Tag Archives: Dino

The boiler is being fitted; A dictionary that may help with training

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Well, they’re here. There are three of them to fit a small boiler! Not sure why so many. Maybe it’s ‘cos siamo in Italia?

At least it’s being done although I think that if I’d not chased, I would still be at work now, waiting for the call. Anyway, the important thing is that there’ll be hot water for a shower tonight!

And, I’ve seen this book. S, my colleague brought it in this morning. It’s a ‘dictionary’ – or, at least, that’s what it’s called. From and to Italian………..

and……………

cane! Yes, dog. Apparently there’s also one for cats and one for something else. I intend to go and get one for F. I know he will love it! From what I can understand of it it’s really quite funny (and has serious points as well). It covers the dog’s behaviour and why and, I think, I hope, how to stop it if it’s not good. I intend to buy it this evening, assuming the men have finished here, which is almost certain to be before the bookshop closes.

S has bought it to try and train her dog – or, rather, stop it from barking at cyclists and cars and stop it doing some other stuff but, maybe, we’ll find some hints as to how to stop Dino licking (everything). Other than that, he’s almost perfect.

Well, I say that. There was the other evening when he growled at F and then tried to bite me. Not that he did bite me as he realised he should not but his jaws were round my wrist.

Since then we’ve been having some rather serious training to ensure that he knows that, in reality, he is the bottom of the pack and not, as he might have thought for a moment there, near or at the top!

The training includes the going in and out of everywhere last and not first. Still, after a week of this he has got the idea and now waits for everyone to go through before he comes. It’s a start, anyway.

Of course, as with any teenager, he’s only flexing his muscles a bit but it has to be stopped anyway.

We’ll see if the book can help with the training. Especially, ahem, with the training of F as, actually, it’s the things F does that allows Dino the thought that, maybe, just maybe, he may not be the bottom of the pack!

There’s a reason for the name

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Of course, one should be clean. But, sometimes, it’s difficult – even with short hair. The beard’s the problem. It just seems to pick up every bit of dirt and becomes discoloured really easily.

So now, there’s a new ‘habit’. That of washing the beard. The bidet is used, the specific towel to be used is at the back of the bidet. Everything is ready – always.

I am instructed that I should do this every time we come back. Of course, I won’t. But, then, I haven’t said I would. I make some sort of grunt when I am told that this should be done every time. There’s enough to do without worrying about that. And, anyway, he’ll be there to do it, most of the time.

Dino is the worst. His hair is growing at an incredible rate! And, of course, that includes his beard and, as a result, it gets dirty just by dragging on the ground as he sniffs something or whatever.

So, I guess the ‘beard washing’ will continue until his next haircut, at least. They aren’t called Bearded Collies for nothing.

Greetings; Strange thoughts; For me

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I know that he did it for me. I understand that and I wish I could explain to him that I understand that and how much I appreciate it.

I had picked him up from the airport. His plane had been late. I took the babies, just as he wanted. He was very happy about that, I knew. I watched, from the corner of my eye, the people around, smiling at the excitement shown by Dino, Rufus and F at seeing each other again. Dino had already had plenty of attention from people as I sat outside the terminal building, having a cigarette. For Dino all the people – too many people; the noise of the aircraft; the sound of the bags being wheeled around – all this was exiting and interesting. But seeing F was his biggest excitement. And he wasn’t sick in the car – well not until I was parking the car when we got back, anyway!

I had dropped F off at his flat. He would unpack and come round. He was very hungry. I suggested I got a pizza. He decided we should go there to eat. I waited outside the block of flats. But, he had changed his mind. It was too late, he said, which was true, really.

In the lift on the way back to my flat, we hugged and kissed. This was my time or, rather, our time for proper greetings. He felt good; he smelt good. I had missed him but also he had missed me, even if he didn’t say it. We watched the new video he had bought.

He talked about going for a session on the sunbed. I was surprised – but he’s quite vain, really – always more than I would have expected; than I do expect. He will shave his chest again, for the summer. I wish he wouldn’t but he will and, as he says, it will grow again.

