My ex and I remained friends after our split... well.. not immediately, but a short while after the dust had settled. We had bought a ShiTzu puppy together about a year ago. She kept him, he was "her" dog". She had asked me if I would be interested in taking him for a few days, one time when she was going out of town. I said I would in the future, but could not this time. So he went to a kennel. I felt bad for him.

"Hey, can you watch Jax next week?" she texted. "Umm, sure how long?" I replied. "Only 8 days." she texted. Eight days! I'm in full-time dating mode! I definitely recall him being a lot of work, but the alternative would be eight days in a kennel. "Sure." I replied. This will be interesting, my apartment building is full of dogs, and he always goes nuts around dogs. My apartment is also on the 20th floor.. could he make it without relieving himself in the hallway to the elevator? I guess we will see... besides, chicks love cute dogs... right?

I had recently taken up cycling again. I used to really enjoy it, but then did not have time. Well, I have time again, so I pulled the bike out of storage. It's a pretty bad-ass bike. I can't do the official bike shorts, because I don't like my nuts ending up behind me, so I just wear mid-length black running shorts. Together with black Nikes, a black long-sleeved Underarmour shirt, and my reflective blue Costa's on the front of my bald, tanned head.... I look pretty bad-ass also. I had been riding up and down the Tampa Riverwalk and Bayshore Blvd, and getting my share of looks from the females I whizzed past. Maybe it was the bike... or my almost clipping their elbows as I passed.

It was in the back of the closet. A basket I had bought for the front of my bike, to carry crap when my ex and I used to ride. It does not belong anywhere near a bad-ass bike, but if I wanted to ride this week, I would need to take the puppy. So the basket goes on. Maybe it's good, chicks love cute puppies, and bad-ass looking guys on bad-ass bikes.

Sunday afternoon, the Riverwalk is always packed with people. Ordinarily, I would continue my game of seeing how fast I could ride through crowds of people, without hitting one. But today, I will put Jax in the basket up front, and go slow. Not only might he jump out, but I also want to be able to stop quickly for any women that want to pet him. As expected, we are stopped many times... he really is a super cute puppy. One time we stopped, so a woman could pet him, in front of a large window. I looked over, and saw in the reflection... the gayest looking motherfucker I had ever seen. A German Shepard, Doberman or Labrador running along next to me would have been fine. But this little fru-fru puppy, super cute though he is, killed my entire persona.

Dating with a dog is... unconventional. He's still a puppy, so leaving him alone in my apartment is not an option... he would bark nonstop. I have him until Sunday, but I don't want to wait that long. "Any plans for tomorrow night?" I text. "Not yet." she replies. "You do now!" I text. "Great! When/where?" she replies. "Somewhere pet-friendly." I text. Long pause. "You never mentioned that you had a dog?" she replies. "Only for this week." I text. Long pause. "Do you have to bring it?" she replies. At this point, I am not sure what she is thinking the dog is, but she clearly does not seem crazy about the idea. "Unfortunately, I do, he's a puppy. Small and super cute!" I text. I am hoping she does not want to put it off until after Sunday. "Sure, why not." she replies.