TheBanyanTree: The Shadow Knows

[Margaret R. Kramer]

The shadow knows that he has a new home.  We adopted Shadow, a lab mix,
black as night with hazel eyes, last Saturday from Last Hope.  He’s four
years old, weighs about 85 pounds, is neutered, and very well behaved.

Axel the beagle accepted the new dog without question.  And Shadow the black
lab accepted Axel.  The old 20 year cat is too old to care and she has no
problem with the new addition.

Now the black cat . . . that’s another story.  Shadow doesn’t pay him any
attention, but September somehow has it in his head that Shadow is out to
get him and he is freaking a bit.  I’m trying to get September to stay in
the house so he can get used to the dog, but Ray keeps letting him outside.
Or if I managed to get September back in the house, then he runs down the
basement and hides.  I would like him to stay in the living areas, cowering
behind the couch if he has to, so he can get used to the dog.  He’s always
lived with dogs and gets along with them, it’s just a matter of getting him
to get along with THIS dog.  Well, if Ray would stop letting him outside . .
.

But Shadow . . . he’s great.  He’s not another CoCo, but he’ll do.  He’s a
little more hyper than Axel, so I know I have to keep him busy, and he’s
very strong, but all in all he’s a good dog.  He’s been eating well,
sleeping well, and has adapted to our routines.  He doesn’t bark.  He doesn’
t jump on you if he’s excited.

Shadow was good with the boys.  He mounted them at first, just once, but
didn’t do it again. A dog mounting is not necessarily a sexual thing, it’s
one of the ways dogs have to determine their place in the hierarchy.  Shadow
was in a new situation and needed to know if these children, or puppies in
his eyes, were higher on the chain than he was.  He found out that he’s a
notch lower than the boys and once he knew that, he was OK.  Dogs want to
know their place in the pack.

Axel is the alpha dog for sure.  All he has to do is give Shadow the evil
eye and Shadow will do his bidding, like quietly move out of a favorite
sleeping spot.

I feel like our family is complete with Shadow’s arrival, except for the
wayward black cat, but we’ll rein him in and he’ll be OK, too.

I have more poop to pick up in the backyard and that’s not fun.

The July 4th holiday is over and everyone is back from long vacations so
things have accelerated at work.  I’ve been moved off of the architecture
team, which makes me a little sad, because I enjoyed working with them so
much, we had a GREAT team, to help out other teams.  We’ve had people who
have left and they’re not replacing them, so I’ve been asked to fill the
gap.  That’s OK.  One thing I’ve learned in business, nothing stays the
same.

I remember when I would have the same position for YEARS with the same
manager for YEARS, but in this new age, I change jobs like clothes and my
managers change as the wind shifts.  It was nice, but very boring to have
continuity and it’s scary, but interesting to have change.  It would be
great if companies could find some middle ground.  However, technology and
the world economy move at warp speed and we all need to keep up.  And that
means constant change.

I didn’t hear about the possible new job until yesterday.  The project
manager emailed me and told me to be patient.  The vender was going to be in
next week and he’ll get back to me after that.  Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Unlike job duties, it seems hiring is done at a snail’s pace, it took me
about three months of interviews and waiting to get my current job, but
since I’m currently gainfully employed, I can “be patient.”  Not a problem.

My current company received a letter of intent to get a contract in Alaska.
Wouldn’t that be great?  Part of the deal is some people have a chance to
move there.  Gosh, if I was younger, and the housing market was better, I
sure would think about it.  Alaska.  Yeah, that sounds so great.

It’s funny how all kinds of decision points come together at times.  New
dog, new job, and new location.  Lots of things to think about.

And finally, the shadow knows that my old boyfriend from back in college
emailed me and is coming to town for a conference next week and would like
to get together.  So as time marches on and brings changes, there are also
touch points that remind me of my past, good memories from my past and
growing pains from my past that poke their way into my present.

The sexiness Jeff and I have for each other is still there, my son noticed
it last time Jeff was here a few years ago.  “Mom,” he told me, “He was HOT
for you,”  And that’s nice to have as we see ourselves in our 50s with
bellies and gray hair and try not to compare ourselves to our slim bodies of
years past.  We were so young, 20 and 23, when we taught each other the joys
of sex and day to day living, day to day getting along, and working through
day to day plans.

But as in the past when we’ve met, there will be no trysts, as we’re both
married, just good conversation and catching up, and letting the sexy
feelings run in the background, like a gentle buzz from a strong drink.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net
margaret.kramer at polarispublications.com

The summer night is like a perfection of thought.
~Wallace Stevens