2-2-06

Remember a few days ago? We got rid of the final two puppies so we could get back to normal.

Do you? Well, life certainly took a turn for the different yesterday.It first started a couple of days ago when my wife started hinting that she would like to have a “big” dog that could be inside with her. Ever since we lost Oscar a couple of years ago, she has had trouble getting close to the dogs, aside from the puppies.

I just played along, like I do with a lot of my wife’s comments (hee hee, that was a joke!). She even researched dogs on the internet! Finally, the wife announced that she would like to have a boxer puppy.

As usual, I tried to point out the negative aspects of having a puppy, especially one that would grow rather large. Would you believe those comments seemed to go in one ear and out the other?

They did.

So yesterday, she starts calling around. Drats. She talked to a local boxer owner here in Heavener and then looked in the paper and just happened to find an owner with puppies in Greenwood.

She wants to go look at one. I relent! The wife goes to look at a puppy and naturally brings one home.That is his picture above. He will apparently be named “Rufus”. That works for me. My wife has stressed that Rufus will be her dog and she will take care of him.

She got off to a good start. One of the first things Rufus did was make a deposit (#2) on the carpet, right next to where I was eating dinner. In the past, cleaning up poop has been a job reserved for the Craigman.There was a brief staredown, the old “you don’t expect me to clean up that crap, do you?” look. She did it! I couldn’t believe it.

The wife is also aware that Rufus will need long walks and has said she will take care of that also. Rufus got to sleep with us last night and decided it would be appropriate to wake us every hour or two. The wife was quite the trooper. She took Rufus out every time.

After the last trip out this morning, somehow Rufus got next to me on the outside on my side of the bed (with his butt!) and pushed me toward the wife, who was on the next side. I was a Craigman sandwich!

This isn’t good as I like to have my elbow room while sleeping. That was about all I could handle for one night so I got up at around 4:15 this morning.

I am taking wagers on how long it will be before some of the responsibilities get tossed my way. I can picture it now. The wife will be doing something important like cooking or talking to her mother on the phone and Rufus will need to go outside.

“Craig,” she will say, since that’s my name. “Can you take him out?” The wife will ask this as I probably sit on my couch watching CSI. It will be a pivotal moment. If I consent, the care of Rufus will slide in my direction. All it takes is one time and Rufus’ bathroom duty will be mine. All mine.

I’m picking by Friday that the wife will ask me to take the dog out and while I’m out there, maybe let him walk around for a while.It’s a dadgummed good thing I’m a dog lover.

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Well, the Ledger had a story on the upcoming chamber banquet in its latest edition. But was the Craigman mentioned as MC? NOOOOOOOOO. Must be afraid that will cut down on ticket sales.

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We get the daughter this weekend in the bi-weekly prisoner exchange. After Saturday, if I don’t get the regional Father of the Day prize, we will know it is rigged.Most of you know how I feel about Saturdays. I prize them! So guess what I get to do this Saturday?

Wrong. Give up? At 8 freaking a.m. on Saturday morning, we will be in Fort Smith for a spelling bee!

Yippee. I naturally want to support the daughter, but don’t want to hear a bunch of snot nosed geeks asking the moderator to repeat the word and use it in a sentence.

After that excitement, she has a basketball game. That won’t be bad, but after the spelling bee I could probably watch Angelina Jolie’s sonogram and find some enjoyment.

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Enough for today. I honestly hope you have a good day.