Thanks BFF!

It's not easy to wait for things you want.  When my tummy is rumbling, I want my dinner.  But if it is only 2pm and dinner is at 5pm, I have no choice but to wait which is really annoying.  Now, they say that good things come to those who wait.  The last nine days proved this concept to be true.

My Birthday Card

It all started two Mondays ago (two days after my birthday), when Sister came home from work and blew past me without saying hello.  I won't lie, I was taken aback by her actions; Sister always says hello to me as soon as she comes in the house (though, there have been numerous occasions where she's had to come find me before saying hello because I was sleeping and didn't hear her come in).  Anyway, trying not to let my hurt feelings show, I ramped up the cuteness and followed behind Sister as she made her way through the house to the backroom (a former Land of No).  It was when she stopped alongside the piano that I noticed that she had, held high over her head, a pink gift bag that had the scent of my bff Mecki wafting from it and two toys sticking out.  Mecki had gotten me a birthday present!  Well, it goes without saying that I had to investigate.  I reared up on my hind legs, braced myself on Sister's stomach, and stretched as far as I could toward the smell, but alas, I was unable to reach the bag.  Sister, in an attempt to appease me, reached into the bag and pulled out a card.  She showed it to me, read it out loud, but refused to give it to me (instead she put it on display on the TV table).  Then, with great disappointment, I watched as Sister placed the gift bag just out of my reach on the piano (though my disappointment was temporarily superseded by excitement when she then asked if I wanted my supper).

Four days passed before I saw the birthday bag again.  Now, one might ask why it took so long for me to gain access to the contents of the bag (after all, it was my birthday present), but there were reasons (some good and some not so) for the delay.  On Monday, Sister didn't give me the toys because she wanted Ma and Pa to admire them before I got hold of them (I have a history of being very hard on toys) and Ma wasn't getting out of work until after my bedtime.  On Tuesday, I was suffering from digestive issues and on Wednesday I was much too tired after being up all night the night before.  I wasn't given the toys on Thursday because Sister was in a bad mood and didn't feel like playing (like that's my problem).

It had been such a long time since I last saw the birthday bag that by the time Friday rolled around I had pretty much forgotten all about it (I have a lot on my mind:  food, squirrels, food, lizards, food, people walking by the house, food, etc).  So there I was, hanging out in the backyard with Sister on her lunch break, when all of a sudden Sister jumped up from her seat on the bench and ran into the house.  Although hot on her heals, by the time I made it to the side door, she was inside the house (Sister is, for the record, not faster than me...she just got a better start).  So, I did what I normally do when I am locked out of someplace I want to be (hey, she could have been sneaking a piece of cheese):  I barked bloody murder.

A few seconds later, Sister re-emerged, but instead of cheese, she had, in her hand, the first of Mecki's birthday presents:  A brand new Mini-Mecki (complete with Mecki fur and scent--a nice touch)!  Forgetting my manners, I jumped up on Sister, snatched the toy from her hand, and hotfooted it into the backyard. 

 

My fun, however, was short-lived.  That evening, I had a relapse of the digestive issues I had earlier in the week.  I wasn't really in the mood to play with my new Mini-Mecki, or any toy for that matter, for two whole days.  And on Monday, when my stomach was completely better, I spent most of the time catching up on the sleep I lost the two previous nights.

Then Tuesday rolled around.  Feeling one hundred percent better and very well rested, I found myself itching for something to do (I let my family know by barking hysterically at them while they were trying to watch television).  Sister, understanding what I wanted, got up off her chair, walked into the backroom, and took the second toy out of the bag.  This time, it was a rubber ball that dispensed food.  Sister stuffed the toy full of liver bits and handed it to me.

I had a grand time with my new toy.  The first thing I noticed was that it made a really cool suction sound when I chewed on it.  The second thing I realized was that I needed to roll the toy around in order for the food to come out.  But there's a major problem with pretty much all toys that roll:  they tend to roll away from me.  I really hate that.  So what do I do when my toy rolls just out of reach?  I bark until someone kicks it back to me.  Personally, I find this solution quite enjoyable, but I'm afraid Ma and Pa, who were trying to watch TV, found it less than pleasurable.

Here are a couple of videos of me playing with my food dispenser ball.  In addition to the aforementioned suction sound and barking, please note the modified game of catch Sister (holding the camera) and I play as well as how quickly Ma jumped in to help when the ball rolled under the couch.

Thanks, Mecki, for all the cool gifts!