Posts Tagged: service dog thoughts about moving

Home at Last! (Part 4 of 4)

Click to read the other parts of my story:

As I eat my breakfast, Mom promises me we are almost there. It’s still more driving, but we cross into Tennessee, landing in a place called Memphis, where mom got her Starbucks and I got a pup cup.

I was happy, but spent yet another day on the road to a place called Cookeville. I’m hoping it has cookies for me, but unfortunately it doesn’t. Oh well. I know I’m a good boy and Mom has the only kind of cookie I can have, which I’ll get later.

When the humans got hungry, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel where I warmed up by the giant rock fireplace. So far, Tennesseans are friendly and that makes Mom very happy.

But after a shorter drive, tears of joy fall from Mom’s eyes as her good friend, Tammy, greets us at the end of her driveway. We have arrived where we’ll stay until the big truck arrives with our belongings.

I’m happy to have a yard to play in with my friend, Todd the cat.

After one night, something wonderful happened. I have a new, permanent home. No more all-day driving. I have lots of new spaces to explore, but finally, I can curl up in my own bed.

I’m home.

Are We There Yet? (Part 3 of 4)

(Read part 1 of my story here and part 2 here)

I really don’t like wearing raincoats or warm, winter jackets, but I wish Mom would put one on me now.

Wherever we are, it’s cold. But worse than that, the wind blows so crisp, it cuts to my bones. I don’t take long to do my business because of it.

Today has been more tumble weeds and some pretty rock, but mostly, flat ground that goes on forever. I’m glad I sleep a lot because it’s boring. I don’t know how my humans can stand so much of it.

Mom passes the time counting Amazon trucks. I think she’s up to 35 of them, but I can’t count so I curl up and go back to sleep.

Somewhere along the line we made it to a place called Tucumcari, New Mexico. Brrrrrr. I’m thankful for a warm room to sleep in for the night, but really miss my bed back home.

The humans and I went to get pizza and found this cool memorial to veterans that made Mom cry.

Waking up the next morning, it’s no surprise to me that I’m on the road again. It’s another long day of sleeping through the states of Texas and Oklahoma; both were just more flat land and tumble weeds, but I did see a lot of weird trees with wings.

If I were able to speak words I’d ask, “Are we there yet?”

I see the sun set as my tummy grumbles. We pass the bright lights of a tall building Mom says is a casino and Dad slows down because there’s a speed trap ahead.

A little time later, Mom tells me we’ve arrived in Port Smith, Arkansas, and we stay in yet another strange room. Oh, how I want to be home.

To be continued…

How Much Longer? (Part 2 of 4)

(Read part 1 of my story here)

This is one long road trip! I’ve been in the backseat of the car next to a pile of stuff that takes up the other half I usually stretch out on.

I wonder when this is going to end. Every day after I wake up in a strange room that is not home, I get my usual routine of business, then food. But soon after, I’m back in the car, curling up on my donut bed and we’re off again.

Today we drove to very cold place, just in time to see the sun set on a giant hole in the ground. I didn’t like the big rock I sat on, but the scenery sure was beautiful.

Sometimes Mom switches vehicles to share driving and it’s just the two of us cruising along in the pickup truck. She pats my head and assures me this long drive will soon be over. But most of the time I snooze in the back seat of the Jeep as the journey continues.

Whenever we stop, Mom makes sure I’m taken care of, usually before she takes care of herself. I’ve been watching out the window and ever since we left the great big pretty hole in the ground. I saw a few giant hills, but mostly now all I see for miles and miles is rock and tumble weeds.

Mom says we have to hurry along because of some big contract that has to be signed soon. I don’t know about that. All I can think about is will I ever see home again and where in the world are we going?

Continued next week…

Aiden’s Cross-Country Move (Part 1 of 4)

Mom lifts my nose up to meet hers and plants a wet sloppy kiss on it. Humans kiss in a funny way. I prefer slurping.

Mom says we are about to begin a new chapter in our life. Dad says a prayer for God to keep us safe, starts the Jeep and off we go on a road trip.

I like road trips because they usually bring me to my Aunt Cindy’s house where I play with my fur-cousins. But this one seems longer than usual. We had to make a few fun stops like the Jelly Belly Factory for a bag of Belly Flops.

Down the road the humans got hungry and stopped at a place called Pea Soup Andersen’s.

The hostess asked the wrong question about me so Mom told her there is only one question that can be asked legally, “What service does your dog perform?”

Teaching moments like this happen all the time and Mom takes advantage of them to educate the public. Our next stop was one my other human, GraceAnne, loved to go to when she visited her elementary school friend, Sarah, in Bakersfield, CA – a place called Dewar’s Candy Shop.

Mom had me pose for another iconic photo. I wonder how many more photos she will take on this trip?

To be continued…

Am I Going to Get Packed in a Box?

Everything is not where it should be.

My bed keeps going from room to room like it has legs. I’m glad I have a good sniffer so I can find it.

Boxes are being stuffed with my belongings and taped shut. I don’t know what is happening.

What I do know is a while back we took a trip to a place called Tennessee and now that is all Mom can talk about. We are doing something called “moving.”

All the furniture and boxes were moved to the garage. Strangers are coming and the walls are being painted. I accidentally brushed against the wet paint and got a white stripe on my ear. Then my waggy tail swiped a wall and now it has a white ring.

I don’t understand what is going on. I’m just watching all the busy work as Mom stresses out. But I stick by her and do my job, alerting on her low blood sugars.

With all the extra activity of moving furniture and boxes, she’s been having several lows. She says we’re in for an adventure and life is going to change drastically in the next few months.

With all her low blood sugars and the way things change around here so quickly, I hope I don’t accidentally get wrapped in bubble wrap and packed in a box.

P.S. Mom has assured me this will never happen no matter how crazy things get or how low her blood sugar goes; she loves me too much and never lets me out of her sight.