We have this dog. His name is "Rennie." That's short for "Renaissance" which is a historical time period in Europe that I was really into at the time we got the dog. Also, "Ren" of "Ren and Stimpy" was a TV show that both my wife and I found amusing at the time. We thought it was cute to name our new pet in such a way. I mention him now to explain to you the weather changes occurring in Texas, and how it affects the household. It gets very dry this time of year. And very cold. The perfect environment for "His Majesty Rennaissance the Chihuahua" to be more annoying than usual.

You might be familiar with chihuahuas. They are little hairless creatures which allegedly come from central america. I personally think they came from another planet. They're particularly alien looking. Rennie is a bit different from the average chihuahua. For one thing, he's got hair, and as long as you don't look directly at his eyes, sometimes he looks like a miniature collie.

Now that's weird.

But what's really weird is what he can do with that hairy body during the winter. A little known fact about chihuahuas is that they are potentially powerful batteries of static electricity. It just builds up in them, which might explain their temperamental personalities. Rennie has hair though, so unlike most chihuahuas, he can accumulate an even greater amount of static electricity by rubbing up against blankets or carpeting or any similar surface, store it in his body as he walks across the room, and then shock your ankles. When it's dry and cold like right now, this is a danger that exists in my household. You never know when the electric chihuahua will strike next.

originally written December 29th, 1997

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