Suddenly *Not So* Single Journey

Meet Bishop!

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Every once in a while S will get this wild hair.  He decided on Saturday that we should meet up after he finished work to go look at dogs at Petsmart.  They usually had rescued dogs there.

So, he called me and gave me my warning.

S: I’ll be home in fifteen minutes.  Be ready to go.

me: Do I have to be pretty?

S: Only if you want me to take you out in public.

me: Damn it!  (I was in the middle of cleaning the house and hadn’t gotten to the cleaning me part yet.)

I did the wicky-quick get ready thing and ended up being ready just as he walked in.  We drove to PetSmart only to be very disappointed.  No dogs this Saturday.  We drove to another pet store, PetLand.  No big dogs.

Disappointed, we headed home.  Well, we aren’t easily deterred, so we started looking online, first (you guessed it) Craigslist, then the Charlotte Observer online.  And that’s where we hit the jackpot.

S and I needed something to look forward to, something to be really happy about.  And we found it.  We drove to Indian Trail after being given directions, and found an owner who was looking for good homes for a litter of Great Dane puppies.  While S talked to the owner, I was passed this little guy.  (He’s only eleven pounds right now.)

I stood there snuggling him, letting him nuzzle into my neck and give me the occasional lick.  It was love at first lick.  And then he was told the price of this rare Harlequin Great Dane, which is about the same time that I moved to pass him back.  This puppy was pricier than we had anticipated.  And the purchase was entirely on S, since I am for lack of a better word…broke.

We drove away disappointed.  I knew it was eating at S.  He had wanted a dog for so long.

S: I’m doing the budget.

me: And?

S: I think we can do this.

Next thing you know, we’re turning around.  And he’s calling to warn them that we’re showing up with a deposit.  We return and fill out the paperwork.  Okay, I’m doing paperwork and he’s paying.  It’s  a nice little system we’ve managed to work out.

S is grilling the woman for more information about the breed.  All her responses are positive.  Most of our fears are soothed.  Apparently Danes sleep about nineteen hours a day, so we don’t have to worry about him being too sad without us while we’re working, or too destructive.  Despite their large size, they have a very slow metabolism and don’t eat that much.  (He must get the metabolism from me, the not eating much would be S.)  There was one question that S was very excited about.

S: How big will he get?

Owner: He should stand just under five feet.

I look at S.

me: Oh good, because I’ve always wanted a dog I can look in the eye, saddle up, and ride around the neighborhood.

S: And how much will he weigh.

Owner: Probably about 170-180 pounds.

S is beaming now, the excitement palpable.

me: At least he’ll outweigh me.

We stayed to pay with him about an hour.  They are going to start calling him by his name: Bishop, which doesn’t seem so strange given the fact that his parents are King Elvis II and Princessin Zoe.  He’s AKC purebred and we can look up his lineage.  I’m less concerned about that.  I want a nice family dog.  S wants a son.

S: This is going to be the son I always wanted.  And you didn’t even have to get fat.

me: Yay.

S: You know he’s going to take up a lot of space in the bed.  You may want to start sleeping on Rachel’s trundle.

me: I’m being thrown aside for a dog?

S: I’m kidding!

And I think he is, mostly.  He’s very excited and has taken to dreaming about him.  Bishop is too young to come home for two more weeks.  The delay is KILLING S.  We’re going to visit him and take more pictures next Saturday.  We had hoped to take the kids, but they will be with their father and have plans.  They, too, are very excited about this puppy.  They are less excited about the fence building that is about to be their new task in the coming weeks.

Bishop is the topic of conversation around the house.  S can’t wait for him to Dino me.  (a la Fred Flintstone) or drag me around on the leash.  He can’t wait for his boy to scare off the first pizza delivery driver and all of Rachel’s potential boyfriends.  (Sorry, Rachel.)  And he can’t wait for Baby Bishop to grow into his bark.  By the way, he hopes to stud out his boy, so if you have a female Dane and you want a shot at a rare Harlequin…let us know!

All I know is, we now have a puppy-cow.  With his coloring, he’ll blend.  And I, no doubt, will have plenty to share about his transition into the house and the next formative year.  We’re raising a Great Dane.  Time to update the About page.

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