I am so happy that he is back. I feel so comfortable with him. And then, at one point, a rather strange thing happened or, rather, a rather strange thing crossed my mind. Just for a fleeting moment. “What if I fall out of love with him?. Then he would just be a man.” This happened as he walked to the bathroom. I don’t know why I thought this. I mentally shook my head as if to dislodge this unwelcome thought. It didn’t come back but it made me feel strange.

And later he made me feel so good and I know that he did it for me. He doesn’t say that he loves me but I know that he does.

The new things

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[This is from a week or two ago] – They are very shiny – being new. He is so proud of them. I had wondered how long it would take and now, finally, they are here.

As is the soft-toy rabbit.

They are, of course, for the dogs. There are three shiny, new bowls. 2 for water and one for food. And the toy is similar to the sheep I bought a few weeks ago. Dino loves it and it makes a noise when you squeeze it so he loves it more.

We go out to a party as planned. We come back to my flat to collect the dogs – and we get some food too, obviously.

We take the dogs out and go back to his place. “Will they like the new bowls?”, he has asked me. I assure him that, even if they say nothing, I’m certain they will love them.

He fills the bowls with water. Whilst he is filling the third with food, Dino finds the rabbit and starts playing with it. He is happy (that’s F and Dino).

He is so proud of the things he has bought.

I may not have a key to the place but I think that Rufus and Dino’s positions in his home are secure.

Dentists, Doctors, Vets – hmmph! And more information about the dogs than you probably needed to know!

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I wonder if it is because I am older and, therefore, more cynical? Or is it because I have much more experience? Or is it because they are crap now? Or have they always been crap and I’m just finding out?

I know, before you tell me. That’s an unfair thing to say. After all, they’re only human too! Nobody can be perfect. And, it’s not really that I blame them, they are, after all, “general purpose” and something/someone like that can never be really perfect or know everything, can they?

Still, I find it annoying when they don’t listen. I’ve had my own problems; done my own research. I’m no expert either but it’s all kinda logical.

I had a lot of problems with my teeth. Sure, I could have cleaned them better in the past but the cleaning was not really the problem. No, the problem was that I ground my teeth…..a lot. And the grinding and clenching was for about 20 years. The pressure that caused meant that my teeth broke and meant that the ‘bite’ was not good and meant more pressure which led to severe gingivitis.

So, Dino has always had a problem with his teeth. When he was a puppy, his bottom set of milk teeth, especially the canines, went inside the top set of teeth, which is, of course, all wrong. When his second set came they were better but still not perfect.

As a result, on one side, he has what looks like severe gingivitis. But, really it’s just where one of the canines goes up into his gum, having spread the two teeth above, apart. It doesn’t seem to hurt him, he has no problem with grip or eating. I check it from time to time to make sure it’s not getting worse, of course. Eventually, probably, he will have to lose a couple of teeth but right now it’s fine.

The vet, looking at his teeth decided, quite wrongly, that the teeth needed cleaning. So he was telling me about this special cream for gingivitis and how I can clean them with a toothbrush and had a look again and then said ‘they’re not so bad, though’. Doh! Really? During the conversation, he ignored all my comments about why the teeth were like this and, anyway, one can see that the bottom canine is the wrong alignment and is ‘hitting’ the gum, thereby forcing it back!

And then there was Rufus. Rufus is over 14 now. He’s like an old gentleman. And, as with humans, as one gets older, lumps and bumps and warts and other things appear on your skin. This is normal. Of course, these days, they’re called “tumours” (and when, exactly did that happen?). It could be benign. Rufus has many of these “tumours”, which I told him (and then couldn’t find any, of course).

The problem with this lump is that it got damaged and now Dino, licker extraordinaire, will not leave it alone – which is just making it look so much worse. Anyway, he’s taken some samples for testing and I have to apply a cream, twice a day, for a week. Then we go back next week to see how it is.

He also asked me about the food I feed Rufus. I had to explain about the fact that I have to be careful these days. Rufus’ stomach doesn’t take so well to all food. We have a mix of Pedigree Chum with some cheap stuff from Carrefour (all dried). The Pedigree Chum binds him too much and he finds it difficult to go to the toilet – the cheap stuff loosens it all so that it’s more or less fine. He realised that I knew what I was doing. He did suggest something else but I explained that I had to be careful changing the food for Rufus – otherwise he got the runs. He understood. But, if I hadn’t been so obviously knowledgeable about my dogs dietary needs I know he would have been telling me to go for something else (and, obviously, something much more expensive!).

