Shopping with Mom.....arrrrgh!

Mom shoulda just stayed in bed, if you ask me. She had a cold. But NOOOOO! First, she goes and serves a tough paper. Oh yay! Then she remembers I have a gift card to Petsmart from Sarabi (Thank you, Sarabi) and thinks now would be the time to get a(and I quote) "Cute little Christmassy t-shirt". Ok...I can handle that one. Until she passes the Antler and Santa hat rack. I held my breath and then got distracted by someone's pet chicken, of all things. I'll get back to the chicken.

We're standing by the cutesy poo hat rack and I think (for the moment only) "Saved by the chicken!". But NOOOOO! "Oh LOOOOOK, Mary-Margaret. Wouldn't you like a Santa hat?". She asks me but she doesn't hear my answer. I was adamant in my "No Way!". She tries a cute little red t-shirt on me that I picked out myself. Perfect fit. I select another in green - another perfect fit. I am a size small, should you be wondering for any particular reason, maybe. THEN she says "Hold still for a sec....I want to see how THIS looks on you!".

ARRRRRGGGHHH. Even the chicken seemed surprised. There I am, looking a bit like a 7.2 pound Grinchette in my little red t-shirt and my (sigh) "over the ears with a velcro strap under the chin" Santa hat. I was mortified. I sat very still. She decided I must like it and I should wear it while we shopped. I sat still all right. But more so the silly thing wouldn't fall over my eyes and blind me. After all, what if she found another rack of goodies when I couldn't see? I suppose it could have been worse. How do you think I'd look with antlers on?

Back to the chicken. It was actually a pet hen, with red brown feathers. They don't discriminate in Petsmart, I guess. Mom talked to her owner who informed us that Frances the Chicken was one of 18 laying hens and they lived on a ranch. Frances was very tame and would Mom like to pet her? Mom backed up a couple of steps and mumbled something about allergies. Eventually she caved in and petted Frances. Very soft, she said. So now I have a friend who is related to my dinner. Guess how that makes me feel? HMMMMMMM??

OK...that guilt lasted until we got home and I smelled supper. It wasn't Frances, and that's what I care about. I don't EAT my friends.

Movie day - I watched "Over the Hedge" and "Eight Below". Between the two I liked "Eight Below" the best. Really inspirational, it was. Showed the bond between a pack and their humans. I was feeling rather tearful at the end until Mom looked at me with a wicked gleam in her eye and suggested I might be interested in being a sled dog in the Antarctic? I've got to start spending more time training her, I guess. She is getting older, you know, and you know what they say about old dogs. I imagine it applies to old humans, too.

Love and good night,

Mary-Margaret

PS - Petsmart is having pictures taken with Santa next weekend. I'm expected to wear my red t-shirt and my Santa hat. Can you hear the joy in my voice?