Diego and Morrie Clean Up

A few weeks ago, I bought this wonderful large talavera cup. It tapers out from the bottom, holds about 2 cups of coffee or soup or cereal, has a handle and is beautiful to boot. I just love it. Whenever it isn’t in the dishwasher, I use it for every meal or every time I have coffee.

This morning I came out to discover that I’d left the two liters of blueberries I bought yesterday in the disinfectant over night. Ten minutes is the prescribed amount of time necessary to kill amoebas and other nasty things that might lurk, but I forgot and left them in the water for at least 8 hours. Can’t quite remember when I put them in. At any rate, I drained them and decided to have oatmeal and fresh berries for breakfast. I added some lactose-free nonfat milk and stevia and–yum. I’ve only been eating one or two meals a day, so each meal is a big deal, and since this one was being served in my very favorite mug/bowl of all times, I was looking forward to it.

I’d just finished taking pictures of the dogs and when I got to my bedroom, oatmeal in hand, I noticed that the sd card was still sticking out of my laptop, so I put my oatmeal on the bedside table, ejected the card and reached over to get the camera from the surface of the table that forms the headboard of my bed. Somehow, the long cord I’d just attached to the camera, thinking it would be handy to have a neck strap for it, caught on something and as I reached to release it, either my hand or the strap caught on the handle of my oatmeal mug and over it went to smash on the floor, spilling shards, oatmeal, blueberries and a full can of Caffeine Free Diet Coke that I had opened but not drunk the night before onto my bedroom floor as well as on my own foot. Yes. A mess.

I mourned the cup for thirty seconds or so, then mourned the time I was about to lose cleaning up this big mess. The oatmeal and milk and berries had scattered over quite a big area of the floor and it was a sticky, globby mess.

So what would you do? Yolanda was coming tomorrow but I never ever leave messes for her. I clean up puppy leavings, spills, kitchen messes. I put the dishes in the dishwasher and wash them, leaving the putting-away for her. She likes reorganizing my carefully thought out kitchen arrangements, putting the stuff I haven’t used in 14 years in front and my everyday necessities in the back. She even does this with my underwear, putting the prettiest (and too small) bras on top, perhaps thinking they will function like pheromones to draw romance.

At any rate, I carefully picked up each of the major shards of the clay cup and tossed them in the trashcan. Then I had a brilliant idea. With my bare fingers, I mushed through ever single lump of oatmeal. I drew my fingers across the floor checking for any little shards of clay. Then I opened the door and called in Diego. Morrie came trotting in the requisite few inches behind Diego.

And Diego went to work. I was amazed that Morrie didn’t, but I took it that he’d learned his lesson the few times he’d tried to “share” in Diego and Frida’s food dishes. I’d heard the snaps and barks and growls and guessed what was going on. I’d noticed how he now stayed safely in the kitchen waiting for his meal while I fed Frida and Diego and Birdie the cat outside.

Eventually, Morrie did locate a few blueberries that had rolled away as well as a flake or two of oatmeal at a safe distance from his boss. I  gleaned a few spoonfuls from Diego’s pile that he was making fast work of and fed them to Morrie. This seemed to embolden him, and he stuck his tongue out a couple of feet away from where Diego was operating like a mine sweeper.

A long low growl from Diego brought a cessation of that action. Morrie was being better trained by his brother and sister dog than by me! I swiped him a few more spoonfuls, then went back to my blog. In a few minutes Diego had sauntered off to his sleeping cage and curled up and Morrie had followed. I used a wet towel to wipe up the tablespoon of residue. Job over!

So, this is one mess entirely of my own making. And this time the dogs did the cleaning up! If you are curious about my favorite cup, I think it is not worth trying to salvage, especially because this is what I got from trying to fish the shards out of the garbage to wash and reassemble for a picture:

How we suffer for art. Everyone is now sleeping but me, Morrie on the floor at my side, the two older dogs outside curled up on lawn chairs. I was talking on Skype to OKCForgottenman, but he actually retired for a nap, too. The palm trees jiggle in the stiff breeze, rocking me mentally to sleep as well, so I’m off to dream new schemes. Tomorrow I go to shop for a new mug. I know where I can get one just like it. I think I’ll get two or maybe four. They are a proven good thing and how often do you find a utilitarian object that you LOVE. Besides, it will keep me from feeling guilty for always saving the “good” cup for myself. Adios. Mas Tarde. Si?

I think this qualifies for the Zany Afternoon prompt I found HERE.on the prompt generator