Sixty One Degrees

The morning started out at a cool thirty degrees as I and the morning crew of the dog park awoke and ventured outside. It is the last day of January and it is sixty one degrees outside. As I sit in my sad, cold office I look out and see the sun unashamed and proud. Tomorrow is the beginning of February but that is not holding this sun back. It wants to shine and shine it DOES! I only wish that I could bask in that light because my skin is a sickly pale color and I could be mistaken for a vampire. At least I know that the pups have enjoyed their day with the dog walker and that they are currently absorbing the heat and gentle breeze as they lay on the balcony. I wish I had my dog's life.

Don't Walk a Mile in My Shoes

I just read an article about how 1/3 of Japanese youth in Japan have no desire to have sex. They find relationships and marriage to be a hassle and work so hard that they have little time for anything else. Their population is in decline. Disenfranchised youth, little job prospects and stress have caused an entire nation of Japanese youth to say no to sex and family. I can't help but compare the state of Japan to that of our nation. We have little job growth, a stagnant economy and high stress levels for those with jobs. Most nights I go home and I have hardly any energy to make a proper dinner. All I want to do is sit in silence, watch mindless television and make my way to bed. This process goes on and on and forget social security benefits! I'll be working well into my seventies. I don't know if I could or would bring a child into this world and there are several reasons for that. First, I am exhausted and if I ever want to be an effective parent I would like to have the energy to enjoy my child. Second, I like to work and am not ready to give that up. Third, children are not like dogs. You can't leave a child in a house all day and go to work. Dogs require food, attention and love but you can't screw up a dog the way you can a child by making a small mistake.

There's nothing wrong with having children or not having children. I think the real problem is being so disenchanted with the economic climate and the state of the world that you don't have any urge to create a special connection with anyone. I'm not worried about the extinction of the human race. In fact, it is more worrisome that we will deplete our resources with the current OVERPOPULATION and then we might actually have to move to the moon (thanks Newt!).

Loveseat

I'm not unreasonably tall but I am slightly above average. When I fall asleep on the loveseat my legs are either dangling over the arm or I am curled up as tight as humanely possible. I typically wake up with quite the neck ache, back ache, entire body screaming ache. Imagine my surprise when I look and see a husky curled up on the same couch, half on me and half on the tiniest portion of the seat that still exists! My Buddha bear does enjoy finding small spaces because he doesn't seem to understand his size. What's the opposite of Napoleon complex? Yep, he's got it.

Working Out With a Pup

I should be healthier now than I was before having two dogs but it's actually the complete opposite. I used to be able to go straight from work to the gym and then home for dinner, relaxation and bed. Now, I have to rush out of the office to take the boys outside, feed them and then play with them. By the time all of this happens, I barely have enough time to eat something decent and enjoy quiet time. I'm not much of a runner. In fact, I have always had problems with my knees so that impact hurt a lot. Nonetheless, I did try to run with the boys two times. The first time was great! The weather was great, the boys were keeping pace with me and we were all happy. Unfortunately, Simba thought it would be appropriate to run in front of me and then suddenly stop TO SCRATCH HIMSELF. I immediately flew over him and landed on my wrist and knee with the wind knocked out of me. I looked up to see that they both continued to run and Simba gave me a look of irritation as though he were saying, "really? you're taking a break already?". The second time we ran around the block but soon I realized that Buddha was dragging me. When he gets started he has a hard time slowing down. It's his husky instinct that kicks in and all he wants to do is go for the gold! So what's a dog owner to do??

Punished

There are so many days when I am completely overwhelmed with work, family obligations and life in general. I try to take a few minutes to breathe and just look at my dogs. They are at peace and they are not thinking about a deadline, how much money they DON'T make or how to please every person around them. I try to learn from them but it sure is not easy. When I went to school I never thought that the economy was going to tank the way it has. My whimsical dreams were beautiful and fluffy and now the reality is harsh, cold and unapologetic. Bills pile up, employers mistreat employees and we carry this stress back home at the end of the day. The cycle is cruel and there are days when I wonder how things could have been different. The only thing to do is be happy with who you know and what you have. I try to discard the poison and only keep the positive aspects intact. I guess that's my philosophy. It doesn't always work and sometimes you have to get rid of more than you want to but I think it must be worth it in the end.

Snow Pups

The first snow of the season and they were ELATED!!!

