My Cat Is More Obedient Than My Dog

Last night as I was about to go to bed, I called Archie to come back with me. At first he refused to go but then he simply ignored me. He gave a few "quick wags" of the tail and put his head back down. He refused my commands. I was a little pissed because he was supposed to have been trained by professional dog trainers. Surely they taught him the command "come here."

Before I went back into the living room to physically retrieve him, I told him to "come here" one more time. The response I got was surprising; Dodo stepped off the table onto the armchair. The cat was going to come to me and not the dog.

It's kind of screwed up when your cat is more obedient than your dog. I guess I should be happy to have a special cat. He's a pretty white cat.

Dixie Is Lightning In a Bottle

I don't know how my brother kept Dixie under control at his condo. Dixie is a raw energy: a dynamo. If she is not biting or jumping on Archie, she is on the watch for her next adventure. She watches. She picks up on every noise she hears. You can see the focus and deliberation in her eyes.

The dog does not stop. She wants to run and play all the time. True, she does stop and lay down at times. But I wouldn't say she is resting or taking it easy. Instead,  she simply gives up and lies in wait until the next event pops up.

Random Thought:Mandatory Gratuities = Oxymoron

If a restaurant automatically includes a tip on a customer's bill, the payment is no longer a tip but instead a surcharge.

The Bitch Is Back!

Dixie's a good girl but I liked the title.

 Friday night, I went to Greensboro to pick up Dixie and Archie. My mom is well enough to take care of Archie. Dixie will be spayed this week. We thought it would be best to have the procedure done here in Raleigh since someone will be here all day to monitor Dixie while she recovers. Abby had problems after she was neutered when she developed an infection around the staples.

Since my brother was driving up from Atlanta to visit his friend in Greensboro, I did not leave Raleigh until after 7pm. There was no use going earlier since the dogs wouldn't be there until later. By the time I got into town, it was dark so I didn't have to look at the tired and neglected buildings in east Greensboro.

I hadn't seen Archie in over 2 months. He was supposed to be trained and have calmed down. The first thing both of them did was jump up on me. Archie started whining. I think he recognized me. However, not only did they jump on me but they both lunged at my face. All I could think was that there was going to be some ass-whippings if this was a sign of things to come.

My brother was staying at a friend's place. I hung out for  a few minutes. We then put the dog's cages in the car along with their blankets and food. We collapsed Archie's cage and set it on the floor. We kept Dixie's cage intact because she liked to sit in it during a car-trip.

After we let them use the bathroom, I left. By the time I rolled out onto Wendover Ave., about a mile away, Dixie started whining. I think she missed my brother. She only whined a minute or two. I started talking to her and singing to her in an attempt to console her.

Dixie went into her cage and fell asleep. Archie started out the trip on the passenger side in the front seat but within minutes, Archie had climbed in the back, laid down close to Dixie and also fell asleep. They kept sleeping all the way to Raleigh. Even when I was back home and had parked the car, I had to wake them up to get them out of the car.

Dixie Jumped In the Pool!

Dixie & Archie

Today, Dixie jumped in the pool. She wasn't pushed in and didn't fall in. She crouched down an leaped at me while I was standing in the shallow end. Dixie can swim but not gracefully. What's worse, she doesn't know how to get out of the pool. Instead of going to the steps at the shallow end as we have coached her to do, Dixie goes to the nearest side and futility tries to climb out, tiring herself out in the process.

Around 10 minutes before she jumped in, Dixie was sitting by the pool-side, pawing at the water, attacking it with her paws and sticking her nose underwater blowing bubbles. She is really interested in the water. During one of these episodes, Dixie fell in the pool. I then grabbed her collar and led her to the steps.

Wanting to entice them in, I took off my shirt and got in the water. It was cold but not Lindley Park in May Cold. Archie extended his paw at me and put it on my shoulders. He was curious but not enough to get in.

But Dixie showed a heightened interest in the situation. I pleaded for her to get in. After a few minutes, she crouched down and jumped at me. It wasn't quite a hearty jump like Abby did but it wasn't a sissy jump like Andy. I pointed her to the steps and she made a straight line for them. She got out only for Archie to be waiting to attack her.

Hopefully, she'll be able to swim with ease in a few weeks.

Tell Us What You Really Think, Gov. Perdue

Old State Capitol

The outgoing governor said that "we look like Mississippi" in her response to NC voters voting on Amendment One that will only recognize marriages between one man and one woman.

It's one thing for Bill Maher to lambaste us. He's not the state's head executive, and besides, he's an uncouth, no-class, asshole.

I always thought Perdue was a lightweight. Nothing she has done since she has been in office has showed me otherwise. This latest  event where she attacks her own citizens puts the icing on the cake.

I have no doubt her comment will be used by Republicans later in this election season. Bev is the gift that keeps on giving.

http://www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/story/11093721/

Random Thought

I hate people who hate.