Thursday, June 26, 2014

Shorty's Controversy

Ahh, Shorty. The Dog Who Lived.
Approaching 16 and totally gross, covered in warts and tumors, terrible gas and a constant nose whine, we couldn't love her more. Well, maybe we could, but only if she acted more like a dog and less like furniture. And didn't stink so bad. And was less annoying and needy. One of Lucy's friends summed it up once when she asked me "Why doesn't Shorty do things normal dogs do?" This comment rivals the time the air conditioner repair man was in and out of our house for three hours and Shorty didn't budge from the couch. On his way out he stopped and asked "Is that dog ok?"

A couple months ago when I thought the end was imminent (for the 956th time) I posted on our community swap facebook page asking for a piece of cheap or free carpet to make it easier for her to walk through the garage. We have no direct backyard access so she must cross the sometimes slippery concrete floor, and was starting to fall. Though I had in mind exactly the need for carpet, many thought the worst of me as a dog owner, resulting in a comments-long thread about what a terrible person I am.
I defended my honor as well as that of the dog. She is spoiled, pampered, and well cared for, not what many assumed when I asked for the carpet.

Then a couple weeks ago again, Shorty made a ruckus on the community swap facebook page when she escaped from our yard (this is an exaggeration - I forgot to close the gate and she wandered away in about an hour) and made it exactly two houses down the road, only to be picked up by a neighbor that I know, and passed along to Animal Control.

The irony of the trip to Animal Control is that Shorty very much used to be an escape artist. She'd bolt out the door and I would chase her around downtown Orono for hours. I guess now that she can no longer move she's easier to trap. While I do appreciate others looking out for the welfare of my decrepit dog on one of the town's busiest roads, again she assumed the worst. Again, a comments-long thread about the fate of this poor dog and its terrible owner.
Please do note that you can, in fact, see my house and car from the picture that Rachel took of Shorty, the desperately injured and dumped dog. Also note that there were several people who offered to help pay for medical bills. Since I just dropped $127 on a month's worth of prescription medication for her, I might be sending some messages. She's always been one to stir the pot but Shorty's really putting it all out there in her golden years. Wheee!


Thursday, June 12, 2014

Zoo Field Trip

This is the kindergarten field trip to the zoo as illustrated by Lucy. Daddy and Lucy rode the bus to Des Moines together. As you can tell, they were the only two on the bus. Or in the loaf of bread with wheels, I can't tell.
 There was some guraf watching. Giraffes are my favorite animal, which is probably why they made it into the picture, though Lucy said her favorite animals were the finches.
 And a picnic after the zoo in the beautiful sunshine-y day.
And no, Eric did not shave his beard for the trip, it just didn't make it into the picture.