What's a dog to do?

You guys don't really hear much from me, I know. Don't you think it's about time I spoke up? Sure, J.J. gets all the attention...okay, a lot...some of the attention. But I work hard.

What? I do!

I just figured it was time to tell it from a dog's perspective. F'rinstance...today.

We get up at some rediculous hour. Gotta be 6 or so. That wouldn't so bad if J turned the lights out before 3.

This time it wasn't entirely the machine's fault, but mostly. You have no idea...the machine rules her life. That works in my favor when I can convince her she forgot to feed me. Sometimes it's pathetically easy. Other times, I swear she takes notes. Anyway, I got two suppers last night and an extra snack. She thinks if she feeds me at 3, I'll sleep later.

Not hardly.

That's the price she's got to pay for keeping me up that late.

So, why so late? Short answer: The old man came by, got her all growly. J started drinking the red stuff and then typing away every time the machine made a squawk noise. That's the IM thing. She was laughing a lot, so I let it go. She was really growly before the thing started squawking. When J tells me I'm the best relationship she's ever had with a man, I believe her. Depends on the tone of voice how I feel about it. If she's sad, I want to go bite 'em all--after I lay on her legs till she falls asleep. If she's mad, I wanna growl, bark and bite the one. It'd be too easy, though.

Anyhow, today. We went out. J's turned into a real homebody but we do go out some. I cringe when we go out with the square thing. that means we're gonna be up and busy non-stop. This time, it was her wacky but sweet friend Barb who always talks to me a lot and cleans out the back seat in her car for me. That means she's gonna eat, we'll do errands (which I hate), and talk some--and now she's doing this crazy stuff with her voice---don't get me started.

Of course, we go to some restaurant that smells like all the coffee in the world. It's either Cool Beans or the Java Joint. This time, Java Joint. Upside: J likes the food, she's better with strong coffee in her, the waitresses know me, lthey ike dogs, I get treats, they leave me alone, and don't step on me. Downside: "Look Mommy! A DOG!!!! Can I pet him?" it usually goes down hill from there. Today was a double shot. Kids at the front door, and kids sat down at the table next to us.

All the time we were there it was, "No, I'm sorry, the doggie's busy," or "he can't visit," or "the doggie's taking care of me," then J'd lean over to talk to Barb, then quick catch the sticky little hand before it left chili prints on my tail, fake smile at the kid's mom or in her direction and say, "I think your little one got lost." This or variations on the theme happen any time that Barb turns her head, goes to the bathroom, whatever. So J didn't eat much, I've got a headache, and Foodtown was almost a pleasure after that.

So, now J's listening to 3 different people sing the same song. But every now and then, she laughs, shakes her head and mumbles, "Pete," and then goes back to what she was doing, which was change the kitty litter and clean the bathroom. What? Blind people clean. Stuff smells bad, it makes 'em cranky.

Anyway, she's on her way back in, so more some other time. This ain't easy without thumbs but I gotta vent. That's not easy when I'm not supposed to bark.

Later.

Cosmo