Dog haiku

pile of fallen leaves
golden in afternoon sun
i will pee on you

to rid the sidewalks
of the crumb-poaching pigeons:
this is my mission

my third nap today
stretch, heave sigh, close eyes, breathe deep
practice makes perfect

Hobbies

I depend on Overheard in NY and Gawker to distract me from the daily irritation that is my job. So I am inordinately pleased that they've posted some of my observations! Check it out:

Overhead in NY:
The Rainbow Flag Hangs Over Wednesday One-liners
(july 27 2005, 3rd item)
Start the Clock, Wednesday One-liners
(august 24 2005 (today), 2nd item)

Gawker:
Ethan and Uma's Night out
(july 20 2004)
Gawker Stalker
(july 12 2005, clare danes & billy crudup, 8th item)

Namesake

It's about time Monica got off the computer and let me introduce myself! Zoe Bean Dog here, blog namesake and all-around great dog. I'm not so handy with the keyboard, so my posts will be short but I'll post as often as Monica lets me.



Monica and I go way back. She adopted me in 1999 from a shelter in North Carolina. I've always been good at holding down carpets, but now it's one of my main hobbies.



I also enjoy eating, chasing pigeons, sneezing, begging for tummy rubs, eating, and sucking up to people. And eating. Check back soon for more posts from me!

Olfactory memory

Thick like cotton
he wrapped his smell
around all he owned
to muffle me.

Stale sharp sour
it stung my nose
buffered his space.
Insulation

Catwalk

This morning I saw a guy walking his cat in the park. The cat was wearing a harness and a leash. Now I've heard of people walking their cats, but I had never seen it for myself. It was really strange.

Then again, I think cats in general are pretty strange. Full disclosure: I'm not a cat person. I have a dog, named Zoe (my blog's namesake; more on her to come). I regard cats with some suspicion, much as they regard me. I have known many cats, and we had cats when I was a kid (first Mickey, then Middy). I even like some cats. But I still think they're strange.

There is a cat gang in my neighborhood. I see them almost every day when I walk the dog. Street toughs, these cats. They hiss at my dog from across the street and under cars. We walked past one house with four cats sitting around out front. Zoe stopped to stare, and they came running through the fence at her! One of them pulled a switchblade. I calmed things down, and they retreated to their yard, but I think they were throwing up signs behind our backs as we walked away. I won't be surprised if they all have little tattoos next time I see them. Feline13.

Yeah, cats are strange.