Ever Hide Behind Something to Avoid Seeing Someone in Public?

I did. I jumped behind a giant concrete column to avoid saying hello to someone I did not want to say hello to. Unfortunately, I wasn't alone. I was with a new friend who may now think I have the maturity level of someone who lays in bed dreaming of vampires and werewolves fighting for her love.

In other news, my dad welcomed a new member of the family to the house yesterday. A few weeks ago, their big lumbering chocolate lab Shane was diagnosed with some final stage cancer and they had to put her down. If you've ever lost a pet that you raised from a baby, you know how horribly devastating this feels. After careful deliberation, they decided to get a German Shepard puppy and against Jewish tradition, name her after someone who is still living (my sister) - which is a little weird, but not surprising. I haven't met her yet and while puppies are cute, I'm tempted to wait until the initial stress of her peeing everywhere and the control it takes to encourage the good behavior - the treats and the clicking and the jumping up and down with praise- is over before I visit. Just listening to my father lecture everyone on what they would have to do every minute of every day until the puppy was running her own circus stressed me out.

I've been thinking about getting a cat. I'm firmly on the fence about this because while having a pet is just all around awesome - I feel like it would be a slap in the face to the late great Wilford Brimley, who I did, in fact, give up to live in a foreign country. I wouldn't want to do that to a new cat. I'd love a dog, but I don't have a schedule that can accommodate one and cats only need you for about fifteen minutes a day. My real dream is to have a chimp who knows sign language - but they are currently out of those at Animal Haven. It might be a good time for me to make a decision because the Universe is currently on my side. Yesterday, I got my heat turned on! I celebrated by sleeping with my door open they way rich people do. Also, my hallway is clear of debris. My neighbor either moved out or was eliminated when someone anonymously sent a tip to Al Quaida with her coordinates and the information that Dick Cheney was hiding out in there. Not sure which. . .