Canis Familiaris (sentimentalicus)

I speak to my wife nearly every day while I'm at work.  It helps keep the relationship hot and steamy when we make sure to discuss the consistency of our boys' bowel movements and whether or not the living room furniture has acquired any more permanent stains in the past day.  (Those that just fade into the beige upholstery are a bonus and we never speak of them.)

This morning when Amy called, I was reminded that it's Easter weekend and she asked me what day I have off work.  (I don't work for the government, so unfortunately I don't get both Friday AND Monday off.)  It's Friday, I discovered after I checked my calendar.  These long weekends almost inevitably sneak up on me and it's a joy to realise, here on Wednesday, that tomorrow is Friday, from a work week perspective.

(Amy was enquiring since we want to go see some friends on the weekend and show off the new-ish boy.)

Talking to me from the kitchen, Amy then went on to note that our Boxer dog looked to be sitting contentedly in the middle of the back yard smoking a big, fat, blue cigar.  Turns out she got a hold of one of the pieces of sidewalk chalk I picked up for Dex on the last shopping trip and was nibbling on the end.

**As an aside, thinking about the sidewalk chalk, our elder son is showing an increasing proclivity for using his right hand in most things.  I still love him though, and now hold out hope that our second boy will exhibit slightly more sinister traits.**

I am becoming increasingly alarmed that what began as an odious tolerance for the Boxer has now morphed into a sort of resigned ambivalence and is showing signs of wending its way towards as yet unknown degrees of affection.

I'll keep this from my wife for as long as I can.  The dog still pisses with excitement all over the floor at the front entrance when company arrives and takes upwards of 15 minutes to calm down afterwards.  Affection may be a ways off yet.

Comments

[Linda]

Will probly at some point end up becoming one of your more binding and gratifying pet relationships of your life. Some people are like that too; maybe someday I will actually be able to tolerate You. ;-)
Enjoy your short work week. I managed to fanagle one of those too. :-)

[Jim (of Brazil)]

Simon, I can really relate to your relationship with the boxer. Well ... maybe not ... I certainly wouldn't describe my sentiments for my yellow lab as anything approaching "affection" yet. Still, sometimes after managing to avoid throttling him, I find myself reluctantly muttering something like "ya big lug!" under my breath, apparently to temper my heated reaction. Yeah, I know ... he's just a dog. And that was my garden hose!!!

[Paul]

Shadow, of course, is the model of doggish perfection. I swear.

[TerriTorial]

My husband would LOVE a Boxer. Not sure how I feel about that whole "peeing on the floor" thing.

[rick]

There's the good chance that Tavish will turn out a lefty,as many of us seconds prove to be. But if not Tavish, then maybe the boxer.....

[marian]

I knew Rick would beat me to a comment about being a lefty.

[fv]

If my son does somehow end up left-handed, I will continue to pretend to love him.

[Mark]

Yeah, so Ben peed on the couch (the angle of his dangle was, shall we say, askew, and shot the pee right out the side of his diaper), and we can't get the smell out. Anybody have suggestions?

I have visions of that Seinfeld episode, wherein "Poppy peed on the sofa."

Sorry, Simon, but it's all about me. Ha!

Seriously, though, sorry you're starting to love that Boxer. It will die before you do, and that's just not fair for a parent.