Murphy sez: I’m free! Of the office, I mean. J and B said Mica & me did so well over the weekend at getting along that I could try staying out with him on Monday, as long as I still wore my cone. J kept the front blind closed so Mica couldn’t bark and get all worked up about stuff outside like he tends to, but we mostly just slept all morning. So she let us stay out in the afternoon too, and since there were no injuries and we didn’t look “stressed” (whatever that means), that was that. No more tiny office during the day. I do still have to wear my legging though – J’s worried that the cone bumps it too much during the day, and makes it more tender. She’s gonna make me some spongy leggings with yarn that have bigger holes for air, but will stop the cone from bumping my sore. Whatever – I don’t mind. I’m used to the legging, so I don’t even notice.

Mica sez: I wish that leg of yours would hurry up and heal. I wanna play, but J says we can’t, ’cause I always go for the legs first when I play fight. She’s not sure we should wrestle anyways on account of the size difference, but I think it would be good…bonding. Like football.

Murphy sez: You know I could take ya, Mica. Anyways, my leg seems to be healing a lot faster, because it’s itching way more than it was. J put some yellow stuff on it – that ter-mer-ik paste we get with our meals, and I really wanted to just eat it, so I kept licking at the legging. Why waste good food on skin?! But she said it looked lots better the day after, and maybe she’ll do it again this weekend. She’s gotta find something to stop the itching first though. Or just fix the spray thingy on the liquid bandaid that seems to work for that.

Mica sez: Oils and bandaids and pastes and socks…you’re kind of a high-maintenance dog, Murph, and you always smell sort of girly with that lavender stuff. If I didn’t know you, I’d think you were a pansy. But the way you chased the squirrel up the wood pile yesterday…that was gnarly, dude. I thought J was gonna have a heart attack when she had to climb up after you in her work clothes. It’s a pretty good trick to climb a wood pile in those clicky heeled shoes.

Murphy sez: That squirrel should have been second breakfast, dang it. I almost had him, too. And then I was trying to decide whether to go up the neighbor’s tree beside the fence after him, or team up with that big guy in the next yard when J grabbed my tail to stop me and made me get down. I don’t know what the big deal was. I think I heard “treat” before she grabbed me, but a squirrel is worth like 50 treats, right? She sure was anxious about me going over the fence though. Said I wouldn’t have survived the 10-12 foot drop on the other side with my legs like they are, and that I should never, ever scare her like that again. Pshaw. I’m rubber-ball-bouncy. I could do it.

She also said I’m not a cat, so no climbing trees. Of course I’m not a cat – cats are for eating. Why would I want to be a cat? Silly J. I never actually promised her I wouldn’t go up there again, so she piled a bunch of slippery stuff all around the wood so it’s harder to find a foothold. I’m a good boy – I’ll stay down. You know. Unless there’s another squirrel. Or a cat. Or maybe one of those fat black birds with the red chests…

Mica sez: You might not be bouncy enough for that particular drop, Tigger – especially considering the way you’re gimping around today. And then there’s the mastiff on the other side – I don’t know if he’s too friendly. But I’m impressed you remembered that lecture, considering J had to tell you to get out of the garden like ten times in the last week. I know you’re just trying to help weed by eating the grass, but she doesn’t appreciate stuff like that. Maybe we’ll try helping her and B dig out the perimeter of the yard next week. They did say something about digging up all the dirt before they get new grass…

Murphy sez: You mean like when you buried both of the bones she gave us last weekend, and then let her find mine, but kept yours hidden? That wasn’t cool, man. She tossed mine out because you didn’t have yours. I can’t believe you dug it up two days later for a midnight snack! But it was pretty funny when she threw it out because it was raw and you left it buried for two days. You should have seen your face!

Mica sez: Hey Murph – how many times did J have to tell you “No lickies!” today?

Murphy sez: Bite me, dude. Woof!

---

Tune in next week for more Murphy & Mica! Or subscribe to get us in your inbox – use the subscription link in the right sidebar and pick “Gone to the Dogs”.