Liam Lounges with the Ladies

We were invited to a lovely lunch on the North Shore. The "we" would be Liam and I traveling out to the "Spa in the Woods" joining the host and three other ladies. So five women and one boy dog. Good odds, Liam liked it. I thought I had my timing perfect. I needed to allow 50 minutes for the drive, although it takes less, because I had to make sure I was not the last one. A first born quirk, maybe? Did not want the party starting without me or deeper.

I started to put items together; sunscreen, (very optimistic since June 2009 was vying for the wettest June on record with 4 days to go.) I packed some toys for Liam, his water, my water, a sweatshirt for me, a sunhat, water pistols to squirt Liam if he went near food or did inappropriate licking and leaping, plus the usual, cell, camera, etc. I lathered up with sunscreen so I would be ready upon arrival to hang in the pool area.

As we started the drive, I realized time had slipped away a bit, something that has happened in my retirement. I only had 40 minutes. Yikes, I might possibly be last to arrive. We set out and Liam sat in the copilot seat, which is the control area between the driver's seat and the right front seat. I meant to stick a pillow between the seats, so the weight of his body would not affect the controls. He began stepping on each button, sort of like a dance. Sausage dog's feet were pushing the window controls so as I drove all four windows were going up and down. Also the side mirrors were moving back and forth, as he alternately stepped on those controls. Then Liam began licking my arms, neck and face to enjoy the yummy sunscreen. I tried to cover the controls with my hand but found driving with one arm on a fast moving highway to be quite unnerving.

I had seen the movie Marley and Me. During a drive Marley leaps out the open window into traffic. If I was not vigilant, this could happen on this drive.

We made great time, flowing traffic, no accidents, no rain. As I turned onto my friend's lovely block,, the car clock clicked to 12:30 PM. That was the absolute latest time I could arrive before being declared late. I pulled into the driveway and saw the cars of the other guests. Oh no, I am the last to arrive. I felt a sense of shame and failure.
I rolled up the windows that Liam had inadvertently opened. I heard a yelping, choking sound. Liam's head was stuck in the window. I might have broken his esophagus. I quickly unrolled the window and he started coughing and sneezing. I hugged him and apologized profusely.

I burst into my friend's house with a leashed Liam and announced our arrival.

I might have feared those solemn words from the TV show Amazing Race-"Carol, you are the last to arrive, I am sorry, but you have been eliminated." I am the last one to arrive. I am not pleased, but I have not been eliminated. I get to stay.

I got settled, and started noshing and chatting. Liam was roaming about looking at all the rooms- see him by the door on the right, tail up I am thinking, how sweet; he is showing how interested he is in the decor. Our host will be so flattered by this attention. What a social animal!

After about 20 minutes, I looked towards the dining area and there was Liam, pooping . I had ignored the basic rule of a long car ride with a dog. "The dog must be given an opportunity to relieve himself upon arrival. He/she needs to adjust to the surroundings."
I had been too concerned with not being last to notice Liam's behavior. I should report myself to North Shore Animal League. Our host was very understanding about the accident.

We were inside because of the storm threat. This was fine as Liam had licked off all my sunscreen. After relieving himself, Liam rejoined us for the appetizers-licked a few nuts, tried to eat some shrimp and then plopped himself in the host's seat when she left the room to get lunch ready.

We ate lunch in the dining room, with Liam circling the table. Liam is just tall enough to reach an item on the edge of the table. I had only brought two water pistols and should have brought one for each person.. The place settings could have been fork on left, knife and spoon on right and pistol on top.

We all settled in, as did Liam.

The day became sunny and after lunch we went outside to the serene spa-like setting.
I brought my water guns

Liam had a blast chasing rabbits
gazing at the pool
looking around the yard lounging with the ladies.

He loves the women and started up a chat with a woman from a two housing project background
Liam- Hi, heard you are from the projects. I lived at North Shore Animal League for a bit, like the projects for doggies
Project lady- I lived in two projects, Brooklyn then Queens
Liam- I am from Tennessee

The day flew as it does with friends. As we gathered around to leave about 6PM, the sky became ominously dark

We headed home on the cusp of a dangerous storm that exploded around us as we drove. Liam went to the back seat, put his head down, while I held onto the steering wheel with all my strength. The blackness enveloped the car and I was not sure if I was in a lane. Cars were pulling over to the side. Lightning, thunder, blackness. I just kept going forward, hoping no one was stuck in front of me. I kept reaching back to comfort Liam with one hand, while I held on to the steering wheel with the other. Was this as bad as texting while driving? Hope not, I was going so slow that it seemed to be okay. Where was the dog co-pilot of this morning who would not leave my side? Waves started rolling by; seemed there was a tide and it was high I was in the middle of a monstrous storm that might possibly put us over the top and break the all time rain record for the month of June. The radio stated that dangerous storms were in the area and listed all the problem roads-seems I was in a problem. I wanted to be home by 7 PM as we had our standing Friday night reservation at Crabtree's. At 6:50 PM, I pulled into the driveway of our home in New Hyde Park. The storm was over almost precisely at that moment, with the sun shining through raindrops.

Paul was waiting. His first words "We don't have to go out if you don't want to."
The idea of going out was what kept me focused and determined all the way home.
That, and breaking the June record for rain.

We went out to Crabtree's.

