Fat lipped

I am entered. Sorry, WE are entered. I've got some grooming help ahead, and decided that there would be no better way to spend my birthday weekend then at a show with friends. And Kim, you are right, nice venue. Weather is always interesting. I was there last year as observer. I had just decided to show and had Kate a mere three months. It seems like a lifetime ago.



So today, after sending in my entry via the internet I headed out to do a bit of grocery shopping as I was out of water for the dispenser. Kate sees me heading around turning down the stove and blowing out candles, and knows she is about to be sequestered in the kitchen. After a couple of rounds around the couch she cowers and awaits the inevitable pick up and carry. I always plant a smooch upon her head and scritch her chest then put her in the kitchen and pull the X-pen across the entry. As I leaned in for the kiss she raised her bean and caught me on the lip. That little pointy area where the neck/back muscles attaches at the top of her head. At the very tip of my upper lip, where it rests at the end of my front teeth. My eyes instantly watered and my lip was on fire. Then it went numb. It swelled to elephant trunk proportions. I headed to the truck and was concerned that I wouldn't be able to see out of my windshield with my fast growing lip soon to be plastered against the window; my own personal air bag. I knew I would need a grocery cart to carry my face about the aisles. Looks? I am used to it. After all, I have a cool Koi tat on my leg. So I wander and shop. Will I ever eat again? Will I drool and dribble my food, not unlike is done following a trip to the dentist? If I were to heat up a needle and poke it like a hammer smacked fingernail would it pop and go down? (Ewww, and OWWWW, don't worry, I am not serious.) It seems odd to me that no one stares, because I am sure I have the biggest and blackest lip in Kingston. Perhaps we, in this nice town, actually don't see people for their "differences." To test the theory I go to the post office to check my mail. I must be wrong, as two people jump to open the door for me. And they are smiling. I want to wear a mask. I am wishing it was still freezing cold so that I could put on that face warmer mask thing I got my son in law for Christmas (for when he bikes to work). I would wear it, but fear that folks would consider me a robber. I get my mail and slink back to my truck and I go home. Home to my dogs who don't care that my lip anchors me firmly to planet earth. That it looks like a gigantic mushroom. Where they can find that it could protect them from the weather on the walk to the field. Then I realize something. This is all good. In fact, it is great. You see, it could have happened last week instead of today. I had a concert. I would have lost my mouthpiece in "the lip"...and that mouthpiece is very special. They don't even make them anymore. I have had it since 1971. It would have been bad. Very, very bad. And sad. Very, very sad.



I love you, Kate.



G2