Big Dog, Billy Club, and Evening Excitement

See that big dog? I'll call her Cassie. Cassie moved into my retirement home a few months ago. She is old and, er, overweight. Her owner says she has Rottweiler in her; I say she ATE a rottweiler, either way---a massive DOG. Mostly Cassie sits or goes flat. Sweetest dog I ever saw.

During a birthday party at her apt., Cassie knew she should greet me and I was sticking my hand out, but it was obvious she just wanted to stay, er, down. Nonetheless, Cassie shifted her massive body enough to sit up and in doing so her head pushed forward far enough to reach under my hand for a pat, before she slumped back down, smiling all the way.

One evening about a week ago I was hanging out in our lobby when the front desk lady got a frantic call that there was violent sounding yelling coming from the apt. next to Cassie's. The front desk lady called her macho husband on cell, but didn't get him right away. There had been trouble in the apt. before and apparently this was nothing new. "I'm afraid to go down there without my husband and I can't reach him."

Since I am disabled and in a wheelchair, of course I quickly said, "I'll go with you!" And I saw a billy club on the chair next to hers so I grabbed it before heading out. She talked as we went, and the yeller had done this in past, but settled down. When we arrived, the owner of Cassie (I'll call her Beth) was in the hall with Cassie, who had her tongue out and was huffing like she just ran a marathon. They had heard the commotion too.

So there we were: A 68 year old receptionist with a cell phone, a woman in a wheelchair with a billy club, and a woman with a dog bigger than all of us, who was huffing her heart out and looking toward the apt. door where the yelling had come from. I did used to be a security guard and I felt completely in control, well, until I noticed the receptionist had disappeared into the apt. of the yeller and shut the door!

Beth started talking and I put my finger to my lips, to indicate "shsss." When I did that, Cassie closed her mouth and held her breath, her eyes directed straight to the apt. door in question. Total silence.

Then the door opened, receptionist came out, and Cassie simultaneously let out her breath as she slumped in a fast PLUMP to the floor. I almost started laughing. Cassie knew what we were up to and she gave it her all.

The yelling man was sitting quietly in the dark watching TV. Macho husband came in from having walked his little dog and after I went home he got into it with the yeller, police were called and situation was dealt with.

It is at those times I think of, of course, YouTube, and if only I had taped we motley crew of four.

Good times.

(And, yes, I got in the doghouse when I returned home. Drat.)