Well, Mommy says she knows it is spring because all of the signs are there. The crocuses have come up, the robins have returned and I start each morning by throwing up. Yup, we don't know why, but it wouldn't be a spring morning if I didn't wake Mommy up each morning with the delightful sound of me walking through as many rooms as possible spitting up bile. I've had quite a few doses of Carafate and Pepcid, but it doesn't help. I still throw up. If I don't puke first thing in the morning then I refuse to eat breakfast until I can go outside and eat grass until I throw up. We go through a lot of paper towels in the morning.
As if my morning puke wasn't hard enough on my stomach and throat I decided to be very clever this month. Mommy made a roast beef tenderloin for dinner one Sunday and I wanted some, but Mommy said no because I have developed a total intolerance to beef protein. I couldn't believe she wouldn't give me a bite or even let me lick a plate, so I waited until she was taking a shower that night and I got into the garbage. I was very careful about it and didn't tip the can over or scatter the contents, but I DID get all of the plastic wrap that the tenderloin was in. Boy did it taste good! Mommy came into the kitchen after her shower and saw that the cabinet was partly open and she said, "Merlin! Did you get in the garbage?" I looked very innocent from my kitchen bed, and since she didn't see any scattered garbage, she figured she had come out just in time to stop me from getting anything. Silly her. So, she had a little trouble understanding why I developed a bad tummy ache the next day and didn't want any breakfast and hardly any dinner and I didn't eat all my Mommy-Goes-Away treats. The tummy ache continued for three days and then SURPRISE!! I pooped out about 2 feet of plastic wrap all in one piece! My tummy felt much better after that, but the next day I pooped in the house while Mommy was out because my intestines were aggravated for some reason. After that all was normal again.
Because it is spring Mommy and I are seeing a lot of our walk friends that we don't see in the winter because they walk or we don't walk by their house because the roads are dangerous in winter. The twins and their neighbors are out again and I take Mommy by their house at least once a week. When I get to their house if they aren't out I slow down to a crawl and stretch my zipline as far as I can towards their living room window and walk by staring into their house. Most times this gets their attention and they come out to pet me. One evening I took Mommy on a walk that led her past two of my favorite dog friends, but they weren't out, then I went to the twins' house and they saw me, but they didn't come out and I was very sad, so I insisted on walking up another neighbor's driveway to see if they were in their backyard, but they weren't and I got very very sad. I was dragging behind Mommy with my head and tail down oh so very depressed when Mommy saw that our neighbor across the street was outside in his backyard. So she called across the street to him, "Would you come out and pet Merlin? He has been trying to find someone to talk to all evening, but nobody is home." He was nice and he came out and pet me and it cheered me right up.
On another walk a woman called out to us, "Hey! That's Merlin the smiling dog!" from about four houses away and I insisted on going up for petting. She was very happy to see me and told Mommy that she had missed me this winter, but she didn't walk when it was icy. Mommy and I pretended like we knew who she was, but really we were both rather clueless, we suspect she was someone we met once or twice on our morning walks, but hey, petting is petting and I'm not turning it away.
Another sign of spring? The Tastee-Freez and Dog n Suds are open!!! I haven't gotten to go to the Dog n Suds for french fries yet, but I did get to go have a pup cup at the Tastee-Freez. Now that I know they have reopened I try to take Mommy by them at least once a week in hopes she will get me a treat.
One not fun thing happened this month. I was sleeping on Mommy's bed and I rolled over and I fell off the bed! I hit the hardwood floor WHAM!! right on my back with my feet straight up in the air. Mommy gave me sympathy but she was also laughing on and off while doing it, which wasn't nice. I ended up on doggy oxy for a few days because of that fall. That is no way to wake yourself up, let me tell you.
Hope you all have a great spring, get to visit your local Tastee-Freez or Dog n Suds or other treat place, and don't fall off the bed.
