“Remoted – Hybrid” – Day 892 (Friday) – national dog day

Winston, Canine Overlord
of The BungaLowell.

According to the calendar and a Facebook feed filled with even more adorable dogs than usual, today is National Dog Day. Of course, at The BungaLowell, every day is Dog Day, lorded over by Winston, ruler of the humble abode.

It started like most days. First, the Canine Overlord did not wish to arise when the alarm went off at 6:15. He was allowed to sleep while the coffee was started. The royal breakfast was apportioned by the kitchen staff (me). This morning, the usual diabetes control kibble was embellished with hand-diced cheese and cucumbers topped with a sprinkle of wheat germ.

Winston eventually quietly made his way downstairs, sniffed the pricey enhanced kibble in his bowl, turned, and wandered away. When it suited him, he eventually signaled his readiness to be guided outside for his morning wee. His return to the interior world was heralded with the declaration that he is a good boy in both English and Finnish (“Winston on hyvä poika!”). He trotted directly to the cabinet where the container of treats is housed.

There was the usual amount of cajoling (by me) and reluctance (by His Royal Highness) before he ate enough food for the staff nurse (me) to administer an insulin shot. For tolerating the morning jab, Winston was again told he is a good boy. The best boy. Better than all the other boys of any species.

At 7:45, Win went back outside and the predeparture preparations began. It was time to carpet a section of the kitchen floor in pee pads, because even though he wears a male wrap with a toddler diaper in it, he has skillfully developed some sort of maneuver that allows him to still deposit an offering of urine outside the wrap. That is some talent.

Canine Overlord at rest.

After sneaking up on Winston, which is a lot easier now that he can’t see, I got the wrap band on him. Cookies were doled out with the stream of pre-departure mix of a lie sandwiched by truths. “Be a good boy! I love you!  I’ll be right back. I miss you already. Really, I’ll be back soon. I’ll miss you!” 

It’s a mystery what Winston does when I’m at the office, but when I’m home, he sleeps. He sleeps on the little blue rug in front of the A/C vent under the sink, on the little blue rug in front of the kitchen door, behind the office chair on the rug, on the kitchen floor, on his bed in the living room, on the rug next to his bed, and on the couch. So probably one or all of those in some sort of rotation.

After work, Winston meets me at the kitchen door, tail wagging. I greet him with a series of truths and no lies. “Hello good boy! I missed you! I’m so glad to see you! I told you I would come home!”  Today, the diaper was uncharacteristically dry. He went out to the backyard for a long wee. 

Half of the breakfast kibble (minus all embellishments) was still in the bowl from breakfast and another half ration was added. The container of bone broth made last week and stored in the freezer was demoted to the refrigerator on Thursday. It had thawed enough to pour out a couple ounces into a bowl to be microwaved and poured over the kibble.

Supper for the human.

The kibble with warm bone broth was clearly more appetizing than the morning ration where no broth could be added due to the still frozen state. I was spared the indignity of begging Win to eat and the insulin was injected. Good boy accolades where sung and treats were dispensed. 

This human opted for a supper of cheesy hot pepper ramen with shrimp. Post dinner napping commenced. For Winston, not me. My evening’s mindless entertainment was Partner Track on Netflix. It’s a rom-com series set in a New York law firm. It’s not awful. It’s good for unwinding.