Friday, April 18, 2008

Payback is hell

All this time I have been a real stickler for having clean dogs (at least house dogs, anyway.) Most of my guys gave up resisting long ago and Guy even climbs right into the bathtub when I tell him to. With the addition of File', though, things have been a little bit more difficult. She spends a pretty extensive amount of time in the yard with the sled dogs, but she's been sleeping inside every night and accompanying me to work each day. Sometimes she smells downright raunchy from playing in the dirty melt-water outside so she occasionally gets a bath, much to her chagrin. I tell her to suck it up, that it doesn't hurt, and to deal with it, no matter how many protests she throws my way.

On what would seemingly be an unrelated note (but I think there's a karmic connection) one of my favorite indulgences is to take a long, steaming bath at night before heading to bed. This morning I woke up at the normal time, 6 AM, after very little sleep. I've been having trouble sleeping at night for some unknown reason, but I just haul myself out of bed anyway and go about my business. Today it was especially difficult because I had to work at the office until about 2:30 and then head over to the Mat-Su Home Builders' Home Show at the Wasilla Sports Complex, where we had a booth set up. I was scheduled to man the booth alone from 3 - 8 PM tonight and since I'm not really a "people person", by the time I got home this evening, I was more than exhausted. Dragging is really more in line with the way I felt (and still feel!)

I stumbled into the bathroom and turned on the faucets, adjusting them to give me the perfect almost-scalding-hot temperature that I crave for my evening baths. As I glanced up at the nearby shelf, I realized that I had an unused container of Burt's Bees bath salts just calling my name. "Put me in the water!! I smell good!!" it called, and what could I do but oblige? I popped open the lid and poured in a heaping helping of bath salts that smelled faintly medicinal but definitely all-natural. Mmm, I couldn't wait to settle into the tub, I thought as I gingerly tested the water with my big toe. It was the perfect temperature and I'd definitely be able to relax and read for quite a while. Or so I thought.

As I reclined into the delectable warmth that was my salted bath water, I noticed a slight tingling sensation at the backs of my legs. Ooh, invigorating! I thought. But then the tingling started to migrate to the front of my legs...and turn into a burning sensation. Hmmm...burning? I'm not too sure I'm into that. Then suddenly....OH. MY. GOD. I am on fire!!! What is going on?? It felt like swarms of bees were attacking me all over, but how could there possibly be bees in my bath water? No, there were no bees, I was definitely having an allergic reaction to my delicious bath salts. In a matter of seconds I had leapt from the water and was cursing like an (Irish!) sailor as I yanked the drain from the tub and turned the faucets on full blast yet again. Where was the soap???? I had to get this stuff off of me, and pronto! Thank goodness the body wash was in within easy reach and within seconds I had mostly scrubbed away the offending organic skin treatment.

So, after I emerged from the shower disappointed and decidedly out of hot water (no more bath for me tonight!) I got to wondering -- was karma paying me back for all of the bathing that I do to the dogs? Did File' have something to do with this? And more importantly, does anyone want a free container of Burts Bees Bath Salts?????

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