Tag: dogs

I am a terrible mother

I am mighty amused by the Rex and Dash albums (er, iTunes collections) that Timothy and Marika have done as their dogs’ soundtracks. Tim told me he had plans for some other collections, which I won’t divulge here, but which made him take a tape from me so he could get its song list.

I had just retrieved a set of tapes from their secret hiding place in my car. One is a tape that my friend James made for me. The rest are tapes Tim made for me when he was living in NYC and sent to me (with hundreds okay, dozens, of fortunes from his Asian takeout nights–but let me NOT think of the Three Fortunes cover and get bitter).

I LOVE those tapes. Not only because he was giving me music–a practice that reaches back into my earliest and longest-lasting relationships, when my friends and I used to trade 45s–not that I’m old enough to have had 45s, mind you–but because those tapes gave me insights into Tim’s state of mind during any given time.

The other exciting thing was how he chose to illustrate the tapes’ song lists–the tape “cover” and then, usually, tucked inside, a photo of Tim himself. Photo whore that I am, getting a new picture of Tim–new to me, anyway–was as good as getting the tape. I’d gaze at the photos like a teenage groupie-wannabe and analyze the song list and listen to the tape over and over.

I know that I won’t be making an iTunes soundtrack for Margot and Guinness, but that isn’t what makes me a bad mother. Tim just stuck his head in the door to let me know that he was running an errand and would be leaving the gate open. It struck me that I wasn’t sure both dogs had come inside, so we did a quick check. Margot: on chair in living room. Guinness: not in the house. So Tim went back out and called her, but she didn’t come. Suddenly I remembered and flew to the back door.

“Is she in the car?” I asked.

He looked inside the car and started laughing, because there she was, sitting on go. She jumped in the car when I got out the tapes, so she was only there about ten minutes, but still, if Tim hadn’t been going somewhere, I wonder how long it’d have been before I missed her? Poor Guinness.

The ones without a voice

When one stays up until after 6 a.m. writing (probably badly), she doesn’t have breakfast until around 4 p.m. A mild cream of wheat topped with some mixed fruit. Today’s coffee cup is brought to you by the Humane Society of the United States.

If you want a companion animal, consider adoption from a local shelter or rescue group. Check out these points to consider before choosing a companion, including a couple of links related to adopting cats and dogs.

Remember, it’s almost never a good idea to surprise anyone with a pet as a gift. Many, many animals end up in shelters or homeless after holidays because of this.

Any time of year is a good time to make a donation to your local animal assistance agencies. Call them or check their Web sites to see what their specific needs are.

Thank you for kindness toward the ones who can’t speak for themselves.

Anti-Gross

After that last LJ entry (I don’t pick the Photo Friday themes!), I figured I owed you something not gross.

Here’s the newest addition to Lynne’s family.

A West Highland terrier, she weighs three pounds at eight weeks old. Her name is Minute, because both Lynne’s son and I said the same thing when we saw her: She’s no bigger than a minute!

We also found out that some people (origins: Minnesota, Maine, California) have never heard that phrase: not as big as a minute. Is this a Southern thing?

In the middle of the night


In this photo, Famous Author Greg Herren is:

a. Reacting in horror to the draft of an anthology by Timothy J. Lambert and Becky Cochrane that is almost completed.
b. Trying to find all fifty movies in that damn game that Marika linked to.
c. Looking at the time.


We’re bored. What can we do?


That’s right! We can read. Reading is HOT! And we’re not posing here. We’re really, really reading.


NOW we’re really reading. That Famous Author Rob Byrnes is a good writer.


Or is he?


Kidding, FARB! We love your novels.


At least most of us do.


Help me, FARB, I’m being lured to the pink side!