Basement Chronicles

Socksie, Chapter 1

Dear Aunt Cheryl,

This is Socks. I want you to know how very much I appreciate the wonderful necklace you have sent to me. You have spelled my "common name" correctly. I do have other varieties of my name such as Socksie, Sockanese, and one lady calls me slippers. Now that is really stupid isn't it!?

I want to share with you the horrid night that I spent out in the awful freezing cold. It was most scary and frightening.

I knew something was up because I kept hearing these things popping all during the evening. I was getting more and more nervous. Mom kept saying it was all okay but they just wouldn't stop!

I decided to go outside and when I got to the bottom of the stairs and was about to do my... Ah... Business... There was this colossal explosion. There was this horrible banging and I was actually seeing stars, I thought. There were so many bright flashing lights and I got so very confused that I ran through this mountain of snow, instead of going back upstairs and into my warm house.

Once I broke through this humongous mass of snow I really couldn't see. I had not only stars in my eyes, but I also had these gigantic frozen ice crystals on my long eyelashes and that made me terribly disoriented. I just ran blindly trying to escape all the noise and it was just everywhere! The sky was bursting with all these different colored stars and making these horrendous noises and I just ran as fast as my dainty little feet could carry me. I didn't have a clue where I was; or going.

I heard this familiar noise of a door opening and this wonderful young man called me and was so sweet to me. He took me in out of the freezing cold and got me away from all that noise. Once my eyelashes melted and he comforted me, I knew I wasn't home but I didn't know what to do but cuddle up with this lad because it made me feel safe and warm. I mean, I must have been out there at least 10 minutes all by myself.

I can't tell you all the fun things I did at his house because it might hurt my mom's feelings, if she knew I was in heaven and getting all this well deserved attention. I have since found out that she, Jimbo and Grandma were extremely upset and looking all over for me. Mom walked the streets that night calling for me for almost 3 hours. Grandma was out for a while too. Jimbo was at a party but when he got home mom told him about me being gone and he just ran out of the house at 4 in the morning. Can you imagine going out that late at night when you could be in bed? And warm like I was... :-)

I guess Jimbo ran down to the bike trail to see if I was there and he was calling me and he heard a noise. He stopped and looked around and didn't see anything so he walked on some more. He heard another noise and he looked around some more and do you know what he saw? It was a moose baby laying in the snow chewing on something. Then he heard another noise again and it was the momma moose walking towards him. He told me he said a naught thing like... "Oh shit." and then he started slowly walking backwards away from the great big moose. Momma moose wasn't quite happy with him and her ears laid back and she started walking a little faster. He told me he cussed again, but he didn't say the words. Mom probably wouldn't like him cussing like that anyway.

Well, Jimbo just kept walking backwards faster and she finally stopped (Whew!!!)

Jimbo went back to the house and was really mad and sad, mom says. She also told me that she went to the dog pound looking for me and I now have forty five pictures of me. Those were flyers they were going to send to folks to find me. I could send you a signed copy if you want.

She just kept walking the streets and driving around everywhere looking for me. She told me she cried a lot too. After losing Harley before Christmas and me off on my lark, it was just too much for the old girl. I thought I heard her a couple of times but I couldn't find the doggie door to get out.


Anyway, I was with this wonderful family for 3 whole days. I was really getting the treatment while they were all back at my old house being really,really upset. The nice daddy took me for walks and went to lots of houses knocking on doors but mom wasn't home the day we went to my house. She said she was at a doctors office having a very delicate test done. Something to do with a ... Well I just don't want to think about such indelicate things like that, much less write about it. Poor Dear! She must have been embarrassed to have that test done.

Well wouldn't you know it, but the last day that Jimbo was home, this man took be for another walk about 3 in the afternoon. As we were walking down the street I got to see some neighbors out and about shoveling as it was just dreadful with a snow storm going on. Danielle who lives next door and plays with me, came out to the street and was all happy to see me and she called my name. This man I was with asked if she knew where I lived and she said sure, right next door. If he had just asked me I would have shown him but when a girl is out having the time of her life, why ruin a good thing?

Sooo, we walked on and I heard Mom banging on the window and there was Jimbo in the driveway, putting his suitcases in the car. Mom comes outside acting like a drama queen and was hugging this man and Danielle and me and Jimbo and Grandma and they were all crying, laughing and jumping up and down at the same time. I tell you, I have never seen anything like that before in my life! How can you laugh and cry and bounce around like that. And why? I was there and I was ok, you wouldn't think they'd be crying. My people are very strange.

And, while all this was going on do you know what that little cur Boceifus was doing? He was running after Danielle and nipping at her feet. He just loves to do that because Danny is afraid of that little simpleton. So, I could tell he had to be settled down because these people were acting kinda strange and not taking care of business. Someone had to be in charge. I just took off after Mister Boceifus and bit him on his neck, butt and side! That got him back in line pretty darn fast.

Jimbo, Mom and Grandma gave me lots of kisses and hugs and everyone was getting covered in snow. My, it was such a bad snow storm that day. Then Mom and Jimbo sent me and Bo in the house and can you believe it, they left! So much for my grand return!

Grandma took me down to her house and we just sat on the couch and snuggled in. She was so very happy to see me. I mean they ALL acted like I had gone on a voyage around the world they way they were acting when they saw me.

Mom came home in just a few minutes but Jimbo had to go back to Florida. I missed the last part of his vacation, by taking one of my own. I really am sorry I upset him so. Well, when Mom came back from her short trip, I just ignored her for several hours because it was rather rude of her to just dump me with Grandma and then leave like that. I had to get her back under control as well.

I had a chat with Boceifus and told him to not snuggle with her that night in bed either. We both slept away from her to just show her she better act right! She wasn't very happy about that, but you know; sometimes you just have to do things to let people know their boundaries.

Well, I do like the girlie-girl necklace you sent me. And that solid gold bling-bling hanging from it is just delightful. Thank you so very much. My mom and grandma didn't get me any presents for coming home, I'm sure glad you think I'm special!

Did you have to send one for Boceifus? It really took away some of the "specialness" of my present. At least his is blue, not nearly as pretty as my delicate pink. I do have to tell you though, the bling-bling makes noise when I walk or shake my stuff and mom always knows exactly where I am now. You'd think she was a cop of something.

Another bonus for my trip across the street. Mom takes us in the car with her more now. It really is too bad Harley isn't here for all this excitement. I miss that big galoot. He never bothered me like Boceifus does, he just let me be the princess that I am. Boceifus has to continually be put in his place. It is so tiresome keeping him in line!

My little paws are rather tired now so I am going to say good night and thank you again for such a beautiful necklace. I'm sure Boceifus isn't going to be writing any thank you letters. You know how those Germans are... Rude, crude and socially unacceptable!

I put a picture that rather looks like him on the stationary so you could at least think he was part of this letter.

Love you very much,
Socksie

PS : I think you spelled his name wrong but Grandma and Mom were saying something about it sounding the same regardless, so you must have done something right for him.

Ppss: I forgot to tell you... I like your necklace soooo much better than the one my mom got for me. Hers hurts me and I get a shock when the fence is working right. I wonder why she would buy me a necklace that hurts me. Was she always mean like this to you when you lived with her. Just doesn't make sense when I love her so much. I give her kisses all the time but she still puts that ugly shocky thing on me. At least at night she takes that one off when we are in bed. She has a couple of redeeming qualities but I shant press my mind thinking of more now.

Ta Ta for now....

Socksie