From the editor- Best laid plans | Canterbury Opinion | Local Voices from Canterbury, New Zealand

Best laid plans generally fall apart and that was definitely the case for me on Saturday.

With my baching days about to end with the wife returning from overseas on Sunday morning, I had planned a bit of an afternoon out with the boys. It would have been rude not to.

The plan was simple: Get up early, go for a bike ride, take the dog for a walk, do a supermarket run, clean the house, have lunch, take the dog to the beach for a swim to tire her out for the rest of the day, and then...Bazzatime.

The bike ride stalled; too windy. The dog was walked, the fridge was restocked, the house was cleaned - or so I thought - and the dog was taken to the beach.

The sea was rough. Perfect. Out she went time and time again smashing through the breakers and bringing back her stick. Then it was into the sandhills to finish the 'training run' Backwards and forwards she went to find the stick.

Then whammo, she stopped in her tracks and her mouth immediately went to her foot. I went over, her foot was bleeding. She had broken a toe nail at the base, and it was hanging there. She was in a lot of pain.

I rang the vet. They had just closed, but they said St Albans in Cranford St was open.

I was soaking wet from wading out into the sea so I whipped home to change. The girl could hardly walk, and looked at me with pleading eyes to do something quick about her foot.

I rang St Albans. They'd squeeze me in at 3pm.

At the St Albans vet, a place she hadn't been to before, her inquisitiveness took over and she calmed down.

"Lets put her on the scales," the nurse said as we waited. In May last year she was 35kgs, and yes I would have to agree, overweight.

On Saturday, the scales showed she had trimmed down to 27kgs, the result of the most efficient of all weight loss programmes - less food and increased exercise. The nurse was happy.

In went the dog to see the vet. He checked the foot. No hip damage. Great. Holding a pair of scissors, he said: "It's going to hurt". I held her tight and off came the toe nail. She hardly let outr a whimper.

Treated, but sore, she settled in back at home with a chewy bone. She looked comfortable. I told her rest wa snow the best thing for her.

It was time for some belated Bazzatime.

PS - If you're baching and in that last minute clean up mode before the other half comes home here's a vital tip: Don't forget to look in the microwave, and don't forget to water the indoor plants!.