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Mistaken Identity..... oooooooops! by © moon_grace It was the last year of nursing school. Hard time. I was so caught up with classes and studying for boards that I sort of neglected things around the house. Not to worry, Dave was really great taking care of things so I could get through the stress. Well, one Saturday, I revolted. It was spring and warm and the grass and poison oak needed cutting. We lived in a wooded area and the poison oak creeped into the yard quickly and silently like kudzu. I was the chief yard mower. I was the only one not allergic to the poison oak- oh lucky me. Well, not SO lucky. I had gotten by with not mowing the yard for YEARS by feigning fear of lawnmowers. I would tell him, "You know, my granny lost three toes to a mower once. It might be genetic. I best stay away from them." Well, that worked for nearly ten years til he came home early one day and caught me mowing down by the garden...Shoot...BUSTED. So, I pulled out the mower and finally got it going. I made a few passes across the yard and noted Dave came out and just sat on the steps. He was just sitting there, watching.  I got kind of aggravated because he just SAT there, watching. I thought, well..Ok, it's been so long since he's seen me work, he wants to savor this Kodak Moment. And the mower droned on. I finally get almost finished and I'm walking back and forth, back and forth across the yard. I look at the dog lot. Hmmmm. Something isn't right. I pass by again, Hmmm. Only one dog. Where's the other dog? We had two black labs, a mother and one of her grown pups. The mother belonged to Dave, and the grown pup, she was mine. I passed by again, and again I see only one dog. Next pass, I stopped the mower and stooped down in the yard, looking to see if the other dog was in the dog house. Nope, no dog. I turn to Dave. Dave who was still sitting on the porch steps and looking at me rather oddly. Hmmmmm. "Hey, we got a dog missing." I yell to him. Ok, so now I am really concerned cause he is obviously upset. I don't know what to think. He is worked up into extreme emotion and I am thinking, ok but where's the dog? "Well, I didn't know how to tell you. You've been so busy with studying for boards and all that I thought it would be best not to upset you and to tell you later. The dog died. I went out to feed her one day and she was dead." Ok, so here is my signal to be a sweet supportive wife..."Aww, I'm so sorry! I wish you'd have told me, but after all, she was an old dog." "OLD??? She wasn't that old! She was younger than the other one!" "What are you talkin' about? Your dog was older than mine!" "Hello! YOUR dog died." "Oh, you mean MY dog died?" "Yes, YOUR dog died. Gee, you really ARE blind without your glasses, aren't you?" "Oh...And you didn't want to upset me so you didn't tell me that my dog died?" "Yes, I buried her out in the woods that next Sunday while you were still sleeping." "Oh, I see. Well...tell me this, you didn't want to upset me, I can understand that. Is there anything else that's happened... oh say, like, is anyone in my family dead, too and you are holding back?" I wear my glasses more now. LOL. moon.