What Else Would I Be Doing?

I had that question asked of me last week, and it's been on my mind.

I'll admit, on rough days, I think about how I could be living on the water and driving a convertible with all the money I would have saved from not running an animal rescue. My 8th grade yearbook says I wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I grew up, and I originally went to college to become a journalist. I fell into web design as a geek and under peer pressure from my honors classmates. I've always held Jimmy Buffett as my idol, and I dream of visiting all 50 states at least once. I'd like to go for my captain's license finally, finish getting a master's degree, teach again, and fall in love. I still toy with the idea of skydiving, though I think I might stick to just parasailing for now.

Last week, we moved my dining room furniture out to make more room for crates for our special needs pets that need confinement and rest. But during the middle of the night, when I awoke to the crying sounds of a new rescue having a rough night, I realized I would like to have someone to look after me like that. There have been times in the past when I have slept in my truck to have more peace than I was getting at home. It's not their fault, I know that, but there are times I just want to be a little selfish. I have gotten accustomed to being home early to give meds and last time outs for potty, which means my social life pretty much ends by 9 pm. Thus my Internet addiction, what would I do without MySpace and Facebook?

I know this is where I'm supposed to be for now. Hope is sleeping snuggly in her crate with her two stuffed animals nestled beneath her, never to have to be chained again. Little Ike is sleeping peacefully in a dry, soft, comfy bed with a full tummy, probably the first he's known in many years. Herbie is no longer coughing, Lady is no longer scratching at her matted fur, Cora is no longer dodging traffic, Kuma no longer has to be a mom, and Junior, well, he's not happy being in a crate but at least he won't have to have his leg amputated for lack of care. Things are looking up for all of them, it would just be nice to have a fairy Godmother to send me a maid, a landscaper, a cook, and some flowers once in awhile.

Though I don't foresee a time soon that I won't be doing animal rescue, I'm very hopeful that our volunteer and support base will increase so I could start to take a little bit more "me" time once in awhile. Maybe I'll even make my dream of meeting my idol come true, if the darn hurricanes will leave anything of Key West for the rest of us.