Sunday, April 24, 2011

Dad's visit

I am in the bathroom brushing my teeth, flossing, washing up.
"Hey dog! You think you can get the best of me? You think I can't handle you?" I hear my dad's voice echoing down the hall. "I live with Shirley! She's the hardest one around. If I can survive her, you're nothing!"
I can hear Orion's toes scratching the wood floor of my bedroom.
"HEY! What did you get!" The quick patter of feet go wizzing by the bathroom door, headed for the front of the apartment. I pause with the toothbrush dangling from my mouth and chase after Orion, following the glow of an electronic object pinned in his mouth. He launches himself on my futon, separating himself from my reach with his crate in between. I circle the crate and reach for him and he drops front legs down into play position. In the back bedroom, my dad is still hollering, stranded in the bedroom due to a pair of boxers and tank top as his only pj's after a week of travel and not wanting to traumatize his daughter with him chasing after the little fellow.
Snatching the ipod from his mouth, I march back down the hall.
"It's your ipod."
"That little devil."
"I'll be done in the bathroom in a few minutes, but I doubt I can hold him off. He's pretty much figured out that this door doesn't actually lock and he knows how to twist his paw to open what little hold it has."
Grumble grumble.
I walk back to the bathroom, calling Orion to follow and pulling the door to the bedroom closed behind me. FIve seconds later I hear the thud of his feet falling to the wood floor after jumping to open the door.
"Oh you think you can get the old man down?"
Noises continue, obvious attempts of Orion trying to jump on the bed and pierce holes in my dad's head with his needle teeth. Momentary silence. I spit out my toothpaste.
"HE GOT MY HEADPHONES!" a bellow from my father...
In I go. I see my dad, half balding head, chicken legs sticking out of his boxers, holding a half chewed set of headphones.
"I did say anything on the ground is fair game." I smile, scooping Orion up. His thirty pounds is getting a bit much, but I deposit him outside the door. "I'll get you a new pair," I say after my dad's pouty face continues.
"No, I think I can super glue them."
"Okay. I just have one more thing to do then I will put him in his crate."
I go back to the bathroom.
"HA! I will show you!"
I loop back in and see my dad sitting up in the dark, pillow covering his more precious area, feet flying out one side and then the other as Orion jumps to bite them.
It's good to know Orion can keep him on his toes.

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