The Contagious Humor of Kennel Life

A couple of weekends ago, we went to our neighbors' house to celebrate their ten year old daughter's birthday.  This is a very upright family - or upstanding, if you're not from the Northeast or coastal California.  South American immigrants with their own business, putting their children through private school, probably devout Roman Catholic or evangelical.  So when Amy was planning on getting a card for the birthday girl, I playfully offered one that I (really do) have, which shows a dog, wearing a party hat, next to a toilet, on the cover.  It reads something like the following:  "Rover thinks you should celebrate your birthday by drinking all the water in the toilet... But it's your birthday, so celebrate it however you want."

I knew you don't give it to the ten-year-old daughter of your very sober neighbors, but I hadn't realized what a chord it would strike at home:  as soon as I mentioned it, Ian's face lit up with a big smile, and a bit of laughter, as he said, "Oh, that sounds like a great one!  Can I have it?!!!"

(July, 2012)