NEEDLING

Been a bit under the weather lately. Both Brutus and me and are simply not up to par. Temperature reached 108 – 110 yesterday. That doesn’t help. Fourth of July weekend with long busy hours at the liquor store, being away from home much longer than usual, and two evenings in a row of grill-out and guzzling of beer probably doesn’t help. And having to be back at work on Monday early on where it was my duty to do the liquor order for the next week. After an all day affair at the house on Sunday, getting in my car and going to work at 8h15 Monday morning was not easy. All afternoon Sunday: loads of people, lots of dogs, three kids. Lots of screaming kids, drunken conversations, way too much food – especially the meat, which I rarely eat now days, usually no more than once a week other than special occasions – and more booze than you can shake a stick at (I’m probably not using that expression correctly.) Took Brutus to the vet this afternoon. Brutus has no energy, less than yesterday, woke me up in the middle of the night throwing up, won’t eat since Monday, and looks depressed. First thing the vet asked me:

“Is he in love?”
“Uh?”
“Is he in love that you know of? It’s sometimes hard to tell with dogs.”
“I don’t know.”
“When they’re young like that, and they smell a female a block or two away, or they hear some other dog barking, they get all excited and they don’t know what to do about it. And then they get all depressed.”
“Never thought about that. Guess that makes sense.”
“He’s a young one, doesn’t know what hit him. I used to be like that too, in my earlier days.”

The following questions were the normal types of questions, or rather the kinds you’d expect from a vet. What’s he been doing, eating, shiting, et cetera. This vet has been recommended by Glenn, Kari, Brian, and Tracie. And I like this guy a lot. There was none of that hospital type of feel. Just a bench in the reception area. And he just bent down and stuck a thermometer up Brutus’ ass to check his temperature, then his stool. All along asking me all kinds of question. He was wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt, and he charged less than half what other people do. Right down to earth. I felt a little bad because I didn’t have any cash on me. He only accepts checks or cash, so the receptionist girl said, no problem, gave me an envelope and told me to put the check in the mail the minute I have a moment. It just so happens that Kari is taking her two dogs and two cats in tomorrow, so I’ll give her the check.

Is Brutus in love? That is the big question. Maybe that’s my problem too. Why am I not in love?