Chet The Dog

Archive for January, 2010

I’m There! (Sort Of!)

“Hey,” Bernie said, “the AKC has released its list of the ten most popular breeds for 2009.” He read them out: Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd, Yorkshire Terrier, Golden Retriever, Beagle, Boxer, Bulldog, Dachshund, Poodle, Shih Tzu.

I thought: so what?

Then Bernie said, “You’re on here, big guy – more than once.” My tail started wagging. More than once? Not too shabby.

And it must be Sunday. How do I know? Elvis gospel on the radio. Have I mentioned already about Milky White Way being our favorite? Why not mention it again? There’s this whole riff Bernie has about that song, something about the Trumpeteers. I’ll leave that out this time.

Note to Rio from Spence: saw your very nice comment on Chet’s very first post, Inauguration Day. Many thanks – and happy birthday and best wishes to your dad.

More Ukulele (From Dog On It)

On this particular night, we built a fire, roasted hot dogs – Hebrew National, my favorite – and Bernie brought out the ukulele. He taught Charlie to play it a little. More than a little, in my mind – the kid was a musical genius. They sang “Up A Lazy River” and “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South.” I joined in on “Hey, Bo Diddley.”

Note from Admin to Megan and Lisa Trotter re your pop-quiz prizes – signed copies of Thereby Hangs A Tail, also stamped by Chet: please email mailing addresses to: spence.quinn@gmail.com. Also anyone who thinks a business card should have arrived by now, please do the same.

News Update

“Hey,” Bernie says. He’s at the computer, but not tapping away. I get the feeling he’s given up on the whole budget thing, fine by me – the whole budget thing put him in a bad mood. “They found this dog floating on an ice floe out in the Baltic Sea, fifteen miles from shore. So far four people have come to claim him, but he doesn’t seem to recognize them. That’s the found dog story – the rescuers are calling him Baltic. The lost dog story is from Long Beach. Jesse James – he’s Sandra Bullock’s husband – is searching for Cinnabun, a nine-month old fawn pit bull. Hope they find him.”

Me, too.

“Maybe we should see that movie,” Bernie says. “The Blind Side. The book was pretty good – although Michael Oher ended up playing the other side in the pros, maybe undercutting the whole title.”

What was he talking about? You tell me. And isn’t it way past breakfast time?

Note from Admin – anyone who hasn’t received a business card and thinks it should be there by now, please email spence.quinn@gmail.com.

Pawnbroker, Ukulele, Us (From Thereby Hangs A Tail)

“What a beautiful instrument,” said Mr. Singh. He turned it over in his hands. “Genuine Hawaiian koa, highly flamed, Sitka spruce top braces, bone nut. Do you play?”

“A bit.”

A bit? Bernie was a master!

“Would a brief selection be possible? Anything at all.”

Of course it was possible. How about “Waltz Across Texas?” “Parachute Woman?” “Ghost Riders in the Sky?” And there was always “Surfin’ U.S.A,” guaranteed to get them up and dancing. Suddenly I was in the mood to see Mr. Singh dance. I don’t exactly dance, myself, but when dancing starts up I’m no wallflower, either, kind of confusing, the wallflower part, because I’ve often seen flowers – even flowers growing by a wall – dancing in the breeze.

We learned so much about balls yesterday!  Have to go back to it in the future, whenever that is.