A cool reception.

It is amazing to me, I was called away to Indianapolis for 5 days. I was so worried about Otto's care having never really left him longer then a couple of days that prior to my leaving, I asked my husband Gordy throughout the day..."Will you be nice to Otto?" "Would you mind terribly putting a few drops in his eyes if they look red?" Would you mind if it wouldn't be too much trouble sleeping half off the bed because Otto prefers to take up at least 3/4's of the available bed space...Would you please check his toenails and don't walk on the grass, he might have an allergy to grass...don't ...don't just DON'T!"..... "Will you be nice to Otto?" That was my primary concern. I was tore up about having to leave him, it hurt my heart.

So off I went, worried every day that Otto's needs were not being met....worried..worried....worried...every free chance....worrying about the worry....worried about his eyes...worried about him becoming overheated...worried about allergies...

I have become my own worst nightmare as a parent of ...A DOG! I have become one those women that I used to think to myself, "God she needs to get a life!" I worry about Otto, I think about him and I worry, to me he is fragile and precious.

Finally I returned home this past Friday..Two planes, 7 hours of travel later, I finally walked in the door and got to see my furry pal. He looked wonderful. My reception? It was considered lukewarm, I walked in and he came to the door and turned his back on me. I said in my happiest of voices. ...OTTO! OTTO! OTTO! I missed you so much, thought about you all the time, I missed you!...Otto walked back into the bedroom.. I mean he turned and walked back in...sort of slowly.....

Okay, it is bad enough that he doesn't ever give me a little lick when I come home on a daily basis ...like he does to complete strangers...so having been gone for 5 days and receive this sort of greeting was really disappointing...he hates me. He must hate the fact that I clean his ears, clean his what ever needs cleaning...dream about how handsome he is...brag about him...write a stupid blog about him....trim his toenails, brush him weekly, brush his teeth...and so on...there wasn't even a wag...

Until the morning when I found him across my legs...I looked down at him and said, " Otto, I missed you and I thought about you all the time." He wagged his tail twice and went back to sleep.

Anatolians are tough.