DAY 197, Friday, 9/21/12

Jeez, another long day. It started off kind of strange. After breakfast, Bob took me to a building where we met some people sitting around a long table, but they weren’t eating, just talking. They welcomed us and started asking Bob a bunch of questions. It was pretty boring, so I just lay beside him and waiting for it to be over. Oh, don’t get me wrong: the people were nice, but who wants to be cooped up in an office building when you can be outside hunting crickets?

After lunch, we went back to the airport. Well, I did not want to climb those steep, narrow steps, so they to bring out a kind of elevator, and once they did, I got on the plane with no problems. As before, there wasn’t much leg room, but none of the people complained, and I certainly didn’t. I was a perfect angel. Bob later sent a text to Tony and told him that he could learn a lot from me.

Once we landed back in Austin, I was rarin’ to get home, but Bob said we had to hang around for about half an hour because we were meeting somebody. When we went around to pick him up, I found it a bit puzzling. I mean, he kinda looked like Bob and smelled like Bob, but it wasn’t Bob. I wonder if this guy and Bob could be litter mates.

DAY 196, Thursday, 9/20/12

More apartments today. Bob actually went back to one of them several times and walked away with a stack of papers. What the heck is going on?

Bob went to a lot of different places, including different restaurants, and each time I went with him. Naturally, I drew lots of stares, but that’s OK. I’m used to it by now. Pretty soon, I expect people will start asking for my autograph.

DAY 195, Wednesday, 9/19/12

Oh, man. What a day! I’m exhausted! Bob got up around 3:00 a.m., and we left home at 5:30 for the Austin airport. We took two planes, and they were both smaller than the ones we flew on last week, so it was kind of cramped, but we managed. Just like last week, I didn’t make a single peep on either flight. There was a slight problem when we landed, though. The plane didn’t pull up to the terminal like all the others. Instead, everyone had to walk down the steps to the tarmac and then into the terminal. Well, once I got a look at those steep, narrow steps, I said “unh unh.” So, Bob and I had to back up and let everybody else off the plane. Then, we tried again, and that time, I made it down OK.

I don’t know where we ended up, but it was a lot cooler than Temple, and the people were very nice. Bob dragged me from one apartment building to another. Is he trying to tell me something? Hmmm.

Something dawned on me today: I noticed how many people smile when they see me. It’s really nice to be able to help people start their day with a smile.

DAY 194, Tuesday, 9/18/12

I got two exciting pieces of news today. First, I found out that I’ve been selected as a Dogster Diary Pick of the Day again. Thanks to all my readers/fans and to the editors of Dogster for your loyal support.

Second, Bob informed me that we’re going on another trip tomorrow. He won’t tell me where we’re going, but he said we’ll be flying on airplanes again. I guess the flight from Philadelphia to Austin was a test for me, and I passed with flying colors. Get it, “flying” colors. Hee…hee…hee.

DAY 193, Monday, 9/17/12

It’s a lot cooler here in Texas now than it was when we left on our trip across country—cool enough, in fact, that Bob took me to the courts in the middle of the afternoon. (For those of you who may not have followed my diary from the beginning, our apartment complex has a basketball court next to a volleyball court. They’re surrounded by a fence, so Bob lets me run free there to get some exercise.) Traveling was nice, but I didn’t like being cooped up all the time in that truck cab, motel rooms, train cars, and airplanes. I’m a free spirit.

DAY 192, Sunday, 9/16/12

Goodness! Where are my manners? I forgot to thank Aunt Ro for the cute bandana she gave me. I wore it on the plane home, and I’ve still got it on. I’m not really sure what pink flamingos are, but I know that Tony likes them, so I guess they’re OK.

And while I’m expressing thanks, I really have to send out a humongous thank you to Uma Dean and Whitney Winsett. I have a wonderful home with two guys who practically worship the ground I walk on, but none of this would be possible if Uma and Whitney hadn’t rescued me from the animal shelter in Fort Worth and nursed me back to health. So, thank you Uma and Whitney. You will be in my heart forever.

DAY 191, Saturday, 9/15/12

Wow! Flying in an airplane was neat. The people at Southwest Airlines were very nice. I’ve heard other service dogs complain that the personnel give them a hard time, but I had absolutely no problems. In fact, all the flight attendants wanted to pet me. They were all amazed at how well-behaved I was. I didn’t make so much as a peep on either flight today. Bob said he was ultra proud of me.

It sure is good to be home, though.

Day 191, Friday, Sept. 14, 2012

Hey, I smell pretty nice. Pleasant, but not too girly. Yeah, I went to the groomer today and got all gussied up for my big trip on the airplane tomorrow. I'm really excited about that.

The groomer told Bob that I was an angel, and a couple of the customers in the waiting area practically flipped over me. Later, Nana, Ro's friend, came over for dinner, and she said I was the most gorgeous dog she's ever seen. This was my first time meeting her, and I must say that she strikes me as very astute.

Well, I'm gonna go pack now. I'll give you a full report on my flight tomorrow.

DAY 189, Thursday, 9/13/12

Some people have apparently been wondering how it is that I am able to stay in hotels, go to restaurants, and fly in an airplane with Bob. Well, it’s because I’m a service dog. The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) recognizes two types of support animals: emotional support animals (ESAs) and service animals (SAs, or, in my case, SDs). An emotional support animal just provides emotional support for a person with a psychiatric disability and cannot go all the places that a service dog can. Of course, I do provide emotional support to Bob, but I also provide specific services for him. For example, if he starts to lose his balance, I rub up against him to brace him. Also, if he gets disoriented in a building, I can lead him to the exit. Bob may figure out other things for me to do in the future, but for now, that’s enough to qualify me as a service dog. [Smile.]

DAY 188, Wednesday, 9/12/12

Whew! We had another scare this week. Remember how Mary Ann’s cat got out and wasn’t found for several days? Well, one of Aunt Ro’s cats went missing, and it took us two days to find her hiding behind the boxes of Christmas decorations in the basement. I hope she wasn’t hiding from me. All I want to do is play with her.