Since he's been "taken ill" (hah! Still don't know what's wrong, although we know it's not Cushing's, even though his adrenals are slightly enlarged--if the symptom weren't such a pain in the arse, I wouldn't be bothered any further about it), Dog's been peeing like it's his job. Since he's peeing to rid himself of the excess potassium that might cause heart problems if it's not controlled, I suppose in a way it is his job, but anyway. He's got two favorite potty spots inside--in front of the television on the patio and behind the patio couch. Since both are on a tile floor, I'm pretty pleased he's using these spots instead of the carpeted ones. I've been putting down housetraining pads for him, which he uses pretty religiously, to minimize the clean up and mess and all is wonderful.
I'm kind of amazed he can use the ones behind the couch, frankly. There seems to be less gap between back of couch and wall than there is width of Dog, and to contemplate him getting back there, squatting, peeing and then getting back out without pushing the couch out from the wall is mindboggling. But he's done it, so I suppose he's thinner than I think.
Anyway, about a month ago, I was cleaning up a spill behind the couch and replacing the old brand of housepads with the new, actually effective, brand, and didn't have time to let the floor dry before I put them down. So I put one layer of pads down (three across the back of the couch) absorbent side down, to dry up the floor, and then put three more pads on top, absorbent side up, for the inevitable next use. Dog has managed to keep using the ones out in the open (since we've destigmatized the whole 'I have to pee and the hairless apes are all sleeping, I'm going to have to use the floor' thing), so I've just been occasionally checking the pads, monitoring the situation, and they've been dry. Until today.
Today, I'm sitting on my chaise and notice that the corner of the pad nearest to me is wet. The corner that's under the couch, not the one next to the wall. Okay, whatever. I check the floor underneath (since the patio wasn't built on a level floor, and water runs downhill whether or not it's got...impurities, it's possible it came from in front of the couch and ran down the grooves between the tiles) and all the mortar is dry. Not just dry, but dusty. Even more confusion. But maybe he's a gymnast when it comes to the pee, I'm not sure, I don't even know how he got behind the couch in the first place.
So I move the couch out and flip the pad up to carry it off, thinking I'll just have to replace that one and maybe the one underneath (in case it was run off from a couple of weeks ago that's dried up.) The top layer, the one facing up, is dry, except for the corner under the couch. The one underneath, facing down, is soaked. All the grout lines leading out to the front of the couch are dusty dry, too, so I know he hasn't peed in front of the couch recently enough to get enough pee down there, recently enough for the pad to still be wet--those things suck up fluid pretty effectively, and then dry out really fast, which makes them wonderful for cleaning urine out of carpet; flip 'em over, step on them to remove the obvious pee, put a fresh one down on the spot, leave it overnight and Bob's your uncle, Fannie's your aunt.
So, there's only two options for how this happened. One, Dog moved the couch, lifted the pads and peed directly on the tile under the pads, replaced them, moved the couch back and went on his merry way, or two.... Aw, hell. I can't think of a two. It's like the pee just...teleported into place under the pad. The underneath pad next to it was wet, as well, but that top pad was dry as a bone. So we might have a ghost peeing on the floor behind the couch. It's just as reasonable an explanation for how it got there as the dog moving the couch.
On to the knitting.
I can hear you now, what is that, SK? It's pink and blobby--does it have a purpose?
It's high fashion!
Actually, it's a doorknob chill-chaser. The back door knob at work was so loose in the door that you could actually see daylight around the edges. I put lacing through it and tied it to the door to keep the wind out. It worked, too. And irritated the facilities people enough that they tightened the damn doorknob. Heh. 
This isn't knitting, but he looks so intense, so focused on the yogurt. He takes his dairy very seriously. Dog reminds us all that proper calcium intake is important for health.
This is a highlight of a new project I've started. My first realized design. I'm still not sure it's working, but I'm willing to let it progress and see where it all shakes out. Might turn out better than I'm thinking, if I can manage not to get into my own way.Well, that's the highlights of today. The holiday upcoming is getting in the way of my happy knitting, but I've got three days after Thanksgiving to actually knit. I hope. I may get roped into some sort of cleaning bollywoggle. I'm hoping not; I've got lots of plans and things I want to get working on, and I'll need the time. Sigh. So much to do, so little time to do it!
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