Wednesday, January 13, 2010

How I got Bailey

Do you know the story of how I first got a dog? Long story, but ridiculously happy ending, I promise. Totally worth the read in my opinion. Anyway

I mentioned to my ex after we got back from vacation that I though I would be ready to take on pet ownership. I figured, he was proposing (though I wasn't supposed to know that, but I did know and he knew that I knew and I knew that he knew...) and since I was getting something I wanted, he should have something he really wanted too (besides an attractive fiance).

So the Saturday morning arrives
and I'm ready to go, but he wasn't as pumped as I was and really hard to get moving. After some unsuccessful attempts to rise him out of bed, I resorted to poking and annoying him.

Me (slightly pleading) : Come on, we don't have may free Saturdays together. Let's go to just look.
X: (sigh of resignation) Ok. But I'm warning you, the pound is a sad place and you'll want to save every dog there. And you know we can't do that.
Me: Pftsh, I know that! Our apartment's too small for one thing, and we don't have any dog stuff either. And we're only looking.
He shakes his head, knowing I really have no idea what's going on. But he indulges me anyway and we go to the SPCA. "
Just looking. We're just looking," I repeat over and over to myself.

But then my pretty tan puppy was placed in my arms and "just looking" went out the window. I coo over the
puppy and puppy induced babble spills from my mouth. I'm falling in love and everyone, including my fiance, can see it. At the same time he realizes my "just looking" pep talk was a complete lie and starts to have concerns about my ability to care for a dog. He's not worried about his ability, but me, he has doubts.

X (gently): Babe, you've never had a dog before. And this is a puppy...
Me (snort): You're the one who wanted a puppy in the first place so we could train it from the beginning.
X: But you're baby sitting tonight, and I'm working. You can't handle a toddler and a puppy by yourself.
Me:(slightly (totally) indignant) Excuse me? Oh yes I can! (I have no idea if this is true, but he has just challenged me and that will not do)
X (still gently): No, you really have no idea how hard a puppy is...

--the nu-uh yu-uh argument continues for several rounds. My face get's stormier and stormier, and my grip on my puppy never loosens--

X: maybe we could start the paperwork now pick her up tomorrow...
Me: Put her on hold you mean? Leave her?!?! Well that won't work!
X (another sigh of resignation): I'll go talk to the desk and see if it's at least possible. Hold onto her. But don't get too attached babe...
Me (sing song voice and making silly faces at Bailey who I've already started think of names for): too late!
A few minutes later he walks back in the puppy room and asks: what's the number on her temporary tag?
Me (I'm in a puppy haze (that sh*t's potent - if I could figure out how to bottle it, I could rule the world)): Huh? What? Why?
X: (rueful smile) I need the tag number to finalize the adoption.
Me (jumping up and down in excitement): She's ours?! Squeeee! Oh puppy! I'm your mommy!
Bailey: Arf! Arf! Arf! (and a kiss for good measure)

--later that evening in our (small) apartment, the baby sitting done (he called in sick to work to stay with me while I babysat. Though I say I totally could have handled it)--

Me (still sing song voice): I have a puppy! I have a puppy!" (She snuggles closer to me as if to say hi mom!) How how could you think we were going to leave her there?
X (slightly chastened at how attached the puppy is to me): Yeah, I was watching you. And your face was telling me you were going to be really pissed off if we didn't get her.
Me (nodding at his correct assessment): yep, you're right. I would not be speaking to you right now if we left without her.
X (big grin spreads across his face): we have a puppy!

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