Being a Grown-Up

Somebody stole my little fluff-ball of a puppy and replaced her with a lanky, long-legged young dog. As adorable as puppies are, I'm really excited for her to fill out. She's going to be a pretty girl. Hell, she already is, despite her "awkward" stage.


I ordered her adjustable training harness last week. She lets me put it on her and take it off her without any fuss, and she doesn't really notice it's on when she's wearing it. Unlike Dexter, who freezes in place whenever you put any kind of harness or backpack on him. Well, at least until he gets outside, anyway. He's got issues.

Hmm, what else is new. Oh yea, my car died -- something with the timing belt going bananas. So I bought a big, 6-cylinder, gas-guzzling monster!


My first self-bought vehicle -- kind of a big deal, I guess? My old car is probably going to be salvaged for my sister. My parents are paying to get it fixed, so I figured it was time to pass the car along and get something else.

I put about a year's worth of savings into a down payment and began financing a used 2008 Mercury Mariner. It's a lot like my parent's Ford Escape, which I really like, only newer and better. The gas intake will take some getting used to, but I really don't drive that often, so it's not a huge deal. I wanted something big enough to accommodate people and dogs, with the power to tow, so I really didn't have many gas-friendly options.

I also equipped the trunk area with a dog barrier gate, so most of the fur will be kept in the back of the truck. Time to rejoice and possibly wear black clothing again. My only concern: what happens when I have three or maybe four dogs? Where will they all go? I have problems!