why I love my Shadow...

My dad is out of town right now, so I'm dog sitting. Well, sort of. My stepbrother didn't go on the trip because he just got a new job that wouldn't let him take a break... so he does all the feeding/letting outside stuff. But twice a day, I get the pleasure of walking my dog and stepdog. I miss having a dog, so it's really nice to get to spend some time with Shadow and her bigger, more annoying counterpart. Shadow is so great: she's 13 years old, and she is completely deaf. When I come over in the morning, the first five minutes usually involve me wandering around the house looking for her; generally, I find her fast asleep under my dad's bed. She always lags behind on the walks as Lucky pulls ahead to smell everything. She's capable of going at a trot the whole time we're out, she just seems to prefer a slow, steady pace. The best, though, is when she gets excited. Lucky chooses his battles carefully - he barks and growls at other dogs, squirrels, rabbits, and other worthwhile targets. Shadow, on the other hand, chooses the most random targets for her low growl and high-pitched bark: this morning, it was two young cleaning women who had just commented on how adorable they thought Shadow was. What a great dog.

I went to the eye doctor this morning. A week or so ago, I think I put my contacts in the wrong eye. So, the next morning, I switched them back to what I thought was the right order. Since then, my allergies have flared up, and I had been unable to decide if my contacts were in the right eyes. My eyes got dry every afternoon, and I would have a sinus headache some days. So, today, my eye doctor checked for me. Good news: it was all paranoia, and my contacts are in the correct eyes.

Other things I wanted to say:
- I still don't have a student number at UDLA, but I'm certain that it will all work out. I've still got a month until I leave... plenty of time for things to work out.

- I'm watching "Kyle XY" right now, and it's actually ptetty good. But don't tell anyone I said so.

- I pre-ordered the new Format CD, and it's supposed to get here next Tuesday. I can take it on the road trip I have coming up in a couple of weeks. I'm really pumped.

- I'm very much looking forward to sleeping in and taking the day off tomorrow.