whachagonnado?

Well, I'm back home. The big DC trip was:

• great weather
• nice hotel
• DC
• dull with occasionally interesting bits class
• bumpy flights with lots of coughing, sneezing, farting (yes, I said FARTING) co-passengers
• no sightseeing because the germies got me
• not much food because the germies got me
• camera sadness--forgot to pack one and I had the best view out of my hotel window
• not one of my best trips

On another topic, did I mention that my mom dropped in unexpectedly (when will I realize that she is never expected, so I should always expect her?) She blew in demanding that I drop my pizza and soda and leash up JoJo so she could take us back to her house so my brother and his wife could meet JoJo. Let me just say that I put up a struggle, eventually got in the car with her (and JoJo, who was trembling furiously because she'd already been loaded into the car by that woman who shows up whenever the doorbell rings), survived a chaotic visit and drive home. Before we left my house, my mom casually asked if we had a copy of "Godfather II" because she'd watched "The Godfather" and part of "Godfather II" and wanted to finish it.

And speaking of JoJo. Holy cow does that dog love me. Every night after work, I go into the house, directly to her room (the laundry room with a gate across the opening into the kitchen) and pick up my shrieking dog. She shivers and shimmies herself all around me, licking and nipping and wagging at me. And then I spend the next hour or two, holding her, playing catch and fetch with her, and REMOVING HER TEETH FROM MY FLESH. Last week, she bit me hard once too often and for the first time, I got mad at her. I didn't hit her or toss her away or anything like that, but I did yell, "JoJo, NO!" And she attempted to get me again. That's when I got out the leash. Holy cow does that dog hate the leash as much as she loves me. Every other dog I've had would go nuts if it even heard a clinking that slightly resembled the sound of a dog leash. JoJo immediately curls up at my feet. She hasn't started to associate the leash with walking outside of the yard. Yet. For now, it's a pretty effective way to get her to settle down.

Not that she really ever settles down. A week ago, Jr was walking through the kitchen and JoJo, excellent cattle dog that she is, guided him in a straight line through the dining room and kitchen by nipping at his pants. Through a series of unfortunate events though, one of her baby canine teeth became lodged in his pants. I mean, really stuck. Jr continued walking, JoJo gave a little yelp, and after inspecting her mouth, we realized one of her teeth had broken off in Jr's pants and the part that was still in her mouth was bleeding. We were all stunned and a bit sick about it. But JoJo seemed unfazed the rest of the weekend.

Just before I left for DC, I noticed that JoJo had a bit of the runnypoops. Not much, so I figured she must have gotten into the cats' hairball control food (and by "hairball control" I mean "laxative included"). Unfortunately, it was more than a bit of catfood. Jack reported that JoJo had the diahrrea all week. And one morning, he heard her calling to him to open her gate and let her run through the house and moments later, she was by the side of the bed, having jumped the gate for the first time. As Jack proclaimed in an email to me later that day, "The JoJo threat level is red!!! We are on the highest alert level!!! Keeping all gates closed!!!" Apparently JoJo didnt' really figure out how to jump the gate so much as she just made it over the gate one time. We've had no more breakouts.

Yesterday, I decided it was time to get JoJo to the vet to check out the tooth, the poopys, and besides she needed another vaccination. The vet said she'd remove the baby tooth, give the pup her shots, and if I'd brought a stool sample, she'd check it. Who thinks to bring a stool sample for a puppy? A while later, after returning home and back to the vet with the stool sample, (which was negative--meaning, what, no worms?) I returned again to the vet to hand over $283 , pick up a handful of pills and such, and I expected, pick up my drowsy dog. I anticipated a sleepy, cuddly dog who would snuggle up to me on the couch while I ate cinnamon toast and sipped something soothing for my belly and throat. What I saw instead, was my sweet, happy dog, looking a bit loopy, trotting towards me, on her leash. What I heard was a roomful of pet owners, mostly big dog pet owners, who upon spotting my adorable dog, all, in unison, released the best "OOOHH!!! HOW CUTE!!!" that I've ever been a party to. Yes, I admit that her nearly constant need to chew off my skin drives me a bit mad at times, and I admit that I've totally sold out the cats when it comes to JoJo ("Hey girl, there's a kitty friend, go see your big brother and let go of my calf!"). But holy cow that dog loves me. She's good to come home to.