Originally posted Friday, January 12, 2007

Ever have one of those days where you’re happy for no other reason than happiness sake? I’m having one of those days and it just keeps getting better.

As Eva well knows (and a testiment to her friendship that she listens to all of this), I’ve been having a meeting of the minds with my dogs. Buddy, the 100 pound lap dog, decided that he will no longer pee or poop in the backyard. This has prompted a two-walk a day routine, finished off with a leashed walk through the backyard, whereby I prompt and plead with him to do his doggy business and the neighbours overhear, shake their heads and say that it must be my cuteness factor that made my husband fall in love with me, becuase it certainly couldn’t be my ability to make conversation…though I believe, “Please Buddy. Go pee! Go pee!” can, in its loosest terms, be considered conversation, if not commands.

Now, the two walk routine wouldn’t be a big deal, except that I live in Edmonton, where winter temperatures (such as this week) dive to the -30s and worse. Add to this that Kaleb, He of the Two Volumes: Off and Loud, has sensitive paws at the best of times and the cold weather rips through my poor puppies. The cold, I’m sure, is so cold that it burns their paws. Their fur is fine, it’s the paws what does them in.

We have gone through an obstacle course of solutions and finally hit on one that worked: my socks. They hate the expensive dog booties. Kaleb ripped off the reflective bands on his. I dunno, maybe as a black dog he resents the idea that anyone might find him in the dark. Anyway, the socks work. Sort of. I’ve had to cut up tensor bandages and tie them around the socks, giving my usually dignified looking dogs the look of war vets returning from the battle.

So I hit upon another idea: children’s socks, babies socks. Narrow enough to stay on their legs, comfortable enough to wear without reluctance. This morning I trekked off to the Dollarama by my house. That place is like stationary stores to me, electronic shops and home supplies stores. In other words, it’s like Kryptonite to me. I always go in with no more than $20 because I’ll go nutty. Cheap pencils, drawing papers, candy. Heaven.

And honest to God, as I stepped in, they started playing “Hungry Eyes,” by Eric Carmen. I thought it was only in the movies that the heroine would have music that accompanied her mood. $15 dollars later came out with goodies for all. They even sell packs of padded envelopes, 3 for $1. Canada Post charges $5 for one of those beauties. Anyway, back to the point of this post (sad, isn’t it? All that stuff before was the preamble, a history so you’d know what I’m talking about). I have almost everyone’s address except for India and Annie.

So my beautiful darlings, if you would be so good as to email me with your postal information, I shall send you something to make you smile, though it is small and cheap — no, no, I shan’t be sending myself.