#056 In which our hero doesn't take responsibility.

The past 24 hours have really driven home the concept of personal responsibility.

Example the first: Our dog likes to get into the trash. And not just the kitchen trash (which I think of as the "good tasting trash" and understand why he would dig around in it) but also the bathroom trash. Now, that trash is comprised almost entirely of snot-filled tissues and used Q-Tips. I can't image that tastes good. But, apparently, to the dog it does.

It's my job - my responsibility - to empty the bathroom trash before I leave for work, since I'm the last one out. The Scientist has reminded me of this responsibility several times, but I generally forget. She even went so far as to turn the bathroom trash can upside-down before she left. My answer to this was to put my used Q-Tip and tissues on top of the upturned can. Not because I'm oblivious, but because I thought it was funny. This went on for three days before The Scientist told that no, actually, it wasn't funny.

So, yesterday I again forget to empty the trash and the dog got into it. I yelled at him and slapped him on the ass and thought that was the end of it.

At 8AM this morning, after wife and baby had already left and I was alone and warm in the bed, the dog puked on the bedroom carpet. And when this dog pukes, it's a whole-body affair that rattles the windows and sounds like this: Haaa-URK!

And what did he puke up? About a pound of snot-filled tissues and used Q-Tips, of course.

Example the second: Monday is trash day. Pulling into my driveway Monday evening after work, I spied the two empty trash cans on the tree lawn. I should pull those in, I thought. Nah, I'll wait until I go take the dog for a walk. I'll get 'em on the way back, since I'll be outside anyway. But, since it was cold and rainy, I decided to skip the dog's walk. Pulling out of my driveway on Tuesday morning, I paused at the end of the driveway, my hand hovering over the stick shift to put it into park, and thought, I should pull those trash can in. Naturally, I put the car into drive and thought, Nah, I'll get 'em when I come home.

That evening there was a citation on my door for $100 from the city for leaving my trash cans outside for longer than 24 hours.

All right! I get it already!

UPDATE! I called the city and they tell me it wasn't really a citation, but just a warning. Huh, I guess personal responsibility isn't that important after all.