Nightglow Window

Virgil

There was a strict "no dogs" rule at Tee-Dub throughout the 1990s -- by decree of Louise Balma, head den mother and architect of the company. But she retired a few years ago.

It's still not like Burton Snowboards (where mutts seem to roam the halls en masse), but it's getting there -- at least with my staff. Leah has a Sony Aibo robotic dog that's so smart it's creepy. (It can recognize faces -- no joke.)

Nicole's dog Daisy likes to hang out in her office chair and sleep.

Josh has a North Carolina hound dog named Virgil who is chill, too, but I discovered today a way to play with him while simultaneously mess with Josh.

It was a reading day as I sat at my desk and plowed through a pile of stories.

If I leaned forward in my chair and looked out my office window I could look up to the landing where Virgil lay, head perched on the edge of the drop off of Josh's office.

I don't know why I first tried this, but if I knocked on my desk Virgil would perk up his ears and let out a low growl (a playful growl, not a mean growl). He didn't know who was knocking, but after a while figured it out with a big wag of his tail.

I made eye contact and growled back and Virgil played along, wagging his tail and growling at me.

After a while of this, all I had to do was lean forward in my chair and look Virgil in the eye and he would let out a low growl -- sometimes even a bark.

This was a great distraction for me after six straight hours of copy editing.

Ah, office life, ain't it a hoot?