The Daily Parker

Politics, Weather, Photography, and the Dog

Today's Daily Parker

It's amazing what dogs will eat. Parker (whose food ration just got increased today) consumes just about anything vaguely food-like, including sticks (high in fiber), rugs (made of fiber), and, apparently, yogurt:

Yesterday he also got an onion off the counter and started peeling it before I could get to him.

He won't eat figs, however. He barks at them. We don't know why.

Today's Daily Parker

Another photo of Parker at one of his favorite places in the world. We stopped by the dog park Saturday afternoon, but we arrived after everyone else had left. He may have missed his buddies, but he also seemed to have a good time:

Still growing

Lisa might have a point about those paws. We've had him almost two months, and in that time Parker has grown 71%, from 7.7 kg (17 lbs) on September 1st to 13.2 kg (29 lbs) yesterday. Even since the last Puppy Pounds update, he's grown 20%:

Being a brat

After enduring Parker chomping on my office rug for half an hour, I finally took him for a walk. First, he hates the Halti, so instead of doing his business on the grass he tries to get the Halti off:

Oh it looks cute, but when you know he has something better to do on the grass, it's kind of frustrating.

Then there was the stop at Whole Foods. I was inside for—no kidding—four minutes. I heard him crying all the way over at the checkout counter. Then, when I put my food out of his reach so I could un-clip him from the fence, I ran into a difficulty:

He had to climb up a 50 cm (20-inch) wall and then get over the fence, all for a green salad.

And yes, I probably should have gotten him out of the flower bed immediately instead of taking a picture, but come on. Even when he's a brat he's criminally adorable.

Today's Daily Parker

I love Parker's play group. So does Parker. Here's our dude and his friend Goldie:

Erin, a miniature pinscher:

Erin's brother, Jester:

I completely forgot this guy's name:

And of course, Parker's mom:

Bridge to nowhere

The CTA is replacing a 102-year-old viaduct in Evanston this weekend. I think the process is kind of cool. They started Friday evening and they'll finish Monday early in the morning, in time for the Purple Line to take people to work. I suppose it helps that they have an extra hour to work tonight.

This is the result of their first 15 hours or work:

And here's the "before" picture (from mid-August):

I always get a little nervous when the bridge is held up by chicken-wire.