Molly Can Be Bribed

I discovered yesterday that Molly can be bribed and her bribe of choice is Kentucky Fried Chicken. I had a house guest over to watch some NFL football and we stopped by KFC to pick up some lunch. My house guest decided to be brave and hold some chicken out for her and she readily accepted it. Molly was very gentle about it though and Molly may have even redefined "finger lickin' good." Molly was more accepting of my house guest's presence after that but Molly is not quite trusting of her enough to let her pet her but she is getting very close. A few more chicken dinners and we might be there.

The Language Of Bacon

Molly and I have spent 11 1/2 fabulous years together. In that time together, I have been able to interpret all of Molly's barks, facial expressions, and body language. Molly has a different bark for when she is out of water, when she needs out, and when someone is at the door. Her facial expressions tell me when she understands something I have said or she has sympathy for my condition or she wants to know what the hell I am doing or where in the hell are you going. She has a completely different body language for when she is out of food (she takes her paw and flips the bowl over to show me that yes indeed, the bowl is empty) and one for when she wants attention or needs her back scratched. The most powerful language of all might be the smell of frying bacon. That can bring her out of the deepest of slumbers and make her magically appear by my side in the kitchen in a matter of seconds. I have always heard that fear is a great motivator but I believe that the smell of bacon is even more powerful.

Reading Material

I just got through reading My Dog: The Paradox by Matthew Inman, aka "The Oatmeal". It was a very short book but it was a work of pure genius. This is the kind of stuff that I wanted to write for Molly's World. Irreverent, funny, and just basic observations on what the world is like through a dog's eyes. When I was reading the part about his dog licking his balls all the time, Molly was munching on her ass like it was the buffet at Shoney's. Mr. Inman brought up the question "Does my dog even know my name?" I am thinking "probably not".

Molly Gets A Present

Molly gets some Christmas presents every year and they usually involve food and treats. One year she got a food bowl and water bowl (which she currently still uses) from a stripper that was trying to get on her good side (that didn't happen). This year I/she got an Appalachian State dog leash purchased at the Woofgang Bakery in Biltmore Park and that is the best dog leash she has ever had. I am a proud ASU alumni and now Molly is a proud ASU dog and we use the leash with pride. To be honest, I doubt Molly really knows the difference but it is definitely the most unique dog leash in my neighborhood.

Molly's Present To Me

I believe Molly felt guilty when it came Christmas morning and she hadn't gotten me anything. So that afternoon when I took her out for a walk she quickly dug out a mole in front of the apartment complex, killed it, and carried it around in her mouth and I could not get her to spit it out. She peed twice and even took a dump while carrying that mole around in her mouth. I could not get her to spit that thing out until we got back into the apartment and she quickly spit it out onto my hallway floor. About the only thing she did not do was put a bow on it. She was proud of it. I was pissed but she was very thoughtful and presented her gift like she has never done before.

Molly's Christmas Wish

Molly's Christmas list goes out to all rescue dogs every where. Molly wishes that rescue dogs every where could find a nice warm home with a loving family with dog treats every morning, nice long walks every morning and afternoon and a family that will love them and take care of them until the end of their days. The shelters are filled with rescue dogs (and cats too) that need good homes that will be grateful and treat you like a king. He will also be your best friend.

Another Year Wiser

After taking the weekend off for my birthday, Molly and I are back with a vengeance. I would love to say that we are back another year wiser but to those of us that know us, that is always up for debate. I did help rescue a lost and stranded cat on my birthday and it is such a beautiful creature. I was wise enough to not bring it home with me and introduce it to Molly. I gave it the temporary name of "Claus" since it was find right at Christmas time and we are currently tried to find a home for it. It was obviously domesticated and not afraid of dogs (chihuahua's anyway) and a very people friendly cat. It was just scared and hungry and we did the right thing. Now I just hope we can find its former owner or its forever home.

But I Really Have To Go

I do have to give Molly credit for one thing and that is the ability to hold it more than any dog I have ever known. She woke me up at 2:30 the other morning trying to indicate that she had to go. As I have grown older I have gotten much less tolerant of being woken up at that time of morning so I am pretty sure she got yelled at and I may have even chased her around the apartment. When I finally did take her out a little after 7 AM, she filled about three of those little poop bags full. Every time we stopped I think she took that as a sign that she had to take a dump. However, she did get it all out of her system.

Rollin' With The Sun Beam

Whenever I am at home during the day, I open up the blinds and let the sun in especially when it is cold outside. The sun helps heat my apartment. It also makes Molly nice and sleepy so she will be able to squeeze in another nap. Like she needs another one. She kind of follows the sun beam around the living room floor until the shade takes over again. I started getting a headache and the bright light wasn't making it any better. You would think I had been rolling in the Jim Beam. I closed the blinds a little bit early today. As soon as I shut the blinds Molly snapped awake like I had kicked her or something and she has been pouting for the rest of the day. I guess the sun does feel kind of good and is therapeutic even for those in the dog kingdom. You can just wrap yourself in the warmth of a sun beam and drift away.

The Wet Dog

As Molly has gotten older, she has become less inclined to outside in the rain. It has gotten to the point where she has flat out refused to go out in the rain. We will get to the top of the steps and she will look out at the rain and turn around and go straight back to my apartment door. The funny thing about that is that if I do get her outside in a slight drizzle, she will be more than happy to dig through an acre of mud if she even smells a hint of a mole or some other underground varmint. The claws will be digging, the mud will be flying, and her nose will be buried in the mud hole up to her eyeballs. To paraphrase the words of Clint Eastwood, I guess a dog has to have its priorities.

I Am Glad You're Home

Whenever I have been gone, even for a couple of hours, Molly acts like she has not seen me in years. She cannot get enough attention and I don't really understand it but i just roll with it. I am glad someone misses me. After an hour or two, the thrill is gone and she is back to her napping self. She is getting kind of like me- old and tired. She doesn't want to go out any more as soon as I get home and she is always ready, willing, and able to take a nap and she also doesn't want out as much. That is fine by me because I don't want out as much, either.

A Hypnotic Spell

I have always heard that if you rub an Alligator's belly you can put him in a hypnotic trance. Molly must be part alligator. I can start rubbing her belly or patting her chest and Molly gets this look of sheer joy and contentment on his face. Every once in a while her leg will start flapping like a sheet in the wind and I don't know if it is reflex or if it is a reaction to a good belly rub. It is not only "music hath charms that will sooth the savage breast" but a good belly rub will do the trick as well. Molly knows how to get what she wants.

Some Molly Time

The time off from work due to injury has allowed me to spend some quality time with Molly. It has done me and her both a world of good. Late night walks in the nut freezing cold, sleeping late, and afternoon naps. Molly especially likes the afternoon naps but she still hogs the damn bed. They will not let me take her to physical therapy with me. It might be her unfriendly demeanor but I think Molly would make a great therapy dog. I think it would keep my Physical Therapist on her toes if she was afraid she was going to get bit every time she caused me pain. I would laugh and they say laughter is the best medicine.

Dog Owners Are A Different Breed

Dog owners themselves are a different breed. We love talking about our dogs, showing pictures of our dogs (I have more pictures of Molly than anyone else I know or have been with), and most of the time, we treat our dogs like they are our children. Everyone has a funny story (usually hundreds) to tell about their dog. Dog owners are compassionate people- mostly to other dogs. I have seen people that will go out of their way to help an injured or a sick dog but would not give a plugged nickel to help a fellow human being. I guess it is because most of the people can control their own circumstances where as dogs can't. I was talking to an old friend last night and naturally our talk eventually turned to our dogs, both past and present. I have been around dogs ever since the day I was born because my father was a dog lover/owner. The first family pet I remember was Midnight, a black poodle, that I basically grew up with. I have only been a dog owner for about 15 years now and Molly has been the longest lasting of the bunch. A lot of times Molly and I are the only two left standing.

Dogrobics

I believe I may support Molly in her effort to put out a "Dogrobics" video. She has perfected this routine where she lays flat on the back and starts kicking her back legs and flailing them about and letting out little growls of happiness. I think it would outsell anything Richard Simmons ever did.

That Sweet Doggie Face

I was sitting in my easy chair a few minutes ago and Molly came up and sat down in front of me and looked at me with such a sad, heartfelt doggie face and those dark brown eyes were filled with such caring and concern. I realize I have the ability to be completely selfish as I proved last week but my dog loves me unconditionally. Molly knows that I am in pain, and that I am sad, and that I am miserable. That is all about my attitude and I am working hard to change it. I am wanting someone to give me some answers and maybe it will be Molly. She is the wizened ild gal of 11 1/2 years old now and she has been with me thru the worst of everything my life has had to offer and everything life has thrown at me. I have survived it all and a lot of that is because of Molly. She has been there for me every step of the way.

A Different Breed

Molly is a Mixed Breed dog that I rescued from an animal shelter. She is also a very different breed of dog. She is very aloof and standoffish and she has never been your typical lap dog. She only wants attention when she wants and only on her time table. I had a German Shorthair named Maxc who weighed about 80 pounds and he thought he was a lap dog. That usually turned into a painful experience. That dog craved attention no matter how he had to get it. He also had a little bit of Houdini in him, escape artist extraordinaire, but luckily nothing bad ever happened to him. He was a beautiful dog and I will be the first to admit that I cried like a baby when he died. Maggie was also a Mixed Breed and a very sweet, gentle dog and was definitely not the Alpha Dog that Molly is. The good thing about Mixed Breed dogs is that they are all relatively healthy. They do not come with diseases and conditions that some pure bred dogs bring to the table. Molly has bad hips and i have often wondered if it has anything to do with the different positions she contorts herself into licking and scratching her butt. Molly disagrees.

Wake Up, I Need Some Attention

I do not know what Molly's problem has been the past three nights but she has gotten into the bad habit of waking me up at about 2:30 in the morning, all for seemingly various reasons. The first night it was because there was something outside she wanted to tell me about. The second night she neede help getting up on the bed and since I was already asleep, I seemed like a natural to get up and do it. At least according to Molly. Last night, she had to wake me up so she could be petted, I am assuming. Her hairy butt about got petted with my foot. Being the animal lover that I am, I petted her enough to keep her content until I fell back asleep. At least she didn't need outside.

