Mak & Me

In total and absolute plagiarism....

Mak is a 14 week old white Boxer puppy with the energy of a freight train. He's got floppy ears and a constantly wiggling behind. When I got him he was 23lbs. I've had him for just over a month and in that time he's put on 10lbs and grown five inches yet he still looks like a kid in over sized footsy pajamas. His feet too big for his body thump loudly on the hardwood floors. His ears too big for his face swish around in his dish as he wolfs down his meal. His clumsiness makes me laugh uncontrollably.

Despite his quick growth, his needs are pretty simple - exercise, potty, a little love and plenty of sleep. His routine is pretty easy. He sleeps in a crate downstairs and the first couple of nights having the A/C humming would drown out his heartbreaking whimpers. Now he doesn't whine. He wakes up in the early morning and with his funny sleepy face bounds out of his personal Alcatraz. Half way across the kitchen he spins around remembering that he forgot to spring his stuffed toy Red Bull (sleeping buddy and companion of many adventures). Unable to contain his happiness to see you his whole body wiggles as his stubby two inch tail spins like a little propeller. Sometimes he's just so damn happy his body wiggles so hard he can't keep his feet on the ground let alone walk in a straight line. So he ends up coming at you sort of sideways.

Every morning after breakfast we go on our morning walk to the farm across the street where he romps around with his canine friends when, being older than him, they are in the mood to play. Horses don't seem to bother Mak. He's not afraid of them and not having any sense of them having hooves I'm expecting him to get stepped on. Puppies seem to like to learn the hard way. For now he is content at liking their noses every chance he gets. Though his girlfriend is an estranged calf and his nemesis is the sheep that reared up and headbutted him at the first encounter, his favorite stop of the morning is to visit the 11 new piglets who are just as curious about him as he is about them. He sticks his head over the fence and very much enjoys sniffing and nibbling at their snouts. Often I wonder if he's made the connection with those funny little creatures and the dehydrated pig ear he so much enjoys chewing on at home. His morning is surely quite eventful. Just what he needs to expend enough energy to keep him calm at work.

I could more than likely write a book of Mak and me only recounting this first month of our relationship. I could tell you of the time he was chasing his tail and ended up somersaulting all the way down the hill. Or the time busted his stitches shortly after neutering despite the vet's recommendation to keep him calm, and that short of duct taping him to an inanimate object there wasn't much I could do but ride it out. Or how he learned the perimeter of the invisible fence the hard way. But I'll spare you. Just as I'll spare you my amazement at watching a creature grow into his personality. Though I'm sure that, given that we are just now grazing the teenage years and have already encountered rebellion, there will surely be much more to tell. For now, I'll just say that he loves cheese; his full name comes from a great book; he thinks beer bottles are the next best invention; he has the ability to tell you to "shove it" just by looking at you; he smiles a lot; he eats like it's his last meal; he loves to cuddle any chance he gets; he goes all day but he's crashed hard by 9PM. So if the theory that pets resemble their owners is true, then we are a match made in heaven.

Footnote

How do you tell someone that they just have too much going on in their lives right now and it's heartbreakingly overwhelming to you. Between family, jobs, social engagements, women (plural), suspicious friendships, previous commitments - there is just no room for me, not even as a footnote of a long list of things to do. How do you tell them that without being called crazy?

Mute like a Phish

The truth is that most of the time I have no idea what I'm doing in the kitchen. I'll buy things at the store with a particular meal in mind and then two days later I've completely forgotten what that was. But in my defense, how good does this look? Maybe the fact that I forgot to eat lunch today just goes to enhance its appeal.

It's belly is full of a spicy zucchini mixture. The aromas are from my herb garden. It will be accompanied by grilled asparagus that I marinated in a lemon and olive oil concoction. The saying goes 'drink like a fish', so I thought well enough to drown this one in white wine.



I don't know if it will taste as good as it looks. And it doesn't really matter because there really isn't anyone to impress. Though I was thoughtful enough to save some vino for me. Tsk! Everything tastes better with wine!

I can't wait to sink my teeth in you little fishy and wash you away avec le pinot! Aurevoir mon poisson!

Let's talk Tickets

So here is today's dilemma that I need insight about:

Say that for a special occasion you receive a gift of tickets to an event, a game or and you KNOW with absolute certainty that there is no other place you'd rather be. Should you feel obligated to take the generous gifter (made up word!) as your counterpart on this outing? Or should you be free to decide to take whomever you please?

And what if said gift of tickets is not well received (to put it mildly) by your significant other. Should this gift have never been gifted?

Ultimately, say that you would actually really like to share this event with your generous gifter despite your significant other not condoning this idea. Should you do as you heart contents or should you instead go with you significant other in order to placate his/her wrath?

