[Dailydrool] Miss Angela's summer

[bjenk1 at cox.net]

Bill here, press agent/personal trainer to Miss Angela Basset, Droop and Drool Diva of Wichita and Sedgwick County

Miss Angela wanted to woof in and let all her fans know how her summer was going.  Before we get into that, let me send kind thoughts and captured drool to all those in need, especially Zelda.  I can state with some confidence that Miss Angela is a bit too self absorbed to express her concerns, though she occasionally remarks on her sympathy for suffering hounds and bereft slaves.

Angela says:
"We have been having a mild and rainy summer....that is, until the last 2 weeks.  This is a good thing, since I decided to activate Bill's personal trainer status back in April.  Since that time, we have been doing daily walks.  I get to get out into the fresh air and greet my admirers.  Bill is not too happy about all the stops I must make on our perambulations, since he is still trying to lose weight, but I demand a leisurely pace with many stops for leaving messages and sniffing the messages left by other dogs.  I also demand to be made available for belly rubs, ear skritches and snooters from anyone we meet on the walk.  We are especially popular at the local swimming pool where lots of kids take swimming lessons while their moms and siblings wait for them.  I get lots of attention there.  Bill pretends that he does not like spending time there, but I notice that he is a bit more tolerant of my delays when there are young moms in swim suits.  He thinks I don't know about that.  Pulleez!

Bill went on a cruise in the Black Sea and on the Dneiper River in the Ukraine and when he returned he had slipped badly in his weight loss program.  He began to move the walks up beyond the two mile mark and increase the speed.  I simply refuse to go.  When he picks up the leash in the morning, calling me to go for a walk, I go under the table and refuse.  If he insists on hooking me up to the leash, I simply...you guessed it....go flat basset.  Today, I refused to go for his "death march".  I let him go by himself, then when he returned, I demanded a walk.  He went much slower and only about 8-10 blocks.   This may be the pattern for future walks.

While Bill was on his cruise, I stayed with the young family next door.  They have three kids (whom I love because they are sloppy eaters) and I get lots of attention.  When I got tired of the kids, Miss Tanner let me back into my own house to nap on the couch.  She was very good to me and I reciprocated by teaching her about countercruising.  She was a slow learner so I ate pretty well for a few days.  I got my first taste of fried chicken!  Bill always grills or stir fries his chicken so that was a treat.   When Bill got home, I was very cool to him for a few days, just to let him know that I did not appreciate his extended absence.
Then I settled back into our normal routine and allowed myself to be cuddled.

It has been hot here the last two weeks and I have remembered past hot summers.  I spend a lot of time on the ceramic tile in my room/the kitchen and sometimes even lie with my nose near the cold air vents.   Ooooh, I love that cool air.  

The worst part of summer is the lawn mower.  The Dyson vacuum cleaner is bad enough, but the lawn mower not only makes noise, it makes bad smells.
I WILL NOT stay outside when Bill mows.  I have also trained him to vacuum while I am outside "doing my business" as he calls it.

In three weeks, he will start teaching again and I will get to go to Doggy Day Care to play with my friends on a regular basis.  I didn't get to go very often this summer.  Oh, I forgot to tell you my funny story.  When Bill got back from his vacation, he decided I deserved a spa day.  I got my nails trimmed, ears cleaned, furminated (Miss Tanner lost my Furminator just as I was beginning to like it) and a bath.  From the spa, Bill took me to Uncle Don's house.  There, he , Uncle Don and Doctor John (philospher and blues man) played music, drank that icky brown fluid and generally ignored me.  Dr. John's dog Muddy Waters acted far too familiar and I had to put him in his place.  Then I got them to let me out and I promptly went to Don's fire pit and rolled around in the ashes for a while.  Bill realized that I was unhappy with him, I think.  And I got another bath within a week.  Yea, me!

Well, I have gone on and on.  I need a nap.  Snooters to all my friends and fans.  I will try to write more frequently hereafter.

Miss Angela (crank up the AC, Bill, I sleep better when it's cool)
Bill (OK.  I'll work on class notes and try to be quiet.)