My Warm Blanket

This entry is in Molly's own words. My owner, Dan, just wrote an entry about his warm blanket on his blog Dan Dates Again and here is my take on that. He will not let me under the blanket while he is in bed so all I get to experience is the top of the blanket. When I snuggle up beside him, it is plenty warm enough because he is like an electric blanket. The real joy in the blanket is when he gets up to leave for the day. He has got the bed all nice and warm for me and I burrow under the blanket, adjust the pillows just right, and I am good for another 8 or 9 hours of sleep. If I get to bed early enough, I always get in his spot, fix everything the way I want it, but he always makes me move. He claims I am a "bed hog." I can't complain. The bed beats the cold, hard floor any day.

The Early Wake Up Call

It is a rare occasion that I get to sleep late and sleeping late for me is 6:30 or 7. I had a roommate in college who could sleep until 3 PM on Saturday and Sunday morning. I slept great last night. That is until something was upsetting Molly at 4:15 this morning and she felt compelled to tell me about it. I never even fully woke up to know what she was barking at but it was something in the parking lot. It was probably someone trying to break into my car again. I am pretty sure I told her to be quiet and tried to go back to sleep. I successfully did without any more interruptions from Molly. I remember putting her back on the bed so she could go back to sleep as well.

Soak Up The Sun

Molly's theme song for the day was Sheryl Crow's "Soak Up The Sun." From about 9 AM to about 2 PM the sun shines directly in my balcony door. Molly believes in the healing power of the sun (and a good tan) so she stretches out to soak in a few rays as often as she can. This morning was a good time for it because it was kind of chilly up until about lunch time and the sun shining through the windowsd and doors felt really good. I think Molly can be asleep in under three seconds and when her eyes roll back in her head, she is down for the count. There is nothing wrong with that and I could learn a lot from her in that regard.

Molly's Thanksgiving

Most people use Thanksgiving as a way of giving thanks for the bounty in their life but normally nobody asks the dog what they are thankful for. Molly is thankful for a warm apartment, a nice human bed to sleep on, someone who is there to take me out when she need it and lets her stop and smell the roses, and takes her to the vet when she am sick (although Molly appreciates it, I think the vet thing would be near the very bottom of her list), that she gets her daily treats, and I sneak her a little bit of bacon from under my table, and her food or water bowl is never empty, and that she gets a belly rub and attention whenever she needs it. If there is such thing as reincarnation, I want to come back as a dog with somebody like me as an owner.

Playing In The Snow

The first snow of the year brings out the young pup in both me and Molly but we usually pay for it for the next couple of days but it is fun while it lasts. We took a nice walk in the snow this morning and then when it warmed up a little bit this afternoon, we got to play in a little bit. Molly chased a few leaves that were blowing across the snow, I got to take a few pics of the ice covered mountain tops and then we crawled back upstairs and took a nap. It was a good couple of hours and a couple of hours well spent with my dog.

The Big Blueberry

We were supposed to have an ice storm last night but that never really materialized but we had a real steady rain when I woke up this morning, the kind of rain that Molly really hates. I didn't take her out until about 7 AM because I am pretty sure she knew what was going on. I kind of like taking walks in the rain. I got all dressed up in my rainsuit which is dark blue in color (I even put on the pants), my Indiana Jones hat, and I looked like a huge blueberry. At least I was going to be a dry blueberry. I do want everyone to know up front that Molly's leash and my rainsuit matched so I at least had that going for me. This morning Molly wasn't thrilled about going out and she balked as soon as we got to the top of the steps. I was not going to make a day of trying to get her to go to the bathroom so I dragged a less than willing Molly down the steps. Luckily, she did her business rather quickly and the part Molly enjoys the most is getting dried off. I put a big towel around her and give her a good rub down.

The Treat Hound

There are certain breeds of dogs that are very rare but distinctive because of their background and their limited bloodlines. The Plott Hound, the state dog of North Carolina, is one of those. Historians say that the Plott Hound was introduced to North Carolina around 1750 and definitely by 1800. If Molly had not been spayed as a puppy I could have bred her and introduced a new line of pure bred dog, the Treat Hound. This breed would be part Bloodhound and part Cookie Monster. Molly has the nose of a Bloodhound as she is able to sniff out deep burrowing moles and other rodents and wildlife but she also attacks treats with the fervor of the Cookie Monster of Sesame Street fame. Her favorite is the Ol' Roy Munchy Bones from Wal-Mart and she has a distinctive eating style that would also set her apart from other breeds. She carries the Munchy Bone around in her mouth like a cigar until she finds a corner of the room off to herself to where she can eat in peace. She props the Munchy Bone in between her paws to where it is standing straight up until she gets to the last bite. The Treat Hound would also be fiercely loyal to only one owner and a very small circle of the owner's friends.

A Cold Morning

It always seems that on those bitterly cold mornings like it was this morning, Molly wants to stop and smell every leaf and blade of grass in my apartment complex. I am sorry Molly, but I do not have one of those thick fur coats on that you have and the only thing I can smell is the dump that you just took. Those also seem to be especially fragrant when it is really cold and you always seem to manage to get down wind of me so I can get a really good whiff. If I didn't know any better I would have to believe you do that on purpose. Not to worry, I am having tacos for dinner and revenge will be mine! Molly will suffer the wrath of my homemade game day tacos.

Welcome To My Home

When it comes to Molly, she would say "Welcome to MY home." I had a guest over for a few hours last night and I must say I was proud of Molly. She came out to greet my guest and she didn't growl or snarl or show her teeth and she was almost civil. I told my or I should say I warned my guest about Molly's territorial nature when it comes to my apartment (and me). She didn't do any of that. I was afraid Molly would try to assert her dominance by showing her teeth and snapping at her. Molly didn't exactly greet her with open arms but she also did not assert her dominance. Molly did do her "crawdad on a hot rock" routine but she wanted to garner all of the attention. Molly is demanding of her attention.

Sleeping Beauty

Molly decided to turn in early last night while I was one the phone and Sleeping Beauty should have it so good. She hops up one the bed, arranges her pillows just so, wraps her paws around the pillow, and she is out like a light. I was on the phone for almost three hours and Molly slept the entire time. When I got off the phone, it took me about 15-20 minutes to get her up so I could try to take her for her last walk of the evening. It was after Midnight and she was not happy about having to get up. It had been misting all night long, one of those real heavy mists that was going to soak me and Molly, and she walked to the top of the steps, looked out at the mist, and turned around and went back to my apartment door. Molly was telling me, "I believe I'll wait. I don't have to go that bad." I was expecting an early wake up call from her but she let me sleep in until 6:30. Molly needed her beauty sleep.

A Crawdad On A Hot Rock

Molly has developed an interesting new method for getting attention. That attention comes in the form of a belly rub. She lays on her back on the floor and starts twisting back and forth and flailing her back legs up in the air and growling the whole time. It must feel pretty good because she seems to enjoy it. It also accomplishes its goal when I give her a belly rub. She flails around like a crawdad on a hot rock and it is really kind of funny. I heard that figure of speech used by Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies one time and it fits her movements her perfectly.

Unconditional Love

One of the bad things about having Rheumatoid Arthritis is that it can sneak up and kick you in the ass at anytime like a summer thunderstorm. Since it is just me and Molly now we have to look out for each other. I was sitting in my easy chair this afternoon trying to find some kind of relief from the pain and I noticed Molly had crawled up on the bed and crawled over beside and she stretched out on the pillow and was laying there looking at me with the utmost concern on her face. That was a look of unconditional love and that is the essence of man's best friend.

Shutup And Pass The Pizza

If it is two delivery people that Molly know before they get here it is the pizza guy (and it doesn't matter which one), and the UPS guy and his little brown truck. Today I decided to order pizza and Molly alerted me when he had arrived in our parking lot and helped me share the pizza. She loves the pan crust from Pizza Hut and I always give her more than her fair share. I always have to lock her up when I am paying the delivery guy or he may not get out of there alive.

On The Mend

Molly is finally on the mend with her leg and almost back to normal. She can move around reasonably well enough, at least well enough to get up and down the steps. Before she gets up on my bed, however, I have to get out of the bed so she can jump up on it. I have noticed that she can only jump on the bed from the side of the bed. I wanted her to use as much of her bad leg as possible because I was afraid that some muscle atrophy would set in. She is much better now.

Molly's Rescue Story

I saw something the other day on Facebook about telling your dog's rescue story. I love telling Molly's. It happened at the Henderson County Animal Shelter. It was late on a Saturday morning and my wife thought I needed a dog to cheer me up and we couldn't afford to pay for a Pure breed dog (nor would I) so the logical choice was the animal shelter. We showed up and they took us around to the back and there must have been about 30 dogs in a big cage. There were only a few puppies and Molly was diving over the tops of dogs much bigger than her to get to the side of the cage we were on so she could get some attention. I told the guy she is the one I want. My father always tyold me when it came to picking out a dog, to let them pick you out and you would never be disappointed. The guy told us when we were paying her fee that she was actually on her 6th day and should have been put to sleep the day before. I think fate intervened for both of us that day and she has been by my side ever since.

The Electric Blanket

Molly appreciates the value of a good electric blanket and now that it is the first really cold night of the year, she says it si time to break it out. She snuggles way down deep and I have to drag her off of it in the mornings. Molly is really not much of a snuggler unless we are having a bad thunderstorm outside, but she can snuggle way down in that electric blanket. Molly has always loved the cold weather but the electric blanket is something to be treasured.

Hushpuppies

I "accidentally" discovered a new comfort food for Molly, like she needed another one. It is hushpuppies from Dickey's Barbecue. Every time I go now I have to buy her an order but she only gets a few of them. She does have to watch her figure. It is getting so bad now she will just lay beside my chair and open her mouth while I gently drop them in. Can you say beyond spoiled rotten?

