Sundayish

It keeps thundering, which means I have a quivering Margot under my feet. [Edit: As the only dog who doesn’t get mentioned in all of this post, I need to say her name: Guinness. Done. She’s very sensitive. 😉 ] Hopefully, no electrical issues will keep me from writing, because I’m a day behind. Yesterday, I made the decision to leave my computer and take care of things that I’ve put off for a while. For example, I went to the airport post office (thought of you, Mark!) to mail some packages that were long overdue to be shipped out.

Then I spent the afternoon at a tire place to get four new tires on Jet. Tom did this last week for his car and offered to take care of mine, but I figured that being out in the suburbs (airport!) was a good opportunity to get it done.

Okay, honestly? I took that route through the suburbs not for tires, but because I wanted to go to Krystal and get Krystal burgers, which either is meaningless to you (because you’ve never had one) or you’re wondering, Were you DRUNK? Because that’s when most people eat Krystals, and no, I wasn’t. It’s just that when you CAN’T get something outside the South, and suddenly you can, but only if you drive twenty-five miles, what was once a late-night-after-the-bars-mistake becomes DESIRABLE BEYOND COMPARE. Probably a lot like that guy we’ve all regretted taking home once, hmmmm?

After I had four new tires, it seemed only right to fill Jet with gas (cheaper in the right place in the suburbs) and get it washed. I vacuumed it out myself. If you know me, that’s a lot more shocking than those Krystals, because my friend Jeff trained me to get my car cleaned by someone else, and though I’ve given up many luxuries to be a full-time writer, the two I maintain are getting my car done and expensive bed linens. A girl’s gotta have her standards.

Since I was out in the vicinity of Green Acres, I finally went by and met Jess and Laura’s new dog. Here are some photos from my doggie moments yesterday. Um, I DID miss shooting one doggie moment: Seig HIKING HIS FREAKING LEG ON ME. Fortunately, I dodged him, and I have NO idea why he decided to mark me. I mean, we’ve SLEPT together; he knows I’m his! (At least when Rex is not around–I’m fickle.) According to Laura, he probably wanted the new dog Sam to know it, too. Whatever. Some people go to dog parks or Manhattan bars for that kind of action, but it’s not my thing.

Weighing in at 160 pounds, Sam the mastiff.
Mastiffs always make me think of Rochester’s dog in Jane Eyre.

He’s really just a big, loving puppy.

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Another big, loving puppy, Sue.

An American bulldog, Sue is the model for the mixed breed dog in my next Coventry book.

Mr. “Come Back Here, I’ll Pee On You!” Seig the doberman, protecting his toy from Little Blind Sparky and Couldn’t-Care-Less Minute.

As a result of my excursion, I missed some good phone calls, but I have to tell you, Marika, I like having your messages in my phone mail so I can share them with Tim and so I can listen to them again. Thank you for all the things you said. =) And thank you for this, too! It would have been fantastic anyway, but personalized, it’s great!

A Moleskine, self-proclaimed notebook of Hemingway and Picasso,
which Marika personalized for me with Maleficent, Diablo, and that tattletelling owl.

My friends are so generous, as I’ve been reminded recently from Marika, Mark, and Amanda. I’m getting very spoiled!

Now I’ll go to work and try not to think of the friends who are facing tough decisions about their ill animals. I know the right choices will be made, but it’s a painful journey, and my heart goes out to them.