BEWARE of DOG

Ferocious DOG who refuses to bark


I love the sign: "Beware of DOG". It is awesome because it is missing "the". Sasha gets a promotion: he isn't "a dog" or "the dog". He is DOG. With this designation, he deserves his own comic book series and cape. DOG to the rescue. He is the platonic ideal of a dog: DOG. It's a lot to live up to, but Sasha just wags his fluffy tail.

Then again, maybe the pressure is why he spends so much of his day in repose on his comfy bed. Maybe it is why he conserves his barks. One never knows when he'll be called on to BARK because that is what DOG does.

Then there is the other side of the sign, who designed it? Did he graduate from Fortune Cookie Fortune School where he mastered the art of vaguely awkward syntax? BEWARE of DOG. Was he maximizing the space? Was it a joke or meant to be menacing?

(I'm going to try to make this blog more about the writing and less of a teenage diary. I did say try. See, this was an attempt at comedic writing. Read it again and see if it worked.)

My faux dog or "my" dog

Sasha
I live with a dog named Sasha. He's 100% mutt and excellent company. He's very pretty and not too smart. As we all know, this is a good thing. Canine intelligence is a terrible thing: the dog and his humans end up extremely frustrated. They don't have words only paws and teeth and incoherent barking. I emphasize the positive: "beautiful coat", "you're so quiet", "you're excellent company", etc. However, he prefers to hear his name to be sung, "Sasha sasha sasha sasha sasha." He finds the repetition pleasing. His tail wags in beat as I chant.

We enjoy walking but have separate expectations, which can lead to not good outcomes. Plus, he's obscenely furry and it gets everywhere. He's been extremely patient training me. I'm learning his language, which involves very little barking. He communicates mostly with his front paws and snout.
Sasha Asleep

sweet desert

My vacation has provided little opportunity for blogging. Perhaps, we shall call it a vacation for my readers as well. But, the blogging famine was a feast of living.

My trip was full of goodness... God's grace and goodness to be precise. Friendship is such a humbling and beautiful gift. I got to spend time with three friends that have an intense impact on my life and soul. Their love and commitment is far beyond anything I deserve, and I get energized just being around their awesomeness. They are so alive in the truest and fullest way-- the God intended way. Their laughs tinkle. Their truth tingles with the slightest of sting. I sleep really well after spending time with them-- it's like a day at the beach.

I feel more relaxed and priortized. I feel... ready. Expectant. Hopeful. I've been a stress bunny all this year, but life isn't feeling so heavy right now. I'm more self aware now-- not in an bent-in way, but a how-am-I-impacting-the-people-I-love way. I feel open. Excited. Joyful. I am in a planning stage.

Several of my friends are in love. I found their healthy, happy relationships enjoyable and inspiring. Maybe it's feasible for me to find someone compatible?

I even got reinvigorated about reading the Bible. It's exciting again. I heard some intelligent, passionate preaching in Vancouver by two of my favorite pastors.

I'm benefitting from the recreate that comes in recreation. Fun and relaxation are powerful stuff.

I've been staying with a friend's seventh grader the past couple of days. I've had a blast but am exhausted. We checked out puppies and fedoras, ate Japanese, I cooked a "visually appealling" meal that night. Then we went to church, Wendy's, Discovery Place, played with blocks, watched Transformers on Imax, walked around uptown, ate ice cream for dinner. Today, we slept in, worked out at the Y: I ran, he swam, researched puppies at the library, ate huge salads, watched Inkheart, and I did some of the homework I'd planned on doing. And, I had a great conversation with my brother today about the LSAT, running, life and God.

Meet Tiberius

I've been obnoxious with my dog fixation. I want a dog, a Hungarian Visla or Rhodesian Ridgeback to be precise, even though I don't have the time or the money for such a dog. So, the Chief, as funny as she is, got me this little Valentine pup to tide me over until the time for a real one comes. I think I'll name him Tiberius. A name when in size 36 font is longer than he. It was between Demosthenes and Tiberius. I chose Tiberius because it's Roman, rugged and breaks into a knickname more easily. Trust me, he's a keeper: he's plush and has a solid world view. His politics are sound as are his view of the human condition. Really, the two go hand in hand.

Today, I sent a lot of kids to Redirect. They got 3 checks beside their name. I've been a little timid about sending them because the principal publishes a public record as a shaming technique. But, I was talking it over with the Chief, she told me, that repeat customers is evidence of the ineffectiveness of "Redirect" rather than your classroom management. So, I'm sure I'll gain the repercussions of making a lazy person earn his keep, but it shaped up the other kids.

I figured out the logistics of keeping my job via Lateral Entry. I have to take two classes that will cost me $650 each-- the School District will reimburse me for $400. So, that puts me back $900. I need to figure out other funding besides my savings. Teaching is an expensive job. My sister calls me the professional volunteer. She makes 3.5 times what I make with the same amount of education and hours worked. C'est la vie. My one consolation is tax bracket. I don't even get the consolation of looking down on business thanks to my family and Regent education. All vocations are equal in my sight. We all serve the same God and our different parts of the same Body. I think people who feel self-righteous either for taking the high road or for making lots of money are errant. We are all called to different tasks even in different seasons. All this said, money confounds me. I'm slowly learning how to deal with and respect it.

It's gotten cold again, which has contributed to me getting caught up with my grading.

a hungarian viszla named harriet

I've developed a bad case of dog fever for Hungarian Viszla, the wiki entry on HVs. Originally, I had a case of Rhodesian Ridgeback fever, but it mutated to Viszla fever when I discovered them. Hungarian Viszlas are sensitive, mid-sized dogs with no under fur and they only bark when provoked.

My mother and brother asked me several important questions about my new devotion: what would I name her? Harriet. Why not a Rhodesian Ridgeback? Because HVs are midsized and the whole bark aspect. Where would I keep it? Indoors. When would I walk it? At night and in the morning. How would I afford it? IDK.

Owning Harriet is about as far off in the distance as owning a house, having a job I like or getting published. Some naysayers might call it a pipe dream, but I will meet Harriet. I will.