What More Can I Say?

Posted by Adam Hart August 29, 2008 at 2:08 am

I first featured this story in my Awesome vs. Not-Awesome post from last Sunday. So you might be asking, “Why is he recycling this topic? Is his well of creativity dried up?” Rest assured, Al Gore has not gotten a hold of my writing. It’s simply a good cause about which to write. Plus, there are pictures!

Last Sunday the MSPCA held its 4th annual Paw Wash with the New England Patriots Cheerleaders. I learned about the event through NECN. On Sunday, I realized that I have never loved my job any more. And neither has my dog, Mysti. She was an instant hit.

As for me, please turn your attention to the pale guy in between those young ladies above. You can just tell that I work on a website by my paleness. It probably doesn’t help that the NECN newsroom boasts no windows. I think management wants our bodies to fail to recognize what time of day it is, so that we are working as hard at midnight as we would be at noon. Doesn’t that sound like a torture tactic — depriving the body of its sense of night and day? ……..I’ve said too much.

Ah, yes. The initial “hosing down” of Mystibuds. Typically, she is not one for baths. But this is not the typical bath.

With the rinsing almost complete, you can see just how much Mysti is enjoying this cool down session. The mystery arm holding the leash belongs to me. I clearly have the least important job in this process. Just stand back and try not to get wet. I’m like the 5-year-old who is issued the plastic hammer by his dad and is assured that he is being of actual importance to a home fix-up project — but all the while just tapping imaginary nails into the wall. Tap. Tap. Tap.

The look on Mysti’s face says it all. The shampoo they were using must have been Herbel Essences for Dogs. But definitely not Herbal Essences for Men. That stuff is disturbing.

From the highest of the highs, to the lowest of the lows. Mysti seems a bit tired in this picture. It’s a tough life those dogs live. Luckily, I am still doing a bang up job of holding the leash. Those imaginary nails were never before struck with such precision and purpose.

“Please shut up,” Mysti conveys with that look, as I continue to chat it up. If Mysti is not the center of attention, she turns quite irritable. But that’s true of all dogs. I’ve just never met one who expresses such emotion with her face. She’s a one-of-a-kind. And now she is almost dry, thanks to Alyssa.

This conditioner being applied in the picture works really well. Mysti’s fur is both soft and pleasantly aromatic almost 5 days later. I should find out what brand it is. And then buy a bottle. Otherwise all that research would go to waste.

Her favorite part of the day — air drying with a couple of sprints up and down Gillette’s parking lot. I am currently in the process of video analyzing my running posture to find out once and for all if I actually run like I have two giant, invisible casts on both of my arms which prevent them from bending. Results to follow.

– There you have it. It was a great event and all the people were happy to see such a big turnout, from the MSPCA workers to the Pats Cheerleaders. If you missed out on your chance to donate to the MSPCA, there’s still time. Visit their website, MSPCA.org. You can also search for animals on their website if you have a good home and are looking to adopt.

P.S. A special thanks to my sister Beth for snapping these photos.  Otherwise you would be stuck with my dull descriptions of the event.

P.P.S. Yes, the title of this post has me playing Jay-Z’s song by the same name in my head. Nothing wrong with that.