Three Day Weekend (And A Little About Murphy Too!)

I took Friday off.

No holiday, no illness, no appointments, errands, world domination, etc.

Just a day off. I needed it.

It was almost to the point where my friends and neighbors would be featured on the 10 o'clock news talking about how "normal" and "peaceful" I seemed, before taking an axe to my entire office. So I told my boss I was taking a personal day. No other explanation needed or offered.

For the most part I didn't do much. I took Lillith out to dinner on Fri, and saw Pepper on Saturday night. But the REAL story was about Saturday afternoon.

After the sudden deluge on Friday night I was going a little stir crazy. So while checking my email, a cold nose pressed itself against my arm. It was Murphy wanting to go out. That was the sign I needed. I looked into those happy brown eyes and asked him if he wanted to go with me to get coffee. He disappeared, a black blur bounding down a flight of steps in three jumps, skidding into the door at full speed (He absorbed the entire impact with his brain, so there was no damage).

I stopped off at the local Starbucks with a book, dog, and my journal. I went inside to get my coffee and muffin, tying up the Poot to a shade umbrella they had outside. In the span of five minutes, he had dragged the umbrella just enough to sit on an elderly gentleman's foot. The man was lazily scratching Murphy's ears while doing the crossword puzzle.

So I collected the traitor and moved to a table a bit farther down, started sipping on the java and listened as the world went by.

Until...

A couple sat down at the next table with their granddaughter. Not sure how old, but definitely under a year. She was at that stage where she could pull herself up by hanging on to something. She and Murphy seemed mutually fascinated by one another, so I got up and walked Murphy over so she could pet the "daggie," as she called him. They made their intros, she squealed as she got doggie kisses, and then we sat back down.

I saw the girl glancing at us occasionally, and then she strolled on over to pet Murphy again. That's when all hell broke loose. The grandparents were whipping out cameras and phones. I was trying to figure out what I did, what Murphy did, or if I should bolt before the cops come. I heard the lady on her cell, saying "Get over here NOW!"

Panic was one thought.

Fear was another.

Until...

She scooped the kid in her arms and explained it to me.


She just took her first steps.


Her FIRST steps.


To see MY "daggie."



That's us. Changing the world, one step at a time.