update on the crazy

So, the imputes for crazy mother in law's work call turned out to be the blessed demise of their scraggly, fleabitten one-eyed Irish Setter, a beast they'd worn around their necks for several years like the Ancient Mariner's albatross. Purchased in a fit of misguided nostalgia as a replacement for a family pet of the distant past, it failed dismally in its role as talisman uniting the shattered clan.

First, the Wife's virulent allergies to anything with fur guaranteed we would never again set foot in their house. Second, the beast itself was unwelcome anywhere outside their domain, as it proudly bore the spastic DNA of its species and was completely untrained, discounting violent fits pitched by the rage-o-holic father in law.

It never presented a tremendously appealing visage, but took a sharp turn for the worse after a bout of Valley Fever a few years back. It survived in zombie form, withered and with one eye transformed into a milky orb. It hobbled along unstoppably until unceremoniously keeling over at the foot of the stairs last week, becoming a prop for one last spasm of mawkish parental manipulation.

Overall, not a bad symbol of the family dynamic.