JJ
The only one I can actually milk during this time is my husband and he's quite willing and sweet. But I'm afraid he makes a hash out of a lot of things and I won't let him even do certain things like change lightbulbs -- he once tried changing the lightbulb in the back hall and pulled the whole fixture out of the ceiling! And I had to ask someone else to fix that! He once helped me move my antique vanity, and is so precipitous, that he broke off one of the mirror stays. He opened the Saran Wrap wrong and ripped off the sharp tear edge so we have to cut each piece with scissors (which is not easy). He's doing the wash and I can see a huge bleach mark on the shoulder of one of my best expensive shirts (though of course he denies having used bleach). Having him help is rather exhausting.

Re: Edgar Sawtelle: I don't like Stephen King either, not just because he's scary, but because he makes up stories as he goes along and introduces extraneous characters and details that get lost. You have to like dogs in order to like Edgar Sawtelle, because they play a major role. I think the author is making a comment about how dogs and people are different but equal life forms.