Collateral Damage

Sam and Marcus were playing their usual game of chase around the living room last night, weaving around the recliners and bolting down the hallway back into my room (where I was cleaning, for once), then scampering off back to the living room. I was organizing my schoolwork on my bed with Sam lying at my feet, poised and ready, when Marcus stole in and paused at the threshold.

A staredown ensued. Who would make the first move? Ready... ready... r-e-a-d-y.... GO!!

Marcus and Sam ran off at the same time. This was the audio I heard for the next five seconds:

[scrabbling of paws on the carpet]
SQUEAL
[thud]
CRASH
"AAAAHHHH!"

I came running out into a dark living room, and for one heart-stopping second I thought they'd broken the TV. But no, the casualty turned out to be the living room lamp, which was pulled off its coffee table perch when one of the racing dogs snagged its cord.

The carnage

I threw both dogs outside (they knew they were in trouble) and got some trash bags, and Mom and I cleaned up the mess. Mom bemoaned the loss of the lamp, saying it was one of the very first lamps she bought in college. Personally, I think that means it was high time for it to go. Maybe next time I can trick the dogs into somehow breaking the oven, and we can get a new one of those, too.