New Dog Owner Odyssey & Bonus Features

Injury Update

A few weeks ago, I tried slicing the tip off my left forefinger in an attempt to slice in half a dog treat. Many of you have wondered about the status of my recovery *. Well, the wound-site is still pretty sensitive, & I seem to have lost some sensitivity. I'm no longer wearing a band-aid 24/7. Thanks for asking.
* A few of you have asked. **
** Maybe one or two. ***
*** Actually, nobody has.

A Walk in the Park

• I took Sammy for an extended walk around Skyview Park on FRI 10/2. Beautiful fall weather. 
• Very cooperative dog, thanks to the choke collar, which has made all the difference in the world. It looks terribly cruel, but it has proven very, very effective in keeping Sammy sedate in the proximity of other dogs.
• Unfortunately, he balks at letting us put it around his neck. Picture this scene. I sit down next to the kitchen table, collar in hand. Sammy, lowers his head & starts to slink away.
• My choices? (1) Grab his collar & haul him over to me. At least he doesn't nip at me anymore. (2) Bribe him w/a bacon treat. I used option #2 on Friday.
• Because I used the bacon treat I planned to give him if or when he left a "major" post [if you catch my drift], I had no reward to give him when he did, in fact, leave such an aforementioned "post." He heard about it from me, too.
• I am not proud to admit that I am not above taunting a dog.

A Few Questions

• As Sammy & I strolled across the dam at Skyview Lake, we couldn't help but notice an abundance of wooly caterpillars crawling along the hiker-biker trail.
• Question that maybe Nick can answer for me:  Does this have anything to do w/global climate change? Or is it more of a seasonal migration thing? Inquiring minds want to know!
• We witnessed a rather large, long, bird hovering over the lake, near the shore. My eyesight wasn't good enough to identify it. It didn't really look like a crane or a heron. It clearly wasn't an eagle, pelican or osprey.
• After hovering momentarily, it made a 90 degree dive toward the water. We didn't witness the actually "catch," because of the reeds & weeds along the shore, but it came back out of the water w/a fish & flew off, first toward the north before circling toward the east. We lost sight of it.
• What was it? It was one of those times when I wish I knew my wildlife better.

Food for Thought

Excerpt from Omaha World Herald Go Magazine (10/1/15):  "4 Pumpkin Beer Cocktails." [And that's when I stopped reading.]

Why I Shouldn't Be An Advice Columnist

Also from OWH, Ask Amy (10/3):  "Dear Amy: I have been w/my boyfriend for about 8 years. The other night we went out to dinner w/my parents. One of their friends came over to the table to say hello. The conversation came around to this elderly friend's age. She is 80 years old. My boyfriend asked her 'if she still fools around.' We were all so embarrassed. He showed no respect to me, my parents or to their friend.

      "He does not think he said anything wrong. He thinks it is funny. He often talks about our sex life in a social gathering, even though he can see this makes people very uncomfortable. I feel this is a private topic. How do I handle this if it happens again?"

      MY ANSWER:  And he's still your boyfriend?! You've put up w/this for 8 years, and he's STILL your boyfriend? I have serious doubts that you'll take my advice, but here goes. The next time you are in any social gathering & he turns the topic to sex, respond along these lines. "Honey, I remember what the therapist said about the long term effects of your lobotomy?"

There is No Place Like . . . 

California? *

Excerpt from Norfolk Daily News (9/22):  "Cash, not wings. A California man found $1,300 in cash in what he thought was a box full of chicken wings from Domino's, only to return the money & get free pizza for a year for doing the right thing." [The catch is, he can order Pepsi but not water w/his take-out.]

Massachusetts? * 

Also from NDN (9/28):  "Boy turns in $8,000. Police in northeastern Mass. said a 7-yr-old turned in a checkbook to police that contained $8,000. Daniel Wright says his nephew Aiden, of Lowell, was taking a final run down a slide at memorial Park in Salem . . . when he saw a black checkbook. The plumber says he told Aiden he was 'going to learn an important lesson today.' Aiden received $100 as a reward." [And the lesson is . . . for $1,300 in cash, you get free pizza for a year . . . for a checkbook w/$8,000 in it, you get a 1.25% reward.]

* Notice the color scheme? California. Massachusetts. Blue states. Get it?

Nebraska! * 

Also from OWH Go Magazine (10/1):  "Ramen Fest returns: Bigger venue, bigger bowls. One of the city's biggest & maybe most anticipated food events--Omaha Ramen Fest--is back this weekend." [And here we were, stuck in Norfolk, taking care of our grandson Bentley. Shucks.]

Nebraska!! *

"10 Most loyal college FB fan bases." Source:  Answer Sports (FB link):  #1 NE Cornhuskers. [I found this on the Internet, so it must be true. On the other hand, I just saw, also on the Internet, that Illinois beat NE 14-13, so I'm not sure just how loyal the fan base will remain after today.]

* Notice the color scheme? Nebraska. Red state. Get it?