Are you ready to meditate with Kari?
Make sure that you're comfortable and warm and snug in your bed,
That everything is just right in your room so that you can relax your body and hopefully fall to sleep as you listen to the story.
It was race day.
Tucker,
Leo,
Gabby,
Charlie,
Adeline and Tyler were all going to do a 5K race.
They were at the beginning part,
They'd not actually set off yet.
There were crowds and crowds and crowds of people and Leo was questioning why he was involved in the whole thing at all.
Tucker said,
Come on Leo,
This is for a good cause.
This is for all those puppies and all those kitties and all those maybe snakes or whatever it is that they have at the pound that need help.
They need food,
They need their toenails clipping,
They need nice luxurious baths,
They need flea medicine,
They need homes Leo and if you're going to get a doggie or a kitty at home then they have to look nice and smell nice and they have to train them so then they need people to train them so that they behave because some doggies don't behave.
Some doggies don't like kitties.
Oh well,
Oh yeah,
That could be me if I was ever in a pound Leo.
We're doing this race in case I ever,
Ever ended up in a pound and they'd have to train me not to eat kitties.
That would be just like this.
So,
We're going to do this race and I suggest you just ignore all of the other people because just focus on me.
Just focus on being right next to me or be right next to Gabby.
Gabby will stay with you or Charlie.
Charlie will stay with you or Adeline.
Yes,
Adeline might stay with you.
Sometimes Adeline just goes off on her own and does her own thing though so maybe not but Tyler would.
Tyler would stay with you because he's very nice.
Tyler's very nice and he would definitely stay with you and I'll definitely stay with you Leo.
I'll stay with you the whole thing but apparently this marathon we're doing,
This really,
Really long marathon,
I think it's like 26,
000 miles,
It is.
Leo said,
I thought it was a 5k.
5k is only like three point something miles.
That's what I mean a marathon.
This marathon that we're doing,
Right,
Well it's going to be,
It's going to have surprises because the kids didn't tell us what surprises it was.
They just said to wear a white t-shirt and white shorts and that is what we're wearing.
Leo said,
Yeah that's why I feel partly very,
Very vulnerable and exposed.
Why did we have to wear a white t-shirt and white shorts?
I look like I'm going to play tennis.
Tucker said,
What's wrong with that?
Tennis is a very important game for the world.
Those balls going back and forward,
Back and forward,
Back and forward.
You know what it makes me,
It reminds me of when we go and stay with Jenna and we get to play with Sam because they play dog tennis there all the time and now that they have a new puppy,
Sam has a brother.
Did you know that,
Leo?
Of course I know it,
Said Leo.
I was right there with you.
Oh yes,
I forgot.
Yes,
Sam's little brother is called Molly and he's a puppy golden retriever and he's so nice and Sam,
Sam being a golden retriever is so nice.
He's so polite and so obedient and so kind and he does not want to chew on puppies.
Oh,
Kitties,
He's very nice.
Anyway,
They play dog tennis and they won't look really good in white shorts and white t-shirts.
I got sidetracked.
What was I talking about?
Anyway,
Yes,
No,
We're supposed to be wearing white shorts and white t-shirts because it's going to be something very special.
Something very special is going on in this marathon.
Leo looked at Adeline and said,
What is it?
What's going on?
Because I'm not really into surprises.
These crowds are already stressing me out.
I'm sweaty.
I'm palpitating.
I'm glad I wore a headband.
Leo had like a tennis headband on to soak up all the sweat but Tucker had told him that he was going to wear too because they needed it.
They were running a marathon after all.
So,
Tucker's in his headband.
Leo's in his headband.
The kids were all wearing white shorts and white t-shirts as well and Charlie had got a headband on.
Leo said,
When is this thing going to start and how long is it going to take and when's it going to be over?
Charlie said,
Well,
It depends if you run or if you walk but everybody's just here for fun,
Leo.
Don't be stressed.
Everyone,
It's like a big family thing.
They just all are here to raise money for the animals.
No one's here to push you around or be really competitive and try and be the fastest runner or anything.
Everyone's here just to hang out and have a nice Sunday afternoon and at the same time raise some money for the local pound.
This made Leo feel a little bit better but still he wasn't happy about the surprise.
Are you going to tell me about the surprises?
Charlie said,
Oh,
It's probably best if you just experience them as they go.
Them?
Said Leo.
Oh yeah,
Well,
It's one big surprise that happens frequently.
Tucker said,
Oh,
I can't wait.
It's like Christmas.
I'm so excited about it.
I'm not scared of surprises.
I really like surprises.
Surprises are one of my baby's bestest things in the whole world.
Surprises.
I like to,
Well,
Yeah,
I like to give surprises and I like to receive surprises.
So yes,
I'm very happy about it.
There was an announcement that everyone needed to go towards the start line.
The race was going to start in a minute.
So everyone started making their way closer to the beginning of the 5k point.
And then about 20 seconds later,
A big horn made a big loud noise that made Leo almost poop his pants.
Charlie grabbed a hold of him and said,
It's okay.
That's just the beginning of the race.
And then,
Which made it even worse,
Was there was these explosions of coloured powder all over the place,
All the way up in the air,
Through the sky.
