oddities and quirks
i. an eastern european woman with a white female boxer lives in my neighborhood. i see her often due to her proximity to the dog park and my own frequency to the dog park. an odd bird, she is. i chalked up her personality to eccentric behavior. but after a brief encounter i had with her the other evening, i’m certain she’s either a drunkard with just a fuzzy memory, or she has herself quite the angel dust habit and is hooked on the supposed powers it elicits.
i noticed her arm in a cast, so i inquired about her mishap.
“i tried to fly.”
“excuse me?”
“i tried to fly. and then i realized, i do not have wings!”
riiiight.
ii. as of late, shaun the dog™ has been fascinated with the mysteries that lie beneath my couch. normally, he’ll start scratching at the floor just past the flap of the couch, signaling to me that his ball/cow hoof/bone/mooing stuffed toy has slipped just beyond his reach. an easy fix, i just reach down, feel for the missing fixation and he’s off romping around again in no time.
not the case the past few nights. the scratching will begin, i’ll feel around but nothing of magnitude results from my search. unless he really is after the big ball of dust and accumulated dog hair. but that can’t be it.
i’ve even gotten on my hands and knees with a damn COPS-style maglite to see what the hell is so intriguing. nothing.
so last night to calm his fears and save my hardwood floors, i moved the couch in attempt to show him that nothing resides under the couch. of course, the movement of the furniture only caused more distress. yes, my pup is frightened of sudden movements, loud noises and generally things of the unknown. great guard dog.
and as i’m wont to do when it’s just me and the pooch at home, i talk to him, console him like i would a 5-year old. “see, shaun, there is nothing under the couch…so stop the scratching already.” he looks at the floor where the couch normally sits, he looks up at me and looks remarkably puzzled. but then again, boxers are prone to having that bewildered and reluctant resignation look in their eyes.
i don’t think the case is solved by any means. maybe redirected, because now there is something in the far corner of my living room that has become captivating.