my Puppies Are Not Truck Puppies

Although I do not have children, my two labrador retrievers and my three cats play the role of dependents quite nicely. Unfortunately I can't write them off on my taxes as such, but believe me, they are. And today my husband and I had a parenting moment.

Our friend and my husband are going for a hike up Waterfall Canyon. I say to husband, how can you hike without the puppies? He says, easily. I say, but they really want to go. He says, fantastic, they're not going. So I look sad and pathetic and he topples. It helps that the puppies look very excited about going anywhere. He says, just so you know this may not be good. I say, it will be fine.

Our friend arrives to pick them all up, and I say to our friend, are you sure it's okay to take the puppies? He says, yes. I say, they've never been in a truck before. He says, it's bred into them. I say, are you sure, he says, yes (and I am sure he is thinking you are so annoying...they're dogs, they'll be fine).

Off they go. It takes about half a second for them to both get in the back of the truck. My husband and friend hop in the front, Mac hops out of the back. Mind you, they've never been in a truck before so they don't really understand it. And clearly, it's not bred into them. The men hop out and say hop back in, both puppies hop back in, the men get in the truck, the Mac hops out. So my husband says, I'll ride in the back. I can see the patience, which wasn't real high for taking the puppies in the first place, is waning. He hops in the back. Mac gets in the back with him and lies down, our friend gets in the front, Hobbes hops out. I walk up and get Hobbes to hop back in, I close the back of the truck (whatever that flappy thing is called) and Hobbes hops back out. Husband is really not impressed at this point. Unclear how our friend is feeling. I open the flappy thing again, Hobbes hops in, husband grabs collar. Mac is looking thrilled because at this moment he is the favorite puppy because he has accepted his fate of being in the back of the truck. I close the flappy thing and they drive away. Our friend alone in the cab, my husband in the back of the truck with two puppies. I wish I had my camera because I really can't do justice to the image of that.

I am thinking I should call a lawyer because perhaps a divorce is imminent.