I've Gone to the Dogs.

Just so you know...

This is Oldest Son's dog, Lily.

They adore each other.

Lily pays absolutely no attention to me. She does not like women.

Then, there is Charley.

Charley is Jonge's puppy.

Charley adores me.

He worships the ground I walk on.

He thinks I can do no wrong.

(i sneak him table scraps.)

I love them both.

I don't think I will ever have a dog again. Mostly because I have these two that I can borrow if I ever get that "I wish I had a dog" feeling.

May I Be Snarky?

It's my blog and I'll be snarky if I want to!

Anyway...

Much more is going on in my life than just packing, but packing is ALL I can think about.

I was wrapping up a vase while THGGM laid in repose upon the couch.

This is a lovely creamy color McCoy vase that had been his grandmother's. It has a small chip in the base, but if I keep it turned just right it never shows.

As I wrapped it in my own 'try to have the least amount of contact with the newsprint ink' way THGGM rose from his perch, took the news paper and vase away from me, and proceeded to show me in an advice giving way that my wrapping abilities are inferior.

Ah hem. This is AT LEAST the umpteenth creamy color vase I have wrapped so far. It's not like they will be shipped to Outer Mongolia or anything.

Happily, I can report that the vase still only has a small chip.

Oh, and just because I don't have enough on my mind, my cat is having 'issues'. He just is not acting like himself. Daughter thinks he is upset by all of the confusion around here (he hates to move) and loud fireworks in the neighborhood isn't helping.

My diagnosis is old age. Everyone gets it, eventually.

Yesterday we bought him new litter pans, as the old litter pan is a litter pan set in a child's wading pool (our other cat, Maggie, was NOT a neat pooper). Anyway...THGGM set the new pans down and proceded to 'show' Barb his new litter boxes. He promptly peed in one (barb, not thggm) and laid down in the other one. Barb spent the rest of the day sleeping in the new litter box.

I don't understand this at all.

Charley. And Why I Haven't Gotten Another Dog

Charley spent the weekend with me.

I love dogs.

I love Charley.

But Charley is a very active dog.

He likes to do things like chase sticks, which requires sticks to be thrown.

Charley barks. Alot. At everything.

I am sick today. That cold I thought I had has turned into something more sinister. It is causing me to cough up 'wrought iron' even though I am SURE I haven't been breathing in any. Still. Also, if I bend over, as in picking up a stick to throw to the dog, it feels like a vise is tightening around my neck, about to pop my head off. That's when the stars come out. And, when I breathe (which is still quite often, thankfully) I make an annoying squeaking sound. At one point today I thought I was hearing my cat meowing, but no. It was just me, breathing.

So, THGGM took Charley home. His family will be back soon.

I think my cat and I will just grow old(er) together.

Max and Niki. I miss you. So does Charley.

Happy Birthday Niki

Today is my dog's birthday. She is 15. She knows things about me that no one else ever will. She has never turned up her nose at anything I have cooked. She treats me with utmost respect, except when I have to trim her nails. She HATES that. She is deaf now, although I am sure that occasionally her ears ring, as she will bark and run to the front door, and be totally surprised that no one is there. Her favorite treat is pizza crust, she can still grab it out of the air. She used to sing with me,` but,` no more. Rolling in stuff is still one of her favorite pass times. Right along with walking between my feet and tripping me. She does not like to eat bananas. She can count, and knows how many people have eaten and whose bowl she hasn't licked out yet. She is very social, and must really have suffered in her life, as I am not. Before she lost her hearing, when the AOL man said "Good-bye" she would get up from under my feet and lead me into the bedroom. Ah, what a girl, my Niki!