Meh...

*BIG SIGH*

Sorry about missing Crush Your Cat’s Head Friday but it was such a dark and dreary day and every photo I took of Yoshi looked terrible. Then she started getting really cranky because apparently the only thing worse than getting her picture taken is getting her picture taken multiple times with a flash. Plain and simple I gave up. I feared for my life.

The Doggy Adoption Saga continues. I sent in an adoption application to a rescue shelter in Yakima, Washington which was accepted. Yay! But then the dog I wanted to adopt was adopted by someone else mere hours before I applied. Boooooo! Then I found out that dog had a brother who was very cute in a troll-like sort of way and he was available to adopt. Yay! Then I got a phone call today from the nice lady who runs the adoption shelter and she said she wasn’t quite sure Norm, the Troll Dog, was quite right for me. Apparently he really likes to mark his territory and she knows I rent my very small apartment and that might not be too cool. Booooo! But then she said she had a couple other dogs that might interest me and I could see them when I came to see Norm. Yay! Then the weather has become quite snowy at the higher levels and the 10+ hour round trip involves driving over a high mountain pass. I doubt I could make it without a 4-wheel drive vehicle or at all with all the snow storms going on. Boooo!!

So….no dog…and no idea when it might happen.

Final rating: BOOOOOOO!!!

Poochless in Seattle

Pooch Watch 2007 has started with a whimper. I did not get the sweet dog I applied to adopt. It was a long shot but I had very much hoped I would be chosen. There are several things going against me as far as being a future dog owner.

First of all there are literally next to zero small dogs for adoption within a 100 mile radius of my city. While this is very good news showing that dog parents are living up to the responsibilities of their charges it means I am shit out of luck for a simple and easy adoption scenario. I called a nearby shelter today and they told me they hadn’t had a small dog for adoption in over a year. Mind you if I wanted a Rottie or a Pitt Bull there are hundreds of them available. However, I am smart enough to know they are too much dog for me.

I have to break here for a 'mo and tell you about the one single small dog available for adoption in a nearby city. It is a Yorkie that was picked up wandering the streets of L.A. He has no teeth, a bad heart, bad kidneys, incontinence, and only one eye. ONE EYE!!!! Doesn’t this story sound like a Quentin Tarantino movie? Seriously. Holy crap!

Ok, back to my whinge.

Another strike against me is that I live in an apartment and people with fenced yards always get priority in dog adoptions. This is very unfair as I live in a fabulous dog friendly neighbourhood surrounded by parks and trails in the woods. I also have a very large and secure roof garden for off leash fetch sessions. There is an off leash beach and park a 10 minute drive away. My building is exceptionally dog friendly with, I estimate, 40%-50% of tenants owning at least one dog. I was talking with a neighbour who said she tried to adopt a dog for several months and finally gave up and bought one. She loves her dog but thought it was crazy she was passed over due to the yard situation. Honestly, I think it can work out better for a dog because the fact that we live in an apartment and have to physically take a dog out for bathroom duties it ensures they get more productive walks versus a person who just lets a dog out into a yard to do its thing without any kind of interaction. I’m just saying…

So I looked in a couple of local papers for what sounded like reputable breeders and found that mixed breed small dogs cost about $1500 to buy while pure breeds cost about $3000. Well, that kind of purchase is not going to happen for me any time soon. Initially I thought that this range of prices would probably deter emotional and unsuitable purchasers which was a good thing for dogs in general but changed my mind when I saw how many pure bred large dogs are in shelters. We all know people often have more money than sense.

So I am being steered toward out-of-country adoption such as a lot of prospective parents do for non-furry children. Sadly, the US has loads of small dogs in shelters and rescues. In fact the sweet dog I applied for was located in Seattle, a 3-4 hour drive away. There are problems with this as well. Many rescue shelters do not adopt out to out-of-state or country applicants because doing home checks and after adoption checks are so time consuming and expensive. I can totally understand this but with the small dog shortage here they are missing out on a huge group of willing adopters. I have decided that if I do manage to adopt a dog from Washington State I will volunteer to perform home-checks for them in my area so they can facilitate more adoptions up here.

