Diary Central Pick

It appears that as a reward for my week of putting up with HouseGuest Daisy, I am a Diary Central Pick.

Oldest Lad, Daisy's Man, and another Apartment Mate all stopped by to take Daisy, Sophie and Me, Pennie on a hike, before Daisy is back off to living with Her Man. There was some reward at least for having to play the Hostess with the Mostess all week.

Tomorrow I am off for a poking and prodding at the vet. I am certain that I will be forced to succumb to a pawdicure as well.

I have realized that I might as well get the Vet Poking and Prodding over with: Neurotic Mom has found two spots on my skin that she calls "suspicious." After determining that the spots did not go away on their own, Mom has to taken to checking the spots every 56 minutes or so. All that neurotic spot checking is making me neurotic and I might as well just go see the vet so that Mom can stop the constant checking.

As just reward for being an accommodating, if not a model hostess to HouseGuest Daisy all week, I do hope that I get a hamburger for dinner tonight when Dad grills.

When is Daisy Leaving?

This week Daisy has been staying here while Her Man has been laying on the beach in Florida, no doubt in a state of Drunken Debauchery. Daisy has been making herself far, far too comfortable.

Daisy has been sleeping in MY chair, or at the end of the couch. She wanted to sleep on the Concrete Queen, but Mom saw no possible way to have Dad have his half of the Concrete Queen, and then fit Daisy, Me, Sophie AND Mom, all on Mom's side, AND have no dog parts touching Dad. Dad ended up being gone most of the week, but an Alpha Pennie look made it clear that Daisy was NOT going to share the Concrete Queen. Fortunately, Daisy was happy to go sleep with Middle Lad in his bed.

These last few days however, Daisy has accompanied Sophie and Me, Pennie, for Preschool drop-off and pick-up of the Wee Lass.

This is what I do: While Wee Lass is attempting to get out of the car, or back into the car, I attempt to lick the face of the Preschool Teacher, or at least get them to rub my head. I at least get a head rub in, because it is hard for Wee Lass to push her way past 50 pounds of Alpha Pennie, so while she is pushing past me, I manage to lick the teacher, or get my head rubbed.

Guess what Daisy has started to do? Stick her Daisy Head out and attempt to grab a head rub and lick the face of the Preschool Teacher. That is just plain going too far!

Daisy is leaving on Sunday and trust me, I will be up early to have her bowl and leash all packed.

Sleeping Miss Daisy arrangements

Yesterday afternoon, Oldest Lad and Apartment-mate One stopped by to drop off Daisy, Apartment-mate One's Dog. Oldest Lad, Apartment-mate One, Apartment Mate Two, and several others are heading to Florida for Spring Break. After living at University for several years now, I am certain that Daisy deserved a week of beach and beer, but instead, she was abandoned here, to spend her Spring Break in Suburbia. At least I do not have to worry about embarrassing pictures of Daisy showing up on the news or Facebook.

Anyhoodles, with a third dog here, I decided that I must put on my Alpha Pennie attitude.

Dad went up to bed, no longer feverish, but still coughing. Mom stayed downstairs to sleep on the couch where it was less phlegmy. When Mom first settled down, there was no Alpha Pennie to be seen. Sophie settled down on Mom's legs After a while, Daisy decided to get up on the couch as well.

Mom suddenly heard a low, continuous growling sound. She though perhaps it was Daisy snoring. Then she realized that NO, it was ME, Pennie, who had suddenly appeared and realized that DAISY was on the couch with MOM. Mom sat up and put Me, Pennie at one end of the couch with Daisy at the other end. Mom was in the middle, with Sophie clinging to Mom for dear life -- Sophie knows from past experience that when I start going Alpha Pennie, that Sophie usually bears the brunt of it. Mom had no idea how she was going to sleep all night sitting up. Eventually Mom curled up next to ME, Pennie, with Sophie behind her legs, and Daisy at the opposite end of the couch.

This morning Mom had to take Little Lad to and from Taekwondo and pick up Middle Lad from Indoor Percussion. On all those trips, guess who go to go along? Daisy. It took Daisy no time at all to figure out the routine!

This is just going to far! Perhaps Mom felt obligated to dog-sit Daisy, but it is going to be a long week if Daisy gets to share sleeping arrangements and go with us on errands.

No Compression Therapy for Dad

I know that Nurses and Doctors take an oath to treat ALL patients, without respect to differences, or some such nonsense.

As Nurse Pennie, I have not offered, in fact I have denied Compression Therapy to Dad.

Dad has been ill these past few days with a fever and upper respiratory symptoms. He has been banished to the Concrete Queen, when he is not feeling well enough to work out of his home office. One of the clear draw backs of a "home office" is that if a person is sick, clients and co-workers still know that if the phone rings enough times, and the email "ding," bells enough, that Dad will arise from the Concrete Queen, stumble down stairs, and respond.

I know that I have some sort of Moral Obligation to hang with Dad, but Sophie and I have been just too busy hanging with Mom, sleeping on the couch with Mom at night, and then Oldest Lad stopped by on Wednesday to wash his car -- even Nurse Pennie could not be expected to miss out on that, could I?

This is what I have decided: Dad clearly does NOT want to share the Concrete Queen with Me and Sophie. He insists that Mom, Sophie, and I all huddle onto one half of the Concrete Queen, with no Dog Parts touching Dad (it is okay for Mom parts to touch Dad.)

So how am I, Nurse Pennie, to even "know" that Dad "wants" Compression Therapy? Perhaps even in his time of needing the ministrations of Me, Nurse Pennie, he still would find it repugnant to have Dog Parts touching him as he lays in a febrile, coughing state, upon the Concrete Queen. NO, I shall simply assume that Dad has no desire for Dog Part Touching Compression Therapy, and continue the far more interesting life in the main part of the house. (And if Dad ever wants to change his mind about freeing up more of the Concrete Queen for Sophie and Me, then perhaps, just perhaps, I might be of a different mind.)

