Can I Please Have My Doodles Back Now? Doodle Rehab is not for me!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Hi, I'm Sherri, and I'm a doodleholic. It's been 5 days since my last doodle kiss.

 

It all started a year ago. I had always enjoyed spending time with dogs as a recreational activity. But then I met a doodle and everything changed. He was so sweet and loveable at first, goofy, fun loving, happy, sloppy, shaggy, and loveable. Did I mention loveable? How could I not get drawn in? His name was Kaz, and I started to spend more and more time with him. His owners warned me about the difficulties, they told me that once I start I won't be able to stop, but it was already too late. I was hooked. A few months later I started looking around for doodles on the internet. It started off innocently enough - a quick Google search here and there. But it was only a matter of a few weeks before it became a constant obsession.

 

I experimented a bit with different breeds. I even visited a Portuguese Water Dog Breeder for a quick fix. But it wasn't the same. That's when I realized there was no going back. That very night I drained my checking account to purchase a doodle puppy and booked a flight to Toronto to pick her up and smuggle her back home to Ottawa in a duffle bag under my seat. (ok, it's not really smuggling if it's allowed but it fits with the story so let's go with it).

 

In the weeks leading up to the pickup date people noticed I had become distant and withdrawn. "I'm busy preparing for my new puppy!!" I would exclaim. They would just shake their heads and look away. I didn't care what they thought. I knew what I was getting into and I couldn't wait.

 

The pickup day arrived and I waited with knots in my stomach, high on anticipation, for the breeder to make the drop. And before I knew it there she was in my arms, tiny, soft, squirmy and full of love. Ahhh--my very first doodle kiss. Well now my addiction was in full swing. I spent every possible moment with my doodle bug. I couldn't stand to be apart from her for more than a few hours before I'd get all jittery and become desperate for another "hit". I started acting all crazy and hysterical, blubbering on about her all the time, making up ridiculous nick names for her, singing made up songs, calling the vet every week for fear there was something wrong. And of course, there in the background fuelling my addiction the whole time, was DoodleKisses.com

 

The last time I tried to leave my doodle I lasted two nights. I wouldn't have lasted five minutes if I had had a choice. I spent two days in boring meetings day dreaming about my doodle, and more than once was caught with a stupid grin on my face as I thought about her goofy antics. It wasn't easy to explain myself but I think I covered it up pretty well. I came racing home at the end of the trip from the airport only to find she wasn't where she was supposed to be. I panicked, I ran around the neighbourhood looking for her, texting my friend (the sitter) frantically with no response. Thoughts of disaster were flooding my panicked head. Then finally, I spotted her. She was playing with a ball in the park with my friend. "She wanted to play" was all she said. I could have killed her for putting in additional 30 minutes between me and my doodle fix. I swore to myself, Never Again! The withdrawal symptoms are just to severe: that empty lost feeling, reaching out for a furry body in the night only to find it's not there, the loss of productivity at my job. Nope, being a doodle addict was far better than being in doodle withdrawal. That's when the addiction went from bad to worse. I went out and got me a second doodle. I came up with a million excuses "he needed to be rescued" or "Sophie needs a play mate". But the truth is, one just wasn't enough. I needed more.

 

So how did I get to be in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with no doodles in site? All I know is I was somehow convinced that this would be good for me. I guess at the time I thought I shouldn't let the doodles come between me and the rest of my life. I've always wanted to come to the East Coast. This training course is a good career opportuntiy. I can't let my doodle addiction hold back my career. And anyway, I needed a break. There, I said it. I needed a break from my doodle responsibilities. Yes, I was convinced that this would be good for me. A healthy break.

 

Here I am on Day 5 of "Death by PowerPoint", otherwise known as "corporate training" in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and I am fantasizing about cutting my trip short. There are no doodles in Halifax and I miss my fur monkeys so much it is ridiculous. I had somehow come up with the genious idea that I could fly back via Toronto on Saturday and see my family and attend a family Christmas gathering on Sunday. That means no doodles until Sunday night. At which time it will be 7 full days since I last hugged a doodle. I just can't stand it. How am I supposed to survive? I need those warm furry bodies to cuddle up with. I need their playful antics. Heck, they can even tear up one of my socks, I really don't care.

 

It was raining in Halifax today, a freezing cold, yucky dark grey drizzly rainy day today. BruceGirl suggested I distract myself with drunken sailors or something like that, but I can't seem to find any. Trust me, I've tried. I've scoured many of the pubs within walking distance to my hotel. No Sailors. No doodles.  It seems to me that Halifax, a quiet coastal town, goes to sleep in the winter and won't wake up until spring. Personally, I think Halifax needs more doodles. Doodles always make it seem like the sun is shining even when it isn't.

Maybe, perhaps, possibly, it was good for me to get away for a short break. But, I can tell you with 100% certainty that this is one addiction I don't plan to shake. I'm as hopeless as can be, a Doodleholic for life!

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Sherri-I love this post!!! So funny-so true and I don't know how you made it through!!! You should be proud to be a doodleholic-the rest of the people (besides us of course) just don't know what they are missing!!!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

awe! That's really nice. Unfortunately I left this morning. I'll have my doodles back in my arms by Sunday night.

[Ashley, Ronnie and Ruby]

I have a Halifax Doodle if you need a Doodle kiss! She loves giving them and she is a sweetheart.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Your writing is so funny and so true.  I can't imagine being away for seven whole days without a Doodle kiss.  You must be in deep Doodle withdrawal at this stage.  Lucky there is always  DK to share your thoughts with as we are all as Doodle crazy as you,  LOL : )

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks Laurie, Becka, Amy, and everyone else for your comments.

That being said, I blame all of you for this doodle addiction website that fosters our co-dependancy and enables our addictions to continue (as Karen so atply put it). 

Deanna, if there were to be such a thing as a doodle addiction patch I wouldn't want to go anywhere near it. My addiction makes me as happy as a doodle in the mud. 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Carol, I know right? What's the point of going all the way to the east coast if there aren't going to be any drunken sailors. humph.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thank you so much for your support. I wouldn't be able to cope with my addiction without all of you. I'm hanging in there, but have to admit I am going numb from the doodle withdrawl. I almost got a quick hit yesterday, from an old english sheep dog (close enough to a doodle), but he was too frightened to be out at night (??) so I couldnt' get very close. What a tease!

@ BG - thanks for the kind offer, I'm heading out this afternoon so I should be able to survive. I just keep looing at doodle pics.

@Sharon, I've never heard of anyone actually dying from powerpoint, but i do believe this week I have come very close to becoming comatose. And yes, I love the serentiy prayer. They used to say it all the time in my dad's AA meetings. he's coming up on 30 years sober.

@ Rhonda, I know what you mean. I don't care if it is wrong to be a crazy doodle lady. I'm so happy with my doodles so who cares!!!

Rickie - lol. I'm going to include that suggestion in my email to the union about pet expenses getting covered for business travel.

@Jane, Lorraine, Bonnie, and Mimmi, Thanks for your support!!

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

Love your post Sherri!  Hope you are kissing those doodle noses soon :)

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

The first step is to admit your problem - errr in this case your blessing.  Being a doodleholic is not a bad thing and at least here on DK - you are in good company.

[Sharon & Monty]

Oh, you could always do the Serenity Prayer.  I say it always even without an addiction. (well none that I'm talking about.  :)

 "God grant me the Serenity to accept the things that I cannot change... The Courage to to change the things I can.....and the Wisdom to know the difference."