Sweet serendipity has a premium cost...

Annie is my problem child. She doesn't chew through walls or eat furniture or anything like that. She's very mellow and sweet. She is a problem child in the sense that she requires regular urgent trips to the veterinarian. Annie has been a patient of one the kindest, gentlest veterinarians since I picked her up from the rescue three years ago. He's great with her and gets her because he has a fur-baby just like her.

You see, Annie is allergic to everything. EVERYTHING. Grass, weeds, pollen, dirt, beef, carrots, tomato, yeast, and a million other things. Poor girl is chronic. She stinks like a yeast ball and I love her regardless. So I was getting ready to do a ritual ear cleaning last night and something didn't feel right. There was a bubble in her ear flap. It was weird. I suspected it was a hematoma since she had one before I got her but didn't want to take the chance it was an allergic reaction to God knows what and it was still there this morning. I was going to take her to her beloved doctor but every time I take her in it costs me no less than $300 and something like this happens every two or three months. Hey, I'm trying to save my pennies for Christmas by this time of year and didn't want to spend money on a trip to the vet for something I was 90% sure about. So, I got a referral from a dear friend for the veterinarian he uses this side of I95, made a call, and headed over. Boy was that the best call ever. The veterinarian was delightful, the office was beautiful, the staff was so darn friendly....I love the place! And the best part? I got out of there under $60!!! Score!

I felt like I just discovered a new wonder of the world. I was giddy. Annie and I skip-walked back to the car parked on the other side of the block (I love living in the city) and piled in for the short ride home. I traveled a portion of Federal Highway I don't normally travel and was not paying attention to my speed. All of a sudden there is a dude standing in the middle of the street and as I slowed down and got closer see its one of Ft. Lauderdale's finest. Dammit. But what the hec was he doing standing in the middle of the road? Oooohhhhhh...motorcycle cop. He was waving me down to pull over. So I did a quick check of traffic to see if I was going to hit someone and changed lanes but passed the mark and street he wanted me to pull on to. Oops. That pissed him off. I turned on my hazard lights and pulled on to the next street. And waited. After a very healthy ass chewing - that I managed to sit through with out arguing, poker face and all-I was handed a ticket. In the end, the money I saved at the vet I threw away on Federal Highway. Fail!

Go figure.