Day two, going strong.

Actually, I have some sad news and thoughts for today. Wookie, one of my good friends from the dog park, passed away this week after a very sudden illness. I know it might not have seemed like we were that close--the whole completely ignoring each other punctuated by occasional snarling thing--but I greatly admired and respected Wookie, we had a lot in common, and I learned a lot from her. She was truly the most food-obsessed dog I have ever seen, and let me in on some of her best begging techniques. I will never forget the day she overcame all of her devotion to her mom, her love of the park, and her desire for a life of ease and minimal physical exertion to escape from the park for over an hour in search of the sausage guy at the farmer's market. A lesser dog might have settled for any food stand in the farmer's market. But Wookie (as we found out when the sausage guy called an hour later) knew what side her sausages were buttered on. And where. She was the master of the UNICEF poster dog look, a pioneer in the passive school of begging (in fact, that sit back on haunches and slowly tilt head at 45 degree angle move is, in many Brooklyn circles, simply known as "the Wookie"). It was a wonder to see an animal with a devoted owner not two feet away, a luscious thick picture of health coat, and a stylish collar with full array of personalized tags...who could, in less than 30 seconds, convince the stingiest of treat-bearers that she had never been fed, ever. I hereby resolve to carry on her legacy.

Wookie, I know you are fine, happily eating heavenly sausages, but I send my sincere dog-love to your mom, Diane, who must be going through a very rough time right now. It's sad that the moment when you most need a dog to cheer you up is the moment you no longer have one. If you come by the dog park, I promise to sit in your lap and do my best Wookie impersonation. It would help if you brought sausages.