Thursday, June 6, 2013

CATS, DOGS & DAUGHTERS


Kind of a cloudy day here along the river. Which is okay because it's also cooler…plus the light is good for photography, soft and shadowless.


My daughter and son-in-law are in Texas. The town of College Station, located northwest of Huston, and home to Texas A&M and legions of rabid Aggies. Apparently, the campus is right across the road from their hotel.

He's out there teaching a software program, used by auto dealers, which he helped design, to a bunch of company execs and sales reps.

My blue-eyed blond offspring is playing hooky from her psychology practice to loll by the pool for a week, go shopping, and sample the local cuisine. She informed me a few minutes ago she was thinking of buying herself a pair of hand-tooled Western boots. Rock & Roll Bling meets Cowgirl Fancy. Actually, the Rock & Roll is stretching it…more Suburban Chic. She listens mostly to Pop, tends toward relaxed elegance rather than loud glitter and flash, and the only thing she knows about longhorn cows is that they're sometimes served up medium-rare on a dinner plate and it's the name of a popular steakhouse chain—neither of which does she know firsthand, since she rarely eats red meat.

What can I say? As a caring parent, you do your best to give the young'ns a good, healthy dose of redneck corruption…but sometimes it just doesn't take.

Anyway, we are their acting dog-sitters—much to Moon's disgust. A tail-wagging thundering herd outdoors and in the hallway, providing one geriatric 60-pound terrier and two fluffy lapdog malti-poos (more like multi-poos) can be considered as such.

In a few minutes, I'll hit the freeways and set off for their townhouse on the opposite side of the city and county. There, my dual-objective mission will be to redo the thermostat's setting and give one of their three cats its Prozac.

Sheesh! I can't believe my life has reached the point where I'm going to help a cat get high….            

12 comments:

Gail said...

HI GRIZZ - great share, great love, great Dad to a wonderful daughter. Every work screamed joy!
Love to you
Gail
peace.....

Debbie said...

and yet..... ;)
Debbie

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

We never stop being parents, no matter how old our "kids." And yeah, all good fun.

Grizz………… said...

Debbie…

Dogs are wonderfully underfoot, cat got her pill and is doubtless feeling really really PURRRRRRRFECTLY fine, and I'm pondering whether turning in early and getting some extra sleep might be so shocking as to cause the earth to reverse its direction of spin.

Naaaaahhh, probably not.

The Weaver of Grass said...

When our children have left home we tend to get a fixation on our animals - overloading them with TLC Grizz. It is called growing old.

Grizz………… said...

Weaver…

Yes, I agree that such fixations of substitutionary pet affection and concern often prove to be the poignant resort of many aging seniors…but in this case five out six of the critters involved (two dogs and all three cats) belong to my daughter and son-in-law.

Besides, apprentice geezer though I well may be, my attitude has never—even in blissful youth—been one of viewing cats and dogs as "pets," but rather as furry family members, entitled to all the rights and considerations thereof. Family is family, no matter whose house we live in and and how many feet we walk on. Regardless of whether we have cold noses, purr, wag our tails, or occasionally hiss. When someone needs to eat, snooze, potty, or pop a Prozac, we do our best to accomodate.

Anonymous said...

Grizz,

My husband and I may be your new neighbors. We are still finalizing the details on the cottage next door. Judging by this post, we are going to get along just fine. I am looking forward to reading more about the river.

Susan and John

Brenda said...

Had to smile at your post -- your daughter and her maltipoos sound a lot like my girls and my maltipom! What a good dad you are and granddad to those "babies." Hope your pill pops went smoother than when I try to give meds to my cats. Never got the knack of that. Enjoyed your wonderful descriptions, as always.

Grizz………… said...

Susan & John…

What a nice surprise…and a delightful introduction. I hope everything indeed goes smoothly with the cottage—good neighbors are always a blessing. You will be most welcomed—as fellow riverbankers, and as visitors here on Riverdaze.

Grizz………… said...

Brenda…

Hey, what can I say…I love my daughter and will do anything for her, always. Even dog sit and medicate cats. And BTW, I've given meds to all sorts of critters over the years, and one thing I've learned re. cats is that your first shot at getting a pill down them is generally your best one. Be accurate and quick before they realize what's going on. Otherwise, you're probably in for an protracted struggle involving gobs of loosened fur (cat's), possible blood loss (yours), screeching, hissing, and cursing (both parties), and much ill will and resentment all around.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the welcome. The process is moving slowly. You will know we have posession when you smell red meat on the grill and hear the occasional bark of a real dog.

Grizz………… said...

Susan & John…

We'll keep keep eyes, noses, and ears attuned. (FYI, my old dog now coughs more than she barks.)