running log and how about that dog?

ran 3 sloggy miles this morning. i'm not sure what's up with all of this slog. i just feel earthbound, for some reason, slave to gravity. anyway, that's 6 miles so far this week.

now about this westminster dog show. i have a real problem with many aspects of dog breeding and dog shows, frankly. i think they're stupid and bad for dogs. having said that, i had to smile when i saw in the headlines that a springer spaniel won best in show. i have always had a soft spot in my heart for springer spaniels. my aunt helen had a couple of them that were total sweethearts. she and my dad and their 2 siblings (ellen and pat, may they rest in peace) grew up with a springer spaniel named "wimpy" (i believe after the popeye character, but i might be wrong about that--when was popeye invented?). we had a field cocker spaniel (probably a mix) when i was a little kid. his name was "pooch." yes, really. he was a stray who came running in the back door one day, legend has it (i wasn't born yet). my family looked high and low for his family, but nobody claimed him. my dad was worried that the kids would get attached to him if they named him, so for that first 2 weeks when they were looking for his family, he made everybody call the dog "pooch." about the time they realized pooch was there to stay, they also realized that "pooch" had stuck as his name.

and that's the story of how the word "pooch" became a proper noun, and how sharon came to love spaniels.