Can't help it. I have one more brief post.

Our English Mastiff, Tolkien Salinger Hockanson, is like one of those people who wants to be terribly polite, but still would really like to do what he wants.

I defrosted the chicken for tonight in the microwave. After placing it on the grill, I thought he might like to take the cooked fat off the plate. I showed him the plate, and he took a tentative taste. His tail wagged ninety-to-nothing. But, then he stopped. "No, I'm done, thank you." I began to take the plate away. "Well, if no one else wants it, maybe one more taste." He cleaned the plate. He seemed to be done. "Maybe one more check." Ok, now he was eating the plate, so I took it away.

What I don't understand is with that mentality, how could he seek and devour the pizza Annie and I orderd the other night. We made the mistake of walking away for a few minutes while he was in the house. Yeah, I know. Idiot. We came back in, and the pizza was gone, but Tolkien was on his bed. The tail was waggin' hard, and there was the last piece of pepperoni and black-olive on his bed.

Should keep away from animal husbandry