Alek Dog and I met a distant neighbor this morning. He said, "I've been wanting to talk to you. I noticed that your garage door needs painting."
I was happy to be able to say I had already talked with a painter with whom I had worked in the past and expected to be on his schedule soon. This neighbor has at least one small yard sign with an obscenity making me averse to trusting him with my house, 30 years of experience or not.
He also held up a dog leash and said, "The neighbors' dog from the far corner got away. I was going to bring him back but he is running way up the trail so I couldn't catch him."
That's the dog Alek got into it with on an earlier episode of getting loose. He's a very nice dog with a poor sense of when to step away -- and owners who think giving their dog freedom of movement is good despite long trips away and the presence of other dogs and people who may have varying ideas.
After this morning encounter I found myself exhibiting symptoms of anxiety. What if the door doesn't get painted? What if that dog or another sticks his muzzle in Alek's face? What would I do? How can I guarantee a safe future without major conflicts?
My sense is that the anxiety is getting worse (and what if my axiety gets worse? What can I do about it? But it might be that I just do not remember how bad it was in the past.