About a Dog

When Hallie and I were in California the first of August to visit Kip and see how she's acclimating to her new life/apartment/job/territory, etc. we found out that she and Brandon had been investigating potential pets.

They wanted a great dane.

Nothing like starting small.

It's ok, though, because Brandon's family (The Hall's) have large pets.  His parents, Pam and Don own a St. Bernard named Huey.  He is pretty awesome.  Except that he was terrified of Hallie.

No one has bothered to tell him he is giant and could take her.  Didn't matter, she walked in, he walked out.  Pretty funny.

So, knowing Brandon wanted a big dog didn't surprise me.  Wondering how Kip was going to manage to ever babysit a dog in her apartment (No pets allowed), but knowing Brandon has a good backyard at his house, I was a bit surprised at their choice.  I was also more surprised that finding a great dane in California is a pretty expensive feat.  I threw out, "I could check in Oklahoma, there are rescues and such, and we could probably find you one pretty easy".

"I'd meet you halfway", says Brandon to me.

With those words ringing in my head, I ask a friend on facebook where she located her great dane.  24 seconds later, I was a proud grandma of a great dane.

Our friends, Matt and Jessi Sutterfield, had acquired their brother, Hunter's great dane puppy (She's a year old) and with Jessi doing other pursuits, the dog needed a new home.  (Great Danes are MAJOR people dogs).  The sweetest moment was in leaving, Payten (age 6) was overcome with remorse for her leaving (they wanted to get some chickens and it's tough with a chicken eating great dane in the vicinity) and Payten lamented as we got in the car, "I don't want chickens, I want Brielle".  Cute and sad. 

So on a handshake and a prayer, I got the dog a few days early, so we could "Bond" before we spent hours and hours in the car together.

Boy.  Was I a dummy.

Now, I consider myself a dog person.  I like dogs.  I think they are fun, and sweet and loving, but if you know me, I also believe that the dog is in the backyard, and the family is in the house.  This dog didn't get my rulebook before she came here.

For one thing, everyone involved kept reminding me that she is "Fragile".  WHAT?  She's as tall as a small horse, and poops like an elephant.  Nothing about her screams, "Fragile".  "She has to eat with her bowl elevated, and she needs a lot of interaction with her people."

She doesn't look too tough, does she??  She might lick you to death.

The fragile dog pooped in my house first thing, so she got her fragile self booted out doors.

She responded by eating her bed.

Kip had made the plan that she and Brandon would drive to one of his friend's houses south of LA, then drive the additional miles to get them to Gallup, New Mexico.

If you have ever driven from OKC to Gallup, New Mexico, I can just tell you right now, that prisoners could be sentenced to living along I-40 in New Mexico, and I'm pretty sure they would beg for mercy and ask for forgiveness and change their lives of crime to make sure they never live there.

There. is.  Nothing.

To add insult to injury Kip would send us mountains and the beautiful view she was driving by.  Hallie made this to show the vast difference of the drives we were making.

That sums up our 11 hour drive in a nutshell.

My cousin, Shannon, took pity on me and came up from Dallas and drove with me.  She helped me drive and MAN, do I love help driving.  I drove Hallie all over a 3 state area the last year in volleyball with no help driving, so MAN, I enjoyed sitting in the passenger seat getting somewhere.  Pretty crazy.  It's the little things.

We called this trip,  (Excuse me, don't get offended, people)   "Balls to the Wall, Ladies".  It was fast and furious and we stopped only for all the three of us and the big black female dog to get out and pee.  And that's it.  We ate out of a cooler, and pedal to the metal'd  it to Gallup, NM in about 11 hours.

Hallie sat in the back with Brielle.   She called it the "Big Girl's Backseat Club" and She was president and Brielle was Vice-President.

It really was quite entertaining. 

Then the new owners arrived, and she forsake us immediately.  Until she needed to go pee at 2 am, and she licked her lolly in the face and let me take her outside.

As they got ready to leave, we were standing at the door waving, and Hallie exclaimed,  "I don't want chickens, I want Brielle".  I kind of felt the same way.

She might have eaten her bed, and then her own poop, but she was a fun, sweet, sweet dog.

I may have let her watch tv with me on the bed at the hotel.

And she bonded with my friend, Kristen's dog, Sophie.  Kristen bravely invited Brielle over for a playdate her first day with me, and I think Kristen has never been so happy to see anyone in her life as she was to see me.  Sophie finally got disgusted with our 85 pound puppy and had to show her who was boss.

You can't tell it here, but Brielle has the biggest grin on her face.  She knew the ole gal had had it with her.

We weren't supposed to see Arizona, but Kip drove off without her purse, and figured it out 3 hours down the road for them, when in loading, I asked Shannon why she left her purse laying on the counter, and she told me she had her purse, and I realized in about 35 seconds, that my ridiculously responsible daughter (cough) had driven off and left her purse.  A quick phone call, and a small (cough) decision to drive toward them and meet them on the road (1 1/2 hours to split the difference), made Brandon REALLY happy (I'm sure) and gave us a chance to see some of Arizona and a little better view.  Holbrook, AZ was halfway between Flagstaff and Gallup.  It put us 3 hours behind schedule so we rolled into Norman about 9:00.  Only 20 hours in the car.  That's all. 

Exhausted and road weary.  Kip and Brandon made it to Redding about 12:30 am, so their drive was MUCH longer, but they took home the prize.  I'm not sure if Brandon thinks it, since he had a very rested puppy on his hands, first night in.  Pretty sure he rigged a dog door today.  :)

Well, that's what I did on my labor day weekend.  I might be recovered by next labor day.  For.the.love.of.granddogs.