No record-second rainiest June in history. Not the first :(

Woof, woof

Works like a dog

This year we have had many promotions at my former place of work, the Social Security Administration, which would be Paul's current employer. I said on more than one occasion when asked about a promotee - He/she works like a dog When it came out of my mouth it sounded somewhat crude. Would I have said that before Liam? Not sure, I know it is something that is said and meant as a compliment and that is how I meant it. I have never seen Liam work at all. I do know that dogs are divided into breed types and at Westminster Kennel show, Liam might be in any one of three groups; the gun dog group, for his Irish setter quarter, the utility group, for his Dalmatian quarter, and the hound group, for his dachshund and beagle two quarters. Hope that is 4 quarters. Liam is equal parts of each.
No, not the working group for Liam.
There are some working dogs thank goodness, for they help us humans so much.

Other "dog" sayings are barking and howling in my head:

a hair of the dog that bit you something I often heard my father say after a night at Breslin and Sweeney's in Woodside. As a kid this rubbed salt in my wounds-since being a"project kid" there was no hair of any dog in sight ever. I did not get the meaning of this one until I was older; from the looks of my Dad, it seemed to reference a long celebratory night out.
I did get it after my first hangover in the Hamptons. Still, I did not know where the hair of the dog expression" came from. Knew where the hangover came from The hair of the dog- I knew it meant to have another drink from the context, but why hair of the dog? Seems the meaning is this:
"Almost invariably associated with the consumption of alcohol, this goes back to the belief that the hair of a dog that bites someone could be used as an antidote against the bad effects of the bite. By extension, another drink or two after a drinking binge would be the cure for a hangover." from wwwbuy1or2

Top Dog/underdog I have been both. I believe Liam has only been one. Seems that sawing logs was often done in a pit with one man in the pit and the other above it, both working the saw. The one above was known as the "top dog" and the other as the bottom dog "underdog."

You can't teach an old dog new tricks could be one who refuses to learn something new, or as in Liam's case; an implication that the person/dog already knows more about the subject than the teacher

Dog Days Hottest most sultry days of summer; or a period of time marked by lack of progress
not so.
Really from the Dog Star, Sirius, brightest star in the heavens besides the sun and believed to cause the sultry summer weather. Obviously the Dog Star is not a working dog this month.

That Dog won't hunt I had never heard this until Bill Clinton said it Now all the politicians seem to have a use for it. translation-that plan or scheme will fail.


Every dog has its day
I hope so.

I have to go see a Man/Woman about a dog
idiom, meaning taking one's leave, Bye see you next time

Liam bird doggin in the garden
woof, woof

More or less

Retirement has caused a seismic shift in amounts of things in my life. I have many fewer pairs of shoes and pounds less of clothing. Last year, I gave away a great deal of my business attire to Dress for Success and to my niece (mother of grandniece, whose birth made me a great-aunt, see last LiamLicks) I held on to some for the second winter of retirement, thinking I might wear some; no, I did not, so I gave up the rest to a number of charitable organizations. I must have been prescient in saving all, of my many cardigans. How did I know Michelle O would make them acceptable for dress wear? Now I need to shop in my closet for bottoms (meaning skirts , pants.)

The shoes and boots I had accumulated and wore to work no longer have a place in my retirement life, so they all went last week, leaving spaces in my shoe compartments. I am so popular with Charities that they compete for my business. How do I know? They give me two -three bags for packing while my neighbors get one. They send e-mails. They text. They call. Dress for Success invited me to speak at their annual dinner. I declined, but did want to spy on the recipients of all my clothes when they donned them for their first day on the job. Imagine folks working in my clothes. All my suits had a story of what I had done and achieved while in them and now they were out in the world at new jobs adopted by new workers. Thrilling for a Leo personality!

Less - jewelry- no more frequenting vendor sales in the lobby at work- jewelry tree has spaces.

More-the recycles amounts are huge I now discard all recycles at home- soup cans, Starbucks plastic, ice tea bottles, weight watcher dinner trays, water bottles, wine bottles ( they would always have been from home) I also read several newspapers a day So these add to the paper goods to be discarded.

Less-fewer books from Barnes and Noble.

More-borrowed books from the Hillside Library.

Less-My dry cleaning is non-existent. I had not been to Chen brothers for a year when I went last week to repair a dress Liam had ripped with a joyful greeting During my working years I had a friendly relationship with the Chen family, When I retired they even said that they would miss my clothes as I had good taste and my suits were so perfect (thanks J. Crew). I feared Mr. Chen would not even remember me. A year had passed. He did remember. When I picked up my repaired dress, I brought him a gown to clean. I want to keep the relationship going. Two submissions per year should grow his business substantially.

More -laundry, I have added pounds of clothes to be washed. I wash, Paul folds. Everything is folded while Paul watches sports and placed in piles in the living room to be carried upstairs. Mostly all I now wear is washable, no more dry cleaning. Liam is always in the midst of all folded clothes

Less-My eyebrows are smaller and lighter. They had been getting that way for a while. See progression from growing
1952

1968 (Susan Boyle-like)
2005
Eyebrows are back-eyebrow pencil-see 2008

Less- undergarments- Liam has found and accessed the drawer full of intimate apparel.

More Uggs they have replaced all other shoes and boots for winter.

More Liam. the little pup has grown to maturity, about 15-18 pounds at adoption Now a full grown lad of 32.4, but not tall still gets mistaken for a puppy at 15 inches high.

More friends


Is all this the concept of yin yang ?
yin and yang- complimentary opposites within a greater whole seemingly disjunct or opposing forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, giving rise to the other in turn (from wikipedia.) Everything has both yin and yang aspects, which constantly interact, never existing in absolute stasis.

or is it simply about change, looking at life in different ways,
from different perspectives
and different positions exploring

more or less.

Woof, woof