Hello world. I have, as usual, made a huge life change that has kept me away from the keyboard (also, there was a bit of the whole "lack of keyboard" as well) - but I am now, once again the guardian of a canine. This is a Puggle, a beagle-pug mix that my mother had adopted before realizing 2 weeks in that an 8-week old puppy is a a pretty steep hill for a 70-year-old to climb, even if she is a self-proclaimed "dog lady".
I couldn't bear the idea of having this pup go to the shelter, so I went ahead and fast-tracked my returning to Puppytown plans.
It's been a much rougher ride this time around. Previously, I had the single smartest and compassionate (towards me, at least) dog ever. I was also 20 years younger, and much more socially active and had a job that mostly had me staring at a computer or standing in front of a machine.
Not anymore. I spend 8-10 hours a day mixing doughs, shaping bread, doing intricate dessert prep, etc. I am a lot more jaded. This Puggle, on the other hand is the single happiest dog i've ever encountered. She loves everything. Everything is a game, except sleeping. Sleeping is for sissies, apparently. Anyway, today is the first morning I've had with her that she hasn't been camped in my lap, or demanding attention and that i could write a little. it's been good to have a dog in my life again, and the wealth of people who i've encountered has been amazing already. Previously dog-parks were pointless, the previous Grey Overlord merely needed open space where we could play frisbee, or miles of places to walk. The Puggle Overlord likes to meet her minions, will play with all dogs (even, god help her, Corgies) loves attention from passersby (we had one woman cross a street against traffic squeeing "ohmigod, she's so cute i HAD to come over - can i pet her??) and thus is a whole other dog handling experience. Also, as we inhabit an apartment on the 12th floor, trips outside are a bit more involved (including dodging the neighborhood ephemera) and that has thrown a bit of a twist into the narrative. Anyway, just a quick note to myself to maybe get back on track again here - there's much to dissect, and the job is approaching month six without much trauma, so i'm hoping to get back on track....right after i finish this New Girl binge....
