Yesterday started off with a visit to the physio, who told me that my foot was already 70% healed, which after just 3.5 weeks is a miracle. Still bruising and swelling but that's to be expected. I now have strengthening exercises to get it back to full recovery.
In the afternoon, I took Diesel over to Alex and Jackie's so he could have time with his half-sister, Ziggy, while I got myself ready for my poetry reading at The Borders Book Festival.
He had a brilliant time, but apparently was looking for me when I left him (awww... so sweet... and I thought he'd go with anyone who had food for him) and was really pleased to see me when I got back.
My poetry reading went well considering that I could feel my nerves. It didn't help that I was 9th out of 10 readers and the wait was excruciating. However, one of the other readers, Anita John, a very good Borders poet, who's well known in these parts, was even more anxious than I was. Somehow that helped a bit. Interestingly, she was also part of the play writing competition I was in and she's been on tenterhooks about it... I think she's expecting to win. And I think I'm expecting her to win too.
This morning didn't start well. Diesel and I were supposed to go to Edinburgh and meet up with the puppy supervisor at 9.30 am for help with his recall, which hasn't been brilliant. Diesel works on Diesel-time and that's it!
Anyway, last night I was still awake at 2.45 and that was the last time I remembered until I woke up at one minute before 8. I was a bit shocked as usually Diesel and I get up at 7 and, given that it takes 45 - 60 minutes to get to where we were to meet the PS this wasn't the best start. So there I was with 30 minutes to feed the dog, feed myself, get showered and dressed and get the dog in the car, before having to set off to negotiate the A68 and hope for the best. And unbelievably, I managed. The PS, however, didn't and was nowhere to be seen. It turned out her morning was even worse than mine, with her aunt (who lives with her) feeding her 2 dogs last night without telling her and then the PS fed them too... the results of which were large, not very nice 'parcels' on her kitchen floor this morning, followed by a whole host of problems with the little girl she fosters.
She eventually arrived and we took Diesel to an enclosed part of Fort Kinnaird (who knew such a place existed?) where we let him off the lead and he went off and did his stuff. She could immediately see the problem I've been having and, apart from hiding from him and encouraging him loads, the remedy given was... sausages. Not the kind you cook, but the kind you find in jars that live in brine and are incredibly cheap in Lidl. I was left with instructions of how to use said sausages and so did a quick trip to Lidl when I got back to The Borders.
Given that I've not eaten meat for over 25 years, it wasn't the best experience getting the dratted things out of the jar, cutting them up and putting them in a bag. Then Diesel and I went out for a walk and, following all the PS's instructions, they worked a treat. He bombed back to me at high speed once he knew sausages were on the menu.
The only problem was, was that it was windy and that I'd completely forgotten that my hands were covered in sausage, so when I tried to smooth my hair down it too got covered in sausage... not the best for a non-meat eater.
It just goes to show the lengths that have to be gone through to train a Guide Dog puppy... so if sausages is it, then sausages it must be and I'll probably end up having to wash my hair much more often!
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