In trouble

This morning Mom got up with Middle Lad, but Sophie and I stayed in bed with Dad. Neither Sophie nor I even moved. Mom left the bedroom door open; assuming that at least Sophie would be down shortly. Sophie is always on the lookout for a snack, and likes to monitor the breakfast situation.

We didn't even get up when it was time to take Little Lad to Monday morning band practice. Mom drove to school Dogless.

We sure heard about it when Mom got home. Today was the first morning of Middle Lad's yearly Ohio Testing. Apparently it was my duty as Tutor Pennie to be up with Middle Lad, to encourage him. Sophie was supposed to be up to make sure Middle Lad ate a good breakfast.

All Sophie and I heard about all day long was how Mulligan had such a Good Work Ethic.

Mulligan always got up with Oldest Lad, Middle Lad, and Little Lad.

When it was Testing Week; Mulligan himself sharpened the Ticonderoga Number 2 HB Pencils.

Mulligan sat next to Oldest Lad while he ate breakfast, murmuring words of encouragement (pawsonally I think it was words of encouragement to drop breakfast on the floor.)

Either Sophie and I spend all day Tuesday listening to Mom whine about our poor Work Ethic or at least one of us is going to have to get up.

Sometimes just a hint on fragrance is all a girrl needs.

Mom retired to bed early with a headache, and Sophie and I joined her, of course, to administer Compression Therapy.

As Mom snuggled with me, Pennie, she detected just the hint of Eau de Deer Droppings. I had no detectable deer soil upon my body. I "appeared" pristine clean, yet, somehow my neck had the definite odor, although not full strength, of deer droppings.

Well, sometimes a dog doesn't want a full Eau de Deer Droppings Full Spa Treatment. I desired just a bit of a splash of Eau de Deer Droppings, about my neck, just to make me feel feminine and special.

Mom uses zero fragrance at all -- she gets Full Force Migraine, plus Mom and Middle Lad have sensitive skin, so Mom always purchases products that are "Fragrance Free," and "Free of Dyes and Perfumes."

Mom just washed the sheets and blankets on Sunday, with Dye and Fragrance Free HE Laundry Detergent, plus Extra Rinse Cycle. I think that my faint essence of Eau de Deer Droppings really freshened up the bed, sheets, blankets, and of course, made me feel special.

Disinfection Unappreciated: a case for eating used tissues

My good pal Buddy Grau has expressed in his diary that his Mom has an upper respiratory ailment.

He noted a complaint common to most of us dogs: our pawrents do not wish us to consume their used tissues.

As Nurse Pennie, I definitely prescribe that dogs eat used tissues. It protects the rest of the human members of the family from getting infected. The virus and bacteria-laden tissues pass into my tremendously powerful digestive tract, where the tissues are fully disinfected. I then can deposit the now non-infectious tissues into the backyard, where they can be safely picked up and discarded into the regular trash.

As always, the tremendous efforts that us dogs go through to care for our humans go unappreciated.

More room for me

On several nights lately, Middle Lad has decided to take Sophie from Mom and Dad's room, and have Sophie sleep with him.

With Sophie sleeping with Middle Lad, then I can have Mom and Dad all to myself, or if Dad is out of town, then I can have Mom all to myself.

Queen Sophine thinks she is some kind of royalty getting carried off to sleep with Middle Lad, but I can do with a little extra lovin' without that attention hog.

Meat Inspector Pennie

Mom stopped at the grocery store today and arrived home with a trunk load of food. I greeted Mom enthusiastically (even before I knew she had been to the store,) and then went outside to Inspect. While Mom was carrying bags inside, I did my usual trick of hopping into the trunk of the mini-van. Don't ever call Me, Pennie a slacker! I am willing to get my paws into the matter to do a full inspection. Mom came back outside and was not happy to see me hopping around all the groceries, especially as she had several packages of: MEATZ!

I should be especially applauded for thoroughly inspecting the MEATZ! Does Mom want a case of Mad Cow Disease to slip by my Penetrating Pennie Nose? The Woman is Crazy enough without adding in Mad Cow Disease!

After Mom forced me off the Inspection Line, she just plain turned to torture by putting a large amount of MEATZ into the crock pot for me to have to smell for the rest of the day. It will serve her right if she turns into Mad Cow Mom.

New Pup to help defend Suburbia

I have had an increased burden about my shoulders, of late, defending my Stop Sign. Across the street, Kia used to live, a large Siberian Husky. Unfortunately Kia succumbed to cancer and old age, and went to the bridge several months ago. Diagonally across the street lived Chewie and Dixie. Unfortunately, they succumbed to Foreclosure. Mom did check on Petfinder and contacted the agencies listed. Both Chewie and Dixie are in Foster Care, awaiting other homes.

The house next door has no dog, and probably never will have a dog, as the owner is not much of a pet lover. Therefore, it has just been ME, Pennie, defending my Stop Sign, and the intersection of the street that meets into my street. Sometimes Queen Sophine will offer up her barking, but she is more likely to lay upon the couch, paws crossed regally, and just shout out the window: "bark, bark, bark."

I take my job seriously. I STORM the front windows. I STORM the front door. I race around the interior confines of my electronic fence, barking like a durn fool (as Mom would say) with my fur raised.

A few days ago we noticed that across the street is a new Pup. Apparently the family of Kia is ready to "move on" from the grieving process and has added a new Pup! Although this Pup won't be able to defend the street as I can, it is a relief that I can stand down a time or two from my alert status.