November 25, 2012

Thanksraingiveraining

Gravy and Mud and All the Reasons I Love/Hate November

AKA – A List of Uncertainties

Family (a love) – Armistad Maupin in one of his many books said we have both a biological family (Biologicals) and a family we choose (Logicals). As a dog, I do not have a biological family…well, I do, but they are scattered around the country (perhaps the world) and the last time I saw them I was 8 weeks old. So, in Armistad Maupin terms, my family is all in the Logicals category since they are chosen — either by me or my immediate family — to be included in our circle of love.

Recently that circle has expanded and as we headed to my Grandparents’ house for the holiday, we carried with us quite a group. I got to go because I am the beloved Grand-dog, but in our car (or cars as it is this year because we’ve grown so HUGE we either need to buy a family van or just be satisfied driving the two cars we do have)…anyway, in our cars were two additions — boarders over this holiday — Tyson and Dezi.

Over the week that we’ve all been together, a new pack has formed. Yes, I’m included in this pack, but the great love is actually between Dezi and Tyson. Like two characters from a Disney movie, they are inseparable. When separated, they look over their shoulders to find the other. At bedtime, the curl up next to each other. When one wakes, the other jumps down from the bed and wags his tail in unison. When one pees, so does the other. They walk in tandem and if it’s time to go outside, they check in to make certain the other is going out too.

It’s a bromance.

We shared this bromance with Grandma and Grandpa at their house…the house with the off-white carpets…over the past few weeks where we’ve had more rain than ever before…where mud has replaced lawns and water runs down the streets like rivers.

Grandma and Grandpa were very very kind indeed and perhaps it was because of their kindness that it only rained when we got there and when we left. The other days were dry and dare I say, rather nice.

But even if the rain came down like it had been they understood — Tyson and Dezi cannot be separated — so they opened their doors and accepted these Logicals into their home.

And Thanksgiving was spent with the grandparents (our Biologicals) but also we close friends who have been Logicals for years and years. A pack of people opening their arms to a pack of dogs. This, to me, is what Thanksgiving is all about.

Well, that and turkey leftovers. For Tyson it was scrambled eggs.

Rain (a love and a hate) – 2 1/2 inches in 8 hours here in Seattle. 5 inches in 24 hours in Bremerton, where we were going. Monday was horrid. It rained so hard I thought we were all going to float away. Dezi and Tyson hated it and Gretchen never once pulled out her camera. Instead, we snuggled in the covers, curled up on our favorite beds, and turned away from the door every time Gretchen tried to get us outside to do our business.

Tuesday was better. The skies cleared in the morning and we got a long long walk together. This is when I like the rain. That few hours after it stops when everything smells clean and rinsed — a laundry sky — fresh and pure. Then in the afternoon, downpour after downpour and Momma Ann in the basement with her wet/dry shop vac cleaning up the water (not too much, but some).

Wednesday looked like Monday and Gretchen did her best to clean the house but Monty joined us for the day and 4 dogs = 16 muddy paws and…oh well, not much could be done.

I felt bad for Woobie. All hair. A sponge. She was wet even when it wasn’t raining, soaking up the wet water off the sidewalks like a canine street sweeper.

Sigh.

And wetness was the theme when Gretchen took Carter and Kali out. They didn’t seem to mind, but the towel was really really wet after they got dried off.

Soggy — that was the theme of the week. Not much you can do but sigh and keep walking.

Food (a love) – A pack makes you eat. There’s no leaving food in your bowl when two other dogs are interested in it. Perhaps this is why Thanksgiving is so popular (and bloated) for humans –all sitting around a table protecting their plates…scoping out the mashed potatoes on their neighbor’s plate, wondering if another piece of pie might be in the cards. For the canines, giblets in the mix or perhaps a dollop of gravy.

 

Sharing (a love/hate) – I’ve gotten better, I must admit. There’s not only the human bed I have to share, but the couch and my many personal beds scattered around the house. I only growled once and then I got put in my place. Gretchen made me lie on the floor by the couch and allowed Dezi and Tyson to lie on the couch with Momma Ann.

I learned my lesson.

But I shared a lot of stuff this week and weekend — my friends, my grandparents, my house, my bed(s), my food bowls, my toys, my yard, my moms…

…yeah, I know “my my my”…but this is a big improvement for me. After 10 days together I can get testy about all this sharing, but truth be told, I kind of enjoy having two more boys in the house…there’s always someone to walk with and talk to. Yes, I will be sad to see them go.

Leaving (a Love/Hate)

Leaving my Grandparents’ is always hard. They have soft carpets, a fireplace, racoons in the backyard (that I never get to play with), squirrels racing around their tree lined fence, random food scraps that “accidentally” fall on the floor, and lots and lots of love to go around. I like it there. A lot. I liked it there with my friends Dezi and Tyson sharing in the joy of the holidays. But leaving means making a choice between my moms and my grandparents and as much as I love my grandparents, put me in the car first because I love my moms the most.

Tyson left us on Saturday, returning home to his family and I was, I must admit, sad to see him go. We can have our difficult moments, but Tyson and I are buddies, which we proved to everyone on Thanksgiving Day with a long, muddy romp at the Fairgrounds.

Dezi is still here (returns next Thursday) so that tempers my loss a bit, but still, it was hard to see Tyson pack up all his belongings and head back to his house.

Of course, now there’s more room in the bed and on the couch.

Napping (a definite LOVE)

Sunday morning we woke up late. Gretchen’s been slightly under the weather, but still she felt it necessary to take us for a long walk down by the lake — Dezi and me. Of course, it was the running of the Seattle Marathon so while got to run off leash, I was forbidden to chase any of the runners. I tried to reassure Gretchen that I wouldn’t (Heck they’ve got quite a ways to go running 26.2 miles and all!), but still she kept me relatively contained to the foggy shores of the lake.

And yes, foggy and cold were the ingredients of the day.

Oh and mud…let’s not forget the mud. It rained a lot on Friday and the guarantee of an uncertain November is that there will always be mud.

And foggy photos of the dog…gray upon gray upon gray.

But as I type this, a blue sky is forming outside and those foggy gray layers are shifting away from us. Whew. A reprieve the weather forecasters say. We have until Tuesday then more rain predicted until December, which I might add, is just around the corner.

Then it’s more time with my Logicals — more family and friends and dogs and sleepovers. More food and naps and long walks in the chilly morning.

Now, though, it’s time for a Sunday nap. Then there’s work to be done. More work, which I suppose I both Love and Hate, though Gretchen tells me that I should avoid the word Hate and stick with Dislike.

Too much energy to go back and change it all now. Duly noted for next time.

Hope everyone had a relaxing and fulfilling Thanksgiving sans rains and filled with Logicals and Biologicals!

Happy Holidays,

Rubin

One Reply to “November 25, 2012”

  1. Hey Rubin, even though you disliked the weather, it looks like you had a great Thanksgiving with your Logicals. Glad you like Maupin – I’ve read all his books, too. Have you seen Max lately? How is he doing? Today is clear and bright and ccccoold! Wish I had your curls. Have a great week!

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