Come Clean

Hello World, Well, you know that things are really moving along when we've gotten past the Jewish holidays already, the bloom has totally worn off the new back-to-school semester, Oktoberfest has been in full swing since September (albeit incongruously) and still going strong, and sprouting up like weeds everywhere, there are elaborate haunted houses and jack-o'-lantern blazes, well in advance of Halloween. Of course, the stores have been awash in fun-size candies for trick-or-treat since August, so that doesn't really count at this point. We had some cool crisp days here for a bit, but then it warmed up again, and there's no hiding the culprits this time, I'm afraid. For one, Bill took the air conditioners out of the upstairs windows, and in addition, out of concern for overnight frost, I pulled in my potted mini rosebush from outdoors and hung it up on the porch next to the bedroom. All I need to do now is break out my birdbath heater, in order to usher in a global heat wave that would rival the stifling volcanic period of the planet's prehistoric era, when the dinosaurs and I roamed the vast unformed land masses in the primordial ooze, and I ought to know. In local news, I was at church last week to meet the fire extinguisher guy, and when I opened the door, I couldn't help but notice that the alarm was not set when I got inside. Now, I don't mind saying that we are very security conscious at church, so I was naturally somewhat, well, alarmed at this turn of events. So I hurried downstairs to see if anyone else was in the building at the time, and found the minister's wife up on a ladder cleaning out cabinets in the fellowship hall, and listening to a CD of Christmas carols, of all things while she was at it. I don't know which of us jumped higher, although in fairness, she had a 6-foot advantage over me because of the ladder. But honestly, Christmas carols and not even the middle of October yet, I consider that just way too much for my tastes, and that's not just Ebenezer Scrooge talking, Bob Cratchit. It may be October, but it's not too early to start thinking about Lessons & Carols, the annual holiday event we have each year at church in the beginning of December, featuring Christmas carols, favorite hymns of the season, and Bible readings that recount the Nativity Story right from the start. Every year, I try to add in one special duet with myself and another person, just to inject some variety into it, since much of the program, by necessity, is pretty much the same from year to year. This time around, I decided to take my chances with the pastor of the Anglican Church that uses our building to worship on Sunday afternoons, and in spite of a somewhat challenging language barrier between us, I believed that he very graciously agreed to my request. I honestly thought that we would team up on a well-known piece for the occasion (such as "O Holy Night," for example) or that he would just ask me to pick something appropriate, and he would go along with it. Instead, and I don't mind saying much to my surprise, he pulled out all the stops and actually wrote a special piece of music for us to sing together, words and music, and certainly not at all what I envisioned when the idea first came to me, that's for sure. This came to light when he brought me a legal pad with lyrics scrawled on it, and asked me to type them up so we could rehearse them, and then sang the tune to me a cappella so I could learn it and sing along. We didn't have much time to practice, so I used the computer in the church office to type up the lyrics as fast as I could, and using a program that I'm not very familiar with, but trying my best. Of course, everyone knows that the Savior of a fallen humanity is known by many names, but I think we were both understandably taken aback when we got to the line where He was referred to in my version as "Emmanuel, Redeemer of the World, Prince of Peach," rather than the more commonly recognized (and with good reason!) "Prince of Peace" as it should have been. Now it goes without saying that I like a good joke as much as the next fellow, but let's face it, Christmas music is no place for citrus fruits, and that's not just the partridge in a pear tree talking, believe me. Also on the local scene, last week I was feeling a little bit down in the dumps, so Bill thought it would cheer me up if we took the Aveo to the nearby car wash to have it cleaned and detailed by the friendly and courteous crew there. I jumped on board this idea like a shot, because much of the car was still full of leaves, twigs, bark, and sand from being on vacation in the woods for a week, and desperately in need of a good sprucing up. The competent staff tore into the vehicle like a herd of busy beavers, and there's even a machine that washes the floor mats separately, so nothing is overlooked. When it came out at the end, it was shiny like a sparkly ruby ring, and the windows were so clean that they were just about invisible to the naked eye - and except for the printing where it says SAFEGARD, you would be forgiven for believing that the windows were wide open. Once I got inside, I found the hard surfaces were so slippery that I had to wear textured garden gloves just to get a grip on the steering wheel, and when I tossed the keys onto the dashboard, they slid completely across to the opposite side of the car, and dropped unceremoniously onto the floor, thanks not. It also came home sporting a vast array of aromas from the many different exterior and interior cleaning products, and I can assure you, not a twig or grain of sand anywhere in sight. The car looked like a million bucks, and I felt like a fairy princess out in an enchanted carriage, so I guess you could say that it was a perfect pick-me-up for both of us. Of course, this means that now if anyone wants to get in my car, first they have to wear white gloves and take their shoes off, and that goes double for Prince Charming. Alert readers may remember that last week, one of our topics was Melt Mobile, the grilled cheese food truck, and another was the WiFi treat dispenser for your precious pooch. A normal person might think that there would be no opportunity for intermingling of these subjects, and feel secure in the rectitude of that belief, because after all, the alternative would be nothing short of mind-boggling. Not so fast! (And need I mention, "This Is Why The Terrorists Hate Us?") Once again we have social media to thank for bringing this to our attention: ===================================================== A FOOD TRUCK FOR FIDO Washington Has Its First Food Truck For Dogs The popularity of food trucks in the United States has exploded recently, and in almost every major city there are a few that specialize in a particular style or flavor profile. This is great because it gives people options to eat foods that they may not have before. This is good for humans, but what about dogs? Is there a food truck for them somewhere? In Washington, the answer is YES! The Seattle Barkery [ya gotta love it!] is a new mobile café for dogs. Everything they make and serve is aimed towards giving dogs a similar freedom of choice like we as humans have. Seattle has more dogs than kids, so this food truck fits in with the lifestyle and vibe of the city. The truck is run by co-creators Ben and Dawn Ford. According to Dawn, “There were a lot of recalls on dog treats, grocery store brands especially, and I didn’t feel safe not knowing what treats I could use. I started making my own treats and the dogs started loving them.” Popular offerings include dried chicken bites, "pupcakes" with bacon, mini cheesy doughnuts, pumpkin pretzels, and peanut butter-banana cookies. The concept is new and rare enough that dog-less people occasionally misunderstand and purchase a treat. "They end up ordering something, and they seem weirded out by it," Ford said. Some people just don’t get the idea of the food truck being geared towards dogs. They find that people will order something from the menu, thinking that it’s meant for human consumption. It’s not that they don’t have food and such to offer the humans as well, but a beefy carrot bagel is intended for your dog. It’s either that, or they get mistaken for a hot dog truck. They use many forms of social media, where you can click to be taken to a schedule. You can even meet their rescue dog Sherman, who is often traveling from place to place with them. The Fords also put out a tip jar, but want people to understand that the tips don’t go to the humans working the truck. They actually donate the tips to the Old Dog Haven, which takes care of senior dogs. Think of it like a retirement center for dogs. [Garcon, more pupcakes, if you please!] ======================================================== So there you have it, food fans, a modern-day success story with a happy ending for dogs and their people on the go. They say they're expanding their menu to include treats for cats, and I'd love to hit the road and chase after them, but I'm still trying to find my car keys on the floor of the Chevy. Elle