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Thursday, May. 29, 2003-4:25 p.m.

"Water water everywhere..."

Axel Speaks ...

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness... this is going to have to be a VERY long entry, because I had a VERY long adventure today! (that, and Dad hasn't been sitting down to do my diary for me here lately, so I'm gunna MAKE him do it today while he's too tired to escape!)

It all started when Dad decided we should go to a place called a "food bank". I want you to know that I was excited about this thing from the very beginning. When we go to the 'bank', people give me cookies, and Dad gets green stuff that he later occasionally uses to buy food- ...but a FOOD bank... now that just conjured up all sorts of images for me, i'll have you know. I had quite the bounce in MY step! I dunno why Dad was so bothered by it all. hrmf, humans!)

It turns out this "food bank" is JUST far enough away that Dad didn't know if he would be able to walk there or not. We didn't used to have a car (that's for another entry though!) and although we do now, Dad won't let us drive it till something called the "breaks" are fixed... how can you FIX something whose job is to BREAK? I don't get it. ....so Dad gets this big idea to walk, right? I see him get out my backpacks, so I know.... i'm gunna be a pack mule for food again! (don't let me fool you, I don't mind...)

We walked and walked and walked... Dad complained about being tired and hungry, and it was so HOT... we sweated!! (well, he sweated, and I panted. it's a dog thing.) I finally grabbed Dad by the sleeve, and pulled him twords a Wendy's burger place. He whined about not having the money, but he went in anyway. (I like burger places... Dad can always buy stuff there, cause it's cheap. It's probably horrible for our health, but... i'm a dog. I don't HAVE to have yearly cholesterol tests.... heh heh heh!)

I weas very good, even though the restraunt was PACKED! We felt like sardines!! Dad got a little burger, some fries, and two glasses of water! I got a drink of water first, and then I laid under the table nicely while he ate... I know the routine! I can't eat or drink in a restraunt while I am under the table- but once Dad is done... woo hoo! I get my reward!! NUMMY. He saved me most of the small fries, and part of his burger... and of course, one of the cups of water was all for me, with ice and EVERYTHING- and I LOVE ice! *crunch*

Dad got up, and I came out and stood by him, and then some lady who worked there came over. I think she said "let me get that for you" or something- but that's when everything BAD happened. :( I was so embarassed...

I was just standing there, right where I should be, and this lady grabbed Dad's tray- she tried to pull it away, but Dad;s hands are very shaky when he is getting dehydrated like that, so his grip was not the best. She started this little tug of war with him- he was saying, "no, let me get this off the tray first" and trying to grab my water and fries off it- and she was saying, "No, i'll get it..." and trying to yank the tray and everything ON it away!! ....now, I was a GOOD BOY... because there was a day I would have paniced, when a stranger tried to steal food from me... er us. right. us. ...but today, I just STARED... I was really very confused. Dad was getting flustered, trying to tell her the fries were for me, and he had a bowl in his other hand for me to put the water in-- and she kept saying something about throwing it away for us... and then she JERKED the tray away, and EVERYTHING Dad was holding went EVERYWHERE!!

I laid down, and tried not to groan. I really did.... then I noticed that when the tray and everything fell, so did my FRIES!!! (AUGH!!!!!!!) ...I kept looking frantically at the fries on the carpet and at Dad- that's dog for "PLEASE! I NEED THOSE!! GIMMIEGIMMIEGIMMIE!" and the lady said something like, "that's okay, i'll clean it up," like it was no big deal, and Dad said, "those are for him..." and I POUNCED! I was actually quite polite, picking them up one at a time (I wanted to INHALE them.... but. usually I don't get my food INSIDE the restraunt!!) ...and Dad was trying to finish his sentance about how I am not allowed to eat inside... and she kept handing me MORE fries off the table or tray or something!!! Dad was turning bright red. :/

He grabbed his water off the table, which was still half full, and took the cup and me outside. I was an angel, because when he said, "lets go. outside." I went- even though half of my reward fries were still on the carpet inside. (I was sad... but I didn't even look back- it was WORKIN' time again!) ...while Dad calmed down a little, he poured his water into my folding bowl, and I got to drink my fill and eat as much of the ice as I wanted! nummynummynummy!

You'd think that would be enough excitement for a day, wouldn't you? But you know, it just got even more challenging!

