Puppyyyyyy

So Maggie has started her typically-Boxer moments of insanity. She frantically darts around the furniture, screeching just in time to avoid a crash. Sometimes an unsuspecting toy is brought along for the ride. This lasts for several minutes and is promptly followed by a glance at me to see if she is in trouble for it. She never is.

She is in a growth spurt right now, so her legs are a bit clumsy and don't change gears very well when running from carpet to linoleum, which makes for great entertainment for any nearby humans. After daily attempts to jump up onto the couch, she finally made it on Friday. She seemed a bit surprised when her back legs followed her front legs on up.

She loves a good spray from the garden hose and, thankfully, loves a good scrubbing in the tub. She has grown out of her first collar, opened up the seams of her first stuffed toys (lion and duck, rest their souls), learned to sit at the door when she needs to go out, and successfully made friends with a kitty and her cousin-puppy. Yes, she can do all of that, but she can't pee in the rain.

Do dogs know whether or not a particular person can be trusted? During our many walks, we run into a variety of folks in the parking lot. There are certain ones that she goes bananas over and cannot stop playing with. But there are others (same ones every time) that she does not like at all. They haven't done anything to her, but she does not invite play from them. She sits at attention and stares, without wagging her tail. She loves all kids, though.

My parents call me for updates on the dog. They usually ask about her before they ask about me.

I am so not giving her back.

Ashland City

My Wednesday night class at church has been on an "Old Testament Journey" through the Bible lately. So, we have taken several "journies" to cool local places. You may recall my previous posting about Sewanee. (There is talk of a Mediterranean cruise in 2007. Stand by.)

Saturday, we went to Ashland City for a "cruise" on the Cumberland River with a company called Blue Heron. We saw one blue heron. And I think he was chained up out there by the river just so we got full value for the ride. Really, it was a nice little drift down the river and back. Check out these signs.

Afterwards, we ate catfish at Riverview, the marina dive under the bridge there in town. This place has been there since before dirt and I tell you what, it is good. We took a group picture in front of the church bus like good little tourists.

Then came the best part. We stopped at Stratton's for ice cream. Stratton's is a 50's-style restaurant with square cheeseburgers, good fries, great malts, a juke box, and the sort of friendly manager and waitresses you'd expect to find in such a Mayberry town.

I think I enjoyed the trip more than anyone else. You see, I lived in this little town from age three to age nine. We passed the church where my Dad used to preach, my old street, the skating rink, the farmers' co-op, and the brand new Super Wal-Mart (WHAT?!). Let me tell you how out-of-place a Super Wal-Mart looks in Ashland City. I mean, I remember when they built the first little Wal-Mart down the road from my house. You could fit every resident of Ashland City into the Wal-Mart at once.

I remember eating Sunday lunches at Riverview. And by "riverview," they mean there is a rickety wooden deck on the back of the restaurant where you can sit facing the river in white plastic chairs, enjoying the flies and heat while you smoke cigarettes and drink weak sweet iced tea with your catfish and salad bar dish. The walls inside used to be dark wood paneling but now have a thin coat of white paint on top. The floor is the cheapest linoleum tile money can buy. Most customers look like they just washed in from the river because they did. The older waitresses call you "Sugar."

I remember eating at Stratton's with my family. I remember the first time I could hold two of those little square cheeseburgers in my tummy. I would sit and flip the pages of the little juke boxes that were in each booth, pressing the buttons to watch the song titles light up. I picked out "favorite songs" even though I had never heard any of them. Dad would talk to the manager and got to kinda keeping up with his life. I can't wait to tell Dad that the same guy still owns the place. I am happy to know he is doing alright.

Apparently, all of my childhood memories are related to food. I'll come visit you if you can correctly guess what flavor of malt I got.

happy birthday to me

I managed to have four birthday celebrations this year, none of which were actually on the 10th, but I'm not one to look a chocolate cake-baking gift horse in the mouth.

This is my friend Darrell's famous chocolate cake with chocolate gravy. And look at the presentation with the ice cream and all. Yes, I ate every bite.

Momma made a pineapple upside-down cake in Gatlinburg for me (and sis). But in keeping with family tradition, no birthday pictures have been taken of us since age four, so you'll just have to use your imagination.

I also had a fabulous bday dinner and dessert at Calhoun's with the fam, and a fabulous bday dinner with a buddy when I got home. Does this mean I get four wishes this year?

On my actual birthday, I hiked to Grotto Falls in the morning then drove home to Nashville.

Where was I last year on my birthday, you ask? On my way to Scott's doorstep to begin the greatest three weeks of my life. Thought about ya this year, Scott.

Meet Maggie

This is Maggie. Maggie is a curious little puppy. She is nine weeks old today. I am keeping her for six weeks or so for B.



She likes to chase tennis balls and flip-flopped feet. She also likes to stick her nose in the fridge, chew on my living room rug, make her toy duck squeak repeatedly, and wake up at 4:30am. Within a week, she has grown enough to bound up three flights of stairs (but she still can't go down them). She isn't quite big enough to jump up onto the couch, but she is trying so hard. I've found that a carrot stick keeps her busy just long enough for me to fix my dinner. I've also found that she doesn't like the neighbor guy's bulldog. She can fetch pretty well, but doesn't really know her name yet.

She loved Gatlinburg, mainly because of the cabin's hardwood floors and how they made her feet slide around when she ran. She explored her little heart out in the great outdoors. She made friends with Dad pretty quickly.

Maggie will know all sorts of tricks by the time B gets her back. First, she has to learn not to bite humans.

I'll have a bite of yours*

Karen recently made an appearance in Nashville, so I took a pre-vacation-vacation with her to Cold Stone Creamery. We enjoyed our $8 ice cream while we spoke of Hawaii and solved the world's problems. We decided we'd be better at solving the world's problems if we LIVED in Hawaii.

*Every single time we went to Cold Stone in Hawaii, this is how it went:

"Cole, what kind of ice cream are you getting tonight?"
"Well Laura, I'm not ordering any. I'll have a bite of yours."