An Incredible Artist

A member of our super dog park crew created this masterpiece of my dogs. She has an incredible talent and truly captured Buddha and Simba. I was thoroughly impressed! She also agreed to donate half of the proceeds to a memorial that we are trying to have placed at the park for one of our beloved members who passed away. It will be an amazing day when we have the necessary funds for that project and I can't wait to post pictures!

Poop eater

Simba has a disgusting habit. He loves to eat poop. Every chance he gets he will walk away from me and sniff his way to a pile of poop. He knows what he is doing is wrong but he grabs it and runs. Sometimes he finishes his disgusting treat in one gulp so that I can't pry it from his mouth. One of the worst moments in poop history was when he actually turned around and ate his own poop before I could clean up after him. Then there was the time that I caught him and tried to scoop it out of his mouth. The garbage got on my hand instead of on the bag that I used to scoop it. A loud scream erupted from my throat as I began gagging at the sight of the nastiness on my finger. I cursed all the way home.

I have tried hot sauce, vitamins, pills to get him to stop eating the stuff, better and more food but NOTHING has worked. Will this continue forever? GROSS!

Collars, leashes, and toys....OH MY!

I can't stop buying accessories for my dogs. There is always something that has to be bought simply because it would make them happy. Buddha and Simba have at least ten collars between them and they are barely over one year in age! They have two big bins of toys and have tried every organic treat on the market. Funny thing is that I enjoy it. I love buying things for them and letting them have fun with their new toys. A few of those toys they completely adore while the others they couldn't care less about. Simba's favorite toy is a cheap tiny monkey that we bought for him when he first came home. He has kept that toy safe and whenever he is very happy he carries it in his mouth with his tail wagging. Buddha enjoys chewing on bones but always goes for this long fleece rope. There is nothing to it really but he always finds it in the box of toys and plays with it. Other toys don't last more than five minutes! So how do they pick and choose which toy should be shredded and which toy has sentimental value? I have NO clue! If anyone out there knows the answer please feel free to share.

Bitter

The bitter cold of winter has finally hit and there are times when my bones ache so much I want to cry. There is no reason for me to have this problem but ever since I was a child, the cold made my bones ache in the worst way. The doctors don't know what the problem is. Now I wrap myself in the warmest heating blankets and cuddle with the pups as much as I can.

These cold nights when I wake up in a flash or simply can't settle down; I lay in the silence and can't help but think of the people who have come and gone. Then I realize how much I have changed and how some of the most basic decisions I have made in my life were actually quite life altering. The thing about pain and solitude is that you have no choice but to focus. Focus on getting better, focus on a pleasant thought or focus on NOT focusing. Right now I am trying to focus on not taking life so seriously all the time. I look at how peacefully Buddha is sleeping and see his little paws twitch as he dreams. What does his dream consist of? Food? Play? Well, with Buddha I think that he is always dreaming of food. Even my dreams are complicated. SHEESH! Time to relax.

Lavender Suits You

Simba does not like to cuddle but he sure loves to sleep on my bed and especially loves to sleep on my heating blanket. Buddha enjoys sleeping on the ground near me and occasionally jumps up on the bed when he wants to be fed.

Someone to Aspire to Be

My dogs have given me the opportunity to meet and mingle with amazing people who I would have never found if it is wasn't for them. The first time that I visited the dog park was a mistake. I was at the park with family and we decided to take a walk. My sister had gotten a dog a month before and we took him with us. We stumbled upon the dog park and were in awe at all the big, small, black, white, brown, etc. that we saw whirling around us. I can honestly say that I never knew that such a place existed right next to my home. Several months later, when little Simba joined our family, we began going to the dog park every single day. There we established our little "dog park crew". A fistful of the most opinionated, fiery and intelligent people welcomed me into their world and gave me the chance to learn from them.
One particular woman was like the den mother of the group. She was 88 years old and always full of spirit. She gave me the best advice "don't take any shit" and she actually saw who I was. She was a pure soul. Through rain and shine she was at the dog park with her friendly and lovable Vizsla. She was always looking at the bright side of things and making us laugh with her strong personality and attitude. Everybody loved her.

She passed away New Years Eve from lung cancer. The cancer came fast and she refused treatment. She said that she did not have a single regret in her life and I am still in awe of her courage. I can only hope that I will have an ounce of that exquisite spirit and love that she displayed to the world.

You will be missed.