The Daily Parker

Politics, Weather, Photography, and the Dog

Today's Daily Parker

I'm an hour late getting in TDP, for which I'm sorry. Today was the last business day of 2006, and possibly Parker's last day in the office for a while (I'll be working downtown starting next month). Fittingly, here's Parker, doing what he does best: being a good office puppy.

The ParkerCam will return!

(Possibly tomorrow...)

Today's Daily Parker

The couch is dead. We're going to take it to the street tonight or tomorrow, because Parker has quite literally beaten the stuffing out of it. He even knows he's being bad, running away from it the moment I take a step toward him. But just seconds after I turn away, there he is again, performing dog-o-suction on the cushions:

I'm going to bet that no one takes it before the trash haulers find it. I might even bet that they will leave it behind, too.

Before there was Parker...

...there was Eliza:

I got my first camera in June 1983. Now, more than 23 years later, I'm scanning all the old slides and negatives. It's a little trippy. I keep finding things like this photo of the pet gerbil I had back then.

I've also found a whole bunch of documentary shots around Northbrook, Ill., where I grew up. I'll re-shoot some of these at some point and post some then-and-now views. Here's a preview: the LP stacks at the Northbrook Public Library. They were still about two years from their first CD player.

Today's Daily Parker

Parker is back in the office!

We had quite a full weekend. We drove down to see the in-laws in St. Louis, and for the first time on a drive of any length, Parker didn't puke. If you've never dealt with a car-sick puppy before, you can't fathom how important this is. Trust me.

While in St. Louis, Parker met my brother-in-law's dog, Biscuit. She's 18 months old (to Parker's 6), and about the same size (18 kg, 40 lbs). Plus, she's cute. I think Parker's smitten. They played for the entire weekend, and only had one minor scrap over property rights when Biscuit tried to walk off with the bully stick Parker was gnawing.

Highlights:

Today's Daily Parker

Even when he's not being bad, he still looks guilty:

Probably no Daily Parker until Tuesday. Have a wonderful holiday, and don't eat the sofa. (I mean you, Mr. "Who Me?".)

Today's Daily Parker

I know, I've been a little delinquent with TDP posts. And today I'm actually phoning it in.

First, Danielle's question, "Where is Parker?" As far as I know, Parker is at home asleep on our bed. The ParkerCam shows nothing but a chewie because that's the last image from when he was here yesterday. Despite the caption, he's not in the office today, so there isn't a new ParkerCam image. Check back tomorrow morning.

Second, the couch destruction continues apace. Here is our dear looking innocent:

And not so innocent:

It's actually painful to watch him disembowel the sofa. Nothing, not even "no-chew" liquid nor yelling at him, seems to help.

Today's Daily Parker

I have to take more photos of Parker when he's not asleep. Today, however, you get another sleeping puppy shot:

No ParkerCam today, because of a lunch meeting. He's at home waiting for the dog walker to stop by.

Today's Daily Parker

I went to take a quick snapshot of Parker in his give-me-a-belly-rub pose, when he caught sight of the camera strap. The outcome was, I suppose, predictable:

If you're interested, here's the pose in question: