The Case of the Missing Flippy Floppy

In the world of crazy Border Collie owners all toys have names. There’s the usual “Ball” for anything round, “Bone” for Nylabones or regular bones, “Stick” for anything that is long and round or “Wooby” for the favorite training toy. Then there is the special indoor, guaranteed not to break lights or damage ceilings, cloth Frisbee, hereby named by me “The Flippy Floppy”. If I say, “Where’s the Flippy Floppy?” to my young Border Collie, Levi, he runs around the house trying to remember, “Where did I put it? Where’d I last see it?” This 7” diameter, round cloth toy allows me to play “Bouncy, Bouncy” ala Sylvia Bishop or simply fling the toy around the living room over and over and over for the entertainment and exercise of the Border Collies. Hope springs eternal that this game will wear them out. (I know. I’m one turd short of a full kitty litter box.)

So it was that recently the Flippy Floppy disappeared. Gone, no amount of looking under sofa, chairs, beds or out in the kennel made it magically appear.

There was only one place I never, ever in my wildest imagination would have looked. The toilet!! I’m beginning to think I live with a couple of Einstein’s. Who lifted the seat, which is always down and dunked this toy in the water? When I lifted the seat to, ah, ya know, I saw something dark in the hole. Did I mention the light was off in the bathroom at the time? Did I mention I live alone and don’t need lights and closed doors? I groaned. Ick. I had a plugged toilet. This wasn’t in my job description and was something I would usually whine for a man to fix. Since the only males in my house are canine I knew I had to turn on the light, grab a plunger and push, pull, push, pull until the nasty deed was done.

Imagine my surprise when I turned on the light and there was the Flippy Floppy. This is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life. How the heck did that get there? Levi? River? They’re not talking.

How many Border Collies does it take to drive a human insane? The answer is apparently two.

Its just one of those things I’ll never know but next time I’m missing a toy…