Maggie The WonderBeagle

A happy rescue who makes my Dad's life interesting in Ashburn, VA

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

I was always meant to be in your lap. I just had to wait until you stopped looking at all the wrong dogs...

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

Maggie and I have had a very tight bond since the first time I saw her, and since it's national pet day, I'll tell this story again.

We had just lost our two other dogs in the previous months, (2019) and had them for 16 years. Everyone was shouting "adopt, don't shop" so we pursued that route. The first one we pursued had us fill out a rather lengthy application, and a few days later we heard back with a note suggesting we were older than who they were looking for and preferred someone who was more active.

A string of profanities streamed from my mouth and I said out loud "well I tried." As is always the case, as I am blessed with a wife who understands me more than I understand myself, the next day she went to an event held by HART (homeless animals rescue team) and came home with a video of an animated little dog with a lot of attitude, saying maybe we should try again. I agreed, and within days someone from HART came out to make a home visit. Only a few seconds in, the person asked "did they really say no to you? This is a nice house, fenced in yard, you've owned dogs all your life...this is what we look for."

A few days later we were told to come get the newest member of our family. Once home she sniffed all over the backyard, then the house, then wandered away from my wife and daughter, found me in my office, and made herself at home. She's been in my lap ever since :)

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

Ugh. Vegas just scored. C'mon 'Canes!

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

She's watching the hockey game with me. And she doesn't handle pressure well :)

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

@Cheesecake7777 Mom and Dad prefer me calling them "mature" vs. "my old people" for some reason :)

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

Also had one extra hot dog. Maggie said she knew exactly what to do with it...

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

The nerve of this critter...

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

Everybody makes mistakes, but I think this little critter is making a huge error in judgment by coming to my front door this morning as if it wanted to play with the Foxhound who lives inside. I'm thinking it won't turn out well for the baby fox...

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

You DO owe me big time...

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

If there is such a thing as a perfect game in the dog world, Maggie had one this morning. Allowed me to put on her raincoat without a fuss, took one glance up at the sky as the rain was pouring down, then took care of both items of business within two minutes before trotting back to the basement. Keep in mind, this is a dog that can spend 25 minutes on a sunny day sniffing every blade of grass in the backyard before completing her primary objective.

Once inside, she extended me her paw so I could wipe it off with a towel. Then gave me this look as if to say "you owe me big time."

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

Judging from how white those legs of yours are, seems like it wouldn't hurt you to spend more time out in the sun with me...

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

When you're old and retired, sometimes the most important thing you have to do all day is spend some time with an old dog and talk about how hot it is outside...

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

I like it when they hit home runs...

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

She’s a big Virginia Tech softball fan…

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

This really should be a year-round service you provide...

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

We have reached the part of the year where due to pollen and allergies, my dog will hunt you down and park herself right in front of you and demand a back scratch. And don't even think about telling her you'll do it in a little while...

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

@horsetwting

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

It seemed like longer...

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

Went over to a neighbor's house to fix a television and when I came home, Maggie was all over me like I'd been gone for a month.

I was only gone 17 minutes :)

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

I got tired doing security for you...

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

Maggie usually goes outside for 10 to 15 minutes at a time throughout the day. Tonight because I was watching a game on the patio, we were out there for close to two hours, and every 10 minutes she'd look at me as if to say "we don't have to go inside yet, do we?"

I'm sure this is just a coincidence, but I just walked through the den and a free range WonderBeagle was laying on the sofa snoring like big dog :)

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

Nobody’s going to run past us without me taking a bite out of crime…

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

It really helps you relax on a cool Friday night when you know you have excellent security to protect you from all threats, real or imagined 😎

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

I didn't need gas, but today is the last day of the month which means my 40 cents off a gallon deal at Harris Teeter is use it or lose it today. So I pulled in, scanned my card at the pump and three straight times it wouldn't work.

I then go over to the little hut they have and tell the guy behind the glass I think there's something wrong with pump 3. He comes out, and I try to scan the card again. After watching it not work, he gently takes it from my hand and says "Sir, this is a Giant card. You're at Harris Teeter."

OH.

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

Dogs know. Mine can be on the other side of the house sound asleep at 2 AM and if I try to break the seal on the fridge to sneak a snack, she'll be instantly standing behind me.

Dogs just know when something's not right.

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

I continue to be amazed how music can unlock long ago memories. While riding the bike this morning (got in 14.38 miles) a song I never particularly liked named MMMBop by Hansen came on. Back in 2000 I was president of a company in Carson, CA and flew back and forth between Dulles and LAX every week. It was a Delta flight, so for all I know, @BuzzPatterson could have been the pilot on at least one flight.

The redeye back home took off at 11PM Thursday and as they were taxiing and giving announcements Delta would always play a few music videos, of which MMMBop was one of them. So this morning, for at least a few seconds, I was transformed from my Lifecycle to seat 23F on a Delta Flight to Dulles, peering down the aisle just hoping the 5 hours between there and home would go quickly.

By comparison, exercise wasn't so bad. And I should have gotten off the bike and got down on my knees to give thanks that I never, ever have to do that again :)

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

Should the "Real Men Of Genius" ad campaign ever be revived, I'd like to nominate @Heminator for this gem from yesterday :)

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

We’re ready 😎

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

For the last 15 years, I've never had an entire week of numbers that were all under the diabetes threshold of 140. This week, every number has not only beat that, they've all been under 100. The average is 89.8. Plus I've ridden a Lifecycle 14 miles in 3 of the last 4 days.

That makes tonight a perfect opportunity to negate all this good health and smoke a great cigar with a nice aged Diet Mountain Dew while watching a similarly aged WonderBeagle run around the backyard. Might even haul a TV out there and watch the Nationals :)

[Maggie The WonderBeagle @WonderBeagle1]

You told me to come get you if I needed anything. I just thought you were sleeping on the job...again.

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

I did learn, however, that Maggie needs to work on her bedside manner. I've found laying down in a dark room helps with severe migraines (this was all caused by sinus issues). A few minutes after I did, I heard a dog squeak at the side of the bed because she wanted to go outside. I just rolled over to ignore her, but then she goes to the other side, jumps up, then puts her cold nose on my face as if to say "just in case you didn't hear me."

I don't know how this dog got so spoiled :)

[Dave Scarangella @DaveScarangella]

Yesterday I had a horrible migraine that kept me from doing just about anything, and to show you how serious we take such things in our house, the line from Kindergarten Cop where the kid asks Arnold if he has a "toomah" was repeated multiple times :)