Sit. Stay. Laugh.

Ok. Funny story. I CONTINUE to encourage Chuck to adopt the short rope leash for dog-walking that I’m having so much luck with. Casey stays close beside me at all times and cannot pull at all. He doesn’t go anywhere and doesn’t even try, because the leash is around his chest, just behind his front legs. It’s GREAT.

But Chuck will NOT use it. He likes the long retractable leash for walking the dog, even though Casey is all over the place, and always trying to stay at the very end of the leash, as far away as he can get. The fact that the leash is retractable means also that it’s EXTENDABLE. By 16 feet.

DOGS ARE PROGRAMMED TO PULL AGAINST SOMETHING AROUND THEIR NECKS. IT’S INSTINCT. I LOOKED IT UP.

So yesterday morning, or maybe Saturday, we walked over to Starbuck’s with the newspaper. I took the shortcut, ordered our drinks, and grabbed an outdoor table, while Casey made his rounds. Anyhow, they arrive and Chuck gets settled, putting Casey’s leash’s plastic housing under his leg as he settles into his wrought-iron chair. Casey immediately notices the two standard black poodles a few tables away and leaps out on his leash to get to them. They start snarling, Chuck lurches forward to grab Casey, his hot coffee tips into his lap, and the slender nylon leash cuts two places on the back of his leg, just behind his knee. And the poodle owner mutters something about poorly trained dogs while Chuck shrieks f-words in front of a whole lot of residents of 77019.

Last night he showed me, for the third time, the slices on his leg. I said, “I know how to not have that happen again,” and he said shut up.

You wanna see something cute?

My big brother and me, circa 1960.

Call for Entries: Pat Needs a New Tagline!

I think we'll all agree that "Pat Gets It Off Her Chest" remains a fine name for this blog. However, the tagline needs revising. I am now so OVER breast cancer, literally and otherwise. Tired of it. Fini. Gone. Done.

SO, any ideas? I'm open to suggestions. Please post your best--or worst--idea. You know how I am. And, thanks in advance.