But saying that it can still be quite expensive to adopt a shelter or rescue dog from the US since they often charge adoption fees as high as $500. Take in account the exchange rate to Canadian funds along with at least two trips across the border using a few tanks of gas on top of all the supplies ones needs to get and obedience classes and a vet check needless to say it can get very pricey.

Now I know what a lot of you are saying. If I can’t afford to shell out aprox $1000 for a dog then I probably shouldn’t get one. Believe me I have taken that into consideration and totally understand this point of view. The fact is I can (with some recent lifestyle adjustments) afford supplies for a dog as well as a reasonable adoption fee. I can afford pet health insurance so I don’t have to worry about large vet bills and I can certainly afford food and an obedience class or two. What I don’t have is a huge lump sum to hand out all at once.

So the plan is this. I will continue to check local and US adoption sites on the internet and by phone. I will continue to contribute to my Poochum Fund so I can afford a higher adoption fee as the funds grow over the next few months. I will continue to be open to the whole process and see what comes my way. But I now realize I will have to be more patient. Waaaaayyyy more patient.

So thank you, Universe, for once again placing me in a situation where I become brutally aware of how grossly impatient I am. I’m working on this issue, honest! Cut me some slack.

In the meantime I am cuddling Yoshi and spoiling her rotten. Enabling her Q-Tip habit and lap addiction. Crushing her head any way I can think of.

Crush Your Cat's Head Friday-Rebel Meow

Fauxhawk
When she dreams, runs around like a freak and eats her dinner she gets this funny hairdo.

Feeling Just Fine, Thanks.

Well another Valentine’s Day is here and yet again I am single for it. Unlike most single gals this doesn’t bother me in the least. I am honestly not the slightest bit lonely or upset about it. And I really couldn’t even tell you why except that I have never thought my single status reflected poorly on me. I have really never felt that I NEEEEEEDED a man to be happy. It is very true for me to say when I hear all the funny/weird/terrible relationship issues that my friends go through I just hang up the phone and feel nothing but relief that my life is not complicated that way. And I feel this relief far more than I have ever felt lonely. Perhaps I think this way because when I look back on my past serious relationships I mostly remember the hard times. The sad times. The times being lied to and cheated on. And worst of all feeling so lonely while being in a relationship. I have felt far lonelier with a man in my life than I have ever felt being single.

There is so much pressure to be hooked up in this world and I admit to feeling it sometimes. Especially lately now that I am the last single chick in my whole circle of friends. Everybody else is married/long termed hooked-up and all but three couples have kids. And one of those couples who don’t is working on changing that as I type. I do feel like the odd duck out but I cannot say that I look at any of my friends’ relationships and envy them. None would suit my needs and desires. I don’t covet anybody’s situation and am perfectly happy with my single status.

I’d even say I probably think it may be considered weirder that I am honestly happy being single than the fact I am without a man. Does that make sense? Everybody just expects that a single woman would be desperately looking for a guy. Simply, I am not and have no immediate plans to.

I just figure that if I go along with my life and do the stuff I love then I might meet somebody in my everyday routine. And if I don’t then….I don’t. Or maybe one day internet dating might pique my interest but not at this moment it doesn’t.

I do celebrate Valentine’s Day as my Dad has ALWAYS been my special guy so we exchange wee gifties. I got a lovely bunch of flowers from him today in beautiful pinks and purples. I feel very loved and cherished by him.

And this Valentine’s Day, unlike others in recent history, I am actually deeply in love. I fell hard over the weekend while looking at dog rescue sites and put in an application to adopt a Min Pin/Chihuahua mixed dog with the sweetest face I have ever seen. I have looked at dozens of dogs and most squeeze my heart. This little pooch actually made me weep when I saw her. Competition is fierce and I haven’t heard back yet if I even get an interview so please pray and send out good poochie vibes my way.

