It would be a gross understatement to say that I am excited about Thanksgiving. There is not a word in the entire English or Urban dictionary that describes the pure joy and anticipation I am feeling about my favorite holiday. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing all the family and thank goodness we can be together again this year, but what I really love is the glorious food!

I knew Thanksgiving must be getting close when about two weeks ago Doc came in the back door with a 20 pound turkey. That sucker was huge and still frozen, so she needed two hands to hoist it in the freezer. I asked her if she needed help and she gave me a strange look and told me to back away from the turkey like I was going to drag it outside, let in thaw in the sun and eat the whole thing myself. Bless her heart, she was so excited that she got that turkey for eighty four cents a pound that she bragged to everyone. Well as you know, Doc does like a good deal. Since last Friday that turkey has since been transferred to the refrigerator to thaw out. I check on it everyday to make sure it’s still there and today Doc will put it in the oven for about five hours and hopefully tonight when she carves it, she will slip me a piece to make sure it tastes good enough to serve tot he relatives. I just hope Doc doesn’t drop the turkey on the floor like she did a few years back when it was so buttered up it slipped out of her arms. If that happens you all know I will eat it anyway, after all, I do eat bunny poop like it’s a gourmet treat.

I don’t want you to think that all I care about is the food, because Doc and I have already been talking about what we are thankful for. Doc told me that there are scientific studies that prove that being grateful improves physical and mental health, enhances empathy, improves self-esteem, reduces aggression, helps you to sleep better at night and opens the door to positive relationships. So I am starting my gratitude list and when the relatives come over to eat tomorrow we can talk about the things we are most grateful for. Spending a day with people I love and eating good food will be at the top of my list.

Doc and I wish every one of you a Thanksgiving filled with many blessings!

Although I have lived with Doc for over nine years, it is often hard to predict what she is going to do next. So I was certainly surprised and rather concerned when she told me she was going to leave me for a few days to search for alligators in the Everglades of Florida. I am just a dog and even I didn’t think that sounded like a very good idea, but she assured me it would be fine and that she would call and send pictures. Believe me, I was not feeling reassured and all that I could think of was the lyrics to a song I heard long ago called Poke Salad Annie, with the line, ” Gators got your granny, chomp, chomp.”

The morning she dropped me off to stay at the veterinarian’s office, she kissed me good by on the top of the head and got in the car and drove away like she didn’t have a care in the world. Was this the last time I would ever see Doc? How could she act so cavalier when I was obviously in distress? The nice vet tech that was caring for me sensed my anxiety and told me it would be ok, that Doc would be back safe and sound before I knew it, but I still fretted.

It seemed like ages before I heard from Doc and after many sleepless nights due to a combination of worry and a howling beagle named Fred in the kennel across from me, I finally got word that Doc had sent a message and a video. The video actually showed Doc on an air boat in the Everglades and it was not reassuring . There, right next to the boat, was a huge beast of an alligator that the boat Captain called Cee Cee. The Captain started making baby gator noises to lure the alligator closer to the boat. Then he announced how alligators are carnivorous! Carnivorous, what the heck? What is Doc thinking being so close to an alligator that it could make an afternoon snack out of her? Sometimes I just don’t get humans.

A few more days passed after receiving the video and I had decided to move on with my life without Doc if I needed to. Then, late one night, I was busily following one of the techs around in the back of the office while she did her chores when they called back to say that Doc was here to pick me up. I had made up my mind to act angry if I ever saw her again because of the drama and worry she put me through. When they took me outside to her car, at first I acted like I was more interested in sniffing a leaf on the ground than seeing her, but as soon as I looked up and saw her face my tail waged uncontrollably and I hopped into the car beside her. I told her how worried I had been while she was gone. “Grover, she responded, you have to trust that I would not do anything to put myself in danger. Sometimes I just need to get away and try a new adventure. That’s what makes life interesting.” ” I understand, I responded. But next time you feel the need for a new adventure couldn’t you pick something a little tamer like visiting the largest ball of string in Missouri?” Doc just sighed and rubbed me under the chin as we headed for home.

It was quite a surprise when Doc and her friend set me up on a blind date. The first I knew of it was when the doorbell rang and this tiny little one year old ball of energy named Tilly came bounding through the front door. There was no doubt that she was cute and I admit I was smitten, but it didn’t take long for me to reevaluate the situation.

Tilly had barely gotten in the front door before she started trying to boss me around. For a tiny thing she sure was feisty. As you know, it is general etiquette that when dogs meet each other, they smell each others private parts to get information. When I approached her, she let me know that she was not allowing that. In fact she backed up, barked and growled at me. Doc said without any surprise in her voice ” What did you expect, you just met?” As Doc has taught me to respect boundaries I backed away. Frankly I was a little frightened of her attitude.

After she informed me that she was in charge, she had the nerve to roam around the house until she came upon the basket of dog toys that belong to me. She took it upon herself to start playing with my stuff without even asking permission. Next she jumped up on the furniture and when I would go over to try and reengage with her, she would jump from sofa to chair to ottoman, like some kind of show dog that performs in Las Vegas. I have never seen anything like it. Even Doc whispered to me, “That dog needs to learn some manners.” The last straw was when she found my favorite bone that I have had for years and started chewing on it. What nerve! Doc knew I had had enough and that this match was probably not going to work this day, so she diplomatically shuffled her out the door.

“Whew, that was something”, I exclaimed after she left. ” I am worn out.” As I lay beside Doc panting from all the activity, I asked her why on earth that she and her friend thought that Tilly and I would be a good match. “She’s too young for me Doc, she’s only one and I’m nine. “Well, she said, you never know, I just wanted you to have fun and meet a new friend. Grover, its always important to stay open to meeting new dogs and having new adventures, that’s what makes life interesting” she said.

After some time went by and I gave it more thought I decided to tell Doc I would like to play with Tilly again. Tilly sure made my day more interesting, and who knows, after more time she and I might find our grove and ride off into the sunset together. You just never know. I kind of like a female that takes charge.