Joy!

A sushi restaurant just opened up in Slidell! I've been seriously missing and craving sushi lately. The last time I was able to get any was way back last October in Monterey. But now Slidell has climbed several rungs on the ladder of civilization. The folks and I went to dinner there Monday night, and we were well and truly pleased with the quality. I have a feeling I may become a regular there.

Yesterday morning I woke up at about 5:30 am (which is usually the time I wake up on my days off--for me that's sleeping late) stuck my contacts in, put my running clothes on, pulled my shoes on, and walked to the door.

Zeus saw me putting the shoes on, and assumed that we were going for a walk. He sat by the door, tail wagging, very eager for us to be on our way.

"I'm going running," I told him. "Without you."

"Yeahyeahyeah!" he replied. "Let's go!"

"Without you," I repeated. "I'm going a lot farther than you usually go."

"Yeahyeahyeah!" he replied. "Let's go!"

I slipped out the door and started walking to the gate. I heard a thump behind me and looked back to see a mournful dog-face pressed to the window.

"Nonono!" he howled. "You're forgetting me!"

I walked out the gate and started down the block. I could hear him begin to howl and bark--and of course all the other dogs in the neighborhood immediately started howling as well.

I made it to the corner, listened to the distressed howling, then turned around and came back. I walked in the front door and picked up his collar and leash.

"You're going to have to keep up the whole way," I told him as he bounced around in glee. "No stopping to take a leak on every bush."

"Yeahyeahyeah!" he replied. "Let's go!"

* * * * *

I told my mother about this, since she'd been wondering why the dogs had started howling at 6am. I finished my tale and she shook her head and sighed.

"So, you gave in to a whining child," she said.

I hung my head.

I would make such a terrible mother!