I took a cat nap with a dog on my lap. The ghost of Dr. Suess woke me up. The Archie, the pup with a short leg complex stared right though me. His dog breath laced his words.

            “I am not going to leave you alone. Get used to it. I know who I am and what I am to you. I’m not going to apologize for chewing off the wooden Santa’s hat. You left me; therefore, retribution was justified.”

            “No bark, Archie.”

            “Uh, no. These are growling words. You’ll know when I’m really barking.”

            “Put your ears down.”

            “Nope.”

            “Now listen, punk, you better stand down, er, em…Sit. Stay.”

            “In your dreams.”

            “What? Stop baring your teeth.”

            “Dogs have dreams too, you know. We simply must figure out if you’re in mine or…”

            I picked up Santa with splinters for hair and threw him across the room. Archie leapt, fetched, and set Mr. Ho Ho Ho a smidge out of my reach.

            “Dog.” This is a nightmare for me and a dream come true for Archibald.