day two of the week and we

didn't eat any of the food I prepped again.  I have another excuse.  I'll start with yesterday.  I was getting up from the computer after posting yesterday and I started doing some housework.  The dogs were in the backyard and I decided to let them stay out longer because why not?  Not too much later, I heard the bark.  (The one Archer does when he's telling Maggie to hurry with the escape route.)  I went to the back door and the barking stopped but I heard wood.  That's the only way I know to describe it.  I didn't know what the dogs were doing exactly but it was happening with wood.  I called their names but they never came.  I went out front and called and nothing.  I got Cosme and we got in the car and drove around back.  Turning out of the neighborhood, I told Cosme, "If those dogs have me driving up to their dead bodies, I will never forgive them."  We pulled up behind the house and Cosme shined his light over to the fence.  We saw eyes.  I told him that was Maggie.  I looked on the opposite side of the road, trying to focus in on something black, hoping it was a busted tire.  Then I told Cosme it was Archer and I broke down.  I was bawling.  Cosme got Maggie on a leash and then Archer popped up and ran over to the area behind the house.  He was spazzing out and wouldn't come to us.  He took off and we couldn't get him.  Cosme put Maggie in the car and we brought her home.  I was crying the entire time, positive that Archer ran off to die somewhere.  We put Maggie in the cage and searched the backyard again.  Nothing.  We drove back around to check in the brush again.  I pulled off the road, shining my lights on as much as I could.  Nothing.  There was nothing else to do.  We were looking for an injured black dog in the dark.  We came back home and on the way, called Eric to let him know what happened.  (They're still giving me a hard time for saying "we have some bad news" before telling him.  I wanted him to brace himself or something.)  Anyway, Eric said he was coming over to help look.  We got back to the house and Cosme found him.  He was sitting along the big gate in the backyard.  He wouldn't get up and had several raw spots on him.  He looked so pathetic.  I told Eric we found him and he came over to see him.  Archer would only get up once he saw Eric.  He had a limp and we didn't know what to do so we all loaded up and drove to the emergency vet in Pearland.  The drive there was horrible.  There were dense patches of fog the entire way.  We finally made it to the vet and Archer got out of the car and acted like nothing was wrong.  His tail between his legs told me that yeah, he remembered that place from his Parvo visit.  I'm sure he would've tap danced if he had to just to get out of going in.  We all made the decision that we'd just wait and take him to his vet in the morning.  We piled back into the car and drove back to Angleton.  I was so happy to get in bed.

I called the vet this morning and scheduled an appointment for each to get their shots and have Archer looked over.  Since I was also having them bathed, we dropped them off first thing.  We picked them up this evening and Archer's limp has gotten a little worse.  The vet sent him home with an anti-inflammatory (and instructions to take generic Prilosec to coat his stomach).  If he still has a limp when he finishes the meds in five days, we need to take him in for x-rays.  There's no telling what happened but most signs are pointing to him probably being tagged by a car.  One thing is certain, that was draining.  Pulling up and seeing your dog lying on the highway and appearing to be dead is a whole different level of emotion.  When we got home from the vet I took the dogs to the backyard to eat and use the bathroom.  Maggie went off to do her business but Archer wouldn't leave my side.  He could barely keep up with me and just wanted his head and neck scratched.  Thinking about seeing him lying there for dead and now limping like he is made me start crying again.  I wasn't bawling like last night but gosh, that shook me up.

I just got back from picking up his generic Prilosec.  I first stopped at Walgreens and they didn't have what I was looking for, which I thought was odd.  I was going to run by Walmart but because the light was red, I made a last minute decision to turn right to CVS.  I walked in and noticed a line at the register.  ugh.  I found what I wanted and looked at the pharmacy counter with no line.  I asked if I could pay there and they said yes.  When paying, they asked if I'd had a flu shot.  I hadn't and really wasn't planning on it.  (Olive Leaf Extract)  Since I ended up somewhere I hadn't planned and was asked, I decided all signs were telling me I should.  So, if this shot just saved me from anything, I have Archer to thank.

Oh, and that blondie recipe?  Tomorrow.