December 30, 2016: I’m Sorry I Make Fun Of My Girlfriend Falling Down!

“That poor man,”said an elderly woman.  Her tone suggested pity but also a hint of relief, sort of a sympathy base with a dash of “There but for the Grace of God go I.”.  In truth, in that instant, it was my pride that hurt most of all.  In fairness though, the middle finger of my right hand was still numb and my knee wouldn’t start aching for another fifteen minutes.

The morning had started promisingly enough with a trip to a local coffee shop in nearby Pointe-Claire village, Victor Rose, a quaint little place that offers up a warm, dog-friendly environment AND internet.  It had fast become Akemi and my go-to place since my sister recommended it a few days back.  Run by a mother and her two daughters, it has a real Cheers vibe except that, instead of beer, it serves up varied caffeinated beverages and a Sambuca biscotti that Akemi adores.  Also, it has its fair share of colorful regulars as we discovered on two separate occasions.

Bubba accompanied us on our first visit.  He spent most of his time there cowering under a table.  Suji was next.  Nestled in her stroller for the duration of our stay, she seemed bored, staring up at us with a plaintive “When’re we going?” look.  Finally, today, it was Lulu’s turn.  Lulu, the most sociable of the pack.  Lulu, who LOVES to meet people.  Lulu who, on this particular foray, panted and paced anxiously until it was time to go.

On the way home, we decided to pick up dog food.  The pet store is located in a mall – also dog-friendly – so we parked and walked in with Lulu.  As we were strolling along, I noticed that one of Lulu’s booties was missing.  “I’ll go find it,”said Akemi, doubling back.  “Meet you at the pet shop!”  She disappeared from view and we continued on our way.

And then, it happened.

As Lulu scampered along, she casually dropped a single piece of poop.  She seemed completely oblivious as she motored along, not even breaking stride, like someone who had unwittingly dropped their wallet.  I, of course, hit the brakes. And, as luck would have it, a wet patch.  If I’d been scripting this incident, the coincidence that precipitated my fall would have struck me as exceptionally contrived.  Instead, all that came to mind was “Shit!” and then I hit the deck.

I quickly picked myself up, more concerned with locating a baggie and picking up that lone poop nugget than considering any possible injuries.  “Poor thing is anxious,”I heard the same elderly woman say.  I wasn’t sure if she was referring to me or Lulu.

Akemi caught up with us at the pet store where I told her what had happened.  “I’ll write about it in today’s blog entry,”I told her.

“The title should be ‘I’m Sorry I Make Fun Of My Girlfriend Falling Down'”she suggested.

So there you have it.

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Lulu works on her tan.

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For Christmas, Akemi asked for a gift certificate from Muji, a Japanese retailer that has opened a shop in Toronto.  It offers up homey essentials, everything from toothbrush holders to Japanese sweets.  Sadly, one of the things they don’t offer are gift certificates.  As a result, I crafted a clever, official-looking facsimile – signed by the fictitious Tanaka Muji no less!

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Lulu isn’t a fan of other dogs, generally preferring to ignore them in favor of their human counterparts.  For some reason, though, she really seems to have hit it off with my sister’s dog, Kona.  Pictured above – them sharing lobster.

Lulu pins Kona for the three count!

P.S. Okay, I think I really did a number on my knee.  This is definitely going to put a crimp in my daily leg workout.