Cheryl Massey & Coco

Who is in the photo at right?

The human is none other than Cheryl Massey, aka Cherdo. "Cherdo" (pronounced share-dough) comes from a little guy who could never say Cheryl; the name stuck with a certain boyfriend I had who later became my husband.

I'm a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none. Though trained as a nurse, I left the workforce years ago to homeschool my sons and dabble in creativity. I write, draw, teach, research (genealogy) and cause general mid-life mayhem with sub-optimal levels of female hormones.

My blog is called Cherdo on the Flipside. The name comes from my personal theory that everything looks different on the flipside of fifty; I tend to say what I think a little more often and put up with crap a whole lot less. Consequently, you never know what will be on the Flipside, but most of the time it will be slathered with humor, snark, bad art and tongue-in-cheek commentary.

My family members are Hubzam, Juggernaut, Magoo and Gonzo. Of course, that's not their real names; but when your family members don't want their names used, I get to pick the alias. It could have been much, much worse.

The cute one is Coco, my six-year-old chocolate toy poodle who currently needs to visit the groomer. I'm a dog person through and through. Fortunately, Coco has enough personality and energy for ten people. I'm just trying to keep up.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Dear Coco and I have a standing date for coffee every morning. If I forget the time, she wakes me. After I rise, we go through our regular shtick of outdoor run, paper retrieval, dog feeding and then: java. Ah, the best part of the morning.

Coco will throw a ball in my lap the whole time I read the paper; she is obsessed with playing ball.

What's brewing?

Here's the part where I'd love to spout off some exotic coffee blend that I roasted myself from beans I picked in my South American themed greenhouse. I'd like to say that, but I'd be lying. We love your basic mild coffee. I believe this happens to be Eight O'Clock brand that just happened to be fresh off the Keurig trail. Add a little cream -- Nirvana ... steaming wonderful Nirvana.

Snore if you must.

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

We were partaking of some homemade granola with Chia: it made us feel fancy. Also, it made Coco roll on the ground and act psychotic as she tried to get the Chia seeds out of her mouth.

How were you and Coco united?

My previous dog was Cleo, a buff colored mixed breed (predominantly terrier). Cleo passed away after eighteen and a half years of doggie love and loyalty. It was a heartbreaking void in my life, so I looked for another small dog and found Coco through a private breeder.

Any treats for Coco on this occasion?

Any day of the week, Coco is up for a treat. She loves rawhide chew treats.

How did Coco get her name? Does she have any nicknames?

Coco got her name from her beautiful chocolate brown color. She's blessed with several nicknames: Coco Loco, Coco the Wonder Dog, or her superhero secret identity, Annoya. She has the super power of endless ball fetching and annoying persistence at getting her way.

Tennis ball, stick, squeaky-toy...?

Ball, ball, ball, ball, ball, stuffed blue dog and ball.

Postman, cat, squirrel...?

Geese and rabbits are fair game, though she has never caught them. Where geese are concerned, she's fearless. She'll chase thirty of them without blinking. At first, they act like they are going to stand their ground -- till they notice that she is picking up speed. She even follows them as they take flight.

I may have to get her a goose for Christmas.

Where is Coco's favorite place for an outing?

We've got a pretty big yard (over 3 acres) and she likes to run around our property. If given her way, she will occasionally run up the long driveway and visit the neighborhood kids.

Who is Coco's best pet-pal?

All her pals are human. Whatever human is visiting, that's her favorite.

What is Coco's most endearing quality?

Coco is just so stinking cute.

If Coco could change one thing about you, what would it be?

She truly wishes that I would bend to her will and provide any and all of her dog desires. And quickly. As it is, I just convert a significant portion of my cash into veterinary wages.

What is Coco's proudest moment?

Coco always got along with all of our farm animals: goats, chickens, and a donkey. Eventually, we decided to pare it down to just chickens; specifically, Chinese silkies. We had a beautiful flock of white silkies and I'd let them out for extended periods of the day. Coco was just a pup and she loved to stay on the porch. The silkies would join her and drink out of her bowl and eat her food -- which scared her, but she never barked to bothered the chickens. In fact, she'd come to the door and look in and cry!

Duchess, the mother hen, had a huge bunch of baby chicks that year. She put up with those tiny, tiny chicks moving in on her territory for a couple of weeks. Then one day, she thought to herself, "Hey, these chicks remind me of something."

She gently picked up a chick and threw it in the air! She was so proud. She'd created a toy. And the bonus was that every time she threw one in the air, I'd scream "No, no, stop! You're going to hurt them! Stoooop!"

I believe seven or eight chicks went airborne before I got a hold of her. She was so proud and happy.

We got rid of the chickens soon afterwards.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which Coco could speak, who should voice her?

Olympia Dukakis, using her Moonstruck accent.

If Coco could answer only one question in English, what would you ask her?

1) If I buy you the goose, will you let me sleep in on the weekend?

2) When you sort through your food, what are you looking for? And why do some of the pieces not make the cut and get set on the floor? Have you noticed they are all the same? It's called a factory, and it makes the food -- all the food -- exactly the same size and shape.

Visit the Cherdo on the Flipside blog.

--Marshal Zeringue