Operation WOOF

You astute readers of this blog may recall the summer evening when I met TUCK for the first time. I instantly fell in love with this friendly, curious, yet dignified terrier, and Dave and I have talked about him endlessly since. Sarah B. and her husband are family friends with Tuck's owners, so they have special access to him! Sarah B. – ever attentive, thoughtful, and creative – came up with the best idea for a post-dissertation reward, code-named "Operation Woof." Here's how it played out:

I called Dave after I finished my final meeting for the instructors of my course this afternoon. I was stressed out because I needed to re-grade some final exams to be more in line with the other instructors, finish calculating and then post final grades, etc. But Dave insisted (unusually) that he wanted to come over and hang out later in the afternoon. I can't even remember the last time we spent an afternoon at home, just hanging out. Early September? Late August? So I knew something was up...

But how could I possibly have predicted that when I opened the door at 4:30 pm, on my doorstep I would find this furry friend??

Tuck snuffed his way around the apartment, and then submitted to aggressive petting, hugging, playing, and belly-rubbing. He didn't seem to mind. We even went for a walk in the park before it got dark. Oh Tuck, you are the best dog! I can't tell whether this is too weird to share, but we took a "family photo" together with Tuck (someone else's dog) and Floyd (not-a-real-dog):

Someday, when we have our own kids, we'll laugh about this, I'm sure!

Tuck was only on loan, unfortunately, so we took him back home before dinner, where I tried to ingratiate myself with his owners. Until next time, Tuck. In the meantime, I'm going to savor Tuck's de-stressing effects and remain thankful for such a thoughtful friend!