Thursday, January 21, 2010

Ramblings

1. We're getting used to this "big dog in the house" deal. Prior to Ollie, we had two dogs. both 25-or-so pound springer spaniel mixes, both female. Ollie is a 53 pound male, probably some sort of lab mix. He plays...exuberantly. It involves jumping up against me, serious cavorting, major frolicking. Everything is bigger: the space he takes up, food intake, "outputs". The nightly walks are more vigorous, but they are punctuated by frequent stops at trees and other canine news media. It's an adjustment, but Ollie is doing a good job of fitting into the pack.
2. Went to a wedding last weekend. Good friends' daughter. The wedding was in their home town of Baltimore. The groom's from Indianapolis. Yeah, this was the day the Ravens played the Colts. Much of the wedding party showed up at the reception in jerseys. Little did they know when they planned the "big day" that those two teams would be battling it out in the playoffs. So after the incredible Italian dinner (the bride's mom cooked lasagna for 150 - my hat is still off to her!) they turned on the big screen TV... We left before it could get ugly. OK, it never got ugly. It was a beautiful day, wedding, and memory. Worth the 840 mile round trip.

Besides, how much did I really want to watch the team that left town when I was growing up playing the team that left town after I moved to northern Ohio?

3. You know the old cartoons with the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other, trying to convince someone to do the right or wrong thing? I had that experience today at work, at lunchtime. The guys are going out to a greasy spoon for lunch, I consider tagging along, then a health-conscious employee calls and asks if I want to walk for 20 minutes or so. Well, today the greasy spoon won out and I had a wonderful mushroom burger. As another friend is wont to say, "That's what the Lipitor is for". Soon enough the weather will warm and the walks will win out. (Wow. That sentence read like an A-Z Monday! Wacky!)

4. Back to the dog...Have you ever had a dog break a cast iron skillet? We have no idea how it happened, but one day when we returned home, there it was on the floor, handle broken off. I would also guess it had the grease licked out of it. Yeah, we're getting used to this "big dog in the house" deal. Never a dull moment.

7 comments:

Najia said...

Oh, I am so in love with Ollie boy you don't even know! Please give him 10 kisses on his muzzle and 10 minutes of tummy rubs from me. That is, when you're able to get a hold of him.

A cast iron skillet!? Wow. Now THAT's determination. He wasn't about to waste one greasy swipe of the good stuff, was he?

We've never had puppies or younger dogs, as you know, but Laverne and Shirley are as close as we've gotten to that unleashed, crazed exuberance. They twirl and dance and knocks things off the coffee table when I walk in from work. Quite a sight.

I heart Ollie.

Jen said...

Ok is that gal in the Raven jersey the bride? ha!
Sounds like Ollie is making himself at home and likes a greasy spoon too. :)

Unknown said...

Sounds like you need to raise the counters - placing things back from the edge doesn't seem to be working.

Actually, you suffered from a house invasion of midget squirrels. 200 of them got under the cast iron skillet, some of them yelled "heave!" and they were able to carry it to the edge of counter and throw it down to a waiting Ollie. Who they apparently missed with it.

Connie said...

A mushroom burger does sound mighty good---especially if it's cold outside! :)

Ollie broke a cast iron skillet?! Yikes, don't get him mad at you. HA! :D

Ben said...

Yes, that's the bride in Ravens wear!
Gary, the squirrel theory could be valid - will have to set up surveillance. I wish I had a tape of the skillet incident.

Minerva said...

Can't wait to meet Ollie. But you need another dog so you can name him Stan! (only the old f@*ts will get that one..)

Love the Bawlmer formstone house in the backround at the reception. A true original!

Ben said...

I have been known to say to the dog, "Well, Ollie, that's another fine mess you've gotten us into!"