the perils and pitalls of dog walking

All of my walks this week have been with Lyd's dog Adonis. We are dog-sitting while she is in Florida.

Pretty much four times a day, for about 20 minutes. He'd go further and so would I if I knew a safe route. One without other dogs. Adonis hates other dogs. He picks fights with them.

Because of this, day two didn't go so well. Actually, it went horrible.

We walked first thing in the morning, and then came home. No issues. Then again, about 10:30-11:00. I needed to leave for work after lunch. Since I have a very safe and secure, or so I thought, route I decided to do it backwards. We headed down the hill to Broadway. We stopped to wait for traffic. I had him on a short leash and he was on my left. It's finally time to go, and we cross. I guess I walked ahead of him because somehow he went behind me and started walking on my right, quickly, and pulled me over face first into Broadway.  A very busy street. Thank goodness I left plenty of room so the cars could stop. I almost lost the leash. He comes back and waits for me.

Got up, dusted myself off, and we proceeded onward.

We're back at Broadway and Clewell, and cross the street again, going past the shopping center parking lot. We cross Itaska. I'm walking to go up the hill, and he sees a pitbull (and owner) coming out Itaska and pulls me over, face first into a pile of gravel near the factories the factories. My glasses are a twisted ruin. My face is dripping blood, and he is still pulling trying to get to the damn pit. I finally pull myself up, grab his choke collar and pull with the strength I have left. He doesn't care a rats butt about me. So much for loyality.

Pit is finally gone, I get up, glasses in hand and start walking again. Up Clewell to Sioux, and then down Bishopthorpe. We can't walk the short route out Itaska. Too many dogs.

I clean up, change, and head to work. First stop. The optician.

I gave them the pieces of my glasses and they were able to put them back together. I ordered a new lens. One has a huge gash it in. I can only imagine how my glasses saved my eyes during the fall.

Meet some former students in the hall who tell me my head is still bleeding. They take me to the health center, where she cleans me up again. Puts on Steri Stipes. Tells me I probably should have had stitches. Lack of insurance, means all first aid must be done at CVS. They don't have stitches there. I'll have a scar.

Today, I have an ugly forehead and raccoon eyes.  Yesterday one was swollen shut. The kids in my class tell me I broke my nose.