Tuesday,
March 12, 2002

Pooch and the Pee-Pee Dance

I think I must've given the neighbors quite a show this morning -- the moment I stepped out of the bedroom (at 6:30 AM, since I wanted to get in early and get cracking on the tutorial scripts), You-Know-Who immediately leaped up and got in my face. It's been 16 years since I owned a dog, but I know the Pee-Pee Dance when I see it.

So I threw my leather jacket on over my nightgown (which just barely clears my ass, a fact I realized as the wind tried to blow up it) and stood in front of my garage while Pooch watered every single freaking bush around our apartment. He, of course, wanted to set off on a tour of the apartment complex, but there was no way in hell I planned on strolling around half-naked, thank you VERY much.

So a somewhat disappointed dog and I went back upstairs so that I could put on clothes, makeup and the other necessities of life. THEN we went out for a walk around the complex.

Which, I suppose, is one way of getting in some morning cardio, although I'd still rather spend the time grumping around and reading email. After work, when I got back from voting in the Texas Democratic Primary (for the first time in eight years -- whee!), I came home to find that Lyndon had taken Pooch to the park for a run and a chance to play ball.

The Bodacious Brit came home somewhat perturbed. It seems that Pooch won't play catch -- if you kick a ball to him, he'll step right over it. He also won't come back if he's out of eyesight (something that Jolene warned me about). And when Lyndon tried the time-honored Fletcher tradition of teaching a dog to come by using jelly beans as a treat, we found out that Pooch also doesn't have a sweet tooth. Lyndon thinks that Pooch's eyesight may be on the poor side, which would explain why he can't play catch and insists on sniffing absolutely everything (I always thought that was just part of being a dog).

In any case, the poor puppy had another distressed night waiting for his Mom to come back (it didn't help that I let him out for a pee just as she came back to pick up another load of stuff from their apartment). Watching him leap around with her son Travis, I realized that this was just wrong -- Pooch needs someone to play with, not to be locked up by himself all day. So I told Jolene that while we'd be happy to take care of Pooch in the meantime, it might really be a good idea to find him a home where he could play with kids and have his own backyard. She said that another couple had contacted her regarding Pooch, and that she'd call them and see if they were still interested in taking the dog.

Don't get me wrong -- I like this dog. He's sweet, good-natured and a beauty. But he really shouldn't be cramped up in an apartment.