During the last quarter of 2006, I was on a consulting project based out of Wilmington Delaware. The entire time I was on this particular engagement, I stayed at this very comfortable bed and breakfast called The Pennsbury Inn out of Chadds Ford Pennsylvania. Being the low maintenance guest that I am and given the fact that I stayed so long, the Innkeepers had occasions to be gone leaving me with the run of the Inn. I would keep an eye on things for them as a courtesy. The Inn Keepers had a small rescue dog whose name was Teddy. Teddy was a Poodle with only one eye. Now I am not really a “dog person”, but after weeks of holing up at the Pennsbury, Teddy grew on me a bit. The occasion came where the Innkeepers were going to be spending a couple of days in New York City and I was recruited to keep an eye on “Teddy the One Eyed Dog.” My only instructions were to let him out in the morning. Well, taking my instructions quite literally, before I left in the morning to go to my client’s work site, I let Teddy out of the Inn. The day was a very cool with a mixture of snow, freezing rain, and rain. Later in the day I received a call from the Innkeepers who were in distress. It turns out that they received a call from the vetrinarian who happened (most fortunately) to live next door to the Inn. They had apparently received Teddy in by a motorist who clipped the poor dog albiet minorly when he wandered into the street. Obviously “Teddy the One Eyed Dog” was not able to look both ways before crossing the street (I know, warped humor there). The clinic had him under heat lamps and observation due to his vehicular trauma and hypothermia induced by my keen pet senses. Feeling quite distressed about the whole debacle myself, I attempted to pay the vet’s charges and make things right for the Innkeepers and of course, “Teddy the One Eyed Dog.” I was not well received by the vetrinarian who was a personal friend to the Innkeepers and I was turned away while they waited for the Innkeepers to cut their trip short and rescue “Teddy the One Eyed Dog” once again. He was after all a “rescue dog”, but now he was a sequal. I of course apologized and feeling like my comfortable stay at the Pennsbury would probably come to an end, discussed the situation with the Innkeepers. It turns out that “let him out” translated to “let him out briefly and bring him back inside right away.

I still do not have a dog, but I do have three children who are well protected and cared for. Life is good and as it seems like it should be.