Remembrances

I was doing my laundry this morning and I started folding up my socks. Molly, of course, is laying right at my feet wanting a belly rub and it made me remember back when she was a young pup and she used to love getting a hold of my socks. I would be sitting in my computer room and she would grab one and walk by the door, stand in the door way, and just shake my sock as hard as she could and run like hell. If I didn't get up and chase her the first time, she would come by and shake it with more emphasis until I finally got up and chased her. Who says dogs do not have an imagination? With my wife, it was tissues. My wife always had to have one in her hand so she could shove it up her nostril and she would leave them on the couch or laying in the bed with her except with my wife, Molly would go one step further. She would grab the tissue and tear it to shreds and leave the scraps laying all over the house. Molly did it all with a smile on her face.

Rrrooowwwwrrrr!!!

Molly has a very distinctive method of getting my attention whenever she wants attention. She can't come to me and swat me on the leg or something. She will sit across the room and growl and woof at me until I come over and give her a belly rub. My favorite move is when she rolls over on her back and starts growling and kicking her legs up in the air and she starts flopping all over the place. She seems to be having a good time when she is doing and I am sure it acts as a back scratcher on this coarse carpet of mine. She also gets such a huge joy out of it.

Molly Knows

I have been getting sick all week long and this morning, getting became is sick. Molly knew I didn't feel well because she has refused to leave my side all day long. While I was napping all day long, Molly slept right by my side and if I was awake or moved, she was right there with me. Molly has always known when I was sick or injured and she is more in tune with my feelings than any human I have ever known. Dogs are indeed man's best friend and Molly has been mine since day one.

Sing Along

I was sitting here thinking about what I was going to write about tonight and Molly is usually able to come through for me again. I usually have music of some kind on my computer or my old boombox (I can't believe it still works) and Molly starts growling along to Mmm Bop by Hanson, the acoustic version, and most dogs love music. The first music I ever really noticed Molly paying any attention to was the theme song to MASH. She would just sit there and watch the TV until the song was over. Heavy Metal usually gets her too wound up, Rap is definitely out, and Molly loves the '80's.

Milking It Like Bessie The Cow

There is no doubt in my mind that Molly hurt her leg but now she is milking it just a little bit. If we run into other dogs while we are out walking or I crack open a box of vanilla wafers, her leg becomes suddenly completely healthy. She is milking because deep down, she knows I want to go out of town this weekend and I will not go if her leg is still bothering her. She is a dog but also a female and she knows how to play the game.

My Fur-Child

I am going to borrow another term from Giant George and that is "fur-child." That is exactly what Molly is and she can sometimes be as aggravating as a child. Her leg injury is slowly healing and she is now able to make it up the steps with assistance from me from behind. This is mainly because she does not like me carrying her up the steps. She would rather walk up them by herself than have any assistance from me. I am still there to give her a boost and she would rather sleep on the floor than me lift her onto the bed. My fur-child has never been a lap dog.

Molly Channels Richard Pryor

Watching Molly "interact" with the two dogs from upstirs, Emma and Molly, the other night reminded me of an old Richard Pryor routine. Molly has had a bum left rear leg and she has been hobbling around on it for at least a week now. She has been hopping around on three legs the entire time. That is until she saw Emma and Molly. Then she was ready to rumble, bad leg or not. That is what made me think of the Richard Pryor routine. The punchline in the routine was "If I catch you around here any more, I am going to take this bad leg off and wear your ass out with it!" That is Molly made over. Once the doggie adrenalin kicked in, Molly forgot all about her leg. Then after the doggie adrenalin wore off, of course, I had to pick her up and carry her back upstairs.

The Rainbow Bridge

I had never heard the term "Rainbow Bridge" before I read about the death of Giant George. When it comes to your beloved pet passing away, I could not think of a more perfect phrase either. As I watch Molly struggle with her latest leg injury, I can't help but think that she is getting closer and closer to crossing over to the other side. I am hoping that she will be able to make that decision on her own but if she can't, I will know when the time is right. Molly deserves all of the dignity and respect that I can possibly give her when it comes time.

I Can Fly

Molly and I were out for our afternoon walk yesterday and she pulled up lame. She hurt her back left leg somehow and the steps we have to climb up, there are fifteen of them, are pretty steep. Molly dutifully tried hobbling up a couple of steps and then she just quit. She couldn't make it. Molly has never been accused of being a lap dog and I have never really picked her up and held her so that left me in a real dilemma. We had to get up the stairs somehow. I picked her up and started walking up the steps. She wasn't thrilled with the new method of travel but I didn't have any other options. She went spread eagle and if Superman would have had a dog, I am sure he would have looked something like this. We made it up the stairs, she was thrilled beyond belief to be on solid ground again, and i was happy I didn't get bit.

Ownership And Dogs

My blog Molly's World has been written over the course of the past 4 years and it is just about me and my dog. I realize that some, most, or if not all of it is pretty boring, mundane stuff. I was spurred on by the tales of Giant George and other dog owners/lovers and I tried to keep it interesting and at one point, I even tried giving Molly a "voice" but that may have been when I was at my worst. The other night, I participated in a "survey" about blogging. I have been most consistent with Molly's World, posting on the average about 10-15 times a month. The majority of my other blogs are sports blogs I think just about everyone that is a sports fan has a sports blog. I really do not have any more deep insight than any other sports fan even though I still try. In talking to the man that was conducting the survey, the blog that got the much attention was my more personal ones and the one he quoted was one of my more sleazy ones. It is something along the lines of Fifty Shades Of Grey. The fact that blog got the most attention really surprised me. That was one I started thinking about me and Molly. I was going on the theory that "everyone loves a dog story." I was talking to a friend of mine about it the next day, and she pointed out that "nobody loves your dog like you," and she meant that applied to every dog owner. She is right. Nobody is going to love Molly like I do and God knows, Molly loves very few people. I will keep writing Molly's story but I guess not everyone loves a dog story and sex does indeed sell.

Caddy Shack

Watching Molly go after a mole reminds me of the movie Caddy Shack. Carl the Greens Keeper was always going after this gopher that was destroying the golf course, Bushwood was its name, I believe. Carl finally had to resort to blowing everything to smithereens and the gopher still came out dancing. In my case, Molly plays the part of Carl. She goes after them with everything she has and usually just comes up spitting out dirt and grass and with a real dirty nose. Once in a great while she will get one but that is few and far between. After all, she is slowing down a little bit and those refelxes are not as sharp as they used to be. Much like Bushwood, my apartment complex does not appreciate her efforts.

Mount It On The Wall

I took Molly for her walk this afternoon and after she did her business she wanted to continue up the sidewalk. Normally she wants to immediately come in and claim her afternoon treat so when she practically dragged me up the sidewalk, I knew something was up. She went straight to were the mole tunnels were and within about two minutes, she had killed one and I made her spit it out on the sidewalk. Molly wanted to bring it back to the apartment and mount the head on the wall like some people do a deer but I was not too accepting of that idea. By letting Molly display her kill on the sidewalk, it lets the everyone in the apartment complex know that at least one dog in the neighborhood is on the job and her name is Molly...

The Nose Is Still Young

Molly may be getting a little long in the tooth and little gray around the muzzle at 11 1/2 years old but the nose is still as good and as strong as the day she was born with it. Yesterday afternoon, she sniffed out a mole in the grass and happily tried digging him out (her reflexes have slowed just a tad), and last night she sniffed out those two dogs that live upstairs and was ready to take both of them on. Luckily I got her pulled back into the apartment before that happened. The girl that owns the two dogs got them put up before I let Molly back out again, but she went charging down the steps like she was a young pup. She knew every step those dogs had taken and made sure she reclaimed her turf. The nose knows.

Vanilla Wafers

Scooby Doo had his Scooby snacks that gave him strength, power, and courage and Molly has her vanilla wafers. I bought a box the other day because they were cheap, and I wanted something sweet and different. As soon as Molly hears me open the box and you can picture me hiding in the closet trying to sneak in a vanilla wafer and Molly comes on the fly. You also have to know Molly doesn't run that much any more. All of this for the love of vanilla wafers. Motivation comes in different forms and I guess the same could be said for dogs.

It's Time To Snuggle

The cooler mornings are finally here and Molly always wants to snuggle when the colder weather gets here. I am going to try to go as long as I can without turning on the heat because this is only the middle of October and way to soon to be running up my heat bill. Molly loves the cooler weather anyway. The cooler weather always makes her more energetic and much more frisky and she is always more excited to go outside when it is nice and cool outside.

A Memorial To Giant George

Molly and I were saddened to learn this morning of the passing of Giant George last night. Giant George was ordained as the world's largest dog by The Guiness Book Of World Records a couple of years ago, weighing in at about 250 pounds. The post on Facebook said that he passed away one month shy of his eighth birthday. Giant George was a gentle giant and a true ambassador for the canine world, authored one book, and made too many TV appearances to count. I first saw him when he appeared on Good Morning America and I, like most other people was amazed at his size. Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Giant George and he will be missed.

Moral Support

Watching your dog slowly decline as they get older is hard. A dog's life is a microcosm of a human life at seven times the speed. Molly can't jump up on the bed any more unless I get behind her. It is kind of funny because I don't pick her up or anything, I just stand behind her for "moral support" and she jumps right up there. Maybe she draws strength from me or something but she won't jump up there any other way. Jealousy also seems to be a great motivator. If there is a woman laying on my bed, she is right up there in between us. Molly is slowing down fast. Our walks aren't as long anymore and the amount of naps she takes has about doubled but in the so called "dog years", Molly is about 80 years old. She passed her physical last week with flying colors but I am hoping she will know when it is time to check out on her own and I won't have to make that decision for her.

The Green Eyed Monster

I went out last night and Molly's jealousy genes have really been put into overdrive. I couldn't peel that dog off of me this morning if I wanted to. I don't know if she thinks something bad is going to happen to me and she is part of my Secret Service protection detail or what but right now, she is just getting on my nerves. Not to mention the fact that she has bad doggie gas and everyone that she rips wafts up and singes my nostril hair. She has not left my side since I got up this morning and when I get up, she immediately gets and follows me. Maybe she is afraid I am going to leave her behind but that is the way she rolls. No Dan left behind.

