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C It's that time of year when a gaffe can turn into a gift hristmas came early around here. About ve weeks early, in the not altogether unfamiliar form of a wiggle- 11 | Thursday, December 19, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com bum. As Yogi Berra once famously intoned, "It's déjà vu all over again." Allow me to regress a bit, as is my habit. One grey November afternoon, our daughter left the house and drove off all alone, a determined 18-year-old apparently on a mission. Hours later she returned, only she was no longer alone. No, as if conjured by magic, there was something curled up on the passenger seat beside her. An early Christmas gift for the family? One we certainly hadn't expected. One we de nitely hadn't asked for. "She's adorable," our daughter said. And my wife and I had to concur, there was no denying. Absolutely adorable. "I want to keep her," she said. And before my wife and I could blow gaskets, she quickly added: "She's a rescue." Playing to sentimentalities Shrewdly played -- appealing to our sentimental natures and forcing us to consider the consequences should we not let her keep this three-month-old Boxer pup that was happily wiggle-bumming all around us, as Boxers are inclined to do. Cuteness of said puppy notwithstanding, That's Life Andy Juniper Guest Contributor we were not exactly over the moon. For starters, we weren't in the market for another dog. We were quite content with the status quo: our nine-year-old hound, Zoey, plus frequent visits from our eldest son's Boxers, Ellie and Charlie. Honestly, in the chaos that is our current lives, we needed a puppy like we needed, well, more chaos. Now, this will surely shock you, but our daughter swore on a mountain of kibble that she would fully care for the pup, to the point where we wouldn't have to lift a nger or invest a cent. Ever. Meanwhile, back in what my wife and I like to call `the real world'... A case of déjà vu Let's just say it was at that point that I experienced Yogi's déjà vu all over again as I recalled the day years ago when our eldest brought his rst Boxer home, and prompt- ly swore on a mountain of kibble that he would fully care for and train that pup. Except for when he was at work. Oh, and when he wanted to go out and socialize. And so I nd myself caring for and helping train another Boxer. Yep, when my daughter's at work, or when she wants to go out and do something, I'm it. I'm the man. I'm the answer to my own question: What kind of an idiot would get a pup in the late fall and have to train that pup through the long, dark, unforgiving months of winter? Apparently I'm that kind of idiot. Standing outside as my ears ache and my sinuses collapse in the cold, pleading with the princess to do her business. That kind of idiot. We named her Phoebe, continuing our J.D. Salinger theme. We've had dogs named Franny and Zoey (homage to Salinger's novella Franny & Zooey) and now Phoebe (Holden's sister's name in The Catcher in the Rye). Not suggesting I'm over being out of mind with our daughter bringing home this little wiggle-bum. Just saying that Phoebe and I are beginning to bond, and she's starting to seem like less of a gaffe and more of a gift. Happy Holidays, dear readers. May you get most of what you wish for, and all that you need. Until next year.... -- Andy Juniper can be contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, found on Facebook www.facebook.com, or followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thesportjesters. MASSIVE SAVINGS! From Store Closing Sale DISCOV ER T HE WONDERFUL WORLD OF PLAY MOBIL TOYS! At our store in Mississauga 30-70 % Off STORE HOURS Saturday Dec. 21 Sunday Dec. 22 Monday Dec. 23 Tuesday Dec. 24 11am-4pm 11am-4pm 10am-5pm 10am-2pm Closed: Dec. 25 - Jan. 1 267 LAKESHORE ROAD EAST · 905-339-1740 GCJEWELLERS www.oakville.ca FREE RBC P.A. Day Skates Come on out to a free skate with our branch. No matter if you're just learning or have been skating for a long time, bring your skates and let's have some fun! Friday, December 20 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. River Oaks Community Centre 2:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sixteen Mile Sports Complex Capacity restrictions apply. For more information visit www.oakville.ca/culturerec/pa-day-skates.html