I’m sitting at my desk trying to come up with story ideas when a Christmas song comes on the music stream I’ve got playing on the computer. It takes me a moment to place it because it’s an electronic version minus the vocals. It’s Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and the next thing I know I’m lost in Christmas past when Fleegle pushes through the flaps of his dog door.

He sits next to me. “Whatcha doing, Raud?”

“Taking a trip down Memory Lane.”

His tail thumps against the wall. “Oh, can I go? Is that where all the puppies live?”

“Memory Lane, not Mammary Lane. For an animal that’s supposed to have such great hearing you sure do fumble it a lot.”

He cocks his ears back. “Oh, do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“That’s the sound of unnecessary criticism,” he says and goes back out through his dog door.

Moments later he comes back in. “Whatcha doing, Raud?” he asks as he sits next to me.

“You just asked me that.”

“I know, but you deserve another try.”

“Well, I’ve come to the end of Memory Lane and have turned onto Apologetic Blvd. Where I’m waiting until my best friend shows up so we can go for a walk.”

His tail sweeps the floor. “Oh boy, I love walks. I’ll go get your leash.”

 

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