Tim Knows How to Pry Me Out of the House

  

Daily horoscopes are just like any other prophesy or prediction. Once spoken, you are duly warned. The hope is that you listen enough to ward off the prediction. Of course, there’s this thing called “self-fulfilling prophesy” where a person is so anxious and fearful beforehand that the dreaded thing happens just because the person set it up so well to happen.

My horoscope today caught me blindsided, it’s so close-to-home:

…put some distance between you and whoever or whatever has been making you feel so blue lately. Come on. You've seen way too much of your living room lately. Your dog is even trying to figure out how to get you out of the house. Go ahead; have some fun. You've put in your time.

I don’t think I’m really all that “blue,” but I do tend to stay home when I’m home. It’s the part about my dog that hit my funny bone. Well, “dogs” in my case. I truly wish I could train them to understand it when I say, “it’s a day off tomorrow, we can sleep in.”

After they drag me out of bed, they drag me to the door to let them out, and then they’ll stand there looking at me, all four sets of eyes eagerly looking up in anticipation for me to come outside too.

My dogs aren’t the only ones that work hard to drag me out of the house though. Prime example: My son Tim invited me to Thanksgiving dinner at his place. Not a bad idea; I wouldn’t have to cook. (Truth be known, I can’t cook, so I viewed the invite out as a self-defense thing on his part.) I was looking forward to it – until the day actually arrived.

Countless text messages and phone calls back and forth started early in the morning and didn’t quit all day. My side of the conversations were excuses not to show up, his side were stern orders to drag my butt out the door and get over there. He knows me well, my boy does.

The other trick to getting me out of the house is to ask me spontaneously instead of inviting me way ahead of time. That way, I don’t have the time to cook up reasons and excuses not to go.

Anyway, I’m glad I went to Tim’s yesterday. It was great to see him and spend time with him. The food was good, the company was great, and I had a good time.

Now I have three days left of the long, long weekend to not go out. I have my excuses all ready to go: I’ll be training my dogs not to wake me up so early on my days off and keeping my eye on my horoscope.