Dec 9 - 15

In the Winter, there is nothing more wonderful then getting in your cozy warm bed.

About 5:30 most mornings I feed the dogs and then take them out for a walk to do their business. On Saturdays, I get to get back in bed after I walk them.

So I get all snuggled in bed when Phoebe jumps on the bed and immediately goes under the blankets. I don’t think much of it until the COLD WET NOSE rubs up against my leg.

In my lifetime I have been in a motorcycle accident and once had an emergency appendectomy. In neither case did I scream as loud as I did Saturday morning..

Dec 2 - 8

A tootsie roll story. I did not make this up.

So, a few days before Thanksgiving I was walking the dogs when one of them of course had to do their business. Fortunately, I had a paper towel in my pocket, so I picked up what looked like a tootsie roll and wrapped it in the paper towel. I didn’t want to walk a long way with my new treasure so I hid deep in a large bush in my front yard, where no one could ever see it.

Ok, so on Thanksgiving I am walking the dogs when I come to the end of my driveway and there it is. The paper towel is rolled out flat on the driveway with the tootsie roll like object placed right on the middle of towel. I wondered if I woke a raccoon and this was his way at getting back at me, but then it came to me. It was probably the hamster.

Nov 25 - Dec 1

3 different stories - You don't need to read all of them.
 
1. We have a mysterious problem at our house. Two months ago my son's hamster suddenly died. My son said it just jumped out of his hands and died when it hit the floor. Me being a stupid parent allow him to get another one.This cute little hamster named Cupcake is just a joy to watch. Suddenly Cupcake disappears, with no trace. Coincidentally, my daughter's cat got very sick, at this same time, but you would see some trace of fur or something. Cooper, has been sniffing around, but again no trace. We thought by now we would have that wonderful smell, that accompanies dead vermin, but not yet.
 
2. A few months ago I filled out a survey online about air quality. Then last week I get a call from the air resources board. They would like to install an air sensor at my home. Since we are out in the country we have tons of fire wood and burn a lot to heat the house. So these 2 engineers come all the way up from the bay area to install these sensors. At first, I thought this was a prank, until I saw the equipment and computers they brought into the house. They installed one inside and one outside and they showed me how I can go on my phone and see the air quality. Ok, so the readings are in parts per million and it starts at the number 8.  Ok, so I start a fire in the fire place and it immediately shoots up to 298. I haven't burned since.
 
3. Sorry, I forgot the 3rd story already.

Nov 18 - 24

Socks are the most wonderful thing. They keep you warm and snuggly in the Winter when your toes get ice cold. They come in all kinds of colors (which I think odd, since nobody sees them) and fabrics, and are just so comfortable. Too bad, I don’t have any, at least that match any way. It seems that Phobe, the new puppy loves socks. She especially likes the smelly, pre-wornsocks, but she has worked her way up to all socks. If I go to the sock drawer, she cannot be around, because she will snatch them right out of my hands, and run off, with the socks never to be seen again. I use to pride myself in being a master sock matcher. I once matched 90 pairs of socks. Now, that is no longer possible, because pieces of thread do not count as socks. Hopefully, one day, she will get over this sock fetish and I will be able to come to work and not panic  when you look down.

Ok so my wife and I were out walking the dogs when one of the dogs had to go and we both forgot our bags. Fortunately there was a gopher hole close by. Poor gopher.