Along for the ride:

Friday, November 6, 2009

Silence was the loud reply.

The excitement and sophistication of my life continues to inspire shock and awe, (in my own tiny mind, if nowhere else).
When I went to pick up my husband at the airport, after his recent trip to France, as well as dodging the hazards of all the ghouls and goblins who were out for Halloween, I had to gently confess that one of my foster dogs had bounced back, so to speak. Darcy has found her permanent home in Carmel, lunching with friends at The Cypress Inn, but Boomer's stay in Santa Cruz came to an abrupt end when he caught and shook the neighbor's cat. We knew he was overly interested in felines, (and not in a good way), but the prospective adopters were sure that their experienced and dog friendly cat would tame him. They were working hard to integrate the pair, although we had heard rumblings about Boomer's athletic prowess surfing over the furniture in pursuit of the small furry kitty of his dreams.
Before my spouse left he had already suspiciously asked, "If they want to bring him back, what are you going to say?" No answer was the loud reply from me. "Tell them you are going out of town" he said. Still no answer from me.
Boomer was delivered back to me last week in the middle of a dinner party I was having with friends. Luckily, Boeuf Bourguignon can stand to wait and be served only after all dog-needs are taken care of. I didn't mention his return to my traveling hubby. It would not have changed anything if I had.
A few days later, close to midnight, as we watched the lonely carousel turning at San Francisco International airport with no sign of hubby's luggage, I mentioned that there was, once again, an extra dog in the house. "I told you to tell them you were going to France with me" he said. No answer resounded this time as I was biting my tongue. There is no "I told you" that sits well with me and, by the way, I would have rather enjoyed a quick trip to Paris but I had to stay here and keep our business going! All remained unsaid, in the interest of spousal harmony. "What would you have told them if you were really in France with me?" He asked. "Then I would TRUTHFULLY have been able to tell them that" was my reply. End of discussion.

14 comments:

  1. Looks like you got a new dawg then!... :-)
    congrats, he's beautiful!
    Silence is always a good weapon, it does work!

    "i need hay and straw the ronald.."
    "yeh, how much will that cost us?"
    "....................................."

    *picks phone up and rings haystrawman..

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  2. If you're gonna have a dog, Boomer looks like he might be a good one!!! :-)

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  3. What the heck, rename the dog Boomerang and consider him yours!

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  4. Lydia's idea is not bad at all; Boomerang it is, then. Tell us how you get on. Husband will come round eventually, particularly if you keep up the friendly silence treatment. I wish I knew how to leave things unsaid. Any pointers?

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  5. We all have learned when to remain quiet at times. I decided long ago to pick my words carefully. It will be interesting to follow your blog to learn if you keep the dog.

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  6. Watercats: exactly that!
    Di: I have a lovely old dog, Diva, who puts up graciously with all of this coming and going.
    Lydia: yes, unfortunately I had thought of The Boomerang. I was trying to keep it quiet so that it did not become his destiny.
    Friko: My point being that it does not matter whether or not husband comes around. My silences are powerful as my words are oft ignored (in either language). This is not a sulky silence this is a setting aside of the need to engage in that which one cannot change. There is a certain, quirky pleasure in our power struggle of a marriage.
    TechnoBabe: Pick your words and pick your battles. I am not keeping Boomer. He will stay with me until we find the perfect, cat free, home and he will launch into his new beginning with confidence and ever-improving manners. He is a great dog. I am just a step on his path. I wish I could train my husband as easily :)

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  7. Hope Boomer finds a home so you can talk to Hubby again...*VBWG*

    Too bad about the cat obsession. Maybe if the next home had a mountain lion????? *G*

    AT least Boomer had a safe place to go after the near CATastrophe.

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  8. Frying pans speak louder than silences in our house.OUCH!

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  9. Bounced back for a little kitty chasing, life is so unfair.

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  10. I'm not even going to try to tell you what discussions over housing homeless dogs sound like to the determinedly domestic-pet-free-for-life couple that is my own French husband and I... And I heard every last word of the discussion after the bell rang announcing Boomer's return. You are a force of nature and nurture, ma chère!

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  11. Awww...Boomer wanted to come home! I'm a sucker for a homeless dog, so I know how you feel - that's how I ended up with 100 lbs of slobbering exuberance! Are you planning on rehoming him? Good luck!

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  12. Jean, Boomy is bigger than a mountain lion, I think, and maybe crazy enough to go after one. All the rescue dogs go out with a guarantee of safe return.
    Eejit, on occasion when provoked to feel like throwing something I pause and reflect upon who would get stuck cleaning up.
    St. Jude, I am happy to have a saint along for the ride. Am I a lost cause?
    Fr'amie, may the force be with you too.
    Michelle, insult to injury. I had to treat him for cat fleas today and did I forget to mention he ate my sock! Gobble gobble and it was gone. It did return later that evening, all soggy and nasty. He's part goat, I think.

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  13. Silence is golden.
    Stop by when you get a chance.

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  14. Sorry to hear it didn't work out this time for Boomer, but a beautiful dog like him will eventually find a(nother) good home. I do enjoy the your take on things!

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