The Bed Hog

Molly decided to jump up on my bed last night as I was going to sleep and share my bed space with me and it has been a long time since she has done that. Like me, Molly has her good days and bad days, and they are turning into mostly bad. Those rare occasions she does jump up on the bed anymore, I have to be the cheerleader. I have to pound on the bed with my hand, telling her "C'mon girl, c'mon girl, I know you can do it!" She will get that happy look on her face that only dogs can get and she will crouch a couple of times and she will wiggle her butt and wag her tail everytime she crouches down until she decides that she can take that leap of faith forward and jump that whole two feet on to the bed. She then does what dogs do and that is hog the bed and generously allow me a corner of it until she decides to get down. She can have all of the bed space she wants. This is Molly's World and I am lucky enough that she lets me share it with her.

The Vacuum

Most dogs have a love/hate relationship with the vacuum cleaner but Molly's is more of a hate/hate. I can even pull the vacuum out of the closet and Molly starts getting antsy. She used to be afraid of the vacuum but now all she is worried about is that the vacuum is going to eat her food. As soon as I turn it on and I start vacuuming the living room floor, Molly immediately goes over to her food dish and starts eating until I stop vacuuming. I guess she saw me vacuum up a few chunks of dog food one time and now she thinks the vacuum is after her food. It is really kind of funny but she Molly does not find it so amusing.

Lazy Days

I believe it was the Carpenters that sang "Lazy days and Sundays always get me down...." My vacations are full of lazy days for Molly and me and that is all she needs is a nap partner. We take a short walk in the mornings and one around lunchtime and then we take a nap in the afternoons. I can always blame Molly for my lack of motivation. She has always been a bad influence on me and it continues to this day. We also take a walk or two late in the afternoon and before we turn in for the night. I had to do my weekly "chores" this morning- laundry, some light cleaning- and then it was time to be lazy.

Dog Tired

Molly was one tired pup after her Vet adventure on Friday. I woke up Saturday morning and I actually slept a solid eight hours which is very unusual for me. I looked over and Molly was still asleep in the exact same spot that she fell asleep in. I don't think she moved all night long. That is also why I felt very comfortable with my decision to not take her to the kennel. The Vet was very stressful for her and the kennel only would have stressed her out that much more. I can go out of town another weekend. She slept pretty much all day as well but the fleas are gone and she is finally able to rest now.

The Pill

When I took Molly to the Vet yesterday aftenoon, she had a slight flea problem. The Vet gave me a pill and he said that once Molly took it, it would start killing the fleas within 30 minutes. I was a little bit dubious about that, I was more worried about getting Molly to take the pill. I tried wrapping it up in a piece of bologna, but Molly smelled it, gently took a corner of the bologna in her mouth, and spit the pill back at me. I cut it in half but was met with the same result. I ended up having to cut the pill up in eight different pieces, hiding it in small pieces of bread, and she finally took the pill. I have to admit when I woke up this morning, there wasn't a flea on her. I was amazed. I inspected her from back to front, and she was completely flea free. No more scratching or anything. At $18 a pill, it was well worth it.

Molly Goes To The Vet

As usual, taking Molly to the Vet is an adventure. She knows where we are at about two mile before we get there. She starts whining and I don't care which way I go. I always get there about thirty minutes early to make sure I get to walk her around a little, she can take in all the smells, hopefullu use the bathroom, and then I try to get her in the door. She was much more calm this time in the reception area. She started getting a little bit antsy when we went into the waiting room and she even tried her old trick of hiding behind me so the Vet wouldn't see her. That didn't work either. He always try to distract her in some way and this time around, he tried putting a blanket over her. I suggested the "cat" method in which she is distracted by a cat (as long as the cat owner doesn't find out) but he said he didn't have one available. I left the room so he could do his thing because Molly feeds off my nervousness but I watched through the window in the door. I must say Molly put up a hell of a fight but he got the shots in. The first time I looked in the window, the blanket idea had obviously not worked. When I looked in, I saw The Vet administer her shot, he pulls his hand back very quickly because Molly had whirled around and tried snappimng at him. He looked like an Olympic athlete getting out her way. I couldn't help but laugh. We all survived and she is relatively healthy at 11 1/2 years old. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Feeling Better

Molly is feeling a little bit better today but much to her dismay, she is still going to the Vet tomorrow afternoon. I called the kennel this morning and they said they would still take Molly but with a few restrictions and I can understand that. I wanted to call them and let them know what was going on with Molly so there would be no surprises for either party. I have always stressed being a responsible dog owner and that is how I want to be. Part of that is your dog not passing on any of her problems on to relatively healthy dogs.

Vacation

I am one day closer to vacation. That means Molly is one day closer to the vet then the following day, on to the kennel. I really hate putting Molly in a kennel but I chose one on the far side of Hendersonville because I feel more comfortable with them and their set up. Paw Pleasers in East Flat Rock is better staffed, more dog friendly, and even though it is a little bit further out of my way, I feel more comfortable with the care Molly gets there. I will go out of my way to make sure Molly is more comfortable and more importantly, I feel the most comfortable with her at Paw Pleasers. I feel guilty about leaving Molly behind, a fact I am sure Molly will take full advantage of. It's okay. I will be glad to buy her all the treats she wants.

I'm Ready For My Closeup Mr. DeMille

I do not even know where that line came from but that suits Molly almost perfectly. She, along with Giant George, has to be about the most photographed dog on the planet. The only difference is, he is making millions, and Molly is not. She doesn't really pose for pictures (unless she is sleeping or just waking up), she is my test subject for my camera. She has for the most part been cooperative, but occasionally she has those "diva" days in which she is pouty and just not going to cooperate. Those pictures usually get deleted.

The V-E-T

I was talking to someone on the phone last night and I told them that I was going to have to take Molly to the Vet for her yearly shots sometime this week. I even spelled out V-e-t. As soon as Molly heard that, her head snapped around, she shot me that look, and she came running up to me and demanded to be petted. She knows what I said and knows how to play that information for some extra attention. I believe humans call it a guilt trip. It is a good thing that I did not spell out K-e-n-n-e-l. That is where she is going on Saturday. She would have guilted me into buying her a new pet bed and a case of dog treats.

Feeling It

Molly and I were both feeling it this weekend and by it, I mean feeling bad. Friday night, I felt like I had been run over by a steamroller and I just laid on my bed most of the night with Molly in the floor right beside me. It has pretty much been that way all weekend. Nice weather, really kind of hot for it to be early October and Molly and I really felt too bad to enjoy any of it. You know you are on the down side of life when your bad days outnumber your good.

An Indian Summer

It looks like we are having another "Indian Summer' here in the mountains of Western North Carolina and Molly is suffering because of it. She picked up a flea problem from the flea bag next door and they are not going quietly. I have tried most every method from hmeopathic to medicine to try to alleviate this problem and the medicine worked better than anything else has so far. I am hoping to completely clear the problem up when I go on vacation in another week but that is still a week away. In the meantime, its hot, we're both miserable, and life goes on.

The Seeing Eye Human

Molly is starting to get cataracts in her eyes real bad and she really has a hard time seeing at night. I take her out usually twice in the morning before I got to work and at least once at night before I go to bed when it is dark. My apartment complex, being the dump that it is, has a light that is out on the landing ramp right outside of my door so it is really dark. Molly will go to the top of the steps but I really have to provide encouragement for her to go down the steps. I usually rub her head and stroke her chin and tell her that I love her and that "Daddy" will be right there beside her. I wish she would let me pick her up and carry her down the steps but that is not going to happen. We will make it down those steps together or not at all.

Some New Bling

It is time to buy Molly some new bling, namely a new collar and a new leash. Usually I try to buy a matching set but the last time I bought a dark blue relective leash (the reflective part wore off after about 4 days) and a dark pin collar. Molly might be color blind but she is not fashion blind. You can usually take your dog into a place like Pet Smart but I can only imagine the brawl that would ensue. I don't think I could deal with the stigma that would come with being permanently banned from a Pet Store. I'll let Molly have some input into her fashion choice and then I will go by myself.

Friends Come And Go

Friends come and go in my life at a rapid pace and the only real constant in my life is Molly. Right now she is helping me do the dishes. Molly is there for it all- the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, the strippers and the "good" girls- and she helps me weed them out. It is probably a good thing she can't talk or she would be keeping her own journal and blackmailing me every step of the way.

The Dog Whisperer

I have seen bits and pieces of that television show called The Dog Whisperer and I can't quite compete on that level but I believe I do a pretty good job with Molly. I am, by nature, a high strung, energetic person and I believe Molly feeds off that. I get really nervous when other dogs come around and Molly feeds off that. Yesterday she went to the screen at our balcony and started woofing and growling at other dogs. I decided I would try a different approach with Molly and I went up to her and just started talking to her in a real soothing voice. I told her, "Those are just little doggies out for a walk with their owners and you don't need to get them all riled up by getting into a woofing contest with them." Then I would call her over to me and that seemed to work pretty well. I would give her a belly rub and some ear scratchies and she seemed content to let them on their way.

A Friendly Face

Dogs have memories and usually pretty long ones whether it be a smell or a sight. My ex-wife came to visit us today and Molly recognized her as soon as she pulled up in the parking lot. Molly happened to be sitting at the balcony door and my ex saw her and started talking to heer. Molly immediately started whining and ran to the door. I always shut Molly up in my bedroom until my guests can get in the door and get seated. This time Molly rushed out the door not to lay the law down but to greet my guest with tail wags and doggie kisses. It is kind of nice to see Molly actually happy to see someone for a change. Molly offered up her backside for patting and her belly for rubs and all was good.

My "Loyal" Readers

Molly's World reached over 5000 views the other day and I can remember when I made a bid deal out of reaching over 1000 views. Evidently I only have about five loyal readers although a real close friend of mine was playing around on the internet the other day and he found my Molly's World blog. I will be mnore than glad to admit that I am still feeling my way around in the dark with this blog thing. Some of my entries are pretty good and occasionally funny and a vast number of them I should not have wasted my time on. This isn't the world of a comic strip where I have to be funny everyday or even have to post an entry everyday but it would be kind of nice. Very few entries I have really put out there for the public to read and that is mainly because Molly and I are pretty shy, reclusive people. I have always said if I won a ton of money in the lottery that I would buy a mountain somewhere, put a house at the top of it, and only come off it every month or two just for the hell of it.

