Quibbles and Bits

While living with my parents through my formative years, I was always surrounded by hairy, slobbering quadrupeds, and I'm not just talking about my sister's boyfriends. Ba-dow!

Many dogs, in different makes and models, and all four-wheel drive on the MN ice. Logan, the classic Retriever, affectionate and greasy; Abbie, the Collie, was afraid of lawnmowers and was kind but nervous. Bailey the miniature Schnauzer was, well, yeah. Oliver the Airedale was Satan incarnate, destructive and disobedient. Oliver 2,the dog my parents have currently, is good-natured and loyal.

I'm forever grateful to have been exposed to so many dogs. In addition to providing entertainment, they've also given cohesion and unity to my family as a sense of collective responsibility and adoration, beyond the usual human scope. Dogs continue to be a comforting presence for my parents.

Sarah really wants a dog. As per the last post, she has been, thankfully, dissuaded from the feline idea. I don't dislike cats, I just don't like them, which is a powerful distinction. Voting unanimously pro-dog, our spacial limitations don't allow ownership, yet. This brings me to another point: There's already talk of 'we,' which is pretty exciting. And it's not just present-tense, or 'royal we' stuff, it's speculative and anticipatory. In just more two weeks, Sarah and I will have been dating for six months. That's half a year, and it's the longest relationship I've ever had.