BURNING UP OR FREEZING

LADY IN HER PRIME

All dogs can drive you crazy at one time or another. Lady did it to me many times, but, often, it was at night.

It would be in the summer, and the temperature in my room was around 70. I'd wake up, and it would be around 80 in my room (or maybe warmer)! Lady would lay on the vent in my room, and the cold air would cool her off. But I'd be burning up.

Then in the winter, the temperature would be around 70. I'd wake up, and it would be around 60 (or colder). She was laying on the vent again, preventing the warm air from getting to me.

I had to close my door so I could have a comfortable temperature in my room, and it stayed that way for nearly 10 years.

Lady's been gone about six and a half years, and I'd happily have that problem again. If only...

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EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com  BLUESKY: PROFILE

MORE ENTRIES FROM THE DOG BLOG

• Katie cried

• Growl and pull

• 13-plus years with my dog Lady

• ... said the spider to ...

• The Dog Diary (2014)

• YIP! YIP! The stereo-sound huskies

• What Lady and Michael Jackson had in common

EDITOR@WORK BLOG ENTRIES

• You really DO need an editor

• Reminders for would-be novelists

• What I do when I'm editing

• What I charge (it's a deal) and what I edit

• Slogging through the Internet

• J-school: More eyes on your stories

• J-school: Go out and learn

• Rookie mistakes for magazine writers

BLOG ENTRIES BY TOM GILLISPIE

• Resume for a writer and editor

• An editor's views on powerful writing

• Advice for be and would-be novelists

• Links to TG's stories online

• Favorite quotes

• What I do when I'm editing

ANECDOTES BY TOM GILLISPIE

• Wipeout at Death Valley

• Days with rainbows

• A desperate writer working in the dark

• Yer OUTTA there!

BLOG ENTRIES FROM THE AUTO RACING JOURNAL

• Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr.

(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)

• Then Junior Said to Jeff...

(the book of great NASCAR stories)

• My best day as a sports writer

• Jeff Gordon's milk toast to Dale Earnhardt

• Wayne Auton: A life in racing

TIED IN KNOTS; QUEEN OF ENTANGLEMENTS

DIXIE ON THE EDGE OF THE DECK

I always thought of Lady as the Queen of Entanglements, but she's gone. Dixie could never take the title head-to-head, but she holds it now by default.

I let Dixie out a little while ago. When I went out to check on her, her cord was wrapped around a knot in the deck. I let her loose, and she ran out in the yard. So I went back inside.

A little bit later, I checked again, and HER CORD WAS WRAPPED AROUND TWO KNOTS! So I extricated her again.

And she ran back out in the yard. So I'll go back out and check on her a third time.

Sigh.

But the story isn't over. I went back out, and she was hooked to ANOTHER knot. It was harder this time, but I got her unhooked. She's back inside, and I may never let her out again (I wish).

 ><

EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com  BLUESKY: PROFILE

MORE ENTRIES FROM THE DOG BLOG

• Katie cried

• Growl and pull

• 13-plus years with my dog Lady

• ... said the spider to ...

• The Dog Diary (2014)

• YIP! YIP! The stereo-sound huskies

• What Lady and Michael Jackson had in common

EDITOR@WORK BLOG ENTRIES

• You really DO need an editor

• Reminders for would-be novelists

• What I do when I'm editing

• What I charge (it's a deal) and what I edit

• Slogging through the Internet

• J-school: More eyes on your stories

• J-school: Go out and learn

• Rookie mistakes for magazine writers

BLOG ENTRIES BY TOM GILLISPIE

• Resume for a writer and editor

• An editor's views on powerful writing

• Advice for be and would-be novelists

• Links to TG's stories online

• Favorite quotes

• What I do when I'm editing

ANECDOTES BY TOM GILLISPIE

• Wipeout at Death Valley

• Days with rainbows

• A desperate writer working in the dark

• Yer OUTTA there!

BLOG ENTRIES FROM THE AUTO RACING JOURNAL

• Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr.

(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)

• Then Junior Said to Jeff...

(the book of great NASCAR stories)

• My best day as a sports writer

• Jeff Gordon's milk toast to Dale Earnhardt

• Wayne Auton: A life in racing