Dogs Have Psychic Abilities

Dogs have a greater consciousness than human beings give them credit for. They know when we are physically hurting, emotionally distressed, and they can sense any tension we might have so Molly might just be the most stressed out dog on the planet. I can look over at her sometimes and she will be staring at me intently like she knows something is going on in my head or there is an ache somewhere in my body. Whenever I get this pensive she is always right by my side, there to absorb any tension eminating from me by offering her belly for a rub or her back for a scratch. She is always there for me.

Unconditional Love

Dogs are unconditional love wrapped in a furry bundle. I was in an awful mood when I woke up this morning (mainly because I am having a hard time sleeping) and unfortunately Molly caught the brunt of my frustration. She knew something was wrong with me and she just wanted me to be close to me and I just needed some space. I felt horrible all day long about it because I realized I was very unfair to Molly and she just wanted to give me the love she knew I needed at that moment. I returned the love when I got home this afternoon and all is well. The next time I feel that frustration I need to take a step back and realize who is always there for me.

A Beautiful Mind

Last night I was banging away on my computer and and I look over and watch Molly jump up on the bed and proceed to turn down the covers just like a human would. She peels back the sheet and the blanket, picks out which pillows she wants, arranges them in a particular way that suits her, throws the rest of the pillows off the bed, and lays down like a human, and is asleep in about 2 minutes. It is fascinating to watch. I would love to know what goes through her mind when she does this because she does all of this for a reason and uses a methodology that requires a thought process. She really does have a beautiful mind.

The Clock Is Ticking

My first day on my new schedule and Molly did not handle it so well. She woke me up at 3:30 AM, her usual time to go out, even though her new time needs to be 5. Molly did not care. I reasoned with her, I threw pillows at her, and I even tried to bribe her with her favorite reat, Munchy Bones. Nothing worked. Therefore, my ass was outside at 3:30 watching Molly take a dump in one of the neighborhood flower beds. I should charge them for fertilizer.

Molly The Foodie

A friend of mine used the term "Foodie" yesterday. A Foodie is someone who enjoys eating and also enjoys the tastes and flavors of many different foods. The more I thought about it, Molly fits into that category. Any time I have a guest come over, Molly immediately goes to her food bowl and empties it in their presence. It is her way of letting them know that she is not sharing no matter how small the morsel. Molly also enjoys the tastes and flavors of many different foods, mainly anything I happen to be eating. This morning it happened to be Bojangle's. If I happen to leave it to close to the edge of the table, she thinks I left it there for her and she will reach up and grab it. Molly appreciates my generosity..... and carelessness.

A Rainy Day

It has pretty much been raining ever since Molly and I got up this morning and she has decided this would be a great day to stay in and nap all day long. We have ventured out a couple of times for some short walks but Molly is getting to that age where she does not want to have anything to do with water especially the kind that is falling out of the sky. She really doesn't even like walking on wet grass any more. A lot of dogs are like that but my Dad's hunting dogs loved getting in the water, especially a nice stream or a creek. Pops used to have this one Cocker Spaniel named Louie that would fetch anything out of the river. You could throw it out on the rolling river and he would jump in and bring it back. I can't even get Molly to get into the bathtub.

Feet Up

I was laying on the bed reading the other night and Molly starts going into her "I want a belly rub" routine and I could help but laugh. She rolls over on her back and starts wiggling her feet and letting out this little growl. From my angle on the bed, all I could see was her paws dancing around and I could hear her doing her growl. Of course, that kind of effort and creativity deserved a belly rub. She may not be as young as she used to be but she still knows how to entertain a room.

The French Fry Eating Squirrel

I went to Lake Julian near my apartment the other day to enjoy the sunshine and to take some time out to reduce some of the stress that is prevalent in my life here lately. I took my journal and a Wendy's #1 meal with me to help me out some. I picked me out a picnic table in the middle of nowhere, nice and quiet, with a good view. I was soaking in some sun, enjoying watching a rowing team from the local high school practicing their skills on the lake, and popped open my Wendy's bag. A squirrel materialized out of thin air. He got to within about five feet of me and sat back on his little, furry haunches and tucked his little paws perfectly against his chest. His motive was pretty clear. He wanted food. I did not realize that squirrels even ate french fries but it was all I had to offer the little guy. I tossed one to him and he picked it up with his lttle paws, held it vertically to his mouth, and preceded to chow down on it. I ended up tossing him several more so now he has a worse cholesterol problem than I do. When the ducks showed up, I had nothing left to offer them which is probably a good thing because the chances of me getting mauled were pretty good.

The Neighbors Dogs

When I came home from doing laundry yesterday morning, a couple of my neighbors were standing in front of my apartment building like neighbors do and they had their dogs with them. Molly (the other one) and Emma, two of my Molly's not-so-favorite dogs, and one other new one. I went up to Molly and Emma's owner and told her that I would wait until she got done before I brought my Molly out because I did not want another brawl on the staircase. We laughed about it and dog owners always have a kinship with each other. Me and the girl started exchanging stories about our Molly's orneryness and we had quite a few laughs about it. Dog owners can always share stories about their dogs and I could talk all day about Molly. I talked for a few minutes to the other dog owner standing there and hers was a real timid rescue dog that she had only had about three or four days and I tried making friends with it and it shyly licked my hand when I held it out. I have a soft spot in my heart for rescue dogs (Molly was one) and I believe the poor little dog will be walking around here with an attitude in about a week.

The Canine Jaws

I remember a soon from the movie Jaws in which the Great White Shark starts bumping the bottom of the boat and he hits it harder and harder until he starts breaking through the bottom of it. That is the way Molly has decided she is going to start waking me up now. She starts slamming her body into the end of the bed. When she first did it about a week ago, it really brought me out of a deep sleep and I did not know what was going on. She has done it just about every night since. Last night she got a little bit too close to the bed and I swatted her with a pillow. Take that!

I'll Just Move My Bed

This morning I was getting ready to run a few errands and before I go anywhere, I always shut Molly up in my bedroom. This morning, Molly thought she would outsmart me. I rounded the corner to go down the hallway and I noticed she had moved her pet bed that she sleeps in in front of the door to where I couldn't close it. I could not help but laugh. Who says dogs can't use reason and logic to solve problems?

When The Spotlight Is On

Molly used to be very shy when it came to her bathroom functions but not any more. She used to have to go behind a bush or behind a tree or something. She seems to do her best work at night when a car is driving by with its headlights on us for the world, and the passengers of the car, to see. Late one night, it was about 2:30 in the morning, she decides to go in the flower bed in the parking lot, and of course a car drives by. Early one morning she dropped a load in the parking lot, the first time she has ever pulled that off. Her pooper scooper didn't work too well on that. Last night, we got "spotlighted" again and she didn't even flinch. The business has to be done and once she squats, she is not stopping.

Tough Times

Molly and I are facing some tough times ahead but we will face them as we always have- together. I stand an excellent chance of becoming unemployed for the first time in my life and money is going to be so tight, I don't know if I am going to be able to afford dog treats. What the hell, Molly and I could both stand to lose some weight anyway. Asheville has become a city with a large homeless population. I see them in Wal-Mart, I see them outside of Wal-Mart, and people want to treat them like homelessness is a disease, an affliction like leprosy. I see people sitting outside the store with dogs and I feel baddest of all for them. These dogs are loved, they just do not have a couch to lounge on or a special blanket they lay on or anything. Molly and I might be in that group soon enough.

The Medieval Dog

The Medieval Dog was primarily used for hunting game although certain dogs, such as the mastiff, were allowed in the castle to double as guard dogs. There were varying breeds, many similar to the breeds that we have today. The hunting dogs, according to Wikipedia, lived in their kennel in the castle and had their own attendant to take care of them. The needs of the dog were addressed promptly and maybe this is where Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker got the idea for an air conditioned dog house.

Holistic Healing For Dogs

Molly has acquired a bad case of fleas from the flea bags in the neighborhood and with all of the wet weather we have had, Molly and I are miserable, especially Molly. I really can't afford the high dollar stuff they offer at the Vet's office so I decided to look online to see what they had to offer. I found a formula that called for cedar wood oil, lavender oil, and mixed with water. I know cedar chips can be used in dog houses to keep away the fleas because of the smell and the formula said it would take daily treatments of two or three times a day for a couple of weeks for it to be effective but I am willing to try anything. I also did a broader search for holistic healing for dogs and what I found was quite fascinating. Their is a website called The Happy Dog Spot that was a wealth of information on viewing the dogs complete health- physical, mental, and physiological- as a means of healing. I think Molly and I might be on to something.

Reincarnation

If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I would like to believe that in mine and Molly's previous life, we lived in medieval times with me being a knight of my castle and Molly being the guard dog. I don't know anything about medieval dogs and if they were even a constant presence in the castle. I could definitely see Molly being a hunting dog with that impressive nose of hers. If someone comes to visit my apartment now and I leave the room, Molly dares the person visiting to leave the room. She does a great job of protecting this house.

It's Alive

Everytime I throw a porkchop or a steak on the stove, Molly will come out of the deepest of sleeps and suddenly appear by my side. Everytime Molly does this I get images of the old black-and-white Frankenstein movie where Dr. Frankenstein has just brought his creature to life and he hysterically screams, "It's alive!" Of course Molly makes sure she makes herself available for handouts and leftovers.

A Lazy Saturday

Molly and I have come to appreciate lazy Saturdays where all we do is lay around, watch TV, and nap. This is the first day of the college football season and Molly really doesn't care one way or the other about that, she is just happy about having a nap buddy. She is a rwal good nap buddy if I can get her to share a pillow and some of the bed. That is always easier said than done and it is met by growls and dirty looks from Molly. She does not like to share bed space.

The Attitude

I have always heard that attitude is everything in life. If you have a good attitude, positive things will come your way. If you have a bad attitude, only negative things will knock at your door. Wal-Mart has a "Social Media" policy that basically "prevents" me from saying bad things about them and their business practices. That policy, however, does not prevent Molly from saying anything about them. "I see Dan drag home everyday with the saddest, forlorn look on his face because I know he hates his job. I try to cheer him up by letting him rub my belly and by letting him take me on long walks. He cheers up a little bit but it is not enough. If Dan enjoyed his job it would improve his outlook, his health, and more importantly his attitude." I believe the attitude is the key and Molly wants me to hang around a few more years.

