The Wife Says: Does David Bowie Know About My Dog?

Every year we take the dog down to Yorkville during the film festival. It’s different now that the bulk of the festivities have moved to The Lightbox but it’s still fun. We have en English Bull Terrier, ‘a designer dog’ as one of our friend puts it. They look like something out of a cartoon.

A few years ago, we were having lunch on a Yorkville patio and had the puppy along. The Schmooze–yup–that’s her name– was just a kid and her head kept popping up beside the table. She was a little squirmy at that point.

Way off to the side, there was a tall blonde woman being interviewed on camera. You could see the woman was trying not to notice this silly egg-shaped head popping up from under the table on a semi-regular basis. We were finishing up our lunch when the blonde woman passed by. She was 6-foot-four in heels, wearing this filmy dress. She looked like a glamourous stork. It was Tilda Swinton.

It might have been the year she was in Michael Clayton with George Clooney. Maybe she was in town for Benjamin Button. I’m not certain. Anyway, she stopped by our table and the dog’s head came up!

Tilda paused and swooped down like a graceful bird, right onto her haunches, picked the puppy’ skull in those skeletal fingers and right away the dog calmed. Amazing.

Once The Schmooze was settled, Tilda rose to her natural, intimidating height and glancing down at us said “Your dog is beautiful. She has Bowie eyes.” The Schmooze has one brown and one half-blue eye.

With that, Tilda glided away. Part of me wonders as I ponder this link..did she swoop down on David Bowie and tell him “You have Schmooze eyes.”? I can hope.