wag the cheese

i want to take Sam Beam home with me and nuzzle both sides of his brain. that mountain man chin of his might get in the way, but i think we can get past it. as previously stated, i'm irrationally in love with the Shepherd's Dog, save one or two songs that don't quite hit the mark. he could probably write a ballad about marshmallows, and i would be tempted to string a few from my rear view mirror.

okay, i'm back.

every now and then, usually when i'm feeling exceptionally sorry for myself, i get reminded of how much there is to appreciate in life right now. even as i write this i'm having a hard time buying my own lines, but i'll type the hype and maybe some of it will sink in. i work part time in a pediatric clinical research environment. for me, this doesn't mean much more than paper shuffling, but every now and then i get a shot of perspective. while walking from my office over to the children's hospital yesterday, i spotted an expectant golden retriever being led into the main entrance. my first thought was of course "seeing eye dog" but a quick inspection of his(?) handler made me realize that this was a different sort of working dog. his duties (ha. duties.) are singular in nature: spread cheer by way of slobbery swipes of the tongue and unconditional tail wagging.

steel yourself for the cheesy resolution: i was instantly jealous that this dog wasn't bound for my affection (i'm secretly pining for a dog but it will have to wait) and then i realized that the hospital is filled with children who haven't laughed in days because they can't see any humor past the tubes in their noses. i have no idea how canine visits work, but i'd like to think that somewhere in that hospital there's a kid waking up right now thinking about the wet nose that pushed its way into his/her hand yesterday.