number 3

Death Penalty or the New Dog?

I'm torn between opining on the death penalty or telling you about our new puppy.  If this were the pilot of a new TV show, I'd go for the DP, but that would be depressive and controversial.  The only thing controversial about the puppy is what our six-year old cat thinks of her.  As I sit here staring at the flashing curser, I think I'll save capital punishment for later, but mostly I'm against it.  What would you expect from a left-leaning Oberlin grad?

On Saturday, the girls and I headed out on errands.  For those not completely in the loop, that means my two daughters Emma (14), and Grace (11).  We needed birdseed for the backyard feeders and went into a local pet store for that reason.  The local humane society was there and you can guess the rest.  Ginger is approximately 3 months old (we arbitrarily chose the 4th of July as her B-day), and is at least a yellow lab. We're not sure about the other half, but golden retriever is the odds on favorite.  She's behaves like a puppy should, but she has the sweetest disposition.  If this dog ever bites anyone in anger, I'll eat the hat of your choice.  Right now, she's all legs, and those legs aren't the most coordinated.  It's especially humorous watching her navigate steps, although I do feel guilty about laughing after the fact.  She's a wonderful addition to the family.

Kitty, (who had a real name once upon a time), would beg to differ.  We've had the cat for 6 or 7 years, and he's always been a little skittish, but he's learned to be fairly mellow around the four of us.  I'm not fluent in cat but I think his first impression could best be summed up as, "seriously, wtf?"  He'll get used to Ginger, or he won't.  Frankly, I don't care.

The toughest part has been the middle of the night trips to the backyard for "poops and piddles".  I've accepted this responsibility.  When I told my wife this makes up for all the 2 A.M. feedings she endured with the girls she looked at me dubiously and said, "ah, no."  I left it alone after that.

That's enough for now (and I was right - it was much more fun writing about our new puppy than the DP - maybe there's a lesson there for all of us).