By nature, Carl is an introvert. He’s not very sociable when it comes to interacting with other human beings. That is the primary reason he has few friends and never married. He’s always been better able to relate to dogs than to people.
Buster, a mix of German shepherd and rottweiler, is a large, somewhat intimidating looking dog. But despite his seemingly menacing appearance, Buster is a real sweetheart.
Carl loved taking Buster out for his daily walks. They would often head to the city park, which was about four blocks from Carl’s small house. The park had plenty of trails to follow and open fields on which Buster could run around off-leash.
As Buster explored and sniffed and peed on nearly every tree and most bushes, Carl would let his mind wander, daydreaming about one thing or another. The only time Carl had to pay attention to what his dog was doing was when Buster took a dump. Carl felt obliged to pick up Buster’s mess using a biodegradable poop bag and to deposit the bagged waste in the nearest trash receptacle.
On one particularly pleasant day, Carl was walking Buster in the park when the dog saw something that attracted his attention. Carl thought it was just a squirrel, a critter that always seemed to mesmerize Buster. But when Carl looked to see what his dog was gazing at, he saw a tall, slim brunette woman with a large dog, although not as large as Buster, on leash at her side. They were slowly heading toward Carl and Buster.
Consistent with his shy, introverted nature, Carl’s instinctive reaction when he saw the tall, slim brunette and her golden retriever appproaching was to yank Buster’s leash and head off in the opposite direction.
But Buster, the large and stubborn mammal that he is, would have none of it. He stood his ground, four feet solidly planted and eyes transfixed as he watched and waited for the other dog to get closer. As the woman and her dog neared, Buster started wagging his tail, tentatively at first, and then with more vigor when they arrived.
The woman appeared to be a little concerned by the size of Buster. She asked Carl, “Is your dog friendly?”
“For sure,” Carl responded, avoiding eye contact with the woman. “Yours?”
“Oh, she’s a sweetie pie,” the tall, slim brunet answered as she bent down and patted her dog on its head.
The two dogs started circling each other in order to stick their noses in each other’s butt and to take deep sniffs or licks or whatever it is that dogs do when they cozy up to other dogs’ butts.
Carl and the woman had to maneuver so that the dogs’ leashes didn’t get tangled. Feeling that he should say something, Carl thought for an instant, and finally blurted out, “It’s a good thing that’s not how humans greet each other.”
Immediately regretting having said that, Carl grit his teeth as his eyes darted around searching for a quick escape route.
The woman was kind enough to laugh at the idiocy that emanated from Carl’s lips. “Well, it certainly would be an interesting way for us to get to know one another,” she said. “Maybe we should give it a try,” she continued.
Carl heard what she said, and he thought he noticed a mischievous wink, but his lack of interpersonal skills made him unsure about how to respond. So he simply said, “Huh?”
“I said that it might be fun to get to know each other in the same way our dogs are.”
“Are you saying that we should sniff each others’ butts?”
“For starters,” she said. A broad, engaging, and slightly naughty smile lit up her face, while the two dogs continued their butt-sniffing ritual.
Today’s one-word prompt is “grit.”
This, That, and the Other 
A personal post.. Carl?
LikeLiked by 3 people
Pure fiction my friend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah bunk mate. You know Sandi hurt her heel.. And write a poem on how you met with your wife..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Blind date. Fixed up by my brother-in-law. There you go.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I said to write a post Fandango way not to slapstick it like mine inside a comment box.. But good to know.. Tell him.. To meet me.. Maybe he can help me too..
LikeLiked by 1 person
You said to write a poem. I only do limericks and I don’t think my wife would want me to post a limerick about her!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh sorry, I was pulling your leg.. But do write a post..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Okay, truth be told, this post is about how I met my wife. 😁
LikeLiked by 2 people
I knew it.. I know you.. Man you can’t fool me..
LikeLiked by 2 people
Actually, this post is not really about how I met my wife. I was just pulling YOUR leg!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks man i thought you will never post it.. I won the bet Hurray.. You already told me you met her through your brother-in-law. I knew you were pulling my leg.. So i replied in the same manner.. Look Momus.. I have learned a thing or two from you.. But on a more serious note.. The post at least in some sense gave me a personal impression. I won’t deny it..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just recovered from choking on my donut
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hahahah you really are funny..
LikeLiked by 1 person
so not only have I hurt my heel, but my blogging friends are trying to off me with a donut…while sniffing butts. Exactly the story I want told at my funeral! To die in such true fashion! Blog posts will be written about it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The first time I tried that, I was a little freaked out, but it grew on me and having your butt sniffed is super hot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hilarious.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks.
LikeLike
Hey are you getting my comments?
LikeLike
Who are you asking? I am getting them.
LikeLike
I am asking Jim, it seem Akismet is again targeting my comments as Spam. Since you and Sandi have once before cleared me, So no problem on commenting on your blogs.. For others back to spam folder.
LikeLike
You have to contact that help desk again.
LikeLike
To hell with it. I can talk with you two that’s enough..
LikeLiked by 1 person
You go, guy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bummer.
LikeLiked by 1 person
??????
LikeLiked by 1 person
No butts about it!
LikeLike
They must have known I don’t like music.. Crazy music cult lovers..
LikeLike
Yay! We’re all crazy and in a cult…as we dance “ring-around-the-rosy” style! Breaking into Air guitar (I truly hate air guitar) but we do it anyway, cuz we’re in a music cult and that’s we do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Could you imagine how this week and the last week went Spammed, Banned and then all posts on music. Even Fandango latest post is about a song..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh dear and the post I’m working on might have be delayed…
one could argue (via post) that WordPress and the Blogging Community are out to get them.
Ha – it’s all a joke on you. To see your True Grit. (ding ding – word of the day) that now, shoot, I haven’t yet posted on…
I might just not post on daily at all today.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Why?
LikeLike
The title, “For Starters,” is killing me. Where does one go after that?
When you are an introvert, all you need is the right extrovert to dance with your weirdness, like the “tall slim brunette.” Your “tall, slim, brunette” description made me feel like I was reading a Nick Carter novel– not Backstreet Boys Nick Carter, Nick Carter – Killmaster. Have a written “Nick Carter” enough on your blog? Boy-band lovers will end up here now. You’re welcome.
LikeLiked by 2 people
“When you are an introvert, all you need is the right extrovert to dance with your weirdness.” True.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Amen to that..
LikeLiked by 1 person
So nice of you! Boy band lover will love Fandango and Sight TOO!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Are you one of them?
LikeLike
Ohhh no! Never a boy band. I could never tell the difference from N Sync to New Kids on the block and who was in what band. I just know one of them (Joey?) was on My Big Fat Greek Wedding and was funny as one of the cousins.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Joey Fatone was in that, not Joey McIntyre. Yes, there are two Joeys in two different bands. I say this as a non-boy-band-lover and currently idle person. : ) Sorry for trashing your comments section, Fandango.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No worries, Kijo. All comments are fun to read, so it’s all good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I drew a cartoon about this very subject a couple of years ago, I’ll post it on my blog, keep up the nice work
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks. Looking forward to seeing your dog butt-sniffing cartoon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You know you’re retired when… the things you look forward to alter
LikeLiked by 2 people
I am taking a break guys. I will catch up with you tomorrow. And Take care of that heel.. Bye..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Enjoy!
LikeLiked by 1 person