I know it's my selfish nature speaking but I'm of the idea that once you are given a gift it is for you to do as you please. And though I'm sure I'll be chastised for this, I'm a firm believer that you only live once and make the most of it so you should have the balls go with who you want. If in this case, if for whatever reason it's not the company of your significant other that you'd like to have, so be it. He or she will get over it. And if they don't, well maybe there are deeper issues that need to be addressed. And if it is your significant other you'd really like to go with, then so be it. Life is too short to have any regrets.

Yet another reason for "No"

Me: "So you guys are pretty tight knit group of friends huh?"
Him: "What friends?"

Me: "Well you know, your Friday cocktail group of friends."
Him: "Oh yeah....we are! We go waaay back."

Mental note: Which is yet another reason "we" could never be. I may be a woman that knows her place and is malleable to all surroundings, however you just can't compete with "waay back". Sometimes certain things are just too complicated to even bother upsetting a balance.

Novel-ties

I've been reading this book titled Marley and Me. It's not really a brilliant literary piece, nor is it a thrilling page turner but it does flow. It's well written and it's its simplicity that makes you wonder why it is you didn't think of writing it first. Isn't that what always happens with brilliant ideas? Someone always seems to have one before you. Though ever since I was a little kid my family and friends have always told me I should get into writing. Even as a child I'd write silly little short stories and diaries and journals. I was always scribbling something. In elementary school I had a diary (that I haven't dare to open since!) that I'd make stuff up in. The deal was I'd keep it 3 days and then trade off with a friend for 3 days. We'd write and then read each other's stuff. In High School I began keeping a journal (which I'm afraid to look at to this day because I can't imagine that what I had to say back then has any importance) and though I hated English class I could bang out a short story assignment in my previous period and turn it in for an A. In college I didn't really have much time to write as I was busy working on everyone else's papers and my own thesis. And I'll confess that, as many people do, I've fantasized about living in some remote little town a-la Cabot Cove looking out at the Ocean for inspiration and banging out novels. As sad as it may be, (aside from my very dry thesis), this is as close as I've gotten to published work. Apparently I always have a lot to say. And I certainly have been fortunate enough to experience things that many dream of. I just can't seem to put it all together in a cohesive book. So instead I'll ramble on unglued.

Ready - Set - Go!

I want to sit by a brook and fish.
I want to lay on the beach and read.
I want to spend a rainy day watching TV.
....but I can't because I just don't have the time.
I don't know when my schedule got so crazy but it did and it's got me in a tizzy.

Monday
* Wake up 5.30 - 6.00
* Shower, Feed/Walk Dog 6.30-7.00
* Work 7-3.30
* Errands and lose ends 3.45-4.00
* Ride Horse 4.15-5.15
* Dog Obedience School 5.30-6.30
* Make dinner 7-7.30
* Consume dinner 7.30-8.00
* Clean up and unwind 8.00-9.00

Tuesday
* Wake up 5.30 - 6.00
* Shower, Feed/Walk Dog 6.30-7.00
* Work 7-3.30
* Riding Lessons 4.00-5.00
* Walk Dog 5.30-6.00
* Have a beer at Pub 6.15-6.45
* Make dinner 7-7.30
* Consume dinner 7.30-8.00
* Clean up and unwind 8.00-9.00

Wednesday
* Wake up 5.30 - 6.00
* Shower, Feed/Walk Dog 6.30-7.00
* Work 7-3.30
* Exercise Dog 4.00-4.30
* Ride 5.00-6.00
* Play Tennis 6.30 - 7.30
* Make dinner 8.00
* Consume dinner and unwind 8.30-9.00

Thursday
* Wake up 5.30 - 6.00
* Shower, Feed/Walk Dog 6.30-7.00
* Work 7-3.30
* Exercise Dog 4.00-4.30
* Ride/Groom 5.00-6.30
* Make dinner 7.00
* Consume dinner and unwind 7.30-8.30

Friday
* Wake up 5.30 - 6.00
* Shower, Feed/Walk Dog 6.30-7.00
* Work 7-3.30
* Exercise Dog 4.00-4.30
* Ride/Groom 5.00-6.15
* Have a beer at the Pub 6.30-7.15
* Make Dinner 7.30
* Consume dinner & unwind 8.15-9.00

I'm going to spare you the details of my weekends because they are just as bad. Mind you, these are tentative schedules and they don't take into account travel time as well as all the in between daily routines that my OCD forces me into such as make my bed and tidy up my house before leaving for work. Then of course we need to consider silly things such as groceries, shopping and errands. Something's got to give. I could use at least 5 more hours in a day to put me on a schedule where I'm not running around all the time. I'm either going to have to borrow the 5 more hours from the following day or do something about my inability to keep my eyes open after 9PM. I just don't get how people have the time to read, chill and lallygag but it sure must be nice!