Arthur

One random Monday in Febuary Bucky, my upstairs neighbor bandmate and friend, knocks on my door and asks me if I was busy today... I not usually busy I spend most of my days watching car shows and Mythbusters or playing guitar with WAY too much reverb on. So he says, " I know you're not much of a dog person but would you mind watching Sugar (his dog) for a few hours?" I've never owned or taken care of a dog, most of my life I've been horribly scared of dogs in fact, but I felt like Bucky was reaching out to me, that he really needed me to do this solid, so I said sure. Sugar came down and we spent the day together. It had turned out, Bucky's other dog was passing and they were taking her to be put down, this is where the tears can start. I spent the day doing my thing, walking into my kitchen to do the dishes, talking to myself, playing guitar, watching tv, but I wasn't alone. I wasn't talking to myself for once, I'm not as crazy as you'd like to think. Anyways by the end of the day, I liked having a dog around, I actually knocked on Bucky's door the next day and asked if he wanted me to watch Sugar, he said it was gonna be home all day but he said thanks.

That night I told Vani I thought I may want a dog. Vani has always wanted a dog, though wanted to wait until she had a yard for it to run around in. Well if I was in, she was in. We immediately started scouring the internet for a great shelter dog that would make us both happy. We looked at picture after picture, emailing each other every hour or so from work the latest find from the far reaching corners of the world wide web, then on a Thursday, a new dog. At the BARC Shelter we found Arthur.

A purebred sheltie (think of a small collie, but more awesome) that had been found wandering the streets of Bushwick in Brooklyn, his top front teeth had been broken off, they think he may have been kicked or something. Vani went and saw him the next day and immediately filled out papers to adopt him. As part of BARC's policy, I also had to meet him before we could take him home. So the next morning, before going to work, we went and met Arthur. I sat down on the sidewalk and put him in my lap. I had a dog.


Vani took this picture that morning. She hates when I say it, but I really think he's my dog. As I spend most of my time at home Arthur give me a reason to wake up in the morning. He gives me a reason to go outside. He makes me feel more responsible. Maybe he's not my dog, he just my friend. He gets me going, you know. He makes me happy when I come home late and he quietly jumps up on me while Vani is fast asleep. I like having a dog. This last year of my life has been so strange. I've changed in so many ways. I recently took Arthur home to Virginia to meet my parents and brother. They could hardly believe I had a dog. Me, scared for so many years, holding a dog in my lap. I try to train him, but he doesn't listen. I try to carry him, but he hates it. I try to let him swin at the park, but he's scared. I guess I'll just let him do what he wants to do. He lets me do what I want. It's only fair.