Ever been so embarrassed by your child's behavior that you are, literally, speechless? Today was my turn. Granted, my 'kid' has four paws. I figured I was exempt from this level of, let's call it, bemused horror. Not. Even. Close.  In less than 60 seconds, I was alternately horrified and deeply amused by Harvey the Wonder Dog's actions.

So there I am at the dining room table, searching for a new job, career, the usual. (At least, lately.)  Suddenly, the hair stands up on Harvey's neck, his gigantic yellow Labrador retriever head shoots up, he leaps to his paws and bolts through the front door. For no apparent reason. So I scramble after him. In my pajamas. In bare feet. He seems to know exactly where he's going. Two doors down. To the house with the new family. They just moved in. The movers have just left. The front door is ajar. And so it begins.

Harvey blasts through the front door. I'm three steps behind him. Not close enough to stop him but close enough to see  him tackle the little boy, cover him with kisses, lick the two little girls, and tear down the hall. To the kitchen. Uh-oh...

At this point, the kid's grandparents, brooms in hand, appear in the hallway. The area is now littered with giggling children. A loud crash is heard in the kitchen. A woman laughs. (No, not me.)  The mom. The owner of the house. My....new....neighbor. The kids scramble into the kitchen and start squealing, " He ate the eggs, he ate the eggs!" Turns out the loud clatter was Harvey the Wonder Dog poaching the skillet off of the stove and crash-landing it onto the kitchen floor. As I round the corner, he's on his stomach. licking the pan lovingly. And I am absolutely horrified. Dumbstruck. I have no words. Except to finally blurt out, " I am SO, SO sorry!"

Nobody was hurt. Everybody laughed. And finally, my writer's block is gone. It's been nearly two years since my last blog entry, made just days before my mother died. Today is the first day that I've been able to really write. Thank you sweet, silly dog. Thank you, new neighbor. It's all going to be...okay.