A Hummingbird At My Window

I was sitting here typing out my blog the other day when a humminbird suddenly appeared at my open window and hovered for several seconds before he flew off. For a second or two, I was afraid he was going to fly in my window and the havoc that would have ensued briefly flashed through my mind. I quickly came up with two scenarios. Molly and I could be flogged to death by a hummingbird before I could get it back out the window. The other scenario has Molly tearing my apartment apart trying to get at this hummingbird. If Molly is anything, she is tenacious.

The Lone Wolf

Molly has a lot of "lone wolf" in her. She doesn't play well with others, has never been a lap dog, and only really craves attention from me. That is all well and good but we are in close proximity with many more people now than we ever have been and she acts friendly towards some and not so much towards everyone else. She is still not going to let anyone pet her though.

Ritz

I remember an old Andy Griffith commercial from the mid-1970's for Ritz Crackers where the closing line was "Everything tastes better on a Ritz." I hate to break this to the dearly departed Andy Griffith but Molly is not quite feeling it or tasting it to be more precise. I have been having to give her Ritz Crackers as a substitute for her Munchy Bones. Molly begrudgingly accepts the Ritz crackers but she would much rather have the Munchy Bones. Molly is disappointed in me that I keep forgetting to buy the Munchy Bones but remembered to buy myself something. All I want to point out to Molly is who has a job and who doesn't.

The Persuasive Molly

Molly was blessed with the power of persuasion, or a strong will, and a long streak of stubborness. Call it whatever you want to but she has a way of getting her way. This morning when I woke up, I was laying sideways across the bed with my head hanging off one side and my feet off the other. That is exactly how Molly lays on the bed and sometime during the night she must have influenced how I was sleeping. She was sleeping just fine. I guess I should just be thankful that she "allows" me to sleep on the bed much less how I lay on it.

A Wrestling Match

There is an old hockey joke that goes something like "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out." Molly and I have a slight variation of that and it goes something like "We went to a wrestling match and a walk broke out." Sometimes walking Molly is like getting a wrestling match with a miniature bear, especially if there are other dogs outside. Last night when I got back from the baseball game, it was about 10 PM, but I think everyone was having a late night. It seemed like all of my neighbors had their dogs out. As soon as we got to the bottom step, we ran into Martini and her owners. I knew the hot babe and her dogs were out because Molly could smell them and I could hear them. I dragged her down to the end of the sidewalk and Molly did her thing but it was a real brawl. I got her back into the apartment without any more conflict but I had to go back out to my car. Right as I started down the steps, I ran into the hot babe and her two dogs. It was funny because she had heard my door open and had stopped halfway up the steps to see if I had molly. The look of nervous anticipation on her face was funny. She did not know whether to run back down the steps or if it was okay to continue on. Inviting her into my apartment was not an option.

Chihuahua On A Leash

There is one of my neighbors that has a Chihuahua puppy that can't be more than 3 or 4 months old. It is an off white color and the poor kid has to walk him around on a leash and it looks so funny. The little monster already has am attitude as I saw him/her fighting the leash this afternoon. Most Chihuahua's have a canine Napoleon Complex anyway and this little guy is starting up already.

The Belly Flop

When Molly wants a belly rub real bad she kind of does this ungraceful, roll over, belly flop on the floor and then she will look at me and give this little growl meaning "Get over here now!" It is an ungraceful, dry land version of a whale doing a roll over. I doubt that Molly will ever make National Geographic TV or even Animal Planet, and it might be ungraceful, but it is effective. She gets her belly rub.

More Talkative Than Normal

Molly has been talking a lot more than normal lately. She will sit at the end of the bed and really start woofing at me and sometimes I have a hard time interpreting this but this time it is pretty clear. I have spending far too little time with her here lately because of my work schedule and she wants more attention. She has been much more clingy and literally under my foot and I have been trying to take her on much longer walks but yesterday we saw our first snake. That makes me not want to walk as much. I believe it was just a Garter snake but I could care less, a snake is a snake. Luckily Molly didn't see it and the snake just laid there and didn't draw any attention to himself.

Run, Molly, Run

Molly has really started slowing down and I have really noticed it over the course of the past month. Back in her younger days, everywhere we went, Molly went at it going a thousand miles an hour. We ran everywhere. On our leisurely walks, chasing squirrels and rabbits, going to greet other dogs- it didn't matter. She used to run through the house just to be running. She would run just as hard as she could go from one end of the house to the other. She would jump up on the bed, she would throw herself against the couch, and every once in a while she would use me or my wife as a springboard. There was one time that there was an Ottoman sitting in the middle of the room and she did an impromptu sprint around this Ottoman at full speed. She kept circling this thing at full speed for several laps like a calf around on of those barrels in a rodeo. It was so funny. I wish I had it on video. I miss those days but we all slow down and youth does not last forever. At least we are slowing down together.

Part Of The Family

My sister Denise lost part of her family some time yesterday and I don't know the exact cause, but his name was Champion ("Champ"), a Chihuahua and part of matched set, kind of like salt-and-pepper shakers. If a dog is treated right, he is part of your family. He has his own place at the table so to speak, he is present at family dinners, reunions, Christmases, birthdays, and whatever other family event might take place. My favorite memory of Champ is a picture of him and his sister sitting in my lap at Christmas and nothing promotes love and the Christmas spirit like a lap full of Chihuahuas. This reminds me of a dogs last will and testament that someone else had posted of Facebook the other day about a dogs last wish being to pass that loving home on to the next dog that fate drops in your lap. Molly and I raise a Milkbone in your honor Champ!

The Needy Dog

Molly has never been a needy dog in that she has never felt the urge to crawl up in my lap and stay there for hours or constantly need my attention or anything else. That is until the other day. I pace when I talk on the phone and the other day I was on the phone and Molly almost had to be in my back pocket the entire time. She followed me, step for step, through every room in my apartment. If I sat down, she was right under my feet and it got really aggravating after a while because I kept tripping over her or stepping on her. I never did figure out what she wanted.

"I'm Going To Bed, You're Making Too Much Noise"

The other day I was unwinding with some music and evidently Molly didn't get enough sleep in the 9 hours I was at work, so she was trying to take a nap on the bed. I must have been making too much noise because she got up, gave me a dirty look as she was walking down the hallway, and went and got in her pet bed in the other room. She did it with such attitude, I couldn't help but laugh. She is always the Diva.

The Balcony

In every apartment I have ever stayed in, I have always wanted a balcony. I can just sit there in my chair, drink a beer, and watch the world go by. I can also sit there and write about the world going by. Molly sometimes makes sitting on the balcony a little bit difficult. She can smell another dog when it comes within about 50 feet of our balcony. I am afraid Molly is going to do a half-gainer off the balcony onto some poor, unsuspecting dog and their owner and that could get ugly. Molly does like relaxing on the balcony and taking the world in but she only allows a certain part of the world in is the problem.

A Meet And Greet

Molly finally met our neighbor's dog the other afternoon. He is a mixed breed, German Shepherd mix named Pryor, and it went better than I thought. As soon as we walked out the door, I knew something was up. Molly went barreling down the steps and Pryor was waiting for her at the bottom with his owner in tow. They just basically touched noses but Molly was in her "brawler's stance", ready to pounce if the need arose. Luckily it didn't and everyone walked away calm and happy with no boken bones, contusions, or fur ruffled. Molly is just curious as to what the other dog is about.

If You Are Going To Piss Your Owner Off, Do It With Style

Molly is a firm believer that if she is going to piss me off, she should do it with style. I have to get up at 2:15 in the morning anyway so Molly decided to play Foghorn Leghorn to my Farmer Brown and wake me up about an hour before my alarm went off. Rather than just tap me on the shoulder or something subtle to wake me up, she gets up on the bed and does a full out belly flop on top of me to roust me from a sound sleep. My reaction was to call her a few names and roll over. She follows the belly flop with several hip checks that a hockey player would have been proud of. When all that got was a a few pillows fired in her direction, she finished with the tried and true standard of woofing and barking at me until I got up. All she needed was some water and I staggered around the apartment until I filled her bowl full of water.

Grouchy

Molly and I are pretty much like any other dysfunctional roommates in the fact that we have disagreements once in a while. She snaps at me and I yell at her. We always bury the hatchet within a short while and quickly become best friends again. She sidles up to me and rubs up against me and I consent by giving her a belly rub. Apologies accepted all around.

Dogs Are Better Than The Whole Of Mankind

Madame de Stael once said "The more I see of men, the more I like dogs." My father prescribed to that philosophy. Towards the end of his life, Pops spent much more time with his dogs than he did people. The more I am around people, especially working in retail, I am beginning to be a believer as well. I have better conversations with Molly than I do the majority of the people I run across in a days time. She is more personable and she listens much better and shows more concern. All she asks for in return is a few belly rubs and to be walked whenever she so commands it. It is probably a good thing she can't talk.

Milkbone Underwear

"It's a dog eat dog eat world out there and I am wearing Milkbone underwear." Norm from Cheers. That has been my sentiment for the past couple of weeks, and luckily for me, Molly prefers Wal-Mart's Munchy Bones to Milkbones. Everybody that I have come in contact with the past couple of weeks has tried tearing a hunk out of my ass and Molly has been my saving grace. It is so nice at the end of a brutal day to come home to my apartment and have someone, that being Molly, is actually happy to see me. She jumps, she dances, and she talks to me. We take a nice relaxing walk, let her stop and smell the roses, and it helps me regain some of my composure and collect my thoughts. Molly would never be labeled a "therapy dog" because of her unfriendly nature but she is almost all of the therapy I need. Throw a goatee and a pair of glasses on Molly, and she could pass for Sigmund Freud.

Rain And More Rain

This has been the rainiest summer that I can ever remember. Some lady at the store the other day told me that this is the rainiest summer that Asheville has had since 1905. All of this rain has hampered my and Molly's afforts at taking some walk. It has brought out more bugs than we can fight off but luckily for us, we are the only one's in the neighborhood that takes walk in the rain. Molly doesn't like thunderstorms or downpours but the light rain we can handle. Sometimes we have no choice and we have to tough it out. When it is raining really hard, I take an umbrella with me and hold it over Molly's head while I dress up like a combination of Indiana Jones (the hat) and Captain Ahab (the rain suit). We have to do whatever works.

