Me and Tucker today at the store

PET-FRIENDLY BUSINESSES rock. Tucker agrees, and he'll tell you himself today because we are hanging out at Second String Music.

This morning Sheryl is subbing at Quincy High School and has the car. It's warm enough to walk or ride the bike, and I decided to take Tucker, our Border Collie, with me and walk to work.

I like this hanging out at work stuff!

We stopped at State Street Bank at Eighth and State. Bobbe White and the girls there love Angus, and now they have fallen in love with Tucker. He has come a million miles since we first got him - he wouldn't come up to people without shaking or bowing his head. Now Tucker greets new friends and especially likes Bobbe, who gave him a treat this morning. When we take the dogs through the drive-through, the tellers always make sure we get treats. The dogs, that is.

We ambled toward downtown, and the one thing about walking Tucker is that he likes to stop at every tree and post along the way. And I do mean EVERY tree and post. Look, buddy, you can't mark your territory all the way from Calftown to Fifth and Maine. We gotta work on that.

We stopped at Bittersweet Confections to get coffee. This is a restaurant so I'm sure I was a walking health code violation - me, not Tucker. But Michael Mitchell is a dog-lover and he was glad to see Tucker.

We even stopped by Kristopher's Salon to see if Kris Kutcher was up to no good, which he allegedly is sometimes, but he was busy in the back. A couple of women getting their hair done loved Tucker, of course. We didn't have quite enough time to go see Sara at the Sweet Apricot Shop, but we'll make a plan to see her another time - (she has a Border too).

I can always bring Tucker next door to Schuecking's since it's run by dogs. Right now Tucker is playing with Fast Eddie and having a great time. He's pretty fixed on standing by the front door to make sure the Washington Park squirrels aren't going too crazy. Or maybe he's watching the Outside People. I will stop now.

Tucker is always glad to meet new friends - come see us at Fifth and Maine! I'm proud to say Second String Music has gone to the dogs.