And for our second act...
While I'm posting just for the sake of posting, I'll tell you about the dog I met over the weekend.

He was an old soul, shaggy and large, with the kind of eyes that just have to turn your way for a few seconds before you are reduced to mush at their pathetic cuteness.

I happened across this dog at the winery where my husband's band was playing. This winery is of the "wine and not much more" persuasion, so I arrived with McDonald's in tow. Chicken McNuggets, the perfect complement to cabernet sauvignon! Anyway, the band was setting up and I was enjoying my Mickey D's, and this dog trots in from seemingly out of nowhere and plants himself next to me.

For a moment I figured, wow, it must be my incredible manner with animals that has drawn this dog to my side. Then I snapped out of it and realized he was after one thing and one thing only: my french fries. "Ok," I said to my new friend. "One and then that's it."

Big mistake. He knew he had snookered me. So he put his paws up on the bench next to me and rested his head on the table, staring at me longingly and then casting a sideways glance at my fries. "You little scammer," I scolded him. And tried my best to ignore him, occasionally patting him on the head.

After a while of getting nowhere with me, he resorted to despeate measures. He put his paw on my arm and made a whining/snorting noise, as if to say, "Dammit, I see you have more fries there, give 'em up!"

So of course I had to give him another one.

This went on until the fries were gone, and then, just like he came, he left in a flash. But he returned later in the evening to find fresh suckers, who fed him everything from cheese to potato chips to pizza crust. All in all, a pretty good take for the old guy.

He was a seasoned pro at the art of the scam and pure entertainment for me, as well.