Market Common's Charlie Parker talks about the new year.
Charlie is looking ahead to the warm weather ahead.

A Road Trip To Tinsel Town

Charlie’s Corner is the domain of Charlie, the furry four-legged lady’s man of Market Common. Each month, he’ll share information to help all new, visiting, and existing doggie community members get the most out of life alongside their human companions. We’ll feature his reflections on what it’s like to be a dashing downtown doggie, as he reminds all of us how to play well together. 

This month, Charlie and his friends go on a road trip to Tinsel Town.

Well, I got lots of good quality time with my family, scores of belly rubs, and a new chew toy over the holiday. I was also very relieved to know that none of my friends accidentally ate a poinsettia plant or chocolate. (You never can predict what we four-legged fuzzy ones will get into when there’s excitement in the air and we get a bit giddy.)

I myself, had a great adventure with a new friend. One night, just before New Year’s Eve, I lay curled up in bed thinking warm snuggly thoughts, and was just drifting off to sleep when I heard a tapping at the window. I looked up to see a skinny looking man about two feet tall, with pointy ears, and a pointy, funny little hat standing outside. He beckoned to me. I opened the window, and he bounded in and began to zip around the living room.

“Yippee! Wooo hooooo! It’s Charlie’s house,” he cried.

“Whoa, who are you? What are you?” I asked.

“My name is Binky,” he replied, suddenly skidding to a halt, doing his cap, and offering me a deep bow. “And I come from a very long line of elves. I’ve come to take you to Tinsel Town, land of sparkly stuff. So pack up that chew toy, and we’ll be off.”

“Gosh!” I exclaimed. “Tinsel Town? Why I’ve never even heard of it. Who knew there was a land just full of it. But how did you know I love tinsel, and how did you find me?”

“Online,” Binky said. “You can find anything online nowadays. Come on, we’ll take my car.”

Binky’s car was an elf-and-Charlie-sized silver convertible with glittery trim and a sparkly silver interior. It reminded me of tinsel, and I felt quite at home in it. Binky programmed “Tinsel Town” into his GPS, and then the car shook and rattled, and glitter fell from the dashboard all around us. It slowly rose high into the sky, and we took off like a shot into the clear night, leaving a stream of glitter in our wake.

We flew through the night with stars overhead and twinkling lights below us, till the lights became more dim, and then we flew over mountains and lakes and tall trees, and then all at once I saw a glittering, sparkling glow from down below.

“That’s Tinsel Town!” cried Binky.

We landed in the center of town, where other elves came running to great us.

“We heard tinsel is one of your most favorite things,” they said. “So we sent Binky to bring you here so you could see and enjoy our wonderful town.”

I stepped out of the car, wow! There was tinsel everywhere! All of the houses were silver and sparkly, and draped in tinsel. The trees were made of it, and long strands hung from the branches. Everywhere elves were frolicking in it.

“And we’ll never tell you not to make a mess because you can’t!” they cried merrily. We danced and frolicked, and played all night long. Finally, exhausted and satiated, I curled up in a big soft pile of it under a tinsel tree and fell asleep.

I vaguely heard voices saying as if from far away, “There he is! He’s all worn out. Careful not to wake him now.”

But I was dog-tired, and couldn’t budge an inch. When I awoke I was back in my own bed. Binky must have brought me back while I slept. Hey, you can’t convince me that it was only a dream.

Until next time,

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