Walk, Don't Run

Unless you're being chased

Most days, between 2ish and 3ish, I call my dear friend Cheryl and we share a one-word exchange.  "Walkies?" I say.  "Yes," she answers.  A few minutes later, Dusty and Scout run to each other in slow motion, ecstatic to sniff each other.  It's a thing of beauty to behold, a love that can't be denied.  Our walkies are a wonderful diversion in my daily routine of writing/I don't feel like writing.  Cheryl and I trade pithy thoughts, dissect the state of the union, lambast the politicians, and basically, philosophize about this n' that.  We stroll down the peaceful sidewalks of Sherman Oaks, doing our best to remain upright, which is sometimes more difficult than you'd think.  Friday's walk presented a few unexpected obstacles that upped the adrenalin, significantly.   First came the roving pack of hungry wolves, eager to snack on our doggies.  Oh, wait, sorry, that's not what happened.  Pardon my slight exaggeration.  What actually happened was this:  two dogs, a big one and a mid-size, broke out of their backyard, and came charging at us, which, I admit, scared the eff'n ka-ka out of me. Since entering the elite club of dog owners, nearly 10 years ago, I've only encountered this situation once or twice, and each time, I've yelled, "Oh, @#$%!" and gone straight into panic mode.  When it comes to panic, I'm an expert.  This time I was more proactive.  As the mid-sized dog tried to make a bagel out of Dusty's bum, I went ape-sh*t, started yelling, "No!  No!," did some fancy foot work and took off with Dusty across the street.  Cheryl handled things much more calmly.  She taught preschool for years and knows how to pacify wild beasts.  But don't you fret none.  In the making of this cinematic blog, no animals or humans were permanently harmed.  Of course, my sense of well-being may have been bruised.  And then, on our way home, Cheryl went all Stunt Man, somersaulting down the sidewalk just to prove she still has what it takes, and skinned her elbow.  For today's walkies, I'm taking a cab.