta finds her shoes because this time she doesn’t want green feet!  Slowly, she walks towards the tree that she purchased and planted over the escape route Riley made. Riley still barking, Loretta looks the tree over and still not finding the reason that she is barking. Leaning her head way back, Loretta finds a squirrel up at the top of the tree. Riley, you made me come out here for a squirrel! Are you serious?   The squirrel decides that it wants to play and runs down the tree and runs right towards her dog! 

She runs as quickly as she can to outrace this tiny squirrel that is running towards her dog. Riley is about to break off her leash in panic as this small animal is racing towards her! Lucky sits in the window at amazement watching all of this play out. Loretta can’t outrace the squirrel. Riley breaks free of her leash and in a mad panic she follows the squirrel right to the fence. As quickly as this began, it is over. Riley lands her face looking at the fence and Loretta is out of breath. Gasping for breath, Loretta says out loud, I bought a tree to plant so that you cannot escape but obviously now it is a home to a squirrel that you want to chase, and I will never get my work done from yesterday! 

Loretta takes her fourth shower of the day and lands herself face first on her couch. Leaning her head up, she glares into the face of both of her fur babies. What am I going to do with you both? You are worse than children. Riley looks away as if to say, it’s not my fault you bought a tree. Lucky lays down next to her and starts to purr. Well, guys you most definitely make my life interesting and fun. Riley’s escape route is now guarded by a squirrel.  As Loretta tries to take her mind off her day, she gazes at the two most important things in her life right now. Her pets and her work. One got her attention today and one did not. And just when she thought all was still, there is a squirrel staring right at her! Riley, get that squirrel she exclaims! With that Riley is off and out the back door! Loretta slams the door behind her. 

As her back is against the door, Loretta prays please let tomorrow be a better day! Later that evening, her husband came home only to find her sitting in the closet with the light on working on her laptop. Honey, what are you doing in here, he asks? Don’t ask, just don’t ask. Well, he tells her, guess what I bought you today? Loretta slowly looks up to her husband to see what he is talking about. With so much glee in his eyes, he tells her that he knows that her laptop was getting old, so he went out today and wanted to surprise her with a new one!  Her husband doesn’t understand why such a great gift is isn’t received with happiness and surprise. His frazzled wife pulls him close to her and tells him to sit down and that she will explain to him about a story involving how she nearly survived a dog and a cat and a squirrel and an escape hole.  

Not the End…until tomorrow.