Meet Charlie. Charlie's roughly 154 in dog years. We're dogsitting for her dogsitters, because Charlie's human has traveled to Vancouver for an extended summer vacation, so she's staying with her human's daughter, who this week headed to Vancouver for a few days to visit with her dad.
And so we get Charlie.
Banyan and Calypso (our own wonderhounds) are experiencing confusion and annoyance, respectively. A third, new dog, has awakened canine instincts in Banyan (a coonhound mix who doesn't really know how to hound) with which she is not familiar. She's begging for food but she doesn't know why, as she's not what you would call "food-driven." As for Calypso (a diva-ish dachshund), she's seen this enough to simply roll her doggy eyes at me, as if to say "not this shit again."
When Charlie's dogsitters left her with us, they left the number for doggie hospice — just in case — and reminded us we all use the same vet (shout out to St. Pete Beach Vet and Dr. Tisdale!). I fully expected Charlie to drop dead this week. However, Charlie hit our home, took one whiff of Banyan's food and tucked into like she'd achieved her Weight Watchers goal. All of a sudden, this grand dame of a labrador evolved before our eyes from a nursing home dog who cared not for food to an active senior adult, begging for walks, bouncing around the house and stealing our Stella d'Oro Breakfast Treats.
The moral of the story? Be the Charlie this weekend. Only, please keep your snout off my breakfast treats.
Rosemary, baby: Listen to Becca McCoy belt out Rosemary Clooney Friday night at the Palladium.
Clearwater island party all day Saturday. Boat responsibly, 'k?
PAVA's Cool Art Show all weekend in St. Pete. Because, you know, it's cool.
Go see Carrie Jadus' Blue Nudes at Gulfport's PORTSPACE Gallery Saturday night. Think of it as the Blue Man Group, only without the music, shtick and, you know, good. So, really, nothing like the Blue Man Group.
Paddle Lake Maggiore at twilight on Saturday. Gators included.
Head to our Record Fair and Music Issue release party on Saturday. There ain't no party like a CL party…
Check out the Saturday opening of Helen Suzman: Fighter for Human Rights at the Florida Holocaust Museum. Sort of the first "Black Lives Matter" movement.
Hunt the Heights at the Seminole Heights Founders Day Scavenger Hunt. Happy birthday, Seminole Heights!
Get lit. No, really: the Wordier Than Thou Lit Crawl in St. Pete. We also call it the Wordy Drinky Thing.
Go see Alonzo Bodden at Sidesplitters. Dude's funny.
This article appears in Jul 14-21, 2016.