At the end of all this, I am a responsible dog owner and I know my dogs. And I know what they need. And, sometimes, I know, better than the vet, what is ‘wrong’ and if it’s something to worry about or not. The tumour thing I asked about only because, unless I make it better, Dino will continue to lick it and continue to make it seem bad, which it is not.

Oh yes, and he also told me that Rufus had some arthritis (which I know and which is obvious) and that his liver was a bit larger than normal. Yes he is drinking more; yes, I know that it’s going to happen but it’s nowhere near as bad as the last year with Ben – so everything is OK right now. Let’s face it, Rufus is very old and will die sooner or later. As it is he is doing really well and, whilst he’s not in pain and still has a good quality of life then it’s OK.

As the vet (the one in the UK a few years ago) said to me about Ben – I will know when the time has come!

The games of a relationship – part one – jealousy

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Relationships are bloody difficult, for everyone, it seems.

A, on a ‘break’ from Fr, and I went to this cocktail thing last night. The wine was good. The food was good. It was ‘finger food’, A’s new craze right now. He’s doing us Sunday lunch this weekend – which will be finger food.

Fr phoned him several times. He was annoyed.

“She shouldn’t be phoning me because we have agreed to meet at 9.15″, he moans to me. He doesn’t answer her calls.

As we’re walking away from the cocktail do to his car, he tries to phone her.

“She’s switched off her phone”, he moans further.

I ask where they were going to go. He says just ‘for a walking’ near to her place. I suggest that he goes to her flat anyway – the risk being that she doesn’t answer the door. I also suggest that he doesn’t say he was in the swimming-pool all the time as, if he gets to see her, she will smell the alcohol on his breath. I suggest, instead, that he blames me (as, anyway, she blames me for his drinking too much).

I tell him that he should stop playing games with her. Her phoning and he not answering. Then him phoning and she not having her phone on. He, of course, denies playing games, as, probably, would she. But, the reality is that, as in any other relationship, he (and her, probably) is playing a game. We all do it to a greater or lesser degree.

I don’t know whether he went round or not. I will email him now.

And then, this morning, S, my colleague, was upset. Upset because of her husband who she had seen, sitting at a café with other people. One of these people was a woman who, some time in the past, he may have had an affair with – perhaps – maybe. And she rang him and so they had a fight. So she wanted advice (but, as is normal, didn’t really want advice at all but to be told that what she planned was the right thing). She’s going to change her route because then she doesn’t see it – but, of course, that doesn’t mean it goes away. Her husband, of course, denies everything. She then spoke about, maybe, she should start going out with her friends. It’s more game. I suggested that she didn’t as going out with her friends meant that she would be doing it to try and make her husband jealous and if it didn’t work, then where would she be?

And so, interrupted by colleagues, she has been telling me the story over the last ‘x’ years. And why it all happened and asking what I thought. And I feel sorry for her as I do for A and I wish I could make it better for them but I can’t. But I did try to explain to her that I, too, have these feelings of jealousy – it’s just that I know what they are and I force myself to act in a proper way and not give in to them.

My example was this week. F texted me to say that he was going out with a friend. Of course, my immediate reaction is – who, what, why, where????? And what relationship do you have with them? Or have had with them?

I do none of that. I know that for what it is. And I prefer that he feels free enough to tell me this much. Later, on the phone, he said that he did not stay with them and went out for dinner on his own. It was complicated and he will explain it to me after; later; apparently.

And that’s OK. Maybe I will mention it or maybe not. In any event I have to explain the other night so that he knows I am not angry with him. Maybe it will come out then. Maybe I should explain that I have the feelings but don’t act on them. Maybe. Perhaps. Or not, of course.

