Fulcirama

Nikki's sister, Kelli, leaves for Denmark today, and the family has gone to Melbourne to see her off. I have opted to stay home with Fulci, largely because he's a great big infantile sook. Though he puts on a pretty good show of being a tough guy, when we're at the park or out for a walk -- hell, if another dog so much as walks past the house on the other side of the street, he's up and barking as though we were under attack -- but we can't go to the store for five minutes without him crying by the door for our return. I can't imagine how depressed he'd be if we left him alone for the seven hours a trip to Melbourne and back would take.

So I'm here, trying to reassure him that, just as they have tens of thousands of times before, everyone will eventually return. But I know he doesn't believe me. He just gives me this patronizing look that says, "Hey, thanks for trying; I appreciate the effort, but let's not kid each other, huh?" And I just don't know how to respond to that.