a different kind of telltale
A while ago I described our wind-up clock situation, in which the clock served as a representation of the degree to which we had things under control—housework and work and things like that. Well, I'm happy to report that today, a year and a half or so later, things are different. The clock is nearly always running, and in fact things are so regular that the dog has identified the winding of the clock as a signal that it's time to go upstairs to bed. When he hears the click-click-click of those little gears going, he hops right off his comfy spot on the couch and runs right upstairs, to claim a good location on the bed before anyone else gets a chance to get themselves set up there. I believe that he is hoping that one day we might allow him to take the pillows for ourselves, and maybe even decide to sleep down on the puppy bed...