Our big adventure today was getting Rockwell's blood tested prior to starting heartworm medication in June. The CGDB had set an appointment for 11:30 today so I called and reserved a rental car for 10:30am. Because I was only renting it for 2 hours, they don't offer pick-up so I biked over. It is only 5 km away and I made it in 15 minutes total time (13 minutes on the bike at 23kph). I felt like I'd busted a lung to get there because I didn't want to be late but it felt good to be out zooming along and not just puttering on a bike as I do when I get groceries. I locked my bike to a sign post and drove back home where I outfitted the back seat in a sheet for Rockwell. Because I had given myself 2 hours for the rental, I didn't feel rushed.
I decided to go early and we left the house before 11. He is so good in a car and I don't worry about him while we drive, which I appreciate. When we got to the kennels, there was no other dog ahead of me and so they saw Rockwell right away. Someone lifted him onto the exam table and then put him in a headlock. The vet stuck a needle in his arm and drew blood. Just when she got the minimum amount of blood that she needed, Rockwell squirmed out of the hold and they were done. They gave me the heartworm stuff and some worming pills, filled out his health card and we were out of there.
Rockwell very obligingly peed before getting back in the car and we drove home. I dropped him off at the house, took the sheet out of the car and drove back to the rental place. Once paperwork was finished there, it had started raining again. Eastern Ontario has been under a low pressure cell for a week now and I had been hoping the rain would hold off while I was on the road but you can't have everything. So I biked home and got a little damp but it just added to the sense of a mini adventure.
This photo is from the weekend, after my sisters and kids had gone home. Rockwell has collapsed at my parents' feet.
posted by JuliaR @ 1:00 p.m.
4 Comments:
Does Enterprise specify when you rent the car that you not have animals in it?
That happened to me once...but the branch manager was very cool, and when I felt compelled to tell the truth (namely, that the Shed-O-Matic 5000 known as Lomax would be accompanying me on a four-hour road trip), he was okay with it (as long as I put down a towel).
I'm just wondering if you get hassled about it.
Shed-O-Matic 5000! I love it! Our beagles shed, but apparently not as much as Lomax. It would probably help my situation if I used the vacuum cleaner a bit more often ....
Jenny, I have occasionally been "told" that they don't want animals in the car but it depends on the manager. Most of them don't say anything. Some are pleased that I'm volunteering for guide dogs. For the few who aren't happy about it - and let's face it, dogs can make a big mess in the car - I explain that I put down a sheet to cover the entire back seat AND floor and bring towels if it is wet and I secure the dog in the car. Then when I'm done, I check the car for errant hairs, wipe them off with a damp hand (a trick I learned in the UK) and you can't even tell I've had a dog in the car. One manager once said it was about allergies but I countered with my own allergy to aftershave and how many stinky steering wheels and seat belts I have suffered with over the years from men who get in first thing in the morning and have fresh chemicals on their hands and neck. Phew! In those cars, I have to douse the offensive bits with an anti-stink agent I have discovered. So don't talk to me about allergies!
Sorry, was I ranting? Anyway, most of it is in the attitude and common courtesy can go a LONG way to appeasing otherwise ruffled feathers. And frankly, sometimes I don't bother to say why I am renting the car - I just need it for an errand. But I am well known at that branch of Enterprise (having been renting there for three years now) and I don't get any flack.
Sandy, I like the Shed-o-Matic too!
A damp hand! Great tip...I'll have to try it. It's so simple! Thanks, Julia.
Post a Comment
<< Home