Morning – Laying next to the heat register, Lupe calmly stared out the window. The world was newly white. Several inches of snow had fallen overnight, but it wasn’t snowing now. The American Dingo watched as a gusty N wind piled the frigid new snow into drifts. Nothing else moved.
Although SPHP had cheerily wished Lupe a very happy birthday several times already, it seemed clear that this was actually destined to be a dull day. When your birthday is in mid-December, and your heart’s desire is to explore, sometimes it just works out that way.
Knowing this dreary weather was coming, SPHP had at least taken Loop on a pre-birthday Black Hills expedition to Thrall Mountain (5,091 ft.). Fun, but that had been days ago now, and wasn’t the same as getting to go on your real birthday! Minutes dragged on. Hours crept by. Nothing changed. A sad boredom set in. By mid-afternoon, the Carolina Dog was snoozing peacefully at her usual spot in the hall.
Evening – It wasn’t until the sun had already been down more than 2.5 hours and the night was pitch black that there was finally some action. A cold, dark ride in the RAV4, and suddenly the party animal, all decked out in party hat and birthday girl ribbon, was bursting into Grandma’s apartment all excited to see her!
With Grandma and SPHP the only attendees at Lupe’s birthday festivities this year, the party quickly got underway. The American Dingo enjoyed a Busy Rib Hide to start off with, while Grandma and SPHP feasted on TV dinners. For dessert, there was chocolate ice cream for everyone. Lupe had 3 bowls!
A temporary lull occurred while SPHP helped Grandma unscramble a check book mystery, but that didn’t take too long. Soon Lupe was asked to occupy the seat of honor up on Grandma’s white couch. SPHP then brought out presents and stacked them all around her. The situation was certainly looking promising!
Birthday presents are a joy! As usual, though, they came with a catch. Lupe was clearly worried when SPHP brought out a birthday cake, and placed it next to her.
The trial by fire was about to begin. With 12 candles this year, the blaze atop the cake was more fearsome than ever!
Having been through this ordeal before, the Carolina Dog didn’t flinch or flee, stoically enduring while Grandma and SPHP sang “Happy Birthday” all the way through, with special emphasis on “and many more”!
Lupe didn’t want to blow out the candles herself, so SPHP did it for her. What the American Dingo wished for, she refused to say. Evidently she didn’t want to hurt the chances of her birthday wish really coming true.
Although the American Dingo had successfully passed the trial by fire, Lupe still didn’t get her presents. Instead, cake was served. Everyone had some, even the sweet-toothed Dingo had a few bites.
At last the time for presents had arrived! Loopster hopped back up onto the white couch. Grandma was assigned the task of opening presents for her. The very first present was one Lupe was sure to like, a big 12 pack bag of Purina Busy Rib Hides.
As Grandma kept opening presents, SPHP continued stacking them one by one around Lupe on the white couch. Authority Hip & Joint Support Chicken Formula Jerky Sticks were next, followed by 4 colorful, knobby plastic squeaker balls.
Grandma wasn’t done yet! Lupe got a pack of 6″ Ol’ Roy rawhide chews, followed by a huge bag of Full Moon Natural Essentials Savory Sticks – free range beef recipe, and glycerin free.
Hey, look at this, Loopster! Says here that these Full Moon savory sticks are “human grade”. I can have some, too!
A sparkle came to Lupe’s eyes. The American Dingo started to grin.
Maybe if you’re very good, SPHP, I might let you have one now and then. Read a little farther, though. It actually says “human grade dog treats”.
Only one more present left. Although it had become a tradition in recent years, it was still a doozy. Grandma unwrapped a T-bone steak!
Last year, when Lupe turned 11, SPHP had filled Grandma’s apartment with smoke while broiling her T-bone, setting off alarms and a general panic in the senior living center. A repeat performance was definitely not on the agenda.
Sorry, Looper, but you’re going to have to wait until we get home. I’ll broil your T-bone for you there. Tonight, I promise.
Oh, I wouldn’t mind tearing into it raw right here and now, SPHP!
Heh, I don’t doubt that, but let’s just wait. A bloody carpet might not be a good thing here, either. It’ll be better broiled, anyway. You’ll see.
Lupe sat up among all her presents, smiling happily. Her 12th birthday may have started out mighty slowly, but look at all this loot! Suddenly, turning 12 did feel like a grand, memorable event.
Presents all unwrapped, Lupe and SPHP played together on the carpet, enjoying some brand new knobby squeaker ball fun.
It had been a small party, but another great one! Before leaving, Lupe sat with Grandma on the white couch. Grandma got a kiss for kindly hosting Lupe’s birthday party again this year.
8:49 PM – Snowflakes swirled on the breeze when Lupe left Grandma’s to head home. Along the way, SPHP spotted a magnificent Christmas tree, pulling over to let Lupe out of the RAV4 to see it.
Oh, SPHP! Do you remember the Most Beautiful Christmas tree we always used to visit on the way to the cul-de-sac back when Grandma used to live in the country? Seems like such a long time since we’ve seen it now. This incredible tree reminds me of it.
Yes, of course, I do, Loop. This tree is even much bigger and brighter, but nothing will ever surpass the Most Beautiful Christmas tree for us, will it? Wonder if it still gets decorated every year?
Do you suppose we’ll ever see the Most Beautiful Christmas tree again, SPHP? I miss going to the cul-de-sac.
Yeah, me too, Looper, but I don’t know. We could go there sometime, it’s not all that far away, but times change, the years roll by. What once was, is no more. The important thing is that we stay together no matter what.
9:34 PM, at home – Smoke poured out of the oven. Grease in the broiler pan was on fire!
Eh, not such a big deal. Nowhere near as bad as last year’s fire drill episode. Lupe’s T-bone was actually looking pretty good. Maybe SPHP was getting a little better at broiling?
Lupe was waiting at her favorite spot in the hall when SPHP delivered her T-bone on a plate. The Carolina Dog eagerly devoured bite-sized pieces as SPHP sliced them off with a steak knife.
This is so delicious, SPHP! We ought to have T-bone steak every night!
Hah! If only, Looper! Anyway, glad you’re enjoying this one. Happy 12th birthday! Love you so much!
Lupe’s late night meal got even better. SPHP sliced most of the meat into bite-sized pieces for her, but plenty of juicy steak was still clinging to the T-bone when SPHP let Loopster just have the rest. For a quite while on this cold December night, satisfying munching and crunching sounds came from the hallway corridor.
As usual, the crunching didn’t end until Lupe had finished processing very nearly 100% of her T-bone.
Hard to believe it. Lupe was 12 years old! Another birthday to cherish and remember had come and gone for SPHP’s best friend ever in the whole wide world.
Links:
Lupe’s 11th Birthday (12-14-21)
Lupe’s 13th Birthday & Crooks Tower (12-14-23)
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