SLEEPING WENDY, IDEAL LAP DOG/LAPDESK COMBO FOR A BALLGAME & THE IRON CLAW

This edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap is a little late arriving Saturday morning --- blame that 5-4 gut-kicking loss by the Texas Rangers in Friday night's baseball game. 
And there's a tie-in with the game, a pro wrestling move and my Rangersfanspouse Martha.
In that first photo you can see Wendy Louise Wagstaff Arden, the dog Martha rescued as a street-roaming puppy in 2009, out like a light on her dog bed. In the background you can see Wendy's favorite right jolly ol' elf looking over her. Has nothing to do with Friday night's game -- if Santa could bring anything joyous for Christmas, I'd ask that he'd get the Baseball Commissioner to put the Astros back in the National League where they belong.
That aside, at some point during the late 8th or early 9th inning, Wendy moved off her napping spot and sprawled in the chair Martha already occupied. They're attached at the heart. Wendy is a big dog with the tendencies of a lap dog.
And, as the game progressed, Wendy rested her chin on the arm of Martha's chair and stretched across her lap so that her back legs dangled off the other side.
Martha, holding her little computer gadget in one hand, was able to read while petting Wendy AND watching the Rangers trying to protect a lead in an important game in the playoffs. Basically, Wendy is a very happy "Living Lap Desk."
That final photo brings to mind the late, famous wrestler Fritz Von Erich and his wrestling sons, the Von Erich Brothers -- anybody else remember Dallas Sportatorium? (The famed wrestling arena is now gone, progress having bulldozed it and left behind a vacant lot on the southern side of Downtown Dallas at a busy intersection across the levee from the Trinity River)

The legendary Fritz had a signature wrestling move. It's getting renewed attention because of the upcoming release (December 23) of a movie about the Von Erich wrestling family -- the film is called The Iron Claw.
Geoff Herbert, writing about The Iron Claw for syracuse.com, had this great explanation of the wrestling move. He wrote that the Iron Claw involved Fritz Von Erich "spreading his hand over an opponent's face and then squeezing."
On Friday night, as Wendy tried to doze in Martha's lap and she and I watched -- with great belief -- the Texas Rangers leading in the game, we saw, in the top of the 9th, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve hit a 3-run, go-ahead homer. 
I looked at distraught Martha and saw very calm Porche on her lap as Martha, a harp and piano player with long and strong fingers, took her nimble right hand and began forming the basics of Fritz Von Erich's "Iron Claw." 
Wendy calls it "The Back-scratch claw." 
Ironically, Martha had not replicated the Iron Claw when a "benches-clearing brawl" broke out between the teams in the 8th inning. She didn't want to get thrown out of the game. She's new to following baseball intently and I, a former sportswriter, was honor-bound to explain to her that the umps' power doesn't extend beyond the stadium's ticket gates. Martha prefers the luxury suites, in case you want to invite her to an upcoming Rangers' World Series game -- we have faith in the home team. Blind faith. Like an ump. I kid the umpires. It's a tough job being second-guessed by a TV camera.
-- Offer Ranger cheers or Astro polite applause by clicking on "comment" below or by emailing [email protected] and put "Didn't you pitch?" in the subject line. Use that same address to send photos and info about your loving dogs and cats -- we love to show off your sleepers and nappers. Thanks ---