Round and Round

When I was little we had a house with an open floor plan and a spacious living room and kitchen (or at least I remember it as roomy, my parents probably have a more realistic memory). The kitchen had an opening to the dining room and the hallway so you could make a circle starting in the living room through the kitchen out to the hallway and back to the living room. I would spend hours on my three wheel bike, knotted sock in hand, rolling around and around that cirlce with our border collie puppy chasing nipping at my big plastic tires and sliding on the wood floor. I must have been three but I still have clear memories of that little black and white blur barking and panting as I maneuvered my little trike.
Now I live in another house with an open floor plan, this time it is an office with doorways on either end of the living room and it also makes a nice circle in the house- a perfect dog chasing circle. Actually, it was CornyT who discovered the joys of getting Grady to chase him around the house with some chew toy dangling behind him. But I was soon with him running and squealing with our seventy pounds of happy dog at our heels. The memories of my childhood came flooding back and now I play the game almost every night for at least a few minutes. They say Border Collies are smart but I never remember our pup letting me get a headstart and then turning directions as I come out the other side. Very clever Golden. When he does surprise me I inevitably squeal with utter delight and turn around and run. CornyT once asked if I was exagerrating my enthusiasm for Grady's benefit and I sheepishly confessed that no, it was pure, genuine glee. To help me with my worthy opponent CornyT has now taken to calling out from the couch the direction Grady is headed. Yes, it is sad that I have to resort to cheating to get the upper hand on a year-old Golden but maybe he should learn English!