Today we were walking to the park when a dog came bounding up to us. Ali and I could see right away that it was a friendly young pup, but Ouest didn’t see it that way. She saw an animal about the same height as her racing straight at her. She panicked and started running away, yelling in an obviously scared voice. I ran up and grabbed her and then looked up to see the dog’s owner just staring passively at the scene.

So now Ali and I are both pissed. I mean maybe I’m wrong, but isn’t it common sense or at least common courtesy to call your dog if you see it chasing a scared little girl?

Me: “Why don’t you call your dog?”

Owner: “She’s just a puppy still, she won’t listen.”

Ali: “She’s a dog not a person. Come get her!”

Owner: In a completely offended voice, “Dogs are people too.”

Ali: “No, dogs are not people.” You twat.

Owner: “Obviously you’ve never had a dog.”

I mean, can you see where this conversation would have gone had we continued on with this lady?

Dogs are people too. Indeed they are lady, you are proof of that.

I’m really beginning to dislike people. As a general rule.

So later on I took my people-hating self, and my people-loving family, to lunch with a Bum friend. We went to a little local place, Stanich’s, up the street. It’s the kind of place that makes me love Portland. Incredibly friendly waitress, interior that hasn’t changed in thirty years, great food, and a table-top Ms. Pac-Man machine. This is the second one of these we’ve seen in the past couple of days. Video games for a quarter? How can that be. This place even has a Rock-Ola jukebox playing 45s for crying out loud. The kids loved it. Ouest pushed the buttons and then the two of them danced and danced and danced. Eleven plays for a buck. Portland, it’s so old school.