[Dailydrool] New Year's

[Pamela McQuade]

The Dashing Basset humans were so tired on New Year's that they went to 
bed early. No waiting up for "the ball to drop," whatever that means. 
(Maybe it means that the humans will get some basset sense?)
 
I was peacefully greeting the New Year by sleeping in my bed, with the 
mama on one side and the papa on the other--my favorite spot. I was nice 
and toasty and fast asleep. Suddenly loud, popping noises woke us all. 
Mama, who was very groggy because she had had been awakened suddenly, 
started griping about how fireworks are illegal in this state and how 
people should not put them off in the middle of the night. The folks who 
were doing it ignored her--not that they could have heard her, but you 
know what I mean.
 
I lay in my bed, humans surrounding me, and quaked and shivered, 
thinking the world was coming to an end! I couldn't even protect my 
humans, 'cause I was so scared. Mama put me under the covers and cuddled 
me, but I just couldn't stop quaking. As the second round of noise 
began, mama started complaining that it's OK to make noise for a little 
while, but what were they doing keeping it up for so long? It really 
bothered her that I was so scared. Must have been at least fifteen 
minutes of quaking before it got quiet again and I could calm down. All 
this time, Horton had been wandering around on the floor, terrorized. 
But mama knows he's always afraid. My being so scared really bothered 
her, since I am usually a cool and collected fellow.
 
The mama is really irritated at the (obviously not dog owning) humans 
who do these things. Bad enough to have it happen on July 4th. Middle of 
the night on New Year's is really unnecessary, she says. She can handle 
people banging pot lids, though she doesn't see much sense in it, but 
fireworks are another matter.
 
We all got back to sleep 'cause we were so tired. But don't let mama 
catch those fireworks folks. I'm pretty sure they won't be able to sleep 
for a week if she gets ahold of them.
C. Dexter Haven, spokeshound for the Dashing Bassets