Do You Need A Hug?

The other night I had had a particularly bad day and I was lamenting everything that had gone on that day. I was writing in my journal and I look over at Molly laying on the bed. She was staring at me with the most wistful but caring look on her face. It was like she wanted to help but she did not know what to do. She is very in touch with how I feel, physically and emotionally. She acts on it by making herself available for belly rubs and lots of attention. The other night she put on a show for my friend Richard. She would roll over on her back and growl and snarl, signifying that she wanted some attention. She got lots of belly rubs that night and lots of attention.

I Want Something Different To Eat

Molly displayed her dissatisfaction at having to eat the same old food everyday by taking her paw and flipping her dog food bowl over and flinging her dog food all over the living room. This was after we had a little tussle with one of the neighborhood dogs a few minutes earlier and Molly was all keyed up. She looked at me with a bit of contempt and I told her, "Fine. You can just eat it off the floor." Her response was to crawl up on the bed and go to sleep. It is so hard to live with a doggie Diva sometimes.

Not A Chick Magnet

Most dogs are chick magnets. They are cute, furry, and friendly and Molly figures two out of three is going to have to be good enough. Molly is a chick repellant because of her unfriendly nature. There is this one young lady that lives upstairs, very beautiful, about 21 or 22 years old, and she owns two dogs. Her dogs and Molly can't stand each other and every time they see each other, it is like a canine version of the WWE. She pulls her dogs one way, I pull Molly another, and we are both shouting apologies to each other. Molly just doesn't care how smokin' hot the girl is and I can't seem to make her understand.

Wake Up! I Have To Go Out Again!

The other night my friend Richard came over to watch the Seattle Mariners-Houston Astros game with me. Molly has been around him before so it was no big shock to her and she wasn't that upset with a stranger being in the house. She would not allow herself to go to sleep until he left (she didn't feel that comfortable with him) but I told him before he left that I had a feeling that she was going to have the trots before the night was over. I hit that one right on the money. I went to bed at about 11:30 PM and she woke me up about every two hours after that needing out. I will admit, that is better than the alternative Molly left me with on Thursday, so I dutifully staggered up and walked her and each time, she really had to go. I am sure I looked like Otis Campbell on a Saturday night (an Andy Griffith Show reference) staggering down the sidewalk being led down the sidewalk by my dog. It reminded me of the episode where Otis got the cow. We accomplished her mission and I did not fall down the steps so all was good.

A Dog And His Feelings

"Show me someone who says dog's don't have feelings and I'll show you someone who has never met a dog." Oscar Rabeiro. I honestly have no idea who Oscar Rabeiro is but he must know something about dogs. I saw a video on Youtube today where a dog's owner had been away for 6 months and he came home. The dog was beside himself with joy and he met this guy at the top of the stairs and the dog was all over him, hugging him, and jumping for joy. Then the guy finally made it to his chair and the dog was up in his lap and the dog started talking to him. It really brought a tear to my eye for a dog and a man to show that much love and affection for one another. I do not think I could go off to war and leave my dog behind. It would be to big of a burden to bear for me and probably for Molly as well.

The Ability To Ad Lib

Molly has that rare ability for a dog to ad lib and do things off the cuff. She had another accident yesterday while I was at work. Actually it was a big accident. In several different locations. I thought I made a brilliant move by removing all of the clothing for her to cover up any more accidents Molly might have. Molly, ever being the quick thinker, improvised by covering up one of her accidents with a power surge protector. When I walked into the bedroom, I looked over into the corner and my surge protector (luckily there was nothing plugged into it) was laying right in the middle of a big pile. I could not help but laugh at her ingenuity. I am glad that when she did that she did not get electrocuted while using that surge protector to cover up.

Molly Leaves A Present

When I came home the other afternoon and Molly and taken a big healthy one in my bedroom but that was my fault because I had not been patient with her that morning and given her enough time outside before I left for work. I have never had a problem with Molly using the bathroom in the house so I didn't get mad at her but it was funny because she decided to try to hide it with my laundry again. I am sure most of you have seen the pictures posted on Facebook where you see some dog greeting his owner at the door with a harried look on his face and the caption says, " I am glad you're home! Someone pooped in the house!" That is the look Molly had on her face.

2:30 AM Is Not Early Enough

I have always heard the old saying "the early bird catches the worm" but Molly took that one step further last night. She woke me up at 1 AM because there was a cat outside. I thought she had to go to the bathroom but once we got outside, I realized what Molly's real purpose was. Her nose pointed right at the cat as soon as we hit the bottom of the steps. Even though extremely pissed, I indulged the dog and let her go look for the cat. I saw it and Molly could smell it, but I would not let her track it down. I did not feel like being a part of a bad Sylvester and Tweety cat chase at one in the morning. I guess I would be playing the part of Elmer vFudd one more time.

The Watcher

Molly watches everything. No detail goes unnoticed. She will sit at the window like a cat and watch everything that goes on outside. If there is a dog coming down the sidewalk she always lets me be the first to know. Anything out of the ordinary that she spots, she sounds the alarm. Mostly Molly watches me. I have never figured out why. A lot of times I will be sitting at my computer and I will look over and Molly will be laying on the bed staring at me with such a look of intensity. It is like she is protecting me from some unseen force that is about to cause me harm. She especially pays attention when I grab my car keys or grab the leash. She knows I am going somewhere and if I grab the leash she knows she is going to.

Caught My Attention

There are times when I struggle to find things to write about as some of you who read my blog can tell. This morning as I am sitting there in the laundromat, I picked up a copy of some old Reader's Digest and it had an article about animals displaying their human qualities. There was a blurb within that article entitled "All Animals Think," by Virginia Morell taken from her book Animal Wise. In that blurb, she expressed the opinion that animals have minds that function much like their human counterparts. She believes that animals "have personalities, moods, and emotions; they laugh, and they play." I have always thought that and I was taught that concept by my father who liked hanging out with dogs more than he did people. Him and his dogs spoke their own language only understood by them. Each dog I have ever owned have all had their own unique personality. Molly's can best be described as arrogant and she is a lone wolf. She prefers the company of one or two people instead of being the life of the party. That is why Molly and I have always shared a special bond. She exhibits a great amount of jealousy whenever someone she doesn't know is around. When it comes to me she stakes her claim and plants that flag hard. It is quite funny to watch how she can try to work her way in between me and whoever happens to be over here. She laughs, she plays, and she demands attention. I know when she is happy and I know when she is depressed. I guess I do have a lot of my father in me.

We Are Surrounded

Molly and I just went out for our nightly walk and we were surrounded by other dogs. Molly wasn't about to put up with that. I believe that people are even importing dogs in here that don't even live here to walk their dogs. Molly and I just eventually came back in because it was pointless to even try. It was like swimming with the sharks.

The Excitement Of The Great Outdoors

Sometimes Molly gets so excited to go outdoors that she gets downright giddy. When she knows that we are going outside, she will run over to her leash and pick it up with her mouth and hand it to me. I just wish I could that excited about anything. Molly stops and smells everything like it is the first time she has ever been out there. I am sure there are so many different smells out there every day it is like a different planet for her.

Is That A Snake?

I took Molly out for her 3 AM walk this morning (as well as 1:30 AM)and there was something laying on the sidewalk that, at first glance, resembled a small black snake. Molly was curious, I wasn't, but Molly's curiousity won out. It wasn't a snake and I couldn't tell what it was. All I know it was that it wasn't moving and wasn't trying to bite either one of us. That is always a good sign in my book. One of my neighbors seems to think it is a hair extension. It is also still laying there. I always wondered how Molly would look with some extensions?

The Hunter

I always tried telling my father that Molly would have been a great hunting dog with the proper training. Hunting was one of my fathers passions. He did not give my belief in Molly's nose much credibility but she has a nose like a bloodhound. We can be walking along and she will sniff out a mole in an instant and be able to go right where it is at. Squirrels, rabbits, and cats do not stand a chance. She knows when there is a dog outside and if Molly could talk, she could probably tell me which dog it was. Not every dog is like that. She does not have a purebred pedigree but she does have a purebred nose from the finest of sniffers.

Treat The Animals Well

"I looked up my family tree and found three dogs using it." Rodney Dangerfield. I have been around dogs since the day I was born and I was taught to love and respect dogs. A friend of mine made a post on her Facebook page this morning that every morning she wakes up, she can hear her neighbor lady yelling at her dog, either "No!" or "Bad dog!" and she never heard her say anything nice. It's to bad the dog can't yell "Bitch!" or "Dumbass!" because anyone that teaches the dog with such disrespect does not deserve to own one. Instead of the Dog Whisperer maybe they should call in the Dumbass Whisperer. It sounds like the owner is the one that needs to be retrained.

Creature Of Habit

Molly is definitely a creature. When those habits get altered a little bit, it makes it harder on me because she gets to sleep all day. I have to take these heavy duty sleeping meds and one night I fell down the stairs, last night I walked out in a driving rainstorm with only a t-shirt and a pair of shorts on (that will wake you up), and I staggered down the sidewalk one night with the cops sitting there. I need to alter Molly's bathroom schedule as soon as possible before something bad happens to one of us.

Where Are You Going With Bed?

In order to stay with the theme of a useless maintenance man, my ceiling started leaking again last night. He supposedly fixed the problem but you cannot put a bandaid on a dam and expect it to hold. It was right over the bed and fortunately I was awake when it started dripping. Luckily I was home and I was able to pull the bed into the living room to safety but Molly was not really happy with me moving the bed while she was on it. All I got was a growl as she held on for dear life until she jumped to safety. I doubt she would much like roller coasters but I don't expect to be taking her on one any time soon.

Singing In The Rain

Molly has never been a big fan of the rain and it has rained all week long. Yesterday was the worst but we had managed to avoid the worst of it. Last night it was a little more problematic because the drain at the bottom of the steps to my apartment building is clogged with leaves. The complex maintenance man is a sack of crap who is to lazy to lift the grate and clean out the leaves. So last night when Molly and I went on our final walk, we had to walk through 3 to 4 inches of standing water in order to get to the sidewalk. Molly was not happy and since our maintenance man lives in the building right up above me, Molly and I briefly contemplated throwing a flaming sack of doggie doo-doo on his balcony but cooler heads eventually prevailed. Not to mention the fact we could not keep the bag lit because it was raining so hard.

