The Hungry Hippo

Wrigs and I headed out for our morning walk around the lake and decided to make a pit stop at the coffee shop for a little caffeine pick me up. The place was swamped, the line was out the door and all the outside tables were cramped and filled with people and pets so I thought we'd come back another time. The place is usually crowded on the weekends but then I realized it was Father's Day (shouldn't I be sad about this?) so there was an abundance of Dad's sitting at the tables with their hyperactive children while their wives stood in line to order and treat their husbands to an annual breakfast. The tables were packed so closely together that I didn't think I was going to be able to fit through them with Wrigley. We started to turn the other way when this lady starts clapping and in a sing songy type voice says, "Ohhhh!! Puppy! Puppy! I want to see the puppy!" I turn around and she's looking right at Wrigley, still clapping her hands, and I say, "You mean this guy?" (who's pushing about 90 lbs and is hardly ever mistaken for a puppy.)

So Wrigs and I sort of snake our way between the tables to head over to this overly excited puppy lover. Another family stops us en route and 2 of their kids (probably preschool aged) start hugging his neck and patting his head. He loves the attention and is behaving so well, not jumping up or knocking anyone down, so I tell him he's a good boy. They have another little one in a stroller that is probably 1 maybe?? It didn't have much hair and I honestly couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl, but this baby person was eating cheerios and chopped up bananas on a tray attached to the stroller that was just about at Wrigley's eye level. Or should I say mouth level because just as we were about to leave he licked up a few cheerios right off the baby's tray. I scolded him and apologized profusely and the family couldn't have been nicer and said "Oh that's ok, we have a Lab at home that does it all the time." By now the 1 year old is cackling and shoving a baby sized fist of smushed bananas into Wrigley's mouth. I wanted to say "He/she is so cute!" But I didn't, instead I just sort of giggled along with them and then pulled Wrigley away. Note to parents: If you have a child who looks unisex, can you please not dress them in green?

We finally make it over to the clapping woman and she just lavishes Wrigley with hugs and kisses. She is letting him lick her face and I'm silently cringing because I can see some chunks of banana goop stuck to the back of his lips. She asks what his name is and when I tell her she says, "Wrrriiiigleeeeey!!!" in a very drawn out high pitched voice which sends him over the edge with excitement. Once anyone says his name he can't control himself and starts to wag and wiggle his entire body. She continues to say his name and then he jumps up and puts his paws on her shoulders and smothers her with more kisses. The woman was probably one of the biggest animal lovers I've ever seen because she is hugging him and telling him that she loves him and they are both sharing a special moment.

I pull Wrigley off this kind woman and tell him that we've got to say goodbye and she reaches down for one last hug and he instantly turns his head towards the table and swipes a piece of toast right off her plate. It's gone in 2 chomps. Again I'm apologizing and the family with the 3 kids are watching and snickering. The woman was also very kind and said that she was done eating anyway so it was no big deal. We say our goodbyes and once we make it through the maze of tables, an older man, probably in his mid 80's says, "He sure is hungry!" So apparently he witnessed Wrigley's eating frenzy from afar. Gotta love the animal lovers!