We got to the food bank, and I was a good boy there too- Dad was very flustered and I could tell he couldn't handle being there very well, so while they 'processed' him (I was relieved to find out this meant paperwork... cause I know what 'processed meat' is... and....) -but I would stand up from time to time, to lay my head in his lap for a snuggle, before I laid down again- you know... just in case he forgot *I* still loved him!! ...they gave him some grocheries, and he put some of them in my backpacks, and put my packs on ME! I always have mixed feelings about this... I LOVE my packs... but sometimes, my packs are heavy. I do NOT love this. ugh.

We left then, and Dad got some more water and a cola on thew way home... then while we were trudging along in the heat, we both started to get TOO tired... I didn't notice how HOT the pavement gets, or how hard it is to walk uphill, compared to downhill... or how much hotter it is in the day, as the hours drag on... so pretty soon, we were both looking pretty poorly.

I know Dad felt REALLY bad, so a couple times I stopped him at bus-stops, to lay down and make him sit down. He got upset at that somehow, though. He didn't mind sitting, but when a Bus came and I tried to get on it, he got red-faced and embarassed again. (I guess he spent bus money on our lunch and the cola.... now we HAD to walk home!!) He would make me get up and go again... and whenever I got TOO tired, I would lead him to a bench, or a store, or just a big stair by the sidewalk... and I would flop down, looking like a resting pack animal. (wait... I WAS a resting pack animal! HEY!!)

It just kept getting hotter, and we kept getting tireder... and Dad started looking kind of sick- we barely made it home I think, before BOTH of us were sick!!!

When we got home and Dad put away the food, he suggested we do a VERY strange thing: He wanted to go "down to the pool" ...and I didn't now what he meant. Dad has never done that, since he brought me home. (Ed. Note: this is because up untill a couple weeks ago, 'Dad' had many of his insides on his OUTSIDE, and couldn't wear shorts/tshirts at all, much less the very thought of a public bathing or swimming spot... not gunna happen!) I know how to handle things like that, of course... but I was still pretty weirded out, when he put on those silly shorts and his oversized 'i don't wanna get a sunburn' tshirt... (tho today it was more of a 'i don't want a WORSE sunburn' kind of shirt...) and he grabbed some towels and such, and we walked over to the office- I was bouncing, thinking we were getting a cola from the machine or saying hi to the landlord... but nooooooo.

Dad took me into a little room, and there was a BIG hole in the ground... I wasn't too sure about that. I mean... a hole? with blue plastic on it? (Dad called that a 'cover', but it looked like bright blue packing stuff to ME! hrmf.) ...then he made me lay down by by waterdish (cause we were both still hot!) and he turned on a big button... and the water started churning a little. Dad got INTO this smelly water with bubbles... and a couple minutes later (while he was shamelessly rolling his eyes back into his hed, making me wonder what was SO nice about that waterhole) it started to BOIL!!! I stood up and LOOKED! (hey! I didn't want a COOKED Dad!! At home, when water boils, Dad COOKS....) As soon as I realized it was just bubbles, and not THAT hot, I laid back down again for a nap, keeping an eye on Dad untill he climbed out again.

If this wasn't wierd enough- you know that big blue water-pond thing by the cola machines... Dad tied my leash to the fence there and then set his things down... and he got INTO that!!! EWWwwww... that water doesn't even smell like flowers, it smells like TAP water! (Ed. Note: okay, so sue me, I live in a big city that over-chlorinates it's water, so the dog drinks filtered water like us... honest, I don't spoil him! chlorine is yucky in drinking water...) Dad was floating and kind of... uh. I don't know WHAT you want to call it!! I was pretty calm with the whole thing, (even when some residents wanted to talk to me through the fence from the other side) ....but when Dad dove under the water, I had to stand up and watch him... you never know. he could drown... I'm pretty sure he doesn't have GILLS, you know...

I guessed everything was OK when he climbed out of THAT water, and I figured he was out of water things to get into... I was wrong, tho. They have a shower in there. Dad said it wasn't MY shower, so I couldn't get in... that was a total dissapointment. I wouldn't have wanted those water-pond things (especially not ones that smelled like boiling flowers or bleach-tap water!) but... I LIKE showers!!

When we came out, I hung my head like he'd beat me with a stick- I think the maintenance man stared... I don't know what he was thinking about that, but Dad laughed AND slapped his forehead, and kind of scolded me for it- so I got silly instead, and we went on home... We even had a popcicle when we got there, too! I love popcicles... MMmm. nummy.

Well those were the highlights of MY Day.... I hope yours was at least half as exciting and interesting. I think Dad is asleep, even though his fingers are still typing... so I better let him post this. I'll see everyone soon!

Axel