seriously, it's all i can think of...

Have you ever been a hypocrite?

Well, I know I've been one more than once (like when I tell my students not to talk while I'm talking, but then when they talk, I talk over them...). Today, however, I had an almost hypocritical experience I'd like to reflect on a bit here. It's nothing too profound, as it entails my crazy dog and his toilet habits, but, let's face it, I'm a summer vacation and not much is happening.

I decided that my dog does much better during the day if he has a good walk/run in the morning. I've known this, but decided to commit it to my daily schedule and so, this morning, I took Zeus for a good, long run around the ward boundaries. I put my iPod on the "working out" play list I recently created, laced up my trashy Nikes, and put the dog on his University of Utah leash (that, by the way, is just about to rip in half). We did a good warm up on our street, at the end of which, we started running. He likes to run. I like to run, too, but you might say I'm not in tip-top shape. Ha. (On a side note, however, I'm debating on running in the Days of '47 5 or 10K at the end of the month....anyone wanna join me?)

Well, we'd been running for about, mmm, 5 seconds, when I noticed he was doing the puppy version of the Potty Dance. I panicked; if all he had to do was pee, then we were fine. However, he was doing his "I have to do a #2!" and I panicked. I tried to get him to walk to an abandoned house we pass, but he had to do his business NOW. So he did it. Right on the lawn of one of the Sunday School teacher's house in my ward.

Now, if you're like me, you find it quite disturbing when you're walking along and all of a sudden step in dog poo. Or even if you see it. It's kind of, uh, nasty. And I usually cuss when I step in something like that. I was blushing with embarrassment when I saw what my dog did and kicked myself because, of all the times I've walked him, I forgot to bring a little poop bag to pick up his mess. I stood there, debating, "hmmm...I could just walk away and pretend not to know....hmmmm...I should knock on their door and ask for a plastic sack....hmmm...we'll just come back later and get it."

So that's what we did. I left his business on the beautiful green grass of Sister Bird's front lawn and continued our walk. I couldn't realy enjoy the rest of my walk, and I dare say that Zeus was a little embarrassed, as well. We got home, took a drink of water and I grabbed a bag. After Zeus was sleeping in his kennel, I ran back to the scene of the crime and collected the evidence.

The burden of the whole experience was lifted as soon as I scooped up the poo and went on my merry way. I felt proud in knowing that no one was going to come across my dog's poo and step on it and then cuss. I felt like the experience could have been hypocritical, but, alas, you may want to start calling me the non-hypocrite of all hypocrites. Er... something.

Yeah, you also could say that, wow, Lauren, you're summer vacation is sounding very dull if all you can think to write about is your dog's poo.

And to that I say: Much thanks and goodnight.