Asa is too polite to ever bring this up, but there’s something I need to get off my chest about his birthday. Specifically the gift Dad gave him. For those of you new to Living with a Golden, Dad has a long track record of giving Mom practical gifts. There was the time he accidentally broke the glass top on the stove just before her birthday, so gave her a new one. Then there was the year Dad decided that snow tires were the ideal birthday present. And who can forget the Mother’s Day when Dad gave Mom a push lawn mower, you know the type with just a blade and doesn’t use gas, and had the nerve to put our names on the card! Now don’t get me wrong, Mom loved each and every gift!
Anyways, up until now Asa and I have managed to avoid Dad’s practical gifts. That is until Asa’s birthday last week when Dad presented him with 1,080 poop bags. The reason I state the number is because Dad was quite impressed with that figure. He even calculated how long it would take Asa and myself to go through that many…I believe he said 7 months. I’m not sure. I wasn’t really listening. I was too busy marveling at how Asa graciously received his case of poop bags.
The inspiration for this gift came when Dad read an article that in 2020 Maine is banning single use plastic bags. This got Dad concerned because poop bags definitely fall into the single use category. Now Dad is not one to rush into things, so he began researching poop bags. Sheba, in case you were wondering, yes there were spreadsheets involved! Eventually he settled on these biodegradable ones, and proudly presented them to Asa for his birthday.
Well just like his mother, Asa graciously accepted this gift and praised Dad for being so thoughtful. However, I couldn’t help but notice the disappointed look on his face. Asa, from this day forward, I vow to never let Dad pick our gifts on his own again, and will supervise him more closely. It is one thing for Mom to be disappointed on her birthday, but no dog should ever receive poop bags on such a momentous day! Oh and in case you’re wondering what Dad gave Mom for her birthday this year? He surprised her with reusable grocery bags!
