Walla Walla Wednesday

Today in history:
In 1924, the Russian city of Petrograd (formerly St. Petersburg) was renamed Leningrad in honor of the late revolutionary leader (however, it has since been renamed St. Petersburg).
(Boy, I'd hate to be addressing an envelope for that area. What are they going to call it next?)


Hey y'all...just another day closer to death here at Rancho Sudiegirl. (What a happy thought, huh?)

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Time for "Bizarro Carpool Discussions With The One I Love", another entry in an intermittent series.

Last night - I can't believe it was only LAST night - D and I engaged in a dialogue (most meaningful at that) regarding two bodily functions.

Yep - farting and belching. (Ha...CAUGHT YA! You thought I was going to refer to something else, didn't ya? Huh? Didn't ya?)

I'm not sure how we got on this subject, but we did. We talked about George Carlin's fart routines, Eddie Murphy's fart routines, Tim Allen's belching "bit", and apocryphal fart/belch stories from family and friends. We also belched ourselves, and D farted once (he had rice and beans at a local roasted chicken place).

We finally decided that our relationship must be solid, because neither of us ran screaming from the car in disgust at the conversation.

That's really scary, isn't it?

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It's been a few days - so we've got a "Huh" Award coming...


Recipient: Sen. Ken Jacobsen, a Democrat in Washington State.

Reason: He wants to make bars "dog-friendly". To quote the article:

OLYMPIA, Wash. - If dog-loving lawmakers prevail, Fido could soon be sidling up to bar stools around Washington state under a measure that would allow well-behaved, leashed canines to join their human companions as they down their favorite microbrews.

The bill would allow bars and restaurants with liquor licenses to welcome dogs, as long as they accompany their owners and remain leashed. Establishments wouldn't be required to allow dogs, except for service animals.

Jacobsen was quoted as saying: "I was sitting at the Fish Bowl looking at all the dogs outside sitting in the cold and the rain, while all the owners were warm inside..."

Dog owners are mixed on the issue...some are down with it, others are not.

The FDA states that animals in establishments of this type are in violation of health codes.

Judge's comments:

OK...here is what the article specifically says regarding the health issues:

Health officials said the state rule banning pets from restaurants and bars is based on a food code standard set by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration.

"Animals don't use the toilet and they shed and they sometimes drool, and those are potential issues with food," said Joe Graham, public health adviser for the Washington state Department of Health.

I love animals, especially dogs and cats. I grew up with both. I have taken a dog through a drive- thru at Hardee's before, and purchased ice cream for said pooch. But that's my risk, and I'm not exposing anyone else to it.

I don't think this bill is a good idea. Let me lay it out for ya, Sudiegirl style.

Why on EARTH would you take a dog to a bar in the first place? I see the positives, don't get me wrong. Some of them are:

**A dog would lick your tears away if someone doesn't respond to your beer-goggle affirmations of their sexiness.

**A dog would probably eat the olives from your martinis that you don't want to eat.

**You could teach your dog tricks that would impress your fellow barflies, thereby getting free drinks out of it.

**Everyone knows that dogs are magnets - if a dog is especially good-looking, someone will come and pet it, fuss over it, et al. Presto...you've got yourself a potential snugglebunny.

However, the Department of Health and the FDA do have valid points. Dogs drool...they may have fleas and/or ticks...they lick their butts...they also puke, pee and poop. They don't care where (but really, neither do humans if they're drunk enough). They like to roll around on top of dead animals - it's like Chanel No. 5 to them. I've seen 'em do it.

I do wonder, though, what would happen if I took my cats to a bar. Chelmsford would hide somewhere and pee b/c he'd be freaked out. Millie would sit on the lap of almost every man in the place. If I did that, people would call me a slut. Oh well.

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And finally, from the "What do you think of Dear Abby's Advice?" department...

Here's a letter taken from Dear Abby's column online...

DEAR ABBY: I have a 15-year-old nephew I have suspected is gay for a long time. I recently saw his profile on myspace.com because I search there often, checking on my daughter. I found that he is on there and has listed his sexual orientation as "Bi."

I am sure that his mother, my sister, is not aware of this. I think I would like to know if he were my son, but I am unsure how to handle this. I don't think his parents will take this too well. Is it my responsibility to tell her? -- DISTRESSED AUNT IN MIAMI

DEAR DISTRESSED AUNT: If your nephew were engaging in self-destructive behavior, I would say tell his parents. However, identifying one's sexual orientation doesn't fall into that category. Unless you are the self-appointed town crier of Miami, it is not your responsibility to "out" your nephew -- especially since you don't think his parents will take it well.

Your sister and her husband may already suspect, but your nephew should be given the courtesy of announcing his sexual orientation when he is ready. My advice is to keep your mouth shut. When people are told something they don't want to hear, they often resent the messenger.

I think I'm with Abby on how to handle this. But I want to know what YOU think. So all you readers out there - lurkers, regulars, and everyone in between - talk to me.

I find that I throw out my own opinions and don't ask others about stuff - so here you go. Let's talk about it.

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Finally, today's quote, which sums things up for me...

Thought for Today:
"The most fatal illusion is the settled point of view. Since life is growth and motion, a fixed point of view kills anybody who has one." — Brooks Atkinson, American drama critic (1894-1984).

Sudiegirl's response:
Well, I'm screwed yet again.