Mike

I knew Champ was going to do it but who was I to spoil his fun?

As with past Christmases, the kennel sent Champ home with a stuffed Christmas toy.  He was so eager to maul it that he pulled the ball off of the Santa hat before I could grab the camera.

Burial will be held at the Bees Ferry Landfill sometime Tuesday after the city picks up the trash.

She's currently my favorite child

When I'm in New York Briar has to listen to me complain that it's evidently impossible to get good bagels in Charleston so for my birthday she and Isaac sent me a dozen from H & H Midtown Bagels.  Baked yesterday and overnighted.

I'm eating one, toasted and slathered with cream cheese, right now.

Radio Flyer wants to suck the fun out of life

It's still just a prototype but the folks at Radio Flyer are evidently serious about making a wagon that has padded seats, 5-point safety harnesses, foot brakes, fold-out storage compartments, digital controls, an MP3 player with speakers, and cup holders for the tykes' decaf soy caffè lattes.  No doubt parents that buy it will make little Chase and Alexis wear helmets.

When I was a kid our wagons were just wagons - simple wooden or metal boxes on four wheels.  We took them to the top of the hill, hopped in, and let gravity and God take over.  Yes, there were some bruises and scrapes and the occasional concussion or broken collar bone but, by damn, we had fun!

Radio Flyer 2.0 is just plain wrong.

Champ and Justine

It was my intention to record the reunion with Justine when she and I picked up Champ (and Psycho) at the kennel this afternoon.  Unfortunately the owner of the kennel didn't get the message and he brought Champ out to the parking lot while I was still in the office paying the bill.  By all accounts it was very sweet.

Champ has been on his best behavior with Justine since we got home.  That's mostly because we kept him occupied with a new toy, a new rawhide bone, and the laser pointer.  When he finally tired of those this evening he tried to climb into Justine's lap while she was sitting on the couch.  Champ isn't what you would call a lap dog.  Only about half of his body fits.

I'm home

Thanks to severe storms in St. Louis and thick fog in Atlanta I didn't get home until 15 minutes after my birthday ended.  BTW, thanks to all of you for the birthday wishes!

I'll post about the trip after I get a good night's sleep.

I'm off to St. Louis

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Christmas.

Mutt Monday

355 days after she left Justine is back in the US

Briar and Isaac met her at JFK.  I'll catch up with her next weekend after I get back from St. Louis.

Give a Nobel prize to the genius who invented the laser pointer

Ten minutes of minimal effort on my part leaves Champ in a stupor.