The Slow Rollover

Molly just sauntered up to me a few minutes ago and laid down beside me. That is usually indicative that she wants some attention. I have been very preoccupied lately so I start petting her and she just slowly rolls over on her back like I had hit a button or something that slowly rolled her over. She did the slow rollover and that back leg slowly went straight up in the air like she was raising a flag. Those kind of maneuvers deserve a belly rub. She got the belly rub and now she is asleep. Life as a dog must be good.

Dealing With A Changing World

Molly and I are a lot alike in the fact that we do not deal with change well at all. We like things to stay the same. We like and need that consistency in our lives. Unfortunately, life is all about change and it is a constant, especially since Molly and I are both getting older. I am rapidly approaching middle age and Molly is getting late in her life and any type of change is hard on both of us. My life right now is all about loss as is Molly's. I do not have the option of sitting idly by while the whirlwind spins around me. I am caught up in it and as a consequence, Molly is right there beside me. "I need some perspective to give my life objectivity." Temperance Brennan, Bones. I need a different way of looking at things and I need to let things go. I need to pass that on to Molly.

Molly And Motorcycles

Molly does not like motorcycles. At all. Luckily there is only one in our parking lot at the apartment complex. Every time the owner cranks it up, Molly has a barking fit. I first noticed this problem (if you can even call it that) when we were driving to Hendersonville from Gastonia one afternoon. A harley rider pulled up beside us and Molly went ballistic. We passed him and left him in our dust (I showed him some raw 4-cylinder power) but Molly followed him all the way down the road until he was out of sight. I do not know what sets her off about motorcycles but whatever it is, it is not a good thing.

Sleeping Beauty

As any dog owner does, I worry about Molly as she gets older. She has always been a rather healthy dog and has really only had to go to the Vet once or twice outside of her yearly shots. I remember reading Marley & Me and it saying in the last year of Marley's life he had slept a lot. Molly is to that point now and she turned 11 years old a couple of weeks ago. Because of my job, she also spends a lot of time by herself and I really don't like that. Her being anti-social is kind of my fault as well but I can try to make her as comfortable as possible during her final years. She is a great friend, a better protector, and a great judge of character.

Move Over

Molly and I have an interesting dynamic when it comes to bed time. If Molly gets to the bed first, she picks her 2/3 and I get what is left. She picks different sides depending on her mood I suppose but since I have been having to get up at 2:30 in the morning now, she prefers to sleep on the side away from the alarm clock. She is not a big fan of the alarm clock. She usually stays in bed while I get dressed and eat my bowl of cereal and then she will meet me at the door for her early, early morning walk. We usually have the run of the apartment complex at the time of the morning. We are both creatures of habit.

Thunderstruck

I had to borrow this title from the song by AC/DC but when it comes to storms, it is an appropriate title as far as Molly is concerned. It started thindering heavily this afternoon and Molly assumed her place by my side as soon as it started. I see these advertisements on TV all the time for something called a "thundercoat or thunderjacket" made specifically for dogs that helps them during storms and helps keep them calm. The only problem with that is that I would never get the jacket on Molly because I can only imagine the brawl that would ensue. I might lose body parts and a short hospital stay might be mandatory but I would be willing to bet that at the end of the day, Molly would not be wearing the jacket.

Focusing

I have decided not to spend as much time on Facebook any more (that seems to only get me in trouble of some kind) and focus my attention more on my writing and on Molly. Molly is getting older now and our walks are becoming not as long and a whole lot slower but we are still out there. Not that my writing has been very lucrative for me (or for Molly) but it relaxes me and is how I best express myself. Molly seems to best express herself at nap time and when she is taking a dump but a dog has to do what a dog has to do. Giant George beat us to the punch on the book thing but Molly does not set herself apart with any outstanding physical characteristics like he does but she more than makes up for it with her "grumpy old men" personality.

Entitlement

I believe that dogs can posess a sense of entitlement that some people do. I saw a dog yesterday that was being carried to her car and the dog seemed to expect that treatment. Molly is more of a blue collar dog. She is always down in the dirt, working hard, and she hates the pampered treatment. She does like her well deserved treats for a job well done but that is about it. She hates being picked up unless she is hurt or something, she is not a lap dog, and she hates the doggy frills.

Bonding

I never realized how important bonding time is with a puppy until I met a friend of mine's daughters puppy. This puppy is pure energy in a little furry, gnawing package but for whatever reason, the puppy has taken up with me. Every time I go over there the puppy follows me around, she is always in my lap, or laying on the beside me, and I play with her, and take her on walks. I am bonding more with her than her owner because I never see the owner doing any of these things. She lets anyone and everyone do these things for her. Therefore everyone else is bonding with the puppy. I told my friend that she was going to have a hard time when she takes the puppy to college with her because she is not going to want to do a thing she says. There is something to be said for bonding with your puppy.

The Dog Days Of Summer

Since today was the first day of Summer, Molly and I celebrated by taking a long walk in the hot sun. We usually try to walk in the shade but that wasn't even cool enough today. After a few hundred yards, Molly even looked at me and was kind of like "You have got to be kidding me!" It was too hot and muggy outside to walk so we came inside and enjoyed that invention called air conditioning. We can walk around my apartment if worse comes to worse.

Good Bye Nova

Molly has to say good bye to another one of her neighborhood buddies sometime next week. Nova and her owner are moving out next week but Molly has no real emotional attachment so I believe she will get through it alright. Dozer the Black Lab puppy moved out in January and Molly did not miss a beat. Nova did help Molly break down her cold exterior some on the social interaction and with a little time, who knows what would have happened. Honey the Boxer and Molly became fairly close over the years that they lived beside each other but that is as close a friend as she has had. Molly has always had a streak of "lone wolf" in her and that will probably continue now.

A Tangled Web

Molly and I went for our usual afternoon walk yesterday and we ran into Nova the Husky and her owner, Lana. Lana and I are getting a little braver and we let the dogs get close to each other just to test the boundaries to see what will happen. Yesterday it turned out not to be such a good idea. Nova just wants to be petted and to play. Her and Molly went nose to nose for a couple of minutes with Molly growling her disapproval before Nova focused her attention on me. I started petting her and giving her belly rubs and that got her all excited. That was when Molly got involved and the next thing I know, Molly, Nova, Lana and I are a tangle of leashes, dogs, and people and it looked like something right out of a Three Stooges short. We couldn't help but laugh. Lana sat down on the grassy hill after she unhooked Nova while I tried to untangle the leashes. It was like trying to untangle Christmas lights. We finally got everything sorted out and we agreed to not be so brave with our experiments again.

Father's Day

Molly honored me for Father's Day by waking me up early so she could go out, she didn't cook me breakfast but she ate half of mine, and brawled with all of the other dogs in the neighborhood for good measure. As long as Molly had a good time, that's all that matters. I honor my father every day by continuing my relationship with dogs. Towards the end of his life, he would have much rathered to hang out with his "pack" of dogs than he would people. My father was a wise man.

The Dogs Of War

The phrase "dogs of war" was first used in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. What made me think of it was someone had posted a picture of a dog in front of a United States flag for Flag Day yesterday and the dog looked like Molly. War dogs have been important in just about every war and have been used in a variety of capacities mostly as scouts, sentries, and trackers. In the United States most recent war in Irag and Afghanistan they have been used to sniff out IED's. Many dogs have received the Medal of Honor and have achieved hero status as a result. There is even a United States War Dog Memorial in New Jersey. Molly would have been a great war dog as she has a nose second to none and could have sniffed out the smallest of IED's.

Relationships And Dogs

Today I am pissed at the entire female population because they picked today of all days, to piss me off. Not just one, but it seems like every woman I know. Luckily, that doesn't extend to Molly. The only time I have ever really been pissed at Molly is when she wakes me up to go outside after I have only had a couple of hours sleep. She aggravates me until I finally stagger up and take her outside. It is better than the alternative to her leaving a big pile beside my bed but still, aggravating, none the less.

Pure Energy

I believe that pure, unharnessed energy comes in the form of a puppy. I went to a cookout on Sunday and a puppy was present and she was tireless. She played and played and then played some more. She wanted to wrestle with me and after several well placed nips to my arms and rib cage, I decided to go for the big finish and landed several well placed elbow drops. They did not faze the puppy and she moved on to some different victims. After a quick five minute nap in the arms of her owner, she was ready to go again. At some point and time she had to crash and burn hard, I just wasn't there to see it. She was pure energy, nuclear lightning, all rolled into a furry package.

Molly's New Buddy

Molly has a new buddy in the neighborhood that we have been running into more frequently and her name is Nova. She is a beautiful brindle-colored Husky and she is as playful as they come. Molly, however, is old and grouchy and hardly ever in a playful mood. Nova tried making her case today for Molly as a mentor but Molly's reaction was "I have to take a dump." I guess that was her answer on being a mentor.

Rainy Days And Mondays

I believe it was the Carpenters that sang rainy days and Mondays get me down. Today was a real downer. My place of employment, in their infinite wisdom, decided that I needed to start working at 4 AM. That means an hour earlier for my wake up time but my place of employment did not consider what effect this would have on Molly. Going in an hour earlier means that Molly's bathroom schedule got bumped up an hour and it may not seem like much, but it makes a huge difference. It was raining this morning and since Gargantua the Great Dane moved out, we pretty much have the run of the place that time of morning. It was not a heavy rain and Molly and I like walking in a light rain. It kind of cleanses our souls and gives us both a fresh new start.

A Social Life

As a single adult, having a social life is sometimes difficult terrain to navigate even without a dog. With a dog, it is ten times more difficult. Every time I close the door and shut Molly up in my bedroom, she looks at me with those sad eyes knowing that she is going to be shut up in my bedroom for several hours. She has my bed all to herself but it is not as much fun as me trying to root her off of my side of the bed. Asheville is a very dog friendly town but Molly is not a very dog friendly dog. I try to spend as much time with Molly as possible, taking her on long walks and longer naps, and she understands my need for my own socialization.