Heel the Love
A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes.
A water
log stick will do just fine.
A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor,
clever or dull, smart or dumb.
Give him your heart and he'll give you
his.
How many people can you say that about?
How many people can make
you feel rare and pure and special?
How many people can make you feel
extraordinary?
~John Grogan
You know how we're always saying what a pain you are, you're the world's
worst dog,
don't believe it, don't believe it for one minute,
because
you know, we couldn't find a better dog.
I love you, more than anything,
you're a great dog.
I love you.
~John Grogan, to Marley
Woke up to a kiss from Marley. Went for a walk that turned into a run.
Took an airboat ride.
Wrote a column about the death of the ever glades.
Planted an orange tree in the backyard.
Threw sticks for Marley in the
park.
Watched him swim in the bay. Watched him steal some guys Frisbee.
Bought a new Frisbee for the guy.
Gave Marley a bath.
Went to work with
writers block. Hoping for inspiration strike. Nada.
Got a new shirt. Got
a new keyboard. Got the same old paycheck.
Went wind surfing with
Sebastian.
Met his new girlfriend Sasha. Met his other new girlfriend
Angie.
Watched models posing in the surf. Wrote a column about the
growth of south beach.
Interviewed Gloria and Emilio Estefan at the
Cardoso hotel.
Introduced them to Jenny who gushed like a teenager.
Went
shopping at the mall. Bought a Sharper Image pillow. Slept like a baby.
Caught Marley eating the pillow. Hide the evidence from Jen.
Cleaned
Marley's vomit in the kitchen.
Helped Jenny make dinner. Over cooked the
Spaghetti. Got into a food fight.
Proof-read Jenny's column. Read
Sebastian last opus.
Went running with Marley to burn off frustration.
Didn't see him chew through the leech. Chased him 15 blocks.
Called
Jenny for a ride.
Wrote a column about gas prices. Wrote a column about
water prices.
Found one tiny orange on our tree. Jenny very pleased with
herself.
Found my first gray hair. Found Jenny's first gray hair.
Bought Jenny flowers.
Rescued our new mail man from Marley. Rescued the
UPS guy from Marley.
Invited my parents to visit.
Took them out to
dinner at a cool place on south beach.
Got into a fight with Dad over
the check. Got into a fight with Dad about money.
Got into a fight with
Jenny about all the fighting.
Drove my parents to the airport.
Listen to
them complain about not having grandchildren.
Tracked a hurricane
heading for south Florida.
Hid in the bathroom from the hurricane. Sat
in the dark for 3 days.
Wrote a column about looters. Wrote a column
about volunteers.
Wrote a column about the beauty of air conditioning.
Watched Marley dig for buried treasure.
Spent Christmas with Jens sister
with her family in Orlando.
Left Marley at their house to go to Disney
world. Had to buy them new baby furniture.
Saw Jen light up around the
little girls.
Got a flat riding home.
Wrote a column about state
troopers. Wrote a column about toll booths.
Went to dinner to celebrate
Jenny's raise.
Tied Marley to a table. Chased Marley and the table.
Caught the table.
Wrote a column about Marley pulling the table.
Tried
to write a column about anything but Marley. Nada.
Picked Oranges from
our tree. Made Orange Juice.
Drove down to Miami for Bark-in-the-Park
night at the Marlins game.
Turned out Marley was a real baseball fan.
Tried to stop him from chasing a foul ball in the stands.
Tried to stop
him from chasing a foul ball in the field.
Wrote a column about the ball
game.
Took crap from Sebastian about it.
Met his new girlfriend, can't
remember her name.
Went snorkeling with them. Cut my leg on a piece of
coral.
Went to the emergency room.
Wrote a column about hospitals.
Went
to a Easter egg hunt at Jenny's boss's house in Boca. Drank mimosas.
Met
a doctor that does 3 lipo suctions a day.
Wrote a column about nannies
in Boca. Wrote a column about the women in Boca.
Wrote a column about
writing columns.
Came home to find Jenny dancing with Marley.
Trying to
think of reasons not to have a baby now. Nada.
~John Grogan
There were 11 thunderstorms while you were gone, 11!
You were right, he
doesn't like them and just so...
You know, I am a dog person but that is not
a dog,
that is evil with a dog face that humps my leg and is peeing on
your carpet.
~Debby
Jennifer: You're part of the plan.
John: Oh yeah?
Jennifer: My plan... Step 1, meet an incredibly sweet, smart, sexy man.
John: Done. Step 2?
Jennifer: Marry you instead.
Arnie Klein: There's gonna come a time very soon,
when her ankles are gonna swell up,
she's gonna have blotches all over her face,
she'll be forty pounds
overweight, she'll be throwing up all the time,
she's gonna look at you
and she'll say "You bastard! You did this to me!"
John: What happened to the glow, you know the...
Arnie Klein: There's no glow.
Coleen: I made a picture of me and Marley, Mommy wrote what I said.
Dear Marley
I'll never forget you forever and there's kisses and hugs.
John: That's pretty, why don't you put it there [on the blanket covering Marley]
Connor: Dear Marley, I love you more than anything in the whole world.
I hope you
like heaven and have lots of things to chew on.
Your brother, Connor
Richard Grogan.
John: That's a good one.
Jennifer: Patrick do you want to say something?
Patrick: No.
Jennifer: I want to give him something,
[takes off her necklace, to John] your Dad gave me this to celebrate the beginning of our family, but our family had already begun.
[to Marley] Goodbye clearance dog.
*****