Monday, May 31, 2010

Day 167 - Memorial Day

Like virtually everyone else in America, we went and ate boatloads of grilled and smoked meats with friends today. Our friends adopted Willow, a wonderful dog that Janet and I helped to rehabilitate after she had been run over by a car and abandoned by the side of the road. Willow is now a happy, playful girl who has fully recovered from her injuries. It was nice to see her running and jumping around the backyard without a care in the world. Many folks thought she'd never walk again, but after three difficult surgeries and over a year of rehab, she's just fine now. Willow and her companion Jasper spent the afternoon begging for table scraps like any normal dogs at an outdoor barbecue.

I enjoyed the opportunity to eat bacon and bratwurst and other foods my doctors would frown on. The men talked politics and tended the grill in the back yard while the women worked inside on craft projects that could be sold at future Dalmatian Rescue fundraisers. There was lots of potato salad and pickles and pie to go along with all the pork being barbecued on the grill. It was the kind of old-fashioned holiday my parents would have enjoyed. I enjoyed it too. Even though our hosts make their living wrestling with technology, just like I do, we didn't talk about IT problems and computers. Instead, we talked about dogs, vacations, Harley Davidson bikes, and great grilling recipes. It was a distinctly all-American afternoon. And I guess that's exactly the way it should be on Memorial Day.

The only problem with holidays is that I inevitably get behind on everything else. The house is a mess, the car needs to be washed and I still haven't cut the grass this week. I know tomorrow is going to be a busy day as well, because my clients will try their best to cram five days of work into the week's four remaining days. The house might have to stay messy for a while, but I'll gradually get caught up on things. Eventually, I always do.

Dalmatian of the Day

    Watch of the Day