Anatomically confused snow people, dinner at Sangria's and a new dog

It’s Winter and it’s February and we got our first measurable amount of snow about a week , ten days ago. It is the first measurable snow in over a year. Pre-global warming we’d get our first snow in December. I’d watch it as a young kid hoping we’d get a white Christmas. Most of the time it’d melt before Christmas. Then usually in January the weather would turn a little more serious and we’d get snow that would stay on the ground until mid winter when we’d get a break in the temperatures and most of the snow would melt.

When we’d get major snow storms we’d get a period of really cold temperatures so everyone would be sure it’s really winter. And come March as you’d watch preseason baseball on TV, sure that Spring was on its way, it would be sure to snow again, just to remind you, it is still winter. It’s not like that any more.

With this last snow storm Elena had time to build a snowm …person and a sexually confused one at that.All I can say is a picture is worth a thousand words. And I’d just get in trouble if I tried to describe it. Last week, Teri and I went to Sangria’s Restaurant in Congers. Elena was free so we invited her along. We went early so Elena could play XBox after dinner and then sleep until 4 in the afternoon the next day.

Elena wanted an appetizer before we had our meals. Teri and I usually don’t order one, but Elena wanted one and we let her order one. She ordered squid. What arrived were three of the tentacles from a decent sized squid. I cut off a small section and added a little of the peppers and onions. When I bought it to my face to eat and saw the round suction cup side of it’s leg,I had a flashback to a movie I watched about two-three years ago about this diver who went every day into the ocean off South Africa and filmed the life of a squid. It was an amazing film. The relationship between this guy and the squid. The movie showed the squid's daily life. How it worked to survive and how it ate. Suddenly I felt I was eating a creature that I felt I almost knew. I forced myself to finish what I’d taken and didn’t eat more. It was good though. The three of us enjoyed a good meal otherwise. Now the new dog. We lost Athena very recently. Misha, the German Shepherd seemed depressed. She had a love-hate relationship with Athena and they had seemed to find comfort in their relationship since we’d lost Bandi back last year. After Athena, Misha was different, I couldn’t put my finger on it. Teri said she was depressed and lonely. Teri searched the places she searches and every so often she’d come up with a dog that needed to be adopted. I’d look at the dog and say,”yes, it’s a nice dog.” One day this skinny mixed breed shepherd appears on facebook. She is being fostered by a local family and for some reason Teri thinks it’s time to adopt another dog. I’m worried. Misha has never gotten along with other dogs. She’s either scared (my mom’s last dogs) or wants to kill them (Nancy’s dog Nevil). I’ve alway thought of her as a people's dog and not a member of a pack of dogs.

The people fostering Casper (her name has been changed to Cassie) said to meet on a Saturday outside the house. We would walk the street together with Misha in the lead so she would not view Cassie as a threat. After walking and some of the nervous energy had burned off we went into the yard, with Misha leading. We were supposed to walk around to keep the dogs moving. I walked around the yard through untrampled snow while it seemed everyone else stood around. Misha occasionally followed me. Cassie decided to try out the ice on the pool. You know the ice that had formed over the last 24 hours. This dog from Puerto Rico most likely thought it was just cold funny looking ground, well until she fell through it. I was back near the trampoline and all I could think about was the scene from one of the Lethal Weapon movies where there is a fight and they fall into a covered pool and they get all tangled in it and one of them drowns. Cassie jumped out before I could take two steps. She shook herself dry and went on with her business.After a while we all went inside and sat around to let the dogs get comfortable inside. They leave after a while and Everyone wants the dog, except Elena, she refuses to like the dog. She is feeling bad about stuff in her life and is angry at the world (more later on her)

We arrange another circus, you know we walk the street together, then go in the backyard. This time I have boots on and yes everyone else stands around. And yes Cassie is a smart dog and doesn’t try to walk on the pool.We go inside and after a while we tell them yes. They gather up Cassie’s toys and bring them in and leave. Suddenly it, OK, what do we do now? Life over the next few weeks get a sense of normal to it. Misha intimidates Cassie, nips at her occasionally goes after her in a non life threatening way with no blood letting. Cassie rolls over on command and is submissive. One day at work Teri sends me a video of Misha trying to play with Cassie. Misha is old and fat. Cassie is a young skinny bitch and everyone knows if you're not one of them, you hate them. Misha has mostly come to terms with her new sister and maybe one day they’ll both sit together on the coach like Athena and Misha used to.