stephanie on the move: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

Not only is this a great book, but it is also very true of our night last night. Although if I was writing the book I would rename it The "Scare Stephanie and Scott half to death" incident...

Last night, like any other, Scott got home and we were in the kitchen making dinner. For some reason the smoke alarms started going off (strange because there was no smoke that I could see). Well, Miss Lola HATES loud beeping. Even the chimes on the washer and dryer send her hiding under end tables or behind the toilet (apparently very safe spots). So you can imagine her panic when the smoke alarms went off. Scott and I were at each of the doors in the house fanning them open and closed to try and make the beeping stop. It did.

This is when things got interesting. During all the commotion Lola disappeared. No big deal, she was hiding. No...not in any of her usual spots. Strange. So, I started calling for her...no little black dog. So the hunt began. Backyard...no. Any nook or cranny in the house...no. It is amazing how in a situation where you are starting to panic you look in places where there is no physically possible way something could be (i.e.-under the bar-about 2 inches high). I think my parents once looked in the oven or microwave for me in one of these moments.

We quickly realized Lola was nowhere to be found anywhere around the house so the frantic search of Noe began. I should mention this is BEYOND out of character for Lola. All she ever wants is her people around and for her to run any further than two houses away was pretty much unthinkable. I was sure she was just scared and hiding on a neighbors front porch. Nope.

PANIC! Yes, I absolutely started to move on pure adrenaline...mind racing about a million miles an hour. You see, while we live in a very Suburban/Urban area, there is A LOT of traffic and the J (public transportation) runs up and down the street about one house away from ours. For some reason I never felt like I was going to find her hit...I just kept searching the side walks for her crazy little self to be going door to door in a panic.

This is getting long so I will wrap it up. I got in the car and started driving. No real agenda in mind. Scott was still on foot and being a calm force in my insanity (THANK YOU)! He told me to drive to the pet store (duh-clearly I wasn't thinking straight) and check there. I felt like this was too far for the monster to go, but went anyway. She wasn't in there but I figured I would give the woman my information in case they found her. No sooner did I say, "My dog just ran away" that she said, "a little black one?" My heart stopped as she handed me the number of the two men that had her. Jose and Francisco! My new heros.

We called and called and finally got an answer and they said they were around the corner from the shop. Turns out these men were border line homeless and I don't think I would have gone so far as to say, "she is in great hands" as the lady did at the pet shop, but there was my little girl...safe and sound. She was shaking like a leaf and clearly panicked but she immediately began licking my face and Scott's as if to say, "thank you, I missed you, I'm sorry, let's go home". So, thank you to Jose and Francisco for scooping up our little munchkin! I just want to squeeze her every moment and I am now an even more hyper dog owner than I ever was before! All it takes is a moment!

Funny how these things happen. Lola and Scott had just gotten back from a walk (the same route she took off on on her great escape) about 30 minutes earlier and I took off her collar with the comment, "Good thing I got her a new tag with both our numbers since she NEVER has it on". Of course, that is the night she ran away.

Well, time to go snuggle my Lola. We are SO happy she is back and I think I am definitely still processing everything that happened. Yes, she is a dog, but she is like my child and I can't imagine her not being here. So here is to our psychotic little dog...we love you!