A asked me when will we move in together. I said not now. Not yet. Maybe never. He didn’t understand. I said I would wait for F to decide. He thinks I’m crazy and that I should push. I know that I should not. When or if it is right, it will happen. F complains that his flat is too small. It will come – in time. There is time (or, at least, one has to hope for time). And, anyway, if there is no time, then there is little to be done about that.

In the meantime, I am, again, like a rabbit in car headlights. The fear of everything is causing me to freeze; to do nothing and, therefore, making everything far worse. However, today I did some stuff. And some stuff is better than the ‘nothing’ I had been doing until now.

At least, now, finally, the weather is more like summer. High twenties already and set to get higher with almost clear blue skies.

Even if my life is not perfect, I love it still. F returns tonight and I shall pick him up – he asks if the ‘babies’ will be there too. I say maybe. And, as he flies into Terminal 2, which is smaller, maybe I will take them. I know that Dino would love it. And so would F. And, as long as F and my dogs are happy, then that is all that matters.

And, whilst I may play some sort of game with our relationship, it’s not the one of A nor S nor their respective partners and I will not let the jealousy thing become the thing that controls me and takes me over. Each time it happens I will make it stop in my head.

It’s too nice a day to have problems like that.

Two sides

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It’s raining – that sort of misty, damp rain. Not real rain at all. But you would get wet all the same. A half-hour plane ride from a place we sat out in the garden in the warm sun.

I am here, sheltering from the rain because I had to have a cigarette and in this god-forsaken country there is no smoking in the airport. A little like the UK or, for that matter, Italy.

I decide to have another one. It will be another 3 hours before I’m back in Italy and able to smoke.

But that’s not the point of this post.

The point of this post is the way people are. Why is it that in one situation they say one thing and in another they say almost the opposite. Luckily, as they say in Italy, I know my chickens.

Let’s be honest. The guy I am with is fantastic in front of customers. He has the ‘gift of the gab’. He can tell amusing anecdotes; he keeps the customer entertained; he can explain a technical thing in a way that even I can understand but, above all, he says the things that the customer wants to hear and the truth – but only when actually in front of them!

At work, when something is questioned or proposed he blusters and pouts and screams that it will never be possible. In front of the customer everything is fine – there is always a solution. Quite often the two sides of him differ so much that something that, internally, was impossible or would cause problem x becomes easy or will certainly not cause problem x.

And so, as a result of an internal meeting, I wrote a letter that said we could do something but that these would be the problems and we thought it wouldn’t work. As I suspected (which is why I took him with me and is one of the reasons I’m good at my job) all the problems became ‘not problems’ and the wouldn’t work things suddenly would be fine.

However, it can be a little frustrating as I can’t have the customer here, in front of him all the time.

Ah, well, such is life.

And I got home last night about 11.30 p.m. and went to bed about midnight. And then, even though I was so very tired could not sleep until about 2 a.m. The dogs kindly woke me about 6 a.m. and now I just want sleeeeeeeeeeeep!

I have a shower

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There is little time. Even for this post. Everything is catching up on me and, soon, things will start to fall off the table. It’s my normal state.

However, it doesn’t help that I am having to go away to a customer and F is already away in Spain this week. OK, so it’s only one night – but two, very long days. And there’s the dogs (and no F to look after them). Even he asked why it seemed that, every time he was in Spain, I had to go somewhere for work too! And he’d be right.

In addition, I have no hot water (still) and have had none since about last Wednesday night – so almost a week. Luckily F only lives five minutes away but, still ………..

And so, with everything to do last night (as I am going away today), the last thing I actually needed was to be traipsing over to F’s house to take a shower. And, just in case you’re wondering, yes, I do have a key and no, it’s not mine – it’s his and I am only borrowing it whilst he’s away. I come back about midnight on Wednesday and he comes back in the early evening of Friday.

And I have to explain to him that, sometimes, I just can’t not touch him and, so, sometimes I do things to make it difficult for me which he could misinterpret.

Anyway, last night, I combined the going to his place with taking the dogs out, so it wasn’t too bad. Dino got very excited when he knew where we were going but after a quick search of the flat realised that F wasn’t there after all!

He lay down at the bathroom door. I had a shower.

Puppies, Eyes, Flats

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It was kind of nice, even if I know it means nothing in itself. It doesn’t really help with the confusing signals.

