Consuming Job ? Memory Loss?? It's A Dog's Life!

This entry started out as an email - my comments to my family on how I got so consumed by work, that I lost connection with friends, family and many of the most important events happening around me for the past 30 years! Yes. 30 years!

I forwarded the Original email between me and my sisters to a few friends outside the family.

Below is the preface to the email about how life passes us by that I forwarded to non-family. It includes my sister's suggestion about how I might notice her future demise:
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Friends:

I thought you might enjoy this.... a note to my sisters .... we've been chatting about how time goes by before you notice something really important. This was precipitated by the fact that a really good friend of mine...I call her "The Mistress of Doom and Gloom" ..and "Our Lady of Perpetual Crisis" .....died A YEAR AGO... and I just found out. By the way, she EARNED every bit of those titles....

My sister responded back with...
"If I don't ask to stay at your house or call you to drop something at the Haiti Mission in Ft Laud for a year or so, then call my husband to find out if I'm dead."

We are a family of 15 - that's 12 siblings. I'm thinking her remark to me is very "Fargo". We're from Minnesota.... We admit to no emotion.
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******Below is my reply to her comment above:
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Sent: Sat May 23 07:45:12 2009
Subject: Speaking of short term memory loss..... It's a dog's life!


Jane & Pat & I have been exchanging notes about how easy it is to forget the simple stuff (or often the really important stuff...) and how much time passes before you "notice" something really important.

Here's a perfect example of something "I JUST NOTICED" today.. on 5/23/09 !!!

My dog and my ONLY Godchild, Christine.....share THE SAME BIRTHDAY !!!! 5/22

How strange is that???? Sadly, it took me 4 YEARS TO NOTICE !!!

I know...gag me... who cares, right?? Not that ANY of you feel that ANY natal facts or any history of a DAWG is remotely significant..... It is however, a very, very strange coincidence nonetheless that the only 2 creatures for which I have some level of responsibility - have the same birthday! I have owned the dog for 4 years.... I have been Godmother - though not the best one - for 23 years!!

So Pat, if I don't hear from you for a year - or up to 4 years - then perhaps I might think to call and find out what happened to you. ha ha... just kidding!

Also to my point that my job has consumed EVERYTHING thus no room left for what others consider important in life... and in my case....every bit of brain cell and free space has been on overload and fully consumed by 20+ yrs of a machine-gunning technology assault on my psyche in order to manage, organize and recall a continuous barrage of 24/7 complex computer problems, coupled with enormous issues and constant crisis...... That constant assualt apparently left little room in the brain to store, absorb or retain much else...

So absentmindedness, forgetfulness and disconnection with family events for all these years is how the lack of residual(brain) storage has manifested.... That IS my excuse all these years, and I'm sticking to it! That's why I did not attend any of your weddings, any of the graduations, funerals, births, showers or parties - including the one you all so generously offered to throw for my "x0th" birthday. Having to fly 1500 miles to the event, party or celebration.. was just too far... and took too much time from "work" all these years. :-)

Into this situation I inserted a dog (in 2005) - to add some "life" and essential "grounding" to this physical and mental chaos.... but of course, that only served to add 1 more dimension to manage.... and 1 more issue to deal with. Thus her purchase details, pedigree and ownership papers just hit the shelf and stayed there now these 4 yrs. I finally looked at them today....because I knew her birthday was probably yesterday....or somewhere in that vicinity.

Given the constant activity and drain on my time, here's how it goes around here with the dog added to the mix.... Oh dear...the Dog!! Did I feed you today? I think so..... Was that this morning? Oh no... I think I forgot to feed you again! Do I HAVE to walk you or can you just get the job done by yourself? Do it there..NOW. Hurry. Let's go... I'm late.... Did you poop today...or was that yesterday? Peggy says you dropped a flea in her bed. It was dead. I don't think it was you. I don't see fleas at home... Let's see, when did I do the flea and heartworm stuff? I can't remember. Ok...Let's wait a couple weeks on the flea stuff...so I don't poison you.... and so it goes....

I noted yet another interesting point that I might add here - or perhaps NOT that interesting... to those cynics in the group - and you know who you are..... Her mother's name was Ko Ko Puff. She's Coco Chic. Go figure. Who knew?? I didn't know that. My dog has the same name as her mutha'

BTW - She did not get a cake or gifts. She already has the gift of the perfect priviledged Boca life...and me! Both great gifts. It's a dog's life, eh? ha ha

BTW 2 - I'm willing to adopt anyone's kids to stay with me.... but I might not remember that they are here.... and food? forget it! If you don't like tuna, or shredded wheat or donuts from the freezer, you will starve. I finally got rid of a bunch of expired food.... (Marlene knows).... some of it expired as far back as 2004... Ugh! And...even the liquor is going bad around here....I'm finding white wine the color of dark apple juice ...eeoowww! Oh ...and my shoes? and purses?? they are disintegrating! I pull out a shoe or purse that has not seen daylight for about 6 yrs (or maybe 12 yrs...) and invariably the plastic or leather heel falls off while I'm wearing it, or all the leather cracks like an old woman's face (mine) or the leather dye stains my feet..... I've not been "home" for a long time and this is one big fatass job to go thru all my s*** only to find it falling apart. Plus, now I'm 60, old and fat. Oh well.... It had to come to this at some point....

Dog ...are you still here? What day is it anyway???
mb

******** so my brother responds with:

SLOWLY STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER..... TAKE YOUR MEDICINE...... AND ALL SHOULD BE BETTER BY NOON!

******** my sister responds with:
This is hilarious! Having all your brains sucked out by work is something all we obsessive compulsive types can relate to (she writes from her work BlackBerry which is on her nightstand). Happy B day to Coco

********* the "check in a yr to see if I'm dead" sister says:
On the other hand, you could have had kids that you "forgot" like some other people I can think of ( no relatives on my list for the paranoid peole in the group). Personally, I prefer describing it as benign neglect encouraging independence and self comforting and self-regulatory behavior. This prepares a person for a future of hardship which, if it does not materialize, is a super bonus and contributes to extreme happiness, even if you do hate your mother.

**** I expect more smarta** responses from family.... They ARE a witty bunch!