I am proud to say, after almost 24 hours of being awake, I was able to sleep for a handful of much needed hours this morning/afternoon. This glorious experience provided me with enough energy to actually do some productive activities. You should all be impressed.

One of those activities was bathing two of my dogs, Lucky and Lucy. They're both sweethearts, so I didn't have any trouble bathing them. Afterwards, though, they did the universal doggy trippy dance, which involves running around the house at speeds upwards of 100 miles an hour, stopping to rub up against various furniture, walls, cats, etc., to rub off the water, then repeating the process until they collapse in an exhausted, slightly damp heap.

I've never had a dog who didn't do the dance. I don't know if it's a genetic feature built into dogs, or if there's some sort of group, probably called the World Organization Of Canine Furries (WOOF - the "C" is silent), which dictates such behaviors. Either way, it's universal, and quite entertaining.

At least Lucky and Lucy will actually get into the bathtub. Shasta, the rottweiler, steadfastly refuses to go anywhere near it, the shower, the hose, or the kiddy pool out back. Which means, of course, I have to place a towel underneath her, and give her something akin to a sponge bath, using a washcloth, the soap, and a cup to pour water over her. It's all kinds of fun.

It could be worse. I saw a man on the news who's dog, he says, refuses to drink any water but some he specially bottles from a spring. He is, of course, planning to sell the bottled spring water, marketing it for dogs.

Why not? If he can find people willing to buy it, then by golly, he should sell it to them. That's America, friends.

In Tango the Wonder Kitty news, you might not know this, but he is quite computer savvy. Today he put my computer on stand by with a single click, and he helped my mother print something from her computer by making sure the paper was coming out of the printer by sticking his paw in the slot to pull the paper out manually. Yesterday, he made some copies on my copier/printer/scanner/nuclear reactor/pasta maker. He has many skills.

I can't tell you how many times he's helped write email (not to mention delete it) opened browsers, and even shut off computers. He's really quite talented. Who knew, when I brought him home three years ago, I'd have such a technological wizard on my hands. A wise investment, indeed.

Here's a thought -- maybe, with his many skills, he can get a computer-related job, so he can start paying me back for the various things he's broken over the years. Knowing him, thought, he'd end up like Dogbert, swindling stupid people out of all their money and plotting to rule the world.

Not that that's a bad thing. He already rules this house, after all. He has plenty of experience.