We met up in the shop. He’d forgotten his mobile so I didn’t bring the shoes back because I wasn’t sure I should. He waited in the shop hoping that I would come (but unable to let me know, obviously). We did the shoe thing.

On our way out, he took some photos of his window. He asked if I understood it. His messages are subtle when he does the window and it had taken me a moment – but I got it before he asked and told him so.

We decided to walk through the park. It was very overcast but much, much warmer – and humid. Still, the park seemed almost deserted and it was nice to walk through with him. He chatted with several people on the phone having missed many calls and messages during the day.

He spoke to M (one of his favourite colleagues). He talked about going for an aperitivo with her. He told her that, maybe, his diet would start tomorrow. I laughed.

We got to my street (which is very long) and he suggested we stop off at Polpetta for a beer.

He had got, through the post, the book he had ordered which had not come in time for my birthday.

“It can be our seven-meseversary present”, smiling as he says it.

It’s a book about Bearded Collies. He has already looked through it.

“Turn the page”, he says, repeating this until I get to the page with the ‘right’ pictures.

“There!”, he shouts, stabbing his finger on the picture. “Che carino”, his voice dropping and softening as one does when talking to a baby.

The picture is of a Beardie puppy.

“We can get one”, he says, excitedly.

“Three are too many”, I reply, knowing it to be true.

“Si but when Rufus goes”, he says. I laugh.

We have two beers each and move seats half way through, into the corner and not next to the loud group. He can see the estate agents window. He starts talking about the prices of flats for sale. We talk about the size of my flat; the size of his; that, if I bought mine he would change it this way and that – enlarge the bathroom (his favourite room) by taking some of the kitchen; enlarge the kitchen by getting rid of the corridor; enlarge the lounge by taking some of the bedroom.

He’s back to looking at the window of the estate agents.

He starts to calculate the repayments on a mortgage.

“We would have to have one more room”, he says. He’s talking about us buying a place together. And he continues to talk about it – how big it would have to be, etc.

It’s sweet but not real. Unless what he has said before is not real. And, here, we go back to a previous post. What exactly is the bullshit part – talking to me or talking to friends. R&Al nearly always ask when we are moving in together (well, actually, R, really). F always responds that we won’t. I go along with this and, actually, right now it would be very difficult. Or, rather, less comfortable for both of us. In fact, I do understand his reaction to R. After all it’s every time we see them. And F is a very private person (God knows what he would think about this blog) and so, I can see that he says it so that, sooner or later, R will stop.

But this all just makes me confused. I wonder if he means it but dismiss that. With this relationship I try hard not to build up any hopes, for fear they are dashed and I am left wondering what happened.

But the whole time we are at the bar – the talk about ‘after Rufus’, the ideal flat for us, etc. – it does give me some hope for the future. But it’s hard enough doing the holiday thing right now. Anything else is just too much for my head to get round.

We shall see.

Oh, yes. Whilst we were talking about the dogs earlier and the possibility of getting another puppy, he said he wanted on with the same colour eyes – sort of pale blue/grey/green. I said that this was not so usual. He said that the eyes were what made him fall in love with Dino.

Then I thought, yes and it was my eyes that made you fall for me. After all, as I’ve always said, my eyes are my best feature and he is a sucker for blue eyes.

I cook passata

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Well, at least I didn’t let the tomatoes go to waste – like I did last time.

I thought it would be nice. And I cooked it from scratch rather than buying it in a bottle. It was all supposed to go like this ……. I cook the passata (the tomato sauce that goes with bolognese sauce for those of you from the UK (‘cos there isn’t actually a thing called Spaghetti Bolognese here)); I was going to buy some sausages to go with it; I would have cooked and served tagliatelle with some of the sauce and then served the sausages with more sauce and a salad – a nice Sunday lunch/dinner.

Ah well. He informs me that, after a week of eating meat and drinking lots of beer in Germany, he’s on a diet! And the diet – bananas and milk!!!! WTF????

He doesn’t even like milk!

But I cook it anyway. I told him when we were out walking the dogs. He said we could have it tomorrow. Bless him.