Day 187 - Father's Day

Father's Day is always the third Sunday in June, which means it usually falls very near my birthday. Every once in a while my birthday is actually the same day as Father's Day. My Mom used to tell Dad that I was her Father's Day gift, but personally I think he would have preferred a Bass boat instead. I never had children myself. Growing up in a loving but largely dysfunctional family left me with no desire to repeat the whole crazy process.

Over the years, people have told me that I would have made a good Dad, but I'm not so sure. I think I'm much better suited to raising Dalmatians. The simple loyalty a dog provides is something I understand and value. The complex dynamics of family life, where love and hatred are often blended together so homogeneously that it becomes impossible to tell these emotions apart is something else entirely. I don't enjoy living in an emotional stew pot. I've often wondered if I was mildly autistic. I know that I'm a lot better at fixing things than I am at feeling things. I think a good Dad needs to be good at feeling things.

This was the first Sunday in a long time that the dogs didn't get to go to Unleashed. We've been looking for alternatives, but since Unleashed was the only indoor dog  park in the entire country, there really aren't any. We did find a really nice little outdoor dog park near downtown that we took the dogs to this afternoon. I think this park was built and is still managed by the Meadows Foundation. It seems to be located on their property near Swiss Avenue anyway. If the park is run by the Meadows Foundation, it would certainly explain why is so much cleaner and nicer than the city run dog parks. The city dog parks are mostly just dirt and mud holes. This park featured a well manicured lawn of St. Augustine grass. I guess in the dog world, this must be the equivalent of private schools versus public schools.

Dash didn't get a bath this week. I'm beginning to think that his frequent medicated baths are doing more harm than good. We'll try once every two weeks for a while and see what happens. One of our neighbors gives her dog Claritin for skin allergies. I'm not so sure about that either. Dot has a thick, healthy looking coat. I wish she'd just tell Dash her secret.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day