My Dog Friday

Today I went for a short bike ride. Now, I've been jogging off and on for some time, and I've been planning on doing some bike commuting this summer. So I thought I better start building up some "bike legs". I donned my fashionable bike helmet and hit the road, only to find myself gasping for air after a couple of blocks. Hmm, the idea that I had grown fit from my on-and-off jogging program was apparently a fantasy. I do have to add that I live at the bottom of a hill, and that pretty much everywhere you go here in Harrison is uphill... both ways.

Anyways, as I soldiered on in my ride I ran across an untethered dog. Usually that is an unpleasant experience on a bicycle. But this dog, noticing my slow speed and wobbly motion, felt sorry for me, and instead of chasing me, ran (or walked briskly) along side me for my entire 30 minute ride. I named him Friday after the character from Robinson Crusoe. I didn't ever actually call him that, I was too busy gasping for air. He (I like to think the dog was a he, but he did have on a pink collar - don't ask, don't tell is my policy) seemed not to find my speed too strenuous to keep up with. We labored up several hills, and I began to actually worry that I might be leading him so far away from his home that he would become lost. After about 15 minutes of hard riding (for me, that is), I decided that I better turn around and go home... you know, for his sake.

We made the return trip home in record time - actually about the same 15 minutes. I assumed as we passed by the house where he took up with me he would take his leave, but no, due to his innate sense of dog responsibility he kept up with me all the way to my house. I gave him some water, stumbled in to the house, and sat down for a 30 minute bout of nausea and light-headedness. I could hear my dogs barking at him, and eventually they stopped. I went out later to put the dogs up for the night, and Friday was gone.