A Dogs Life- This one is for Pawpets!

Mutt sat watching the red neon light flash over and over; casting deep shadows that instantly disappeared at the next blink. He knew that counting the flashes was useless but it was a way of whiling away the time until he had company again. It was beyond him why he was left alone for such long periods of time at night, but when his mom came home she always snuggled and cuddled him to sleep.
One early evening as his mom rose from her bedding she didn't begin to get dressed as she usually did, but put on a pair of old, comfortable jeans and a loose fitting red tee shirt. Mutt looked at her with a question in his shiny black eyes and his mom padded over to him, pulling the pup into her lap. She whispered in his ear that she had a surprise for him that night.
Mutt was so excited he wriggled and yipped until his mom could do nothing but laugh and tousle his fuzzy sheepdog head. They left the small apartment together and walked for quite a while until Mutt began to see whirling lights and shouts of joy wafting on the cool evening breeze. The pup began to get excited because he had heard of this place. It was an amusement park, and within its gates the stuff of Mutt's wildest dreams.
Roller coasters.
Mutt and his mom rode the rides and the coasters over and over, comparing every turn, heart-stopping drop, and thrilling twist. They stuffed their faces with the best junk food in the world. Corndogs dripping mustard, hot fried pastries topped with warm fruit, light as air cones of cotton candy, the selection was endless and only the threat of a tummy ache finally made them stop eating. Mutt had good luck at one of the barker's games and won a brown teddy bear. He grinned from ear to ear as he presented it to his mom and she kissed him on his forehead when he gave it to her. It seemed like it had been such a short time when the announcement over the intercom said that the park was closing for the night. Both walked home with their tails wagging just a little bit slower but happy as they had ever been. It had been an unforgettable evening.

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Mutt kept flashing back to the great time he had with his mom at the amusement park. He was quietly reading the Sunday paper when a help- wanted ad grabbed his attention.

WANTED! ROLLER COASTER DESIGNER!
Apply Mon thru Friday Seacoast Amusement Park
Ask for FuzzDog

The pup left the newspaper folded to the place with the ad and circled it with a thick red circle and waited for mom to come home.


Mutt's mom read the ad with interest. Mutt was beside himself. He jumped, BARKED, whined and generally carried on until she agreed to call for an interview. Mutt ran to the phone and dialed the number himself. Handing the ringing phone to his mother he grinned and listened to her end of the conversation.
Mutt was a little surprised that the conversation went on for so long. When his mom finally hung up she had secured an appointment with FuzzDog for the very next day. It seemed that he was quite anxious to meet her.
The office wasn't much to look at but FuzzDog's face lit up in a huge smile and he extended a paw as soon as she walked into the door.
"Hi! I'm FuzzDog and you must be Deirdra. Please, can I get you coffee? Tea? A Soda? Sit! Please, sit down."
Deirdre smiled and said yes to the tea. She watched FuzzDog pad off to the small adjoining kitchen to prepare the drink. She couldn't help a look at his backside as he walked out and she very much liked his wagging tail and cute derriere.
The interview went well and Deirdre left the office in a daze. She had been offered the job! It seemed that the biggest qualification was to have a sense of fun and to be willing to try new things.
Mutt was ecstatic when he heard the news. No more late nights for mom and strange looks from the neighbors. The salary was decent and the best part was his mom would be able to spend more time with him.
Two weeks went by in a blur. Mom was working hard and FuzzDog had begun to show up in the evenings to go over last minute changes to blueprints. Soon the male began bringing flowers and an occasional bottle of wine with him. Mutt grew anxious as the work relationship turned to a more personal one between the two adults. It wasn't that he disliked FuzzDog or anything, but he had just got his mom back into his life on a more regular basis. Mutt scuffed the floor with his footpaw, found a corner to curl up in and watched, ignored.
As more time passed Mutt found himself watching television game shows to pass the time. He liked the silliness and the happiness when someone won huge cash prizes and expensive gifts. The dog decided that he wanted to become a game show host, but when he asked about how to get such a job he was told that most of the game shows were filmed in California, New York or Florida. California was scary with its brownouts and earthquakes; New York was COLD in the winter so both of those were out. Mutt saved his allowance for a few weeks then made plans to leave.
It seemed that Mutt wasn't the only one making plans. The same afternoon that Mutt had decided to tell his mom about his game show host plans, Dierdra and FuzzDog walked into the living room holding paws. From the silly grins on both of their face Mutt had a feeling he knew what was coming. He was not disappointed.
The beaming couple sat down on the couch and patted a spot for Mutt to jump up. When the three were settled Deirdre broke the news to Mutt that her and FuzzDog were to be married. Mutt made a good show of acting happy and excited, but his heart was melting inside. He knew things would never be the same.
The marriage ceremony was small and intimate. Rice was thrown and handkerchiefs waved as the couple left for a long honeymoon. Mutt had stoically taken the news that they would be gone all summer, touring roller coasters all over the world. He was supposed to stay with a nice neighbor but he knew what he was going to do.
Mutt was going to Florida.


The pup was road weary and paw sore. His meager funds had run out and his bus ticket only went as far as Gainesville, Fla. He knew he had to get to Orlando and he was about 15 miles outside the city limits. He padded along the roadside trying to get a ride when he could, walking when he couldn't. Just when he was about to call it a night and find a place in the scrub brush off the highway to sleep for the night a car pulled over. The car was driven by a ferret that was more than happy to take Mutt into Orlando.
Scritch the ferret was chatty, but also a good listener. Mutt soon found himself telling his new- found friend his story and his dreams for becoming a game show host. The ferret smiled and asked Mutt if he would be interested in auditioning to host a weekly internet show. The Pawpet show needed a host and needed one quickly. What had started out as show in a friend's house had developed quite a following and they were expanding. It wasn't exactly his dream, but Mutt was intrigued by the idea. Within the hour Mutt had met the rest of the cast, including a bobcat named Arthur, a fox named Randy who was the creator of the show and assorted technical folks who knew way more than Mutt about computers, lighting and all the behind the scenes stuff that was needed to produce a weekly, live four hour show. Mutt formed an instant bond with the existing cast and the next show was Sunday. The rest is Funday history.
~~The end ~~

Sept 11
September 14
I can stand in the rain on the first National Day of Remembrance with my candle sputtering to stay lighted, the cool drops splashing over the hand trying to protect the flame.
Wet spots will appear on my white tee shirt with its red and blue stripes.
Temporary darkness, tears from the heavens.
At seven I will stand with my neighbors, my friends, other Americans. I will meet the Latino family who were the first on the block to raise the American Flag in front of their home. I will join hands with the young mother who always holds the baby precariously on her hip.
I will do this knowing that those under millions
Of tons of rubble would scratch and claw and bleed their way to the surface from their concrete and steel graves if they could,
to stand in the rain.