That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Well, unless you count mornings like this one. After getting up around 0300 hrs to take a bio break, I come back to my side of an super comfy King Size bed and ..... try to wiggle in gently so we can go back to spooning without anyone waking up. Well, not Lucy. She's over on the other side enjoying lots of real estate. Down where my knees are supposed to go, dead center is our 27 lb puggle snoring away on top of the covers. Now, I guess I could have asserted
my authority over my real estate and grabbed the blanket and tossed him over a few feet. No.... too early for that. I could have picked him up and moved him.. or .. pushed him aside... but.. he was in a deep sleep snoring and I guess I was more jealous than anything, and I myself wanting to be back to sleep like that. So, I acrobatically crawled into the bed, backing up to him and positioned him behind my quads. But, he's on the covers. So the slow tugging of the sheet is now in process and someway, somehow after about 30 seconds of this , I've finally got just enough to cover up, letting him have the blanket. It's not worth it. Finally, I'm nodding off , when he starts dreaming .. and .. kicking.... and making noises. Thirty minutes later I'm still laying there, jealous of the other two sleeping beauties in my bed ( well, one is a beauty the other is a .. puggle ) . I can't do this. It's time. It's 0400 and my ass is up.
Approximately 9 years ago, Peanut came into our life. Our daughter was in college down in Austin and wanted a dog. Not a dog from the corner being given away for free. Not a rescue dog. But a high dollar puggle; a breed I'd never heard of. When I heard the dollar amount I had a heart attack ( not stupid money, but .. .too much money) and promised I'd give it some thought. And I did. My thought was .... YES. My brilliant idea at that moment was let her get a dog and feel the responsibility of truly taking care of someone else. She couldn't flip him over to us and I'm now in charge (like what seems to happen in many situations when our kids are living at home). And I reminder her of one fact; taking care of a dog was a tenth of taking care of a human being ( I made that up .. sounded good!). In other words, don't get yourself in a 'baby situation' like so many others her age do, if you have hands full with a dog. In my opinion, it worked.
The first time she came home with the lil guy, I got to finally meet Peanut. Man he was tiny. TINY! Well, was. Sort of came around to the lil' guy but I'm a believer in big dogs. Real dogs. Not lil rats. So, I wasn't 100% on board. The second trip she came home with him, he was a wild man. Running around the house. Jumping on the furniture. Wearing her out in the yard trying to catch him (I thought that was funnier than hell). And I was yelling at him...well, maybe at her. "Keep that damned dog OFF my furniture!!" . I was informed that this was almost impossible and it didn't go well. I was fuming and she was crying by the time it was all over with. Sorry, I don't put up that crap. My bed wasn't meant for dogs. My couch wasn't meant for them. I paid good money for it all, and dogs just need discipline. And I was the guy for that. My home, my castle! Right?
Sure thing. Fast forward half a decade or more and Jessica has come to visit us over the Holidays. But she's not traveling with just one dog (whoops.. did I say 'dog'? I meant Peanut), but two. The last few years I've gotten attached to Peanut. In fact the last time she visited we had a weather problem and I had to send him home via Air Carrier. I'm telling you, locking him up in that kennel and watching him get taken to the back en-route to NYC tore me up. The look he gave me. The sad eyes.. the yelping. WTF?? Wasn't used to this side of me. Well, Jess' is home and has a rescue dog with her; Zoe. She's a total sweetheart, well mannered,, super affectionate .. but .. she ain't Peanut. Still I've got my Labs. You know, real dogs. But, mine ain't on the furniture. Her's are. I no longer yell, scream or bitch. Not worth it. Just keep them 'over there'. Well, it's time for Jess to go home back to NYC and she asks us a favor. "Will you keep Peanut for a week or so?" It was hell traveling through the airport with the two dogs and luggage and this would simplify things. I've come around to the little guy .. so .. sure. Few days later, it's hugs and kisses and our baby girl and Zoe are headed back to the Big Apple. In the meantime, Peanut is enjoying the sun on the deck. We're down in Galveston at the time. He's got a huge yard to do his business with, not a lil tree with 12" of dirt around it, in the big city. He's found a favorite spot on the couch w/o his Mama. And, he's found his way to our bed, since Jess has left him in our hands. In my bed? Well, Leanne's side. It's her problem. It's only for a week ... or .. two.
Few weeks go by and we've become more attached. Back in Grenville he's got the run of acres. Likes to lay out in the grass, basking in the sun. Hangs with us every morning for coffee on the front porch on his blanket. And he's sleeping with us every night. A week goes by. Two go by. Leanne and I broach the subject and decide to drag our feet. Jess is busy and has her hands full. Zoe has her attention and she misses Peanut but knows he's in good hands. Few more weeks go by .... and we've each made a decision, undiscussed with the other. We don't want Peanut to leave. And long story short, Jess has her hands full with Zoe. The circumstances she was in when she got Zoe have changed, so it's more work than originally planned. A month goes by .. two. ... three. I'm not sure we ever said anything. Any of us. We joked about it ... all of us. But I don't recall a decision ever being made. Well, here we are a few years later and .... we're a household of 3. Our two labs
have passed ( they were each with us approximately 14 yrs each ). Peanut is around 9 or 10 yrs old now. And ... as my wife puts it .. our 'grand-baby' . And or 'grand-baby' has the pick of any piece of furniture in the house (except for my recliner) without retribution. He's found a happy place somewhere in the middle of the bed ( most of the time). He's saved my life at least a thousand times from the USPS/UPS/FEDEX psycho killers that come to our door often but he chases them away, and more than once got out and tried to show them who's boss. So, I'll cut him some slack and make sure he's got his blanket and comfortable.
