Hi, My Name Is:

I am totally into a dog cookie making place. It’s the weirdest thing. I told my dog walking friend that I would make him some before he leaves on November 22, and now I’m trapped in some sort of dog cookie making loop. So far I’ve made the meat loaf drippings flavor, peanut butter and now cheese. I’m going to Sam’s Club tomorrow and pick up some bacon pieces. I need to chill out on this because next stop is Christmas Dog Cookie land and I don’t want to peak too early.

It would be smart to bank cookies prior to that, but those cookies are in holiday shaped in nature and the cookies I’m making now are not. I know that bone shaped has a universal appeal, but not the same appeal that tree shapes or the word “noel” has. I mean, lets get serious.

So. My dog walking buddy is getting about half of them, Dogger is getting about a quarter and a couple of my doggy friends from the park are getting to split the rest. They don’t know that yet and I’m trying to figure out how to tell them. I’m afraid I’m going to seem creepy if I follow them out to their cars and force baggies of dog cookies on them. Not everyone likes getting unsolicited dog cookies from strangers. And we are strangers.

Today for instance, a woman I have spoken to a lot finally introduced herself. It’s nice to know the names of the people I see everyday. We all spend a good hour a day chatting with these people and I don’t know anyone’s names and I am not alone. I don’t think any of them know my name either, they don’t ask and I don’t tell. The woman who introduced herself today is a nice girl, we’ve been talking a few times a week for months. I know she works out of her home, she’s six months pregnant and her husband thinks hanging out at the park sounds boring. I know her dog, he greets me at the gate when Dogger and I arrive, well, he meets Dogger at the gate but he jumps into my lap. If the little dog could purr he would.

I don’t know how to not creepily hand his person dog cookies, especially home made dog cookies. Does that make me weird? Would you be creeped out if an acquaintance gave you food for your pet? I mean, I told her I was making them for my friend who is moving away, so she all ready knows that I make dog treats, would it be imposing if I offered her some? I just don’t want to be creepy. I worry about appearing creepy.

Part of me kind of likes the anonymous nature of the interaction at the park. No one really knows that much about each other, conversation is limited to dogs and dog related topics, it’s kind of freeing actually. I’ve over herd few huddled political conversations, we’re good liberals at the dog park - this doesn’t surprise me. When I was going door to door during the last election cycle the registered democrats’ front doors almost always had “Rescue My Pets” stickers for emergency personal. Rethuglican doors did not.

I did get a surprise the other day. One of the guys I talk to a lot, mostly about his charming dog and his near obsessive relationship with it, showed off a wrist band supporting the Duke Lacrosse Team rapists. I was horrified. I don’t know his name, but I thought I knew him better than that.