major life change
It may be the antihistamine speaking, or the astonishingly complete headache I've had since I woke up (more fool me, thinking I was going to miss out on getting a cold this season just because everyone around me had been sick and I hadn't). It may be the previously-detailed sadness. But I have spent some time thinking, and realized that I need to shake things up, try something new, branch out.
Which is why I have decided to go into the dog sweater business.
The upper end of Polk Street, where I was flailing along, trying not to jostle my head too much or dribble too obviously, is rife with stores and businesses catering to dogs. Heading north, first you hit Wags, which bills itself as a "Pet Wash and Boutique". Along the south wall there are four raised, tiled enclosures for pup-washing. But it seems that every time I walk by, there are a lot more dogs just chilling on the floor around the "tubs", chewing on things and wrestling with each other.
Farther up is Bow Wow Meow, the first place I have ever seen Judaica for dogs; little white dog yarmulkes (and here is another interesting use for the little skullcaps you usually seen on Jewish men's heads) with blue Stars of David and elastic straps to go around the dog's ears. They sell other things as well, but I couldn't tell you what; I was too floored by the window display and I am, as I have mentioned, on drugs.
There's one more place, but I can't remember the name right off. Suffice it to say, upper Polk is a bastion of canine delights, which makes sense when you see how many people wandering around up there have put clothes on their dogs.
I was walking behind a woman with a chihuahua just now. The dog was wearing a blue and red hoodie with a clever pocket on the back, just the right size for a driver's license or a Milk-Bone. The hood, though, puzzled me. What possible use could a dog have for a hood? In my experience, dogs really don't like having their ears covered.
Anyway, that's why I had the idea. It solves so many problems. First of all, especially if I focus on small sweaters for small dogs (for which I have already admitted an embarrassing affinity), I'll be able to work quickly. This also uses up yarn, which is good, because then I can justify buying more yarn at the store where Thread works.
It's also exactly the sort of thing that, if you mention it at a party, sorts out the truly interesting people from the ones you don't really want to talk to. You know?
