Christina Holmes

It's after 1AM. I just spent a good 15-20 minutes running around the neighborhood frantically looking for the dog.

I stayed up a bit late tonight talking to a few friends and enjoying the whole "not doing a thing" thing I rarely get to do anymore. Decide about 12:30 that as I have work at 0700, I should consider going to bed. I had let Zayta out earlier and realized that I hadn't heard her bark to be let back in. So I go to the back door expecting her to be chilling on the deck chair or standing with her nose against the door whining to be let in. No Zayta.

Considering how late it was, I assumed I had already let her in and simply forgot. I locked the doors and went upstairs to change and get ready for bed. Fully expecting to see her stretched out on my bed waiting doe me. Nope. No Zayta.

Now I start freaking out. Pull on a pair of jeans and a poncho grab some shoes and throw them on as I'm tumbling down the stairs. I'm not the most coordinated person on a good day. Add emotional upset and a missing animal and my clumsiness is downright lethal. Just as Geordi, who was tripped over, kicked while I was falling and somehow landed on as well. Geordi is not pleased with me right now.

I run out the back door and see that the side gate has indeed been left open. I grab my phone and instead of calling his shop like a normal sane person would do, I type out a disjointed frantic email and send it. Technology in today's society!

I start out the gate and walk down the street towards the direction I normally walk her. Nothing. I call out and no response. By this time I am close to tears because no matter how much she irritates me, I love that crazy mutt.

I turn around and run down the street the other way. Calling out and listening for any dogs barking, as our neighborhood is full of barking dogs that bark if any thing moves within ten feet of the fence. No dice.

I hear some dogs barking right odd base and hear a bark similar to hers. But the gate is closed so there is no way she could have logically gotten over there. I'm about to call Nate in tears and tell him I lost his dog when I hear movement in the field behind the houses. Thinking its either a mountain lion or cat or crazed lunatic, I decide to investigate. I stumble through the field in the dark because not only does emotional upset cause me to be clumsy, it also causes me to not think logically such as grabbing a flashlight when going outside to look for a dog at one in the morning.

I stumble back towards the house to at least grab a flashlight when sitting two houses down from mine, is a big jolly yellow lab with the biggest dopiest grin on her face.

I lunge at her (as it didn't occur to me To make sure it even was my dog in the dark) and she starts jumping all over me as if to say "You found me! This is an awesome game!"

I step back and she sees my expression and does her bashful slink as if she knows she is in trouble. An follows me home jumping all over me as if I've been gone for a week.

I get her inside and send another email to Nate to tell him to stop worrying. As I've located the little brat.
Needless to say, it has been an eventful night. And I'm glad I have my Zayta Beta back . Even if it caused me to age 10 years.