And the Winner is....

Tarot Card for the Day---OH my very favorite--

Nine of Swords.
Well, at least it's in reversed orientation.

Stop Worrying
Stop Fretting
Stop Stewing
Stop feeling GUILTY
Stop with the suffering already--enough is enough.

I let the dog out this morning. Have you ever had a border collie? I ask people that question a lot--imagine you're in your pajamas, and the dog needs to go out, but the dog thinks it's smarter than you are, and so, when you say "do you want to go outside and potty?" The dog says

"Of course, you know that I haven't urinated all night, my bladder is completely full, and my bowels are so full that they're hurting, and the hemerhoids are acting up. I'm starving, too. But you know what? I'll be dog goned if I'm going to make this easy for you. I'll go outside when I'm good and ready and not before."

Notice the dog is WAY more intelligent than it's owner.

So, you call, with an "excited" voice "come on! Let's go outside! It's time to go outdoors!", slapping your thighs and head out the door. Notice too, that the dog hasn't moved or budged an inch--but looks at me as if I've lost my ever-loving mind!

"Woman. Don't you realize that you are in you pajamas? It's frigid out there? I've got a fur coat, and there is no way on this earth that I'm going to subject my nice warm body to the rigors of the cold Michigan winter! You can just forget it."

So because I don't have time this morning, I have to 'convince' her.

"You're going outdoors, because I don't have time to mess around with this business. If I could teach you to go on the stool, I surely would. Do you really think that I want to go outside WITH you again? I don't think so. I have to get ready for work."

And so continues the power struggle with my dog. I'm trying to teach her that if she barks a certain way, I will come and get her. So far, she hasn't barked, and I'm an hour late for work. This technique just isn't working.