How do you sum up a week like this one? Our lives have changed dramatically with the arrival of Buddy. Despite the self knowledge that Steve and I are (were?) very independent people, I think we've both been a bit surprised by the sudden change. I guess it's like first time parents who say "having a baby will change your life, but it's soooo worth it."

It is also...

...strange, funny, disturbing, etc. to wake up at 2 am and see your dog in shadows staring at you with intense concentration inches from your face.

...amazing the amount of pride you feel after teaching your 4 year old dog the basics of "fetching." Also a bit of sadness that he wasn't taught before.

...stressful to know that you create so much anxiety in a pup just by walking out the door. Even more so, when you come home an hour later and he's chewed another hunk off the crate.
Way more so, when you come home and realize your dog either jumped or climbed over baby gates stacked 5 feet high. Unbelievably so, when you notice half of your living room shade has been torn? eaten? shredded? by this bundle of nervous energy.

...absolutely awesome to have a running partner who loves to play in the mud too! Especially when you both arrive home dripping in the entry and your dog's sweet face just makes the husband laugh and grab a towel. Buddy is also the only being to EVER get Iris out of bed each morning (way too early by the way) for a quick run.

...kind of funny that I found myself buying a roast to boil then freeze in a kong per the dog trainer's suggestion.

...with a sense of panic that we find glitches in work schedules that leads to an appointment with doggy daycare and discussion of pick-up/drop-off times.

...interesting that pure exhaustion has me falling asleep instantly and staying that way the entire night. We have a Border Collie. One morning run is not sufficient. He gets that and usually a couple longer walks as well.

...pathetic that I used to criticize people who could only talk about their children. Ironically, there have been few conversations this week between Steve and I that did not revolve around Buddy. He has found a place in our family permanently. I guess I'll have to change the name of this blog..."Running Only with My Thoughts AND Buddy."

Buddy - for sure a trail dog

Short post for a big week. Yesterday, we closed on our house, got the keys, moved over a few boxes, a bed, and all stuff Buddy. After signing our "Pawsability" paperwork at the Humane Society, we took Buddy on a looooong hike before introducing him to his (our) new home. The vet had warned us that he's got a little arthritis in his left hip due to an injury. Not sure what kind of injury; that's the mystery of adopting dogs. But, he did GREAT!

We spent last night trying to figure out what kind of dog he might be. Crate? Pillow? Blanket? We tried the crate until about 2am. I took him outside again where he finally went to the bathroom. Good stress is still stress and he was feeling it. Once inside, he went straight to the bedroom, sprawled out in front of the fan and slept until 6:30. I guess he's a I'm gonna sleep on the floor dog next to mom dog.

This morning, I took him out on the trails in order to let Steve sleep before his long shift. We hiked for 15 minutes pretty much uphill, and then I decided to try a bit of a jog. My broken toe is still achy, but we went for it. 30 minutes of running later, we strolled back to the car, proud of our good run. Buddy responds well on the leash to directions and he never pulls which I love.

Question for the running people with dogs - what do you do for water? I bought one of those portable bowls but it's too big and bulky for a run. Did you trail your dog to drink from a bottle? Any other suggestions would be welcomed!

I'll be posting pictures once we've got internet at the new house. I'm currently packing at the old place, giving Buddy a brief hour of "practice alone time."

To write or not to write?

I've been debating about posting this week at all. There's been no time for running. My thoughts are a mess, and I'm tired. So tired in fact, that I walked right into a door frame and broke my little toe.

Our community was impacted by an incident Wednesday night that took the life of one teen, hospitalized two others, and led one to detention, waiting for the court system to determine consequences for actions that hold many in disbelief. As a therapist in the schools, my job was to listen and comfort. In crisis, I'm surprisingly calm and focused. Later, now, it's the questions that plague me and cause me to become a weeping disaster at random times, including this morning's service.

As an adult, I can barely grasp the information dispensed this week, but our teens are really struggling. Why? How? What keeps each of us from doing the unthinkable, or not? How could we have been, can we be, friends and supporters of someone who could hurt so viciously? What might we have done to curtail such an incident?

These aren't new questions to me. I've worked in this field for a long time. I have been witness to personal conflict and tragedy often, and some will haunt me forever. And once again, I don't know the answers, but I sure wish that I did.