"It's easy to love your dog, because your dog doesn't have opinions about you." -Don Miguel Ruiz

Today (no, yesterday -- thank God it's not Friday anymore), I was on one wrenching business call after another, culminating in a conference call between three good people who really like and respect each other. But much had gone awry in the past weeks, and we'd found ourselves in a malfunctioning situation that was decimating the team's spirit. We collected to mop up the mess, take responsibility for each of our parts, and move to higher ground. The only viable choice.

The business of entertainment has no business being so emotionally, physically and spiritually draining; it's ENTERTAINMENT, for crying out loud, not heart surgery. Hell, it's not even plastic surgery. But for the inflated egos and rampant greed, we might just have ourselves the kind of good time people in Peoria believe we enjoy; I dunno for sure.

What I DO know for sure is that my stupidly miserable day was measurably improved by the simple presence of Lulu, the Best Dog Ever Made. As I paced the house during one emotionally charged conversation, I was followed like a bouncing ping pong ball by her sympathetic brown eyes. Each time I'd hang up the phone and let out a long breath, her tail would wag in encouragement. And at one point, when I took a fetal moment on the couch, she crossed the living room to snoodle my dangling hand with her slightly wet muzzle.

Some of you will snort derisively that she's just a dog, for God's sake; all she really wanted was my undivided attention, a quick afternoon romp, a nibble from my bowl of cashews. But I know better. This sweet, odd-looking 35 lb. Basset Hound/Akita (my ex, with whom I share her custody, insists she's a Welsh Corgi/Norweigian Elkhound; actually, she looks very much like a sea lion with ears and a tail), this precious rescued soul from Downtown LA, is my furry savior, my canine confidante, an unconditional friend who melts my heart and makes me giggle, whose pooch perspective reminds me of the pure joy to be found in a game of fetch or tug; a little being who really just wants me to abandon my angst and play for awhile.

Not a bad philosophy. Biscuits all around!