And it was as if people were shooting like paint guns or something up in the sky and the powder,
It was blue and green and pink and all sorts of different colours,
Kind of just landed on everybody at the beginning of the race.
And everybody was already covered in what looked like paint powder.
Charlie said,
That's the surprise,
Leo.
It's a paint run.
Tucker said,
Me Leo,
Look at me,
I'm all different colours.
I'm like a doggy rainbow.
Oh,
I love it.
I love it.
The race started.
Leo was itchy already.
Oh,
I think I'm allergic to this paint powder.
Gabby said,
Don't worry,
Leo.
They use like the stuff that you can't be allergic to.
Leo wasn't very convinced.
Oh,
Gabby,
I can be allergic to a lot of things.
Gabby said,
Not this,
Leo.
This is like the most organic,
Authentic,
Purest paint ever.
She was just thinking of words to make Leo feel better.
She got no clue.
But I mean,
Common sense tells you that if you're going to do a paint run,
They wouldn't use like something toxic.
They'd use something that was okay for humans and animals.
Right.
They started the race.
Some people ran.
Some people just jogged.
Some people were just laughing and talking and walking.
Some people were playing music while they were walking and running.
Some people were there with their whole families,
Mom,
Dad,
Kids,
Dogs,
Everything.
There was all different types of people,
All doing different things.
But 99% of them were dressed in white.
But now they weren't white.
Now they were covered in all sorts of paint colors.
It was quite fun.
Tucker was having the bestest time.
And at different points on the race,
More paint powder was thrown up in the air.
It was as if you had to go through clouds of paint powder to get to the next part.
Leo absolutely hated it.
And because he hated it,
He seemed to be more covered in paint than anyone else,
Which is always the way it goes,
Right?
Tucker kept running for the paint clouds.
Oh,
This is so much fun.
This is like the bestest day ever.
He was trying to eat it.
Tucker tries to eat everything.
He was opening his mouth and trying to catch it as it fell.
It tastes delicious,
Leo.
It tastes a bit like chalk.
And I like chalk.
And look,
Who doesn't like chalk?
I mean,
To chew on a piece of chalk,
It's the bestest ever.
It makes all your mouth dry and it sticks in your teeth.
It's like chewing on peanut butter.
It's so much fun.
Leo was just grossed out completely by the whole idea of chewing on a piece of chalk.
Do you mind paint flying from the sky?
He did like peanut butter,
However,
So he understood exactly what Tucker was talking about.
Because there's nothing worse,
Or you should say,
There's nothing as fun as getting a big chunk of peanut butter stuck on the top of your mouth and not being able to get it off because you haven't got paws that can go in your mouth and pick it off the top of your mouth.
So you're licking at it for ages.
Leo did enjoy that,
Even though you think he wouldn't because it sounds quite annoying.
So there's Tucker flying through the sky,
Bouncing all over the place like Tigger or like a kangaroo would be.
Just jumping here and there and everywhere,
Trying to catch the paint that was flying all over the place.
He kept pretending that it was different flavours,
Which I'm sure it's not because I'm sure all the colours just tasted exactly the same.
But he was like,
The blue ones!
Definitely blue flavour!
And the yellow one,
The yellow one tastes like sunshine!
Tucker,
He's a crazy puppy.
Eventually,
For Leo,
What felt like 5,
000 million hours later,
They finished the 5k,
Or as Tucker was calling it,
The marathon.
And then,
At the end,
They all got a medal.
They all got a t-shirt that had the date of the run on it and a big picture of the logo on the back that was all about the pound.
And that was that.
They were done.
There was free cold water,
Bottles of water available if you wanted it.
And then,
At the end,
Everyone just kind of hung out like a big,
Giant family.
And there was about 500 of them.
Leo could not wait to get out of there,
To get home,
To have a bath,
And he hated baths.
To get home and have a bath and just be done with it.
Him being such an introvert,
It was a very difficult day.
But Tucker,
Being such an extrovert,
Just had the bestest,
Bestest time.
It was like he was drawing off all of the energy and the happiness and the crowds and the people and all the families and the other animals and the laughter and the music and everyone just being in a good mood.
That filled him up as if he was like,
Just full of all the love.
Whereas poor Leo was so drained and tired,
And he just wanted to be alone,
Back home in his bed.
So funny how different Tucker and Leo are and how they handle things differently.
Tucker,
Noticing that Leo was definitely over it,
Said goodbye to all the kids,
To Gabby and Charlie,
Adeline and Tyler.
And then they went home.
They had a bath.
And then it took them forever to clean the bath because the bath was covered in paint,
All different colours.
And then they put the pyjamas on and got on their comfortable dog bed together.
Tucker talked about his day and how he enjoyed the marathon and how he wanted to do it every single year and be a famous marathon runner.
I think if he actually did 26 miles,
It'd feel very different,
But I'm not going to say anything.
We'll just let him think he did a full marathon,
Shall we?
Tucker,
After a while,
Fell fast asleep.
He didn't notice that he'd been talking to himself for a long time because Leo fell asleep ages ago.
Leo just wanted to go in his cave,
To recoup.
Just be alone in his mind and his world.
The end.
