Friday, April 16, 2010

The Many Faces of Dee Dee

It's Friday .... which means that Princess got to go to work with me today.   That started about three years ago when we had a turnover in staff at the radio station where I work.   Dee Dee comes occasionally, but not often, since she barks at whoever comes through the door .... UPS man, FedEx, listeners coming to pick up a prize, etc.    Princess rarely barks, unless you provoke her with something like the the vacuum cleaner, a rolled up newspaper or by blowing soap bubbles at her.  She barks when we're playing outside.    But she doesn't bark at other people, and so she is a perfect 'office dog'.   My co-workers love her.   When I come home from work on Thursday, I will say, "Princess, do you want to go to work with me tomorrow?" She lights up, and the next morning when I let them outside to go potty, instead of coming back inside with Dee Dee, she goes and stands by the car, smiling expectantly.    Dee Dee really isn't too upset by the fact that she doesn't get to go.   She's a homebody and likes the security of our home and her kennel.   On the rare occasion that she does go to work, she sleeps under my desk, by my feet all day.   The girls have very, very different personalities.    Princess is pretty even-tempered and stoic, while Dee Dee is much more moody and wears her feelings on her sleeve ... uh ... I mean, lip.    Even at almost 10 years old, she still looks - and acts, in many ways - like a puppy.   She's full of playful energy, and very affectionate.   She loves attention and once she deems you 'safe', she will roll over to have her tummy rubbed.  
She is actually much more obedient than Princess; she wants nothing more than to please me and loves being told she's a 'good girl'.   Princess couldn't care less.    But Dee Dee has a short fuse, and can be a bully - especially towards Princess.   I can read her body language pretty well, and so can Princess.   When I see Dee Dee steal a 'look' in Princess' direction and/or Princess turning to face the wall, I know what's coming - and it isn't going to be pretty.    I practice 'early intervention' and send Dee Dee to her kennel before it escalates.  Sometimes all I have to do is say, "Dee Dee" in a stern voice and she trots off to her kennel.   She knows it's a safe place to escape from whatever it is that is bothering her and everyone else feels safer too!    There isn't a more loveable dog in the world than Dee Dee, but other people don't always get to see that side of her and that makes me sad.

Friday, April 9, 2010

A missed opportunity?

Something I've observed over the years is that often times, the bigger the opportunity, the smaller the window for seizing it.  And that may have proven true in the case of Elvis being on the CBS Morning Show.   They wanted Tim and Elvis to fly to New York right in the middle of their speaking tour on the East Coast,  and it just didn't work out.   They indicated that they would probably be calling the following week to arrange a date, but now - two weeks later - that hasn't happened.   So it may have been a missed opportunity. 
Tim really isn't too sad about it, as he doesn't like having to 'ship' Elvis through the baggage department.   I don't blame him.  I can't imagine either of my girls handling it very well either.  Anyway - here are a few pictures of them on the East Coast, being interviewed for FOX news and with a special cake just for Elvis.