off the leash

In New York, almost every city park has a dog run - a fenced-off area where dogs can play off-leash. They're small, but they're very welcome, since for most urban dogs, it's the only opportunity for an unconstrained romp.

In the Toronto area, rather than dog runs within parks, whole parks are designated as leash-free zones. We just learned there's one in our area, and yesterday we took Cody there.

Going to the park is not quite the momentous occasion it used to be, since now Cody has her very own backyard, and can romp daily. (Yay!) On the other hand, she doesn't have a buddy to play with anymore, and it's great for her to socialize with other dogs.

The nearby leash-free park is huge, at least by our city dog-run standards. Dozens of dogs and their people can congregate in different areas and it would never seem crowded. It's securely fenced, with three separate parking areas. We were impressed.

In a park, Cody is shy, and easily intimidated by other dogs. She'll play a little, but mostly she watches the other dogs play, and toodles around on her own. Yet she seems to love it in her own way.

The only dog Cody ever played with with complete joy and abandon was Buster. And Buster, who couldn't come within 50 feet of any other dog, because he would have ripped them to shreds (and I'm not exaggerating), was always so sweet and gentle with Cody. She'd bark in Buster's face, bat at him with her paw, bite his ankles - anything to get him to play with her. And he indulged Cody as if she were a puppy, letting her do whatever she wanted, until he finally gave in and chased her around.

I hope Cody misses B less than I do.

* * * *

A writer's life is full of rejection, and that's something living in Canada can't change. A while back, I mentioned that Allan had submitted a book proposal, hoping to write a book in a music series. Allan doesn't often get interested and motivated enough to write a formal proposal. This was something he really, really wanted.

Yesterday he got the bad news. To make it that much more painful, the publisher is doing a book on the subject - but they chose another writer to do it. Bah.

Comments

  1. Wrye27 January 2006 at 06:11

    F- wait, is there a wmtc position on swearing for comedic purposes?

    ReplyDelete
  2. laura k27 January 2006 at 06:29

    There are no language restrictions on wmtc. Creative swearing is encouraged.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wrye27 January 2006 at 07:10

    Ah, well then, I think I speak for everybody when I say,

    Fuck Other Writer. Fuck him or her in the ass. Fuckin' Other Writer, probably fucking Publisher anyways. Yeah, and fuck Publisher too. You hear that, Publisher? Think you're sooo smart with your publishing, publishing this and publishing that, "oh mercy me, I'm Publisher, I know what books to publish and what not to publish" Fuck you. In the ass. Your big fat publisher ass. Yeah, that's right, I said it. Your ass is big. It's a big ass. From sitting. Sitting and publishing. "Oh deary deary, I'm Publisher and I sit around all day publishing other writer because I know about publishing and have a big ass." Well fuck you, fuck your big ass, and fuck other writer, too. Fuck your publishing, and your writng, and your books. Fuck 'em. FUCK 'EM. That's FUCK, with an "F", that stands for "Fuck".

    Fuckers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. sharonapple8827 January 2006 at 07:28

    Yesterday he got the bad news. To make it that much more painful, the publisher is doing a book on the subject - but they chose another writer to do it. Bah.

    I'll second that bah. One thing that is heartening is that the fact that they picked up a similar proposal shows that Allan and the publisher might be on the samewavelength. Or that another publisher might be interested in the book. Don't throw it out just yet.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Marnie27 January 2006 at 08:18

    Oh dear, if I weren't laughing so hard I'd second everything Wrye wrote. Sharonapple too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. allan27 January 2006 at 08:40

    Infuckingdeed.

    ReplyDelete
  7. allan27 January 2006 at 08:45

    Thanks also!

    (If they changed their mind, they would of course be the smartest publishers on the fucking planet. As it stands, though, they can go eat a bowl of dicks.)

    ReplyDelete
  8. noone28 January 2006 at 20:42

    LOL Great comments! I wish I was as talented with the f-word.

    Seriously, it seems wrong that they can take his idea and run with it without compensating him. Is that really how publishing works? That's terrible.

    As for Cody, I'm glad she can enjoy more space but my heart broke reading how she misses Buster. Again, to Cody and her human parents, I'm so sorry Buster is gone.

    ReplyDelete
  9. laura k28 January 2006 at 23:47

    Seriously, it seems wrong that they can take his idea and run with it without compensating him. Is that really how publishing works? That's terrible.

    It can be how publishing works, but in this case, that's not what happened. The other writer submitted a proposal on the same topic.

    As for Cody, I'm glad she can enjoy more space but my heart broke reading how she misses Buster. Again, to Cody and her human parents, I'm so sorry Buster is gone.

    Thank you, Carrie. Cody's doing really well, but her mom here misses her B like crazy.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Crabbi30 January 2006 at 22:59

    Thanks for the link, L! That is totally fucking cool of you.

    Well fuck you, fuck your big ass, and fuck other writer, too.

    I'll drink to that. Fuck your motherfucking pimpled, dimpled ass, you fuckerface asshole.

    That's all for now. I'm pretty fucking tired and I've run the fuck out of steam, but I'll be back to fighting fucking form tofuckingmorrow. In fact, you all have inspired me. It's time for another fucking post on/laced with profuckingfanity. Fucking A!

    PS Fuck that publisher. Ignorant fuck. Fuck him or her in the mothefucking ear. Both fucking ears. At the same fucking time.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous1 February 2006 at 09:55

    God I love this post! So many of my favorite words ... used so fucking well!!!

    PS Fuck those motherfucking fuckers right in the fucking ear.

    (Had to do my part.)

    ;-)
    G

    ReplyDelete
  12. laura k1 February 2006 at 16:18

    G, I totally thought of you. Fucking A right, I did. ;-)

    ReplyDelete

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