Copyright Infringement

Maybe not copyright infringement, since I never went through some legal process on my idea. But, I know it's not plagiarism. Perhaps idea poaching. Whatever it is, someone must have read my blog and is now stealing my sarcastic idea.

Someone keeps opening our gate and letting Cosmo loose.

This is not what I planned on.

Sure, his barking was getting to me, but his Napoleon-esque behavior has quelled. He's assimilated to Texas life and I never really intended to let him run away. I mean, heavens, his photo is framed on our wall.

To make life even cuter, every time you pass by the back door, Jane demands to stop and locate her dog. When Cosmo comes running around the corner, she'll throw up her arms, smile and yell "Como!"

The first time this deviant behavior happened, Lane received a phone call as we were heading out to our nephew's hockey game.

"I have your dog," the man on the other line said.

"I'm sorry, you must have the wrong number," Lane replied. "Our dog is playing in the backyard."

"Is his name Cosmo?" the man asked.

Lane then took a gander to the backyard. There was the side gate, open for the world. (It's on one of those spring latches, so someone would have had to open it.)

Today it happened again.

I was on my way to move the truck from a haywire football, when I noticed Cosmo was nowhere to be seen.

I panicked. In my ill state, I quickly jumped in the truck and started circling the neighborhood. Twenty minutes later, Lane called my phone. He'd gotten home from church and found the dog in the back alley.

Now we need to take drastic action. A regular lock won't work on these gates, but I'm sure we'll think of something.

After all, it'd be a shame to lose our 'Como'.