Lily's training is continuing. She is coming to me even when I don't have pieces of hotdog for her. I usually do. I wrap the hotdog in a paper towel or plastic and put it in my pocket as I refuse to buy or wear a fanny pack.

The other night as I was laying in bed. I started to think the trash needed taking out. I could smell it. Then I remembered I had taken the trash out earlier after cleaning the refrigerator. Could it still be rotten celery?

Then I realized it was leftover hotdog in my shorts near the bed.

It had to have been there a while as I played poker earlier in the night and the poker room is filled with smoke and that's mostly what I smelled. To the vegetarian nose a warming hotdog is not pleasant. So I got up and put it back in the special hotdog section of the fridge.

It had been my first trip to the poker room and there was a small bearded guy with a hairlip named Bob who smelled pretty bad according to the people sitting next to him. I couldnt tell over the smoke odor.

Today I went back for an afternoon game. I was sitting for a while and got a whiff of something I imagined must be Bob. He wasn't at my table and I hadn't seen him when I came in and I did check because I like the fact that people had been losing money to him trying to put him out of the game to escape his odor. I doubt this was a conscious strategy but admirable in any case.

I looked behind me to see if he had come in late and was sitting behind me.

As I turned in my chair I felt the pieces of hotdog squish beneath me.

back to the head-pressed-to-glass

slept too much or not enough 

one of many nightime highways sailed, seas of unlit land

we are fast and near death 

nothing moves out this window 

a speck of light flickers on the horizon

then with conviction marks a point

we are moving forward, we are sure; we are alive

that dog can haz hotdogs

Between last night and a long walk today, Lily has a good understanding of the "come" command. She was even able to ignore kids splashing in the swimming pool and stop sniffing another dog's butt to heed the "come" command in search of bits of hotdog.

She is on a diet so I've cut back even more on her food to make way for the hotdogs.

Trying to determine if I will be playing poker tonight, going to a show or playing trivia. 

Need to go to bed at a decent hour for swimming with my niece tomorrow but not before more late not hotdog training experiments off the leash and with the bunnies in the yard. Should be interesting.

Financial Wizardry

For the first time in 4 years I have a bank account. It took me a total of 10 minutes to get and although I am still afraid of the man having control over my money... it is a welcome change.

Joint finances can suck. One of the many things I will not miss is arguing about money.

I set aside 100 in cash to go to the grocery store with after the gym. I got to the check out and it was gone. I immediately figured my loose shorts were to blame. I went back to the gym to see if anyone had turned in any money. Of course no one had. I just had to hope that whoever got it needed the money more than I did.

I came home and the money was lying on the kitchen counter. I am considering purchasing a wallet later today.

Lily seems happy with our new life. I even let her bring her stick inside last night and she is chewing it up in a very neat pile.

The vet said she may have colitis the other day and suggested a new high fiber food and she seems to love it. She would be kind of upset if she knew that I had to leave 4 pounds of hotdogs at the supermarket which is going to be used in the long overdue doggy-training program.

There is always tomorrow and the way things are going more awesome will be happening.