I'd forget my head...

if it wasn't screwed on. I mean I've done some dumb stuff, but tonight ranks right up there.

It was Errand Afternoon. I loaded all three dogs in the car. I needed to run by the store, get gas, go by Vicki's house and let out her dogs for her since she was at a wedding in Kansas City today. I then went to the new building, checked to make sure it was secure and to see if mail had come, and worked Cala on some of the agility equipment. Then we headed to Bradford.

Had a great walk at Bradford though I had to haul Zipper's little stub tail out of a hole when he decided he could do earthdog for real and tried to go down something ominously large--groundhog? Badger? (and yes, we saw a badger out there last year and it scared the beejaysus out of all of us). Loaded dogs back in the car. Got everybody water.

I guess now is a good time to describe my van. I have a Windstar. The two Dobe crates face the back tailgate. Behind Viva's crate, facing the passenger side sliding door, is Zipper's little crate. And at the moment, the rest of the van is pretty much a mess. Extra coats and beds, blankets, training stuff, toys from past agility trials, leads, collars, bumpers, dumbbells, harnesses, tracking line, flags--it's a huge muddled pile that I need to conquer sometime soon, because something tells me there are some treats-gone-bad somewhere in the pile. Got the picture in your head? Okay.

I went to a nice leisurely (and cheep!) supper at Tequila's with a friend. I left the back vents open on the van and the windows gapped about 6". Locked it and left. The dogs are so used to being in the car that it's pretty much just like home.

Finished supper and gossip (a bit thin on the gossip since a lot of people are out of town this weekend), wandered back to the car, got in, and started home. Windows were still open and when I heard a rustling sound right behind my seat I assume it's the wind. I came to a stoplight. I heard another rustle. A LOUD one. Craned my head around, and spotted a little red nose, very definitely not in his crate. Scares the crap out of me! How did he get out of his crate? Did somebody try to steal him? Snapped my head the other direction, looked at his crate. The door isn't open, but it could be unlatched, I couldn't tell and the light had turned green.

I called the little snot and reached my hand back. He came to my hand and I lifted him into my lap. I found a lead in the ball-o-crap behind the seats and clipped it on him. Zipper got to ride the rest of the way home in rare style, being a REAL dog, hanging his head out the window. Back legs on my legs, front legs on the door sill. He thought it was the coolest thing evah. I hate to tell him it's very unlikely to happen again!

When I got home, the first thing I did was check where he was rustling around and see if he'd eaten anything. Looks like maybe a mint. Then I walked around and looked at his crate.

Shut and latched.

Now there are a few things that could have happened.

a) Somebody broke into my car, let Zipper out of his crate, relatched the crate, left him in the ball-o-crap, relocked my car, and left. Without causing Viva and Cala to go ape-shit and alert half the county.

b) Zipper figured out how to unlatch his crate. Let himself out, re-latched his crate, and had fun in the ball-o-crap till I got back.

c) When I put Zipper in the car and got water for him, I poured him water, put it in his crate, latched his crate, and FORGOT TO PUT THE DOG IN THE CRATE.

Gee. Wonder which one it was?

I mean, this is really sad. I got the other dogs in their crates, I put water in his crate. It's a wire crate for Lord's sake. You'd think I'd notice that the dog wasn't in there!!

I think I need a brain transplant.