As I write this Jess is back in our home with Zoe for a few months, in the process of moving out West. I've expected her to bring up ... Peanut .. but she hasn't. If she did, I don't think I could allow it. He's part of our family now.... part of my household. Not a place in NYC. Not in Cali'. He' belongs in TX. I'm King of the Castle, and I refuse to let him go. I know she won't ask .. but .. as I type this ... for this first time really .. thinking about it... sends a shiver down my spine. If it does come up ... guess I'll point out that he can't go .. This is his home. His castle. And ...... I hate to admit it.. but one would think .. . he is atually ...... .The King of the Castle?
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| Okay .. sometimes the recliner |
Approximately 9 years ago, Peanut came into our life. Our daughter was in college down in Austin and wanted a dog. Not a dog from the corner being given away for free. Not a rescue dog. But a high dollar puggle; a breed I'd never heard of. When I heard the dollar amount I had a heart attack ( not stupid money, but .. .too much money) and promised I'd give it some thought. And I did. My thought was .... YES. My brilliant idea at that moment was let her get a dog and feel the responsibility of truly taking care of someone else. She couldn't flip him over to us and I'm now in charge (like what seems to happen in many situations when our kids are living at home). And I reminder her of one fact; taking care of a dog was a tenth of taking care of a human being ( I made that up .. sounded good!). In other words, don't get yourself in a 'baby situation' like so many others her age do, if you have hands full with a dog. In my opinion, it worked.
The first time she came home with the lil guy, I got to finally meet Peanut. Man he was tiny. TINY! Well, was. Sort of came around to the lil' guy but I'm a believer in big dogs. Real dogs. Not lil rats. So, I wasn't 100% on board. The second trip she came home with him, he was a wild man. Running around the house. Jumping on the furniture. Wearing her out in the yard trying to catch him (I thought that was funnier than hell). And I was yelling at him...well, maybe at her. "Keep that damned dog OFF my furniture!!" . I was informed that this was almost impossible and it didn't go well. I was fuming and she was crying by the time it was all over with. Sorry, I don't put up that crap. My bed wasn't meant for dogs. My couch wasn't meant for them. I paid good money for it all, and dogs just need discipline. And I was the guy for that. My home, my castle! Right?
Sure thing. Fast forward half a decade or more and Jessica has come to visit us over the Holidays. But she's not traveling with just one dog (whoops.. did I say 'dog'? I meant Peanut), but two. The last few years I've gotten attached to Peanut. In fact the last time she visited we had a weather problem and I had to send him home via Air Carrier. I'm telling you, locking him up in that kennel and watching him get taken to the back en-route to NYC tore me up. The look he gave me. The sad eyes.. the yelping. WTF?? Wasn't used to this side of me. Well, Jess' is home and has a rescue dog with her; Zoe. She's a total sweetheart, well mannered,, super affectionate .. but .. she ain't Peanut. Still I've got my Labs. You know, real dogs. But, mine ain't on the furniture. Her's are. I no longer yell, scream or bitch. Not worth it. Just keep them 'over there'. Well, it's time for Jess to go home back to NYC and she asks us a favor. "Will you keep Peanut for a week or so?" It was hell traveling through the airport with the two dogs and luggage and this would simplify things. I've come around to the little guy .. so .. sure. Few days later, it's hugs and kisses and our baby girl and Zoe are headed back to the Big Apple. In the meantime, Peanut is enjoying the sun on the deck. We're down in Galveston at the time. He's got a huge yard to do his business with, not a lil tree with 12" of dirt around it, in the big city. He's found a favorite spot on the couch w/o his Mama. And, he's found his way to our bed, since Jess has left him in our hands. In my bed? Well, Leanne's side. It's her problem. It's only for a week ... or .. two.
As I write this Jess is back in our home with Zoe for a few months, in the process of moving out West. I've expected her to bring up ... Peanut .. but she hasn't. If she did, I don't think I could allow it. He's part of our family now.... part of my household. Not a place in NYC. Not in Cali'. He' belongs in TX. I'm King of the Castle, and I refuse to let him go. I know she won't ask .. but .. as I type this ... for this first time really .. thinking about it... sends a shiver down my spine. If it does come up ... guess I'll point out that he can't go .. This is his home. His castle. And ...... I hate to admit it.. but one would think .. . he is atually ...... .The King of the Castle?
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