Purchased a Reaaaaaaally nice digital camera. Getting this blog ready for posts and pictures from Iceland and greenland.
posted by becky at 7:43 AM

posted by becky at 7:39 AM

AN OPEN INVITATION TO ANYONE IN TOWN ON THANKSGIVING DAY. John and I are hosting a pot-luck buffet. Food will go on around 3:00, but I am sure the wine-drinking, and fire-side chatting, and food picking, and perhaps even gaming will go on into the evening. Feel free to come visit.
posted by becky at 9:23 AM

Last evening, I decided to bundle up and take my dog for a walk and enjoy the first snow of the season. We headed down to Dunn meadow to throw his Kong, and travelled back up 6th steet. I decided to stop at the library to rent a movie--the selection is pretty good and it's free. While exiting the library, I was approached by a woman dressed in no more than a house-coat and carrying a cane. She wanted to know if I owned the dog who was tied up down the street. I started preparing in my mind the answers to the usual on-slought of questions: "yes, he's a german shepherd even though he's white" and "I don't know what happened to his tail, he's adopted" and "Oh, he is very sweet" and finally, "yes, I think he's great too, thank you". But what I realized I was hearing was something quite different than the usual compliments. She was scolding me for leaving him outside. She told me I was irrisponsible. She accused me of being cruel. She said that if he were a child, I would be arrested! I think I sputtered something about there being a big difference between a child and a dog, and perhaps I defended how he lives a very lovely life. I don't know what else I said because at that point I was being wisked off by John who was pissed.
Back home, while Lucas was lying on his bed (recovering no-doubt from his trauma of standing for 20 minutes in 40 degree weather), I was feeling bruised. Even though I believe this woman to have been off her rocker, the truth is that nobody likes to be scolded, and I had been severely scolded.
I wondered, what will be the ramifications of this, if any? Her commotion actually did require the security guard to come out and talk with me. Many other patrons were disturbed (or amused) by the scene. Will the library post "no dogs on library property" to absolve themselves of this kind of controversy? One reason I bought a house downtown was to be able to walk to places like the library. One reason I bought a house with a yard was so I could provide a good home for a dog or two. I don't want to seperate these two lifestyle choices. And why was she mad? Crazy or not, doesn't everybody know that a dog is equipped to be quite comfortable in chilly weather? Heat is a different story. I would liked to have suggested that it was she who needed to be better clothed for the weather. Are there really people out there who think it is cruel to leave a dog outside the library at 6:30 in the evening when it is 40 degrees? I asked Lucas, but he just looked at me.
posted by becky at 7:19 AM

It's an interesting thing, going back and catching up on others' blogs. I feel compelled to comment, yet those thoughts or incidences are past. Such as Clint's pack-rat phenomena, or Ned's reflections on his weekends activities. Where have I been, you ask? Learning the ropes of middle school. This was not a choice, mind you, but here I am regardless. It's a different world down here...ENTIRELY. Boys scream EVERYTHING NO MATTER HOW CLOSE YOU ARE STANDING. And sentences start with "Dude" and "Sweet". The frenetic energy is overwhelming. Sadly, I question their ability to absorb anything other than orders. I have had to ponder the concept of the "hidden curriculum" in which what I teach is rather irrelevant. It hurts my pride a little. Overall, I enjoy the high school community so much more.

So, that being said, I am turning 35 next week! I feel young, but I have that voice in my head that reminds me that a womans' eggs don't "feel" young. At the same time, I'm not ready for motherhood. It's a conflict. I want to have the option to say no. Regardless, it's a reason to celebrate. BONFIRE AT MY HOUSE, Saturday Oct. 1st.

Clint: I miss you. Give me your email. I have funny spellbowl stories. Wish you were here to share a beer and stories.
posted by becky at 12:41 PM

What happended to Amy's blog? What's her email?
posted by becky at 11:15 AM

On a lighter side...things are good.
Goals for the week-end include: fixing the cracks in my kitchen (ha, I said "crack"), unpack the rest of the gifts from my family, and wish Andrea a happy birthday. Oh, and "just looking" at some german shepherd puppies in green county.
posted by becky at 10:03 AM

I don't know where to start. Horror movies have never haunted me like this experience has. A bad dream? I can only wish. However, I know that what awaits me when go home is no movie, but my dog. Lifeless. Bloody. So much blood you'd never know that his coat had ever been white.
Loss is a struggle with reality. I keep thinking maybe he'll be there. Maybe his big white head will be at the door. Maybe he'll be wagging his tail at the sound of my car pulling up. That's just my heart blocking out the reality. He's dead. Did he know how much I loved him? Did he understand his pain was not punishment?
Bloody paw prints are a one-way track from his crate to my bedroom door. He came to me to die. Blood splashed over my walls. He thrashed while I slept. Blood runs under the bedroom door. How long did he lay waiting for me to notice?
We outlive our pets. I am prepared for their departure. I was not prepared to fill a bucket with solution and mop my companions' blood from every room in the house.
I feel weird. I go through my day. "thank you" I say, to consoling colleagues. "don't cry" I tell myself. Don't cry--as tears drip down my face.
I'll bury him today. There will be others. I'll be okay. But for now, Good bye Albi. I feel so sad that it hurts.



Albi 4.jpg

posted by becky at 9:02 AM