My mom just told me Skipper, a family friend’s dog, died and I’m sitting at my desk kind of tearing up because dogs are assholes like that. Skipper was a fox hound or terrier of sorts, very active, very ready to go. I was playing with him in high school and he was so cute that I wrapped my arms around his neck for a hug. He flipped out, barked, and slammed his head so hard into my chin that the impact left bits of powdered tooth on my tongue. I remember thinking if it stunned me, he must have been in more pain, as I only had one chin back then and it was pointy. The chip was small enough for a Taiwanese dentist to laugh at me for wanting to get it fixed (it would have been free) and big enough for an L.A. dentist to suggest getting it fixed (and whitened). By nature he was a hunting dog, so who could blame him for going into attack mode when a gangly Chinese robotically tried to show him “love”? We knew the end was near but what kills me is one of the brothers was unable to make it home in time to say goodbye. Le sigh. RIP Skipper the tooth chipper. :(