Changes in the 'Hood, Part III

Yep, I clearly remember Mike last week telling me over the phone, “Our world is about to get rocked...” But Mike’s a joker - I never know when he is kidding with me. But this time was different and so the story continues. Read all the way to the end...

When I came home from work on Tuesday, Rock had officially moved into our home and was now our new diggity-dog. He is a mixed-breed dog, but looks like he’s mainly Australian shepherd. He has one of those little bobbed tails, small & floppy ears and a solid body. He is a chocolate color with a small white chest patch. His temperament is excellent, even in this sad time. Those first few days he’d sit on our patio and gaze east to the building he used to live in. I imagine he’s wondering where his “real dad” went and why he is over at the neighbors’ place.

The fact that a suicide was committed in our neighborhood has really opened up some dialog with Mike, our friends and some blog readers. I don’t know how people get to that point. Quality of life? Tired of hanging on? Nothing to look forward to? Broke and desperate? Mental health issues? Sick and tired of being sick and tired? A visit to Señor Zapata’s blog last week found the same topic and many reader comments.

So Wednesday morning I got up and said, “Good morning, Rock!” He was such a good doggie his first night with us. And then I went to work. That afternoon, as I was leaving work to head home, I called Mike. He told me that our neighbor’s sister had been back to see Mike and she had another request. Mike tried to tell me we’d discuss it when I got home, but he hinted around in a way that I had to keep asking him questions.

And then I finally got it out of him. The sister has a little doggie, a Lhasa Apso. This little doggie and Rock have been hanging out together for seven years. You see, the sister dropped her doggie off at her brother’s every morning on her way to work. That way, the two doggies could play together while she was at work. So what was her request???

She wants Mike to take care of her Lhasa Apso Monday-Friday, just like her brother had been doing. When I got this information out of Mike, I could tell he could have gone either way. But the more he talked about it and described how the two doggies loved each other, the more I could hear in his voice that he wanted to tell the sister he’d do it. So he did and beginning today Mike will have two doggies to watch. Maybe a doggie day care business is in Mike’s future...

And, believe it or not, there is one more element to this story. Once Mike got over telling me about the Lhasa Apso, he told me about the cat.

In addition to Rock, and unbeknownst to us, our neighbor also had a cat. His sister explained to Mike that the cat was still in the neighbor’s apartment, but that he needed a home. She went on to tell Mike how the two doggies and the cat were all pals and that they loved each other very much and that the three of them have been hanging out for seven years together and she would hate to break them apart.

I was still on a phone call with Mike when he began to tell me about the cat. And I knew he was giving it all he could to convince me that the cat needed to stay with the two doggies…I finally said, “OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Tell the sister we’ll take the cat already!!”

So when I came home from work on Thursday the cat (named Squeak cause he doesn’t have a meow) had officially moved into our home and was now our new kitty-cat. He’s a big boy with orange and white stripes and a very long, straight tail. He walks around with his tail standing straight up and then tumbles down onto the carpet for a few rolls. Mike said he hid under the bed most of Thursday, but by evening he was cruising around.

So that’s the end of the story about the Changes in the 'Hood. Well, the “adoption” part anyway. I’m sure there will be many opportunities to write about our three new four-footed friends. Plus, I haven’t even met the Lhasa Apso yet or know his name!

Now where is my camera?...