Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 12:30 PM EST [
General]
Do you see that? The hand on the left, my middle finger is super swollen. Not only has it reached chubby, little sausage status- it hurts to bend it too. What happened? The dog park happened.
I had a very tight schedule yesterday afternoon. After work, I had to go to the grocery store, unpack the food and pick up Tuffy at the house, transport him to the dog park to get exercise, bring him home and book it across town to get my hair done.
The grocery store was quick. Tuffy was easy to get in the car and all signs were pointing to the dog park trip being a success. Tuff-Stuff had played hard with all the dogs and seemed pretty pooped out. All that was left to do- pick up his ball and get the rock out of there. This particular puppy playground is bowl shaped, you could literally pour a ginormous bowl of cereal complete with milk right in the middle and Paul Bunyan could eat his breakfast...
Anyway, I see his purple, tennis ball at the bottom of the bowl and start making my way to it. Just as I am wiping the dirt off the ball, I hear people gasping and shouting from the top of the bowl "AAAHHHH, WWAATTTCCHHH OOOUUUUUUTTTT!"
I look up to see a brown poodle, regulation size- not miniature, running at me- top speed! In the seconds before the accident, I realize the dog is not looking at me, but rather back at a much smaller, white dog chasing him. The LITTLE white dog that, moments later, I would've wished to have been the pup leading the game of chase.
POW!
GIANT poodle- 1, Amy- 0. I would have been completely leveled had the cereal bowl spectators not shouted. I can feel my finger instantly swell and I limp to the bowl's rim. This morning I look like I was in a fight- a fight that I lost. There are bruises all over my legs and just look at my left finger. That poodle better watch its back next time we meet at the bottom of the bowl.

