Back in February, I sent my kid off to volunteer for the Humane Society. She loved doing it, and I loved getting her out of the house and doing something remotely healthy. But it backfired on me, because she came home with a dog. (Okay, maybe I actually signed the papers, but you don’t understand. I had to. They were in love.)
It’s November now. I’m sure you’ll be astonished to learn that I’m the one that walks the dog. I mostly don’t mind, though. I like that I can walk late at night and at least have warning if there’s someone around me (that’s what I tell myself anyway, even though he is regularly oblivious to things like humans, cars, and sometimes even bunnies.) I tell myself that he’d rip the ankles off anyone trying to hurt me, and who’s going to stick around to have their ankles shredded? No one, that’s who.
Besides, he’s pretty good company– except when he sees another dog or perhaps a duck and wants to fight.
This is Poncho.
He really doesn’t need to be getting in fights with Great Danes, Labradors, or large ducks. Contrary to the old saying “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog,” things would go very badly for him if, say, the Great Dane took him up on his frantically barked challenges.
Luckily for him, Poncho is really cute. You should see him meet me at the door wagging his tail fit to knock himself silly, the tennis ball in his mouth (full-size tennis ball!) because he wants to play.
Or sleeping in my armpit, making sure I get nothing done on a Sunday morning.
I still don’t want a dog, though. I love dogs, don’t get me wrong, but I get tired of being followed around and adored. Husband did that, last dog did that, kid does that when she wants something… uh, no. I need to be left alone. Cats and I get along because cats get that. Just leave the food in the bowl to show your love. They’ll get to it eventually. Maybe.
And then there’s Duke. He’s a cat of a different color, winding around my feet right this moment to insist he hasn’t been fed in DAYYSSS though I could swear I did it myself not an hour ago.
Anyway. Dog I don’t want. Cat acting too much like a dog. None of them–cat, dog, or child–cares that I am attempting to NaNo.
Doggone it.
In Other News
Burning Bright. I’m really, really proud of this book. Have you checked it out? You can read the first chapter here, or on your Kindle or pretty much anything else from Smashwords.