Let me introduce you to one of our family members, Chocolate Chip. Chocolate Chip has been in our family for about 2 1/2 years. He was a Christmas gift from Aunt Wendy, Adam's sister. He did not do much with Hunter the first 1 1/2 years. When we made our move to Bristol, VA, Chocolate Chip wanted to hitch a ride with us. Hunter and Chocolate Chip soon became BFFs (Best Friends Forever). Chocolate Chip sleeps, eats, and plays with Hunter every day. They are happy together.
This past weekend, while in Nashville, Chocolate Chip decided he wanted to have a little adventure of his own. One rainy evening we went to eat at a Mexican Restaurant. While dogs are not allowed in the restaurant, Chocolate Chip decided that while we were eating he would hop out of the car and play in the puddles. Chocolate Chip had so much fun splishing and splashing in the puddles that he didn't see us get back in the van and leave. A little while later a nice family found Chocolate Chip and decided to invite him in the restaurant to eat chips and salsa. After he had had his fill of chips and salsa, he decided that he would check out the kitchen and hang out with the cooks. The kitchen was so busy and full of life that Chocolate Chip felt in the way. That is when he decided to take a nap on a shelf near the front door and wait for us to come and pick him up.
Meanwhile...Hunter did not realize that Chocolate Chip had hopped out of the car. After a few hours he began to look for his BFF. When he could not find him, he asked me, his mama, to help find him. We looked high and low. After about 15 minutes of looking, I realized what might have happened. I immediately jumped in the car and traced our steps back to the Mexican Restaurant. While driving, my heart was sitting in my stomach. Chocolate Chip has been so attached to Hunter this year and it would be a tragedy if he was not found. I pulled into the Mexican Restaurant and looked around in the puddles, no Chocolate Chip. Walked into the the restaurant and asked the manager. The manager was not aware of a missing dog, but asked a waiter just in case. The waiter pointed to Chocolate Chip sitting on the shelf snoozing away. I immediately took ahold of Chocolate Chip and told him that he needed to take adventures with Hunter, not without him. After the warm reunion of Chocolate Chip and Hunter, we decided to give Chocolate Chip a bath. While Chocolate Chip was getting a deep cleaning, Hunter had to go to bed. I promised him that Chocolate Chip would join him as soon as he was nice, clean, and dry. Sure enough the next morning Hunter awoke with Chocolate Chip by his side.
