My Old Lady

I have an Old Lady.

While I am aware that usually when people use the term “Old Lady” they are usually men and they are usually referring to their wives. In such context I do not particularly care for the term “Old Lady” but in my case, she really is an Old Lady.

My Old Lady is almost 4 years old. In dog years.

At approximately 9 pm at night, if I am not in my bed my Old Lady is not happy. She becomes very irritable because 9 pm is her bedtime and if I am not in my bed, then she cannot fully relax and sleep.

Example #1: I am watching TV on my couch. It creeps to the 9 pm hour. My Old Lady will get up from her bed in the living room and go to her bed in my bedroom. She will loudly lie down and let out a large huff. If more time passes, she will give up on getting my partying-wild-self to bed, and settle down for a good night’s sleep. (Don’t you worry. Whenever I drag my sorry self to bed, she will wake from her slumber and be ready to join me on her half).

Example #2: We are away from home and it is 9 pm. This case usually happens at one of two households:

1) Grandpa’s (my dad’s) or

2) Number 3’s (Number 3 is one of my best friends. She is Tahn’s third favorite person on earth. Thus the name: Number 3. Number 3 is Tahn’s favorite person on earth behind me, Number 1 – obviously! and Grandpa Number 2. And in this forum, she will be referred to as Number 3).

At Grandpa’s house, he has bought a special bed just for the Old Lady Tahn and she is happy to sleep on it while we  watch TV. However, at Number 3’s house, Tahn does not want to go to bed. Even though Tahn and I lived at Number 3’s for a year, she feels that it is no longer her home; therefore, she cannot properly rest there. Number 3 is kind enough to welcome Tahn into her home whenever I go over, and even lets Tahn sleep on her couch. However, around that 9 pm hour, Tahn is in no mood for snuggling on the couch. Tahn turns into my chaperone and she anxiously sits away from the couch, waiting to leave. Tahn will not and cannot relax. After fighting with Tahn (through stink-eyes no less) I finally get up and take my Old Lady home.

Example #3: I am not home at Tahn’s bedtime. Yes, I am sorry to say, but as a single woman, I am often not home and in bed at 9 pm. Therefore, Tahn must go to bed on her own. I assume she does not appreciate this one bit, especially since when I get home, this is what Tahn is basically saying:

“Mum! Mum! Mum! You’re home, you’re home, you’re home. I missed you!! I missed you!! I missed you!! Oh, I’m tired. Mum, I need to go to bed. Mum, I need to go to bed. Mum, I need to go to bed. Mum, I need to go bed”.

Tahn will continue to tell me she needs to go to bed (by sitting by my our bed looking very sad and sleepy) until I am ready bed. If I am not ready to go to bed, I will get on the bed with her, wait for her to fall asleep, then sneak off for a while. (She never knows).

Some may argue that Tahn is not in fact an Old Lady. They would say she is a dog, a creature of habit. Really? Then why does this dog Old Lady have gray hairs?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

*Editor’s Note: Lately, I haven’t blogged about my sweet little girl, Tahn. Sorry Tahn. I love you. And for those of you who don’t believe she’s an Old Lady, I wish you could see this. It is almost 9 pm and Tahn is very upset I am sitting at the kitchen table at my computer and not in bed next to her.

Advertisement