It's all fun and games until somebody loses an eye

This afternoon, around 5:30pm, I took Lucy out to the park for a short walk and her afternoon toilette. We made it around 3/4 of the park, peeing, pooping, sniffing other dogs and being sniffed (her, not me). There was one couple throwing baseballs with their two young boys and a dad and his very young son playing t-ball. It was cute. We were just thinking about heading home when suddenly Lucy was no longer attached to the leash. I still have no idea how this happened. Nothing broke. The leash is still functional. It was as though the clip just pulled over the loop on her harness and set her free. Lucy has not been unleashed outdoors in months. It's a sad but true reality of city living. She plays inside and occasionally gets to sprint up and down the hall of the 15th floor while playing with her friend Winston, but she doesn't get off her leash unless she is contained within walls or a fence. She's just not responsible enough to be let off, plus there are tough leash laws in Chicago. I've dropped the leash or Lucy has pulled away from me before, but if she has the leash still attached, it's easy to get close enough to just step on the leash. But today it was just her and her harness -- which means you have to get close enough to catch her. If you've ever seen Lucy run, you know that's not easy. Suffice it to say I was annoyed by the little game she started, especially since I was supposed to be leaving for work. More importantly, I was freaked out that she could easily run in the road and get hit by a car. Wes and I agree that Lucy is far more likely to die a tragic death than to live to an old age, particularly given her proclivity for sprinting around recklessly like she did in the park. But it's terrifying to see her free like that so near some very busy roads. I'd like to think she's smart enough to stay in the park and out of the roads, but there were plenty of times in Charlottesville when she ended up in the middle of High Street late at night after skinnying her way out the door as we walked in.

Happily, she didn't run in the road, she did eventually come back to me, and she did have an awful lot of fun sprinting around the park. And she thoroughly amused the three-year-old little boy playing t-ball with his dad. He kept saying to me, "She really likes to run. Where's she going?" I could tell the dad was nervous at first because Lucy kept zooming near them, but he realized that I hadn't let her off on purpose and that I was scared enough as it was. He kept himself between Lucy and his son and even tried to lunge for her once or twice when she came past (but oh no, she's way too smart for that). I don't know what finally tired her out. I kept waving a stick at her, hoping she would jump for it and I could grab her, but it's hard to lure her back when she's having so much fun running around. I finally sat down on the grass and refused to play chase, then grabbed her when she came close enough.

Needless to say, I think we amused some people in the part. I was amused, too, after being irritated and scared. And Lucy had her fun and games as well.