I don't think I've ever seen Olga sleep as much or as soundly as she has since our return from Salisbury. She's lying next to me now, snoring away, and she was practically immobile both last night and the night before. We humans like to travel with our pets, and I think given a choice dogs would always opt to go rather than stay home. But I also think it stresses them out. Animals like routine most of all -- being in a familiar place on a familiar schedule.
One of my commenters mentioned that Dave looked tired in the picture I posted yesterday. Truthfully, none of us slept particularly well on our trip. It wasn't the hotel's fault -- it was just being in a strange place in a slightly-too-small bed with a 50-pound Staffy. Dave and I have also been in recovery mode!
My workplace routine was broken up yesterday by a special project -- judging a bookmark contest. My library colleagues solicited bookmark designs from the middle school students, and though the 7th and 8th graders were way too cool to participate at all, the 5th and 6th graders submitted about 30 entries. So we had to select winners for each grade.
We wound up picking several, because we couldn't choose just one, and ranking them from first through third place, with a couple of runners-up as well. The designs featured super heroes and spaceships and bookshelves and teddy bears and even, in one case, American Sign Language. One boy wrote an inspirational quote: "Never expect the unexpected." We can't stop laughing about that one. It seems like it should mean something, but it really doesn't.
(Photo: A shop in Salisbury.)
I am useless if I do not get enough sleep. Lots of older people seem not to sleep well but our solution it to have a nap for an hour in the afternoon and go to bed around about 12.30 a.m - 1.00a.m. I realise this wouldn't be any good for working folk but we both get a good night from this method.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed Salisbury. Our eldest son was stationed that way in the RAF and we visited a few years ago, beautiful place.
Briony
x
I think we all sleep better in our own beds and I agree dogs do feel stress as much as humans when travelling, dogs like their own beds which in a lot of cases is our bed lol, I think the bookmark contest sounds wonderful, I would love to see the work handed in, never expect the unexpected, lol , I thought I read that one wrong!
ReplyDelete"Never expect the unexpected" means something to me. Never expect that good luck will help you out or that change will come like magic. Mostly we travel upon "expected", predictable journeys through life and perhaps unexpected things will indeed happen but we shouldn't bank upon this.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see the winning bookmarks, and I kind of like YP's assessment of that youthful aphorism.
ReplyDeleteI believe that will be my new motto. It works on so many levels.
ReplyDeleteI love that "never expect the unexpected..." It's a new koan.
ReplyDeleteThe boy with the quote must be a relative of Casey Stengel.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about a too small bed and too many occupants, especially one that's about 20lbs overweight. I slept so well during my 3 weeks in Portugal! I have a drawer full of bookmarks since I usually pick up a new one after three or four trips to the library. I keep planning on doing a post some day.
ReplyDeleteWhen we ran a bookstore which took in used books in trade we frequently found bookmarks between the pages. Consequently I have a manila envelope full of them from all over the world.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking along the same lines as YP regarding "never expect the unexpected" so it works for me :)
ReplyDeleteAh, sleep - I really do poorly when I don't get enough of it. I hope you are caught up soon, all three of you!
I still haven't figured out how to get enough sleep with my new job - well, I know HOW, I just won't go to bed at 9:30 every night. That's ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteI would also love to see some of the bookmark entries. Seems like a fun contest!
more like, "ALWAYS expect the unexpected." I wonder if that is what he really meant.
ReplyDeleteWe have found a perfect sitter for our dogs when we go on vacation. They bounce out of the car and run to her front door! It's easier on us, and easier on them. But we do miss them so much and can't wait to play with them when we arrive home.
I, too, would love to see some of the bookmark images. Isn't it sad when little kids turn into kids who just want to appear cool? Sigh. Seems to be an inescapable phase.
Briony: That's an interesting sleep schedule. But hey, whatever works! I tend to go to bed early and then get up early (5:30 a.m. or so).
ReplyDeleteLaurie: We thought we read it wrong, too!
YP: It takes some mental gymnastics to get there, but I'm impressed you were able to come away from that sentence with any hint of meaning.
37P: Check out my subsequent post!
Ms Moon: Maybe I should put it at the top of my blog, in place of the Queen Joni quote. Then again, no.
Robin: It IS a koan! Now I'm more impressed than I was. :)
Red: I had to look up Casey Stengel, but I see on Wikipedia that he was "famous for his humorous and sometimes disjointed way of speech." So, point taken. :)
Ellen: We have the biggest bed possible, I think (American King), and I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Catalyst: That sounds like a blog post! Get scanning!
Jenny-O: I think we're in much better shape now.
Bug: We go to bed at 9:30 many nights, I must admit, though 10 is more typical!
Tara: I think he probably did mean something like that. But who knows. Maybe it just sounded like something he'd seen or heard somewhere and he went with it!