Doggone Good Morning

We're spending this weekend up in New York. Originally the trip was planned where I was going to go all by my lonesome and visit family. Coincidentally, friends of ours happen to be throwing their annual rooftop party this same weekend. After receiving some motivating words from his life partner, Casey decided to take Ollie and join me.

I was made privy to his decision when I received an email stating that we're staying at a pet-friendly hotel in midtown. Nay-nay. Wouldn't this pet-friendly hotel be just on the wee-bit-o'-expensive side? Lucky for me, this was his desire so I went along for the ride (I know Joe, you so wish you were me right now). About 10 minutes after our arrival, I made my decision to only stay at pet-friendly hotels in the future. Everyone is SO NICE!! Both staff and clientele. Located in midtown Manhattan, there is an air of swankiness that is associated with the overall environment. Yet, I haven't found that in this hotel. I believe it's due to the fact that everyone is either a pet owner, has a general love for animals, or both.

Because we arrived rather late in the day yesterday there wasn't much time for Ollie to run around and get rid of his traveling anxieties, so this morning I took him on my morning run. Let me back up by mentioning that during our 6am bathroom walk, I met a fellow dog walker who told me that Central Park has off-leash hours until 9am. Ace! We returned to the hotel room, I get another 1.5 hours of sleep and then off we went.

It was fabulous. Because it was still early, Park Ave was empty of pedestrians. This made our jog north very smooth and Ollie was running as if he knew where 'he was taking me'. HA!. 10 minutes later we're on the south-east side of the park and Ollie nearly has a coronary. Horses. Several of them. All. In. His. Path. Never did he think he would encounter a beast so big. I had to literally drag him around the horses and into the park. Later in our run if we encountered another horse, he went out of his way to go to the far side of the walkway to be as far as possible from these great giants.

Here we are, running through the park and about every other person commented on his handsomeness or asked whether I show him. Too funny. Finally we arrive at a section that has turned into a temporary dog park. WOO-HOO! It was the best thing that could have happened to this dog since we go into the car yesterday morning. Eventually we made our way to the west side of the park, where other mini-makeshift dog parks were set up, but by that time Ollie was ready to return back to the hotel. He was even trying to look for Casey and went up to several "look-a-likes" to make sure that it wasn't him. I wonder what a look-a-like is like for a dog? Is it by sight? Smell? Sort-kinda-has-that-certain-human-flavor?

As for me, I missed running through the park. It was my sanctuary when I lived in NYC, spending so much time there running, roller blading, tanning, etc. I *heart* it. Apparently there was a running race happening this morning too. If i knew about it I so would have registered!! Although, there is one change about the park that I'm not too keen on -- they're such scrooges about going on the grass. It's a park! I know it's the only grass on all of Manhattan, but... IT'S. A. PARK. bah!

So back to the hotel we go where there is the most delicious omelette awaiting me and canned Chinese take-out dog food for Ollie. Mmmmm... fabulousness.