September 26, 2002

A Good Day

Yesterday was a good day, all around.

It started with being woken up in a most pleasant way by Calvin. He settled himself on the bed with his coffee and newspaper, and then reached over and stroked my cheek with his fingertips.

Can I just say that it's a wonderful thing to wake up with a smile on your face and love in your heart? I can say that? Good.

Work was, well, normal. I got there, I did some things, I did some more things, I went home. We did have a team luncheon which was okay, in that it at least got me out of the office at lunchtime. And I got to have crabcakes. So, a good thing.

When I got back from lunch there was a voicemail message waiting for me from Calvin. He'd been driving between jobs when Savage Garden's "Truly Madly Deeply" came on the radio. Being a meaningful song to our relationship (though not "our" song - that's "I've Finally Found Someone" by Barbara Streisand and Bryan Adams), it made him think of me. I wasn't at my desk, so he put his phone next to his speaker and recorded the chorus of the song. And he told me he loves me.

~sigh~

I got home a little after 5:00, and I didn't feel like cooking. Six nights a week are dedicated to making meals at home, with Friday night normally reserved for fast food. All in an effort to only eat out once a week, and try to keep that "eating out" to cheap fast food. Budgetary concerns, don't ya know. We switched Friday's "Taco Bell Night" to last night instead. Contrary to how I ended yesterday's entry, I can be flexible. Particularly if it gets me out of cooking on a weeknight.

Anyway, I've been mad crazy to see "Monsters Inc." ever since Fred mentioned it and posted the link to the excerpt of For The Birds. Marie and I watched the excerpt on the computer in my room Monday night, while we were going through her baby pictures. Oh. My. God. It's beyond description. And I was MAD (MAD!, I tell you!) to see the rest of it.

Last week when I went to the movie store, they were out of Monsters Inc. So, since it's "guaranteed" to be in stock, I got a raincheck. Of course, I had to *ask* for the raincheck, after being told my the cashier plebe that they were out. They didn't volunteer it, and would have let me walk out without mentioning it, had I been blind enough to miss the plethora of posters and banners advertising "Guaranteed In Stock Or It's Free On Your Next Visit!!"

Goddamn plebe.

ANYWAY, on the way to Taco Bell we stopped by the movie store, and I used the raincheck to rent Monsters Inc. for free. Back home, while Calvin was changing into comfy clothes, I put in the DVD and watched the entirety of "For The Birds". I cried, I tell you, it was so funny. Calvin came out about halfway through, while I was in hysterics. So I had to replay it for him, of course.

The most hysterical part was Oz's reaction. The little birds' voices in the film sound just like pet squeaky toys (which is, I bet, how they made the voices). From the first squeak, Oz was on high alert. He stalked toward the TV, staring at the screen. His little ears twitched, his little head darted back and forth as he watched the movement on the screen. He jumped up on top of the cable box (on a platform beneath and in front of the shelf the TV is on), and stared with his nose practically touching the screen.

("Don't sit so close to the TV, Oz! You'll ruin your eyesight!")

He did what we call the "meer cat", where he stands on his hind legs and poses. Then he did a couple of soft bats at the screen, trying to figure out what the hell these little creatures were. Calvin, Marie, and I were in stitches watching him.

So we played it again (it's only a couple of minutes long). And he did the same thing. So we played it *again*. Oz still tried to catch the little honking birdies.

The other funny thing? The big, gawky, clumsy bird in the film reminds me *exactly* of Kye. Facial expressions, personality, and everything.

We finally left "For The Birds" and watched the actual movie. It was great, and a definite purchase DVD. Of course, we now call Oz "Kitty!" in the same tone of voice as the little girl. I'd sure like to know who did the voice for the little girl - it was dead on what a two-or-three year old kiddo sounds like. Down to the nonsensical singing and everything.

Yeah. Loved the movie.

After that, we watched "For The Birds" one more time. Cuz we loved that, too. (Yes, the cat freaked out again.) Then the "outtakes", and the short film, "Mike's New Car". All cute, but not as good as "For The Birds".

Kye had been staring inside through the patio door the whole time we were watching the movie. So I felt guilty for ignoring her, and decided to take her for a walk. Calvin surprised me by grabbing the leashes for the other two dogs, too (he's not big on going for walks), and Marie decided to come with us instead of going to bed early (she'd been droopy all day). As soon as Kye saw me grab the tennis ball, it was all over. All the dogs were reduced to a hyper, panting, jumping, shedding mass. Maneuvering them all into leashes/harnesses and out the door is always chaotic. Which is why, when I go (usually by myself), I only take one at a time.

There's a park down the street from our house, where I usually take the dogs. I figure they'd like to run around in grass, since our back yard is all rocks and must be hard on their feet. They never complain, though.

All three dogs got let off their leashes. Usually we just let Gypsy and Kye run, because Gadget is such an ADHD dog that he usually doesn't break from his beeline run when we call him. But he looked so upset when he saw Gypsy following her nose all over, and Kye chasing the ball, that we decided to try it. And you know, he was a good kid! Didn't take off or anything. We would call him to us every now and then to make sure he remembered how to come, and praised him mightily each time. Maybe he's finally figured out that he'll have more fun if he just obeys us.

I tossed the ball for Kye, each time regaining a soggier ball. She's an awesome fetch dog. Gadget would chase her as she chased the ball, and run back beside her, snapping and growling and generally being a nuisance. Kye would occasionally let Gadget get to the ball first, and make it almost all the way back to me. Then she'd take it away from him, bringing it to me like some prize.

Yeah. Some prize. Eeee-eeeewwwwwww.

Gypsy was just doing her own thing (as usual - she doesn't truck with exercise too much), sniffing around, coming back for pets, sniffing around, climbing up on Marie's lap, sniffing around. She was grinning the whole time, tail going furiously. You haven't seen a smile until you've seen my Beagle grin. There is no question in your mind that that is one happy dog.

They delight in the park so much that we're complete asses for not taking them more often.

Calvin, Marie, and I sat in the grass for a while, watching them do their thing. The nights are finally getting cooler (though it's still a hundred and frigging SIX degrees today), and it was nice to just sit around and gab. Which we do a LOT in our household, just not with the dogs, on the grass, at the park, watching the lights of the planes overhead.

It was really, really nice.

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©Laura Charon 2000 - 2002.