Sleepover party

It's closing on midnight. I just finished a softball game where we were short two players and somehow I ended up leaving the safety of my right field to play shortstop for the game. My ankles hurt. I'm thankful to be horizontal, only to realize I am the parent in what quickly has become a labrador sleepover party.

My friends Mary Kate & Becky have left for a handful of days to visit family. Their five year old black lab, Oliver, has become the housesitting addition. So, yellow lab and black lab have played constantly, all day, shredding all but a single toy so that the living room appears to be an explosion of fluffy white clouds. Orion's toys thus far have held up--being well versed with tuck, chew, pull and tear. But here we are at the end of the day, piled into the peaceful meditation room at my friend's house, myself, Orion, and Oliver are anticipating settling down to sleep.

I quickly scan the room and opt to lift the meditation alter with tiny purple crystals up on to the bureau. I can see Orion deciding these crystals are really rock candy laid out just for him, and the peacefulness of my friend maybe not appreciating his thoughtfulness in cleaning up the leftover rocks. Next, I lift the book off the floor, so that we are now left with only a nyla bone, carpet and some magazines--I feel aptly safe in that if the magazines get "read" tonight, we will still have friends come Monday...

"Come on up!" I say, tucking my legs under the sheet. Up comes the black lab, stretching out along my body like a soft snuggle toy. I roll over and throw my arm over him. I'm teaching him what it's like to be able to cheat and go to sleep in bed with humans. Yellow dog is not such a fan of being replaced. Up he half hops and thinks, "What a great time to wrestle! It's dark, maybe Oliver won't see me..." (insert obvious issue with Oliver being camouflaged perfectly in black and my bright yellow dog sticking out like a sore thumb in the darkened room.)

 Suddenly my snuggle toy is moving all over. I'm getting paws in my legs, hot dog breath on my calves. The air chomping as one dog tries to chew the other over takes the peaceful white noise of the fan.

"Guys, we are trying to SLEEP here." I say.

No avail. Yellow one is giving a wookie soundtrack to this WWF. I pull their collars. "SLEEP. You've been playing ALL day!"

Round two bell must've rung because they're going strong. I feel an elbow to my ribs.

"I AM NOT A PARTICIPANT!" I call out. "I AM TRYING TO SLEEP!"

Round three starts up after both lay down and then the quiet black lab starts subtly rotating closer and closer to the yellow labs neck.

"Oliver," I say, "You're suppose to be the well behaved one. Don't egg him on. He will not stop."

I sigh. So much for training. So much for my two dog snuggle party.

Somehow I feel all of this was started because the yellow dog was jealous of an arm around a black dog.

Dog parking it, unofficially, at the noho park.

Orion has had a pretty stellar morning complete with a morning walk from me, a near miss with Charlie the attack cat, a swim, then he was called to go to the dog park with Becky (she has a black lab named Oliver), Sarah & Kris (Watson, his usual playmate) and made new friends there too... I took the camera along, snapped some great pics, but to share a few and then the aftermath of this great morning is the best sequence...

Impressions.

 "You were suppose to make an adorable first impression you know?" I say, driving home. "Barking constantly was not a good strategy."
He is quiet in the back seat.
"I even gave you all those bones and took you on two nice hikes."
Quiet.
"You are usually sweet."
Head lowers to seat.
"I'm just saying, you weren't on your best behavior today. I'd like you to work on that. Yeah, I know, sleep all the way home but we weren't driving on highways today so you had to bark..."
I think he quit listening and fell asleep.
"I still love you though."

He stayed passed out the whole ride home and is now out cold on my bed. Go figure.

Snippets

"I want to be like Miss Rumphius."
I pull the book off the microwave to put it back in its place of honor.
"She didn't have a dog though."
Pause.
"But you could be my dog."

Dr. Doolittle had nothing on me.

"Did you have a good day today? You got to play with Steve and King? I'm so glad for you."
Whine.
"I would have liked to have been here but I got caught in a fire alarm and decided not to drive for awhile after. Sorry buddy."
Whine.
"We're laying low tonight. I'm super worn out and moody over the stupid alarm."
Whine. Eye gesture to the top of the fridge.
"Look I already gave you a bone. If I give you another that's the last one, deal?"
Whine.
"Come here and shake on it."
He moves forward.
"Sit."
He sits.
"Paw."
He gives me his paw.
I get up and get him a bone.

Eye Lashes

Me: "Are my eyes your favorite to lick because of the lashes? Like how I like kissing your whiskers the best?"
No answer.

Morning apologies

"Orion I apologize for blaming you for the missing frying pan."
Pause.
"It's in the sink where it should be."