July 05, 2006
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's...Frankie?!
A story, one that always makes me larf: A long-ago employee had a large golden labrador who, for some reason, liked to climb up on the dining room chairs, probably, one assumes, scamming for crumbs. However, once the lab got on a chair, she was afraid to jump down again because the chair would shoot out from underneath her and scrape across the floor, making a loud noise as it went. The solution? Go up. Which is why the employee would frequently come home and find her large golden lab sitting forlornly on her dining room table, chandelier pendants gently brushing her head.
Imagine finding your dog sitting on a table! That would never happen to us! Our dog is too smart, too well-mannered, too…well, in a word, too short.
Oh.
There is actually a logical, three-word explanation for why there’s a 28-pound Corgi sitting on our outdoor table: July 4th fireworks. During a particularly loud volley of (ahem–illegal) fireworks in our neighborhood, a terrified Frankie asked TMK to put her in her lap, which TMK gladly did. As soon TMK hoisted her up, however, Frankie had an attack of “the grass is always greener,” clambered up on the table and made a beeline for me, only to discover she wasn’t allowed in my lap because of my recent lube & tune. Couldn’t be in my lap, didn’t wanna be in TMK’s; what to do, what to do. Oh, I know, I’ll just sit right here on the table itself, shedding and drooling. Lovely.
P.S. Frankie did not drink the beer. And even if she had, it's non-alcoholic so it would've had nothing to do with her new-found ability to levitate.
What do you do when (a) your partner wants to leave the front door open to let in the breeze but (b) says you have to keep the lights out because she doesn’t have a screen door and doesn’t want insects to get in and yet (c) you want to knit even though it’s pitch black in the living room, except, of course, for the flickering light from the video game?
You make a Cloud Hat,’natch.
And what do you do to keep yourself from going completely looney-tunes with boredom since it's the umpteenth Cloud Hat you’ve made and you could knit one even if in a permanent vegetative state?
You make your first striped Cloud Hat!
Great fun, this one. I used some leftover purple and lime-green Cascade 220 (no surprise there) and some variegated Cascade Bollicine Sissi mohair which had the same shades of purple and green in it plus some other bright jewel tones, and churned out some fun, tweedy, contrasting yet matching stripes.
Stalker Angie, send me your snail mail address! Pleeeeeeeeze?
Posted by Ryan at July 5, 2006 03:03 PMRyan, I am so happy to hear you are up and about. I knew in my heart that you were the kind of gal that would never do anything the mundane regular way that most of us unimaginative twerps would offer up so I wasn't awfully surprised to read of your added twist to the whole hospital thing. I'm sure we all appreciate the added effort you put in to that for us. As always, you crack me up so much and I wish you lived next door to me! Love the hat!
Frankie has you fooled. I can hear her thinking, "last time they sent me a pillow. Lessee if they send me food if I sit on the table."
Posted by: Carrie on July 5, 2006 04:24 PMFrankie is just so darn cute and looks perfect sitting on that table! I love the colours of your Cloud Hat, Ryan. I hope you are feeling a little better each day.
Posted by: Mary Anne on July 5, 2006 07:15 PMI love the Cloud Hat!
The story about the Golden Lab is priceless!
I don't have a screen door either and bought one of these: http://www.bugoffscreen.com/
I was very, very skeptical, but it's the best money I've spent in a long time. My dogs love the freedom of going in and out at their own whim.
Posted by: Kathy on July 5, 2006 09:39 PMClearly, that bear was meant, I mean just *meant*, dahling, to be a hat model!
Posted by: marylee on July 6, 2006 03:02 AMI had a dog that did that. He wanted to look out the window, and the kitchen table was in the way. So he just climbed aboard. Then, when I moved, the windows were located high on the wall. He would relax/sleep on the back of the couch so he could see out whenever he wanted. Not a big deal, cats do that all the time. But this was a 90 lb bluetick coonhound. He was the goofiest thing. I miss him.
Posted by: Annie on July 6, 2006 06:37 AMBeautiful colours in that hat!
Posted by: Sarah on July 6, 2006 06:57 AMLurv the colors on the cloud hat. You are just too darn clever.
We used to come home and find my Shih Tzu in either the tub or the bathroom sink. Once it was the kitchen sink. That girl got real nimble when it came to thunderstorms.
Hmmm.....snail mail addy....but I'M the stalker. Hehe. Just kidding. Sending it now.
Posted by: Stalker Angie on July 6, 2006 11:56 AMPoor Frankie! This is a tough time of year for sensitive dogs. I count my blessings that none of our cats is unduly bothered by fireworks -- which is a bit surprising, actually, since most of them are scared of their own shadows (grin).
Why do your cloud hats look so divine, when my hat attempts look so boring? It's not fair, I tell you...
Posted by: Denise in Kent, WA on July 6, 2006 12:01 PMPoor Frankie. My boy Argus hates the fireworks too. In fact, he likes to crawl in my lap if fireworks or thunder get too bad. That's right, my 88 pound greyhound sits his fanny in my lap, puts a paw on each of my shoulders and hangs his head over one of my shoulders shaking, drooling, and nose-dripping down the back of my shirt.
It is revolting and achingly sweet at the same time.
Posted by: Laurie on July 6, 2006 12:12 PMwowsa on the hat colors, and feel better soon!
Posted by: vanessa on July 7, 2006 07:44 AMThe colors of that hat are glorious! Hope you've gotten all the eventful stuff out of the way so that your recovery progresses easily!
Milo, one of my dogs, used to wedge himself under the bed when he'd get especially frightened by thunderstorms. He no longer fits and just stands close to you, wheezing and drooling in distress. Poor pup!
(I think if I had a bluetick coonhound I'd be forced to name it Skillet, after the Mason Dixon naming discussion.)
Posted by: Melanie on July 7, 2006 12:36 PMWhat a wonderful post. Gorgeous pictures, including HH Frankie. I came home one time to find my Corgi, now of beloved memory, on my roof (access via the deck). One of those memories that will be with me forever!
Posted by: joan on July 7, 2006 04:32 PMpssss - check your inbox and see what i'm sending you!
Posted by: jenh on July 7, 2006 05:57 PMJust so you know -- Lala called me from work while I was enroute to work (stuck in traffic and knitting, of course) so she could read me the first paragraph. We howled.
Posted by: Rachael on July 7, 2006 08:59 PMBetter not let Frankie meet my daughter's beagle, Trusty. We wondered how Trusty was getting on the dining room table when we were so careful to push in all the chairs. Trusty says, "Chairs, I don't need no stinkin chairs."
I came around the corner into the dining room in time to watch him jump from four paws on the floor to 4 paws flat on the table.
Glad you are feeling better
Frankie is too cute on that table!
Our chow hound corgi would dearly love access to any table. Thank goodness our Summer has such short legs!
Glad you are feeling better.
I have a todler that used to end up on the dining room table the same way...scary to think she has so much in common with a lab.
The hat looks great...I love the color combo!
Posted by: Beak on July 10, 2006 05:50 AM