No matter if you are single or married or in that whole dating stage I hope your day is wonderful. Don’t wait for others to treat you well. Treat yourself well and you will never feel alone.

Crush Your Cat's Head Friday-What a Pussy

I thought she might like some fresh air out on the balcony. Um...apparently not. It really isn't that cold out. Honest.

Throw Me a Bone...Or Not

Thank you all so much for your excellent advice about doggy adoption. I have still not made a definite decision either way but am still very open to the process. I have decided to go look at any dog that catches my eye. Hopefully on Friday I will get to meet Rockie, a 13 year old Pomeranian who is looking for a home to spend his remaining time in comfort and surrounded by love. I have to admit I had no particular affinity to Poms but his face is so sweet and he sounds mellow and loving. I’ll see what he is really like in person and if there is any connection between us and go from there.

Yesterday was my One Year Cancer Free Anniversary. Unfortunately I didn’t exactly get to celebrate it with wild abandon (or with hookers and blow) as I spent the day in the hospital getting a bone scan. I had a sore spot on my sternum on the side where my cancer was. The docs seemed to think it was cartilage inflammation but we decided a bone scan was needed to be sure. That is the big problem with cancer (the gift that keeps on giving) because you just can’t ignore stuff that you probably would attribute to normal aches and pains if you didn’t have a cancer history. The docs say to come in if you experience any unusual symptom or pain for more than 2 weeks.

So I asked the tech if she saw anything bad on the scan (even though I am not supposed to) and she told me everything looked clear (even though she is not supposed to) and we both promised not to rat each other out and I left feeling significantly better. I got home in the late afternoon and celebrated with tea and chocolate and hugs with Yoshi.

It was a good day.

How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?

I want a dog. A pooch. A pooper. I have dreamed about owning a dog for years but I go back and forth and while every bone in my body aches for a canine buddy practicalities hold me back. Also The Great Unknown is daunting as I have never had a dog in my whole life. I really don’t know what to expect. I haven’t been exposed to a whole bunch of dogs so they are a bit of a mystery to me. However, I have never met a dog I didn’t like and I fuss over them like grannies do their scrumptious grandbabies.

When faced with a big decision I always write out a Pros and Cons list:

Pros

-Am home a lot for the next few months and when I start up my business I can take a dog to work if it is well socialized around people and other dogs.
-I live in a VERY dog friendly building.
-There is a small park nearby and a sea wall to walk along too.
-Watched the entire first season of The Dog Whisperer in one sitting.
-I have a friend who could dog-sit for me if I go out of town or even need a day to myself.
-My parents would love to walk the dog too.

Cons

-Since I am not working I really cannot afford any kind of new pet.
-Yoshi, my cat, might kill the dog. She is very unsocial.
-Very unsure about the whole housebreaking thing. I have light beige carpets too.
-I’ve never had a dog before. I might totally screw it up. Doggie therapy is expensive.
-Not thrilled about dog smell issues as well as cleanliness.
-Very squeamish about poop.
-Deep fear my lap will not be big enough for a very possessive cat and a new dog.
-I cannot afford to replace the couch if the dog eats it.
-I cannot afford to replace my boots and shoes if the dog eats them.
-Since I live in an apartment building a late night/early morn pee run means getting all dressed and going down an elevator and out to the grass. No letting the dog out in the yard wearing my Pjs.
-I am worried about who would take care of the dog if my cancer came back since I don’t have a boyfriend/husband to take over the responsibility.

I have thought that I should have a small dog for space reasons as well as poop reasons. Small dog + small poop = less gagging. I am also very open to older dogs as well as dogs with health problems like deafness or blindness but have decided that I cannot afford to provide long term vet services for a chronically ill dog.

So talk me into it or warn me off. Any thoughts? What do you think?

Crush Your Cat's Head Friday-Make Believe

Abominable Yoshiman in her Snow Cave