What in the world would make you wanna get up in the morning and do that?

It is a Monday morning.

To set the scene, currently living in this house with me, the 51 year old wife/mom, there are three men ages 52, almost 23 and 21, and one 18-year old daughter. As far as non-humans are concerned, we have the big black shedding machine that somehow manages to scarf down an entire bowl of little crunchy pieces of dog food and still avoid the one little dog-food-sized pill in the bowl. Impressive.

If you live here, on any given weekend day there will be sports playing on the television in the family room. If you get tired of that and want a nap, you can go lay on your parents' bed and watch a movie up there. If you have homework to do while you watch a movie, you can spread out your stuff all over the basement couch. You can come and go at all hours and drive here and there and who knows where. You can be tired of work. You can plan a trip abroad. You can borrow the big car to drive all the guys around. You can even leave at 11:00pm after begging for a later curfew.

If you attend grad school, college or high school classes, you can have lots of books, notebooks, paper and writing utensils. You can own shoes for sports, work, running and mowing. You can wear a variety of coats throughout the day and night. It is November, after all. You can get a new glass or cup for every drink and enjoy several cans of soda or bottles of water each day. And of course, you can eat.

Got the picture?
Then you will understand why I was cleaning out the spice cabinet at 9:00 this morning when Andy came downstairs and said, "What in the world would make you wanna get up in the morning and do that?"

A new morning routine for Kilmer the OCD Dog

As part of my summer routine, I got up, threw on grubby clothes (as if that's anything out of the norm) and walked my sweet mutt Kilmer around the neighborhood. Sometimes we'd walk for 30 minutes, sometimes for an hour. It was good for both of us.

Now that school has started, I have other things to do first thing in the morning, like watch hilarious TiVO-ed Craig Ferguson shows with Kayti. This new morning routine does not mean I don't walk the dog, it just means he has to wait 90 minutes until Kayti hops on the bus before we head out on our daily jaunt.

And yet, every morning for the last two weeks he has bounded down the steps, tapped his nose on his leash and started the bizarre yet endearing circle-jumping at the front door. Denied, he does the same thing when we get to the back door. Denied again he then tethers himself to my legs, staying no more than one foot away from me for 90 minutes. If I sit, his face is in my lap. If I stand, his butt is in my way. If I walk, he nearly kills me with every move.

Then, when Kayti leaves, his enthusiasm rises with each telltale going-for-a-walk sign he sees: She's putting on socks! She's putting on shoes! She's getting her cell phone! She's going to the bathroom! She's getting a poop bag! She's grabbing the leash! And then, he circle-jumps at the door, out the door, down the steps, and down the sidewalk until I say "Sit!" and on goes the leash. Finally.