John & Becky Bunting

Last week our bishop’s wife asked us to house sit while they were gone this week. I think they knew we needed to get out of the house and spend some time alone. So Monday night we packed up and went over to take care of Henry the giant dog and Duma the tiny cat. Here are the highlights…

Monday

11:00 pm: We finally head to bed and John invites Henry to sleep on the bed with us. Henry is a very polite dog and would not get on the bed unless we invite him. We soon realize that the bed is too small for all three of us, but Henry is already asleep and won’t budge. Oh well, we let him sleep at the foot of the bed anyway.

12:00 am: I had been laying in bed listening to Henry snore for quite a while and I finally fell asleep. But then Henry got up and started barking at something outside the window. John got up to let him out and Henry bolted up the street and back down. I don’t think he caught what he was chasing.

1:00 am: John and Henry are back in bed, but suddenly we hear a strange sound. I had a picture in my mind of the cat out there playing with a remote control car. John gets up to investigate and Henry seizes the moment to lay his huge body across John’s pillow. I turn the other way so I do not have a dog’s behind in my face. John returns and is able to coax Henry back to the foot of the bed. The noise? The automatic cat litter box. John unplugged it because it wouldn’t stop running. (we figured out later that it runs 15 minutes before stopping)

The rest of the night was uneventful, but the fun begins again on Tuesday night…

11:00 pm: We’re late getting to bed again. Again Henry waits politely to be invited onto the bed.

12:00 am: Henry needs to go outside again. He remembered from last night that John was the one who got up to help him, so he walks over to the side of the bed and barks once quietly in John’s ear. I didn’t hear a peep until John yelled, “What, Henry, you want to go outside?” John got up to let Henry out, and left the door open a crack. This is a problem because the cat escaped and she is not allowed outside. She is very small and might get eaten by the coyotes. So, we spent about 20 minutes outside in our pajamas (in the cold) trying to corner the cat. She would not even be swayed by the can of stinking wet cat food, but eventually she gave up the fight. We finally got back to bed at 12:30 and enjoyed the rest of the night.

P.S. We also got to play Guitar Heroes and I think we’re ready to challenge you Zach, so you better be practicing!