Thursday!
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It's also so we can find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. Members come here to check in. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
If you'd like to be part of the Itzl Alert Network, please leave a comment asking to join, or send us a message asking to join. We'd love to have you. The bigger our network, the less likely someone will be stranded all alone.
Xoco is not a morning dog. She does not like getting up early. Or getting up at all. Waking is a multi-step process for her and she requires time to get through each one.
They start with her getting her eyes open:
Then raising her head:
She crawls on her back out of the covers:
She finally reaches me, which makes her smile:
And then she stretches:
And is finally ready to get up.
It takes her at least 10 minutes to accomplish all of this. If I hurry her up, she's grumpy and sad until she gets her breakfast. She doesn't get breakfast until they've been outside to potty, so it takes her a while to cheer up.
Itzl, on the other hand, is very much a morning dog. He's up and in my face with a "Hey, the sun's gonna be up in an hour, hurry up!" Then he digs Xoco out, pulling the covers off her head, where she slowly starts her morning wake up routine.
In the meantime, Itzl has nudged her 20 times, bounced all over the bed, gotten a drink of water, checked the doors, come back, played with his bear, nudged Xoco again, and maybe, if he feels she moving fast enough, licked her belly, picked out the clothes he wants to wear, and put Xoco's favorite toys into her monkeybed.
As soon as she finishes stretching, he's waiting at the door to escort her outside.
While they are outside, I fill their breakfast bowls.
Itzl escorts Xoco to her food dish, because even after 3 years, she still can't remember where it's supposed to be.
They eat breakfast, Xoco runs up her ramp to her monkeybed and discovers toys! In the monkeybed! How amazing!
And Itzl and I leave to work.
And that's Xoco's morning.
She's thankful to wake up every morning, to have food, and toys, and a monkeybed, and a heated sofa, and above all else, to have Itzl, her everyday hero.