When you run out of pizza dough at 9:43 pm and you really fancy some homemade pizza made by you because it’s your favourite

It really sucks.

So says my lady, who really loves her homemade pizza, made by her with the right amount of cheese and tomato, and her favorite toppings, zucchinni and pepperoni.

“Can you manage without the dough?” I ask.

She thinks I’m provoking her. I am.

I mean, managing without pizza dough may seem quite insignificant in the big scheme of things but if you can’t figure out the trivial stuff, how do you expect to figure out the tragic stuff?

Because let me tell you, (and I’m sure you know) tragic happens. But does tragic have to linger around? Not on my watch.

I speak from experience. I always took my four paws for granted. It was them and me together for the ride. Absolutely. My four paws were my must-haves.

What a joke! I would have never imagined I’d soon find myself saying “hasta la vista, baby” to one of my paws.

My remaining three legs were not managing well without the fourth one so I told them: “Fellas, you better learn to turn your must-haves into your can-do-withouts if you want to catch up with life’s funny jokes.”

Lump it or limp it forever.

(Control your laughter, bird.)

It’s all about finding alternative ways and turning your minus-ones into your plus-ones. I say.

So let’s go back to the pizza dough.

9:43 pm. My lady wants to make pizza. She opens the fridge. No pizza dough! She slams the fridge door shut. Curses. She makes me nervous.

Don’t exasperate. This is the perfect opportunity to pull off a plus-one trick. Let’s analyze the options:

-“What about canned soup instead?”
-“No way!”

-“Ordering pizza from some of the dozen Italian restaurants offering delivery service?”
-“Homemade means made at home.”

-“Mixing cheese and tomato in a bowl and having a homemade Italian casserole instead?”
-“Not even going to answer that one.”

Not able to be of any help I let her be and go to the living room.

A while later I smell of melted pepperoni fat and toasted cheese. I follow my nose to the kitchen.

She’s made individual pizzas with sliced bread!! They look delicious. She eats them all. We’re not allowed to eat pizza. (Bummer.) But she gave us some bread dipped in oily tomato sauce. Yummy!

What about you? Any interesting plus-one tricks you’d like to share?