Chalupa

a47, originally uploaded by jodoherty42.

As Leesha and Big Red snorkel around the Galapagos on honeymoon, we get to babysit their Yorkie/Chihuahua mix Chalupa. Needless to say, all the street-cred I developed walking Shino the pitbull around town has evaporated. Now I get sneers from the local toughs, who comment about that "cat on a leash," or that "guinea pig," or that "ferret."

Of course the local ladies adore Chalupa, and they stroke her with their long fake fingernails, painted with Van Gogh or Picasso complexity. The neighborhood kids love her too, and flock around her at the Park.

We had a dog sleep in our bed last night for the first time since we were dating, when Thor the Great Dane would squeeze in with us. Thor weighed 30 times what Chalupa weighs. The big worry with Thor was that he'd get into a position and remain fixed there all night. If his position was your chunk of bed, you were fucked. The big worry with Chalupa is rolling over and smothering her.

Because of Cha's allergies, we made Chalupa sleep on the floor the first night. This just didn't work out. Every hour Chalupa would circle the bed (which is too high for her to jump onto), toenails clicking nervously, whining softly, until I would reach down and pet her, at which point she'd harrumph and retreat to her little rug, only to stir moments later and begin circling again. Last night I put an Ikea stepstool by the bed so she could join us, and we enjoyed an uninterrupted repose.