The $8,000 dog

Just a few thoughts here, before I head out into a gorgeous June day.

We celebrated a friend's 30th birthday last night. The party was held in another friend's house, a stone's throw from the Library of Congress and the Capitol. It was the first house built in D.C. since the end of the Civil War and also once was owned by Ross Perot's 1992 presidential running mate. A bit of obscure D.C. trivia for you.

The food reflected P's heritage, which she describes as "Vietnamese by birth, American by assimilation, and Southern by the grace of God." P likes to remind us heathen Yanks that she's from rural North Carolina, smack dab in the Bible Belt.

Anyway, the groaning board of delights included chambord and champagne punch, piquant Vietnamese sandwiches, buttery shrimp and grits, Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts, wasabi peas, long-life noodles, and ice cold beer.

It wasn't a big party, only about 25-30 people, but the hosts hired someone to replenish the food, clear away plates, and pour drinks. That's a great idea. That way, the hosts and the birthday girl get to relax and not have to constantly take care of guests' prandial needs.

Almost everyone there worked in the media, heavy on newspaper reporters, me and my SO included. The others were management consultants and one lone person from the medical field. Hmm. Note to self: Must make friends who are in other professions.

Oh yes, the dog. Towards the end of the party, the hosts let their two dogs come out of seclusion on the second floor to greet the guests. One was a chubby, black, laid-back lab/shepherd mix. The other was a spotted brown and white bulldog mix, and it was HYPER. Kept chasing its tail and barking.

I liked the dog, though. It had a sense of humor.

After the dog made itself dizzy, the host took a sip of beer, eyed the dog with a gimlet eye and mentioned that it recently bit a jogger. That stunt cost the host $8,000 to settle. He now calls it not by name, but "the $8,000 dog."

At this point, the dog pointedly ignored him and started begging for treats.