Congratulations on changing your life!

So we got this puppy named Yuma. See what had happened...we went to Grenada and got the little bugger from their animal shelter, which is actually about 15 miles and many confusing turns from Grenada. We lost our way many many times trying find this place, one time almost driving out onto the middle a runway at the Grenada airport. The shelter building looked like where I would hide if I were a runaway convict. So here's who was running the shelter when we got there: a convict. Complete with striped jumpsuit and a tattoo of a revolver on his inner arm. Something just seemed very wrong about being let into the large caged pen by a convict in a building miles from any other people. This convict pointed out the litter containing our puppy as one that would be gone "come the big killing day next week". He didn't seem very upset about this. We asked what kind of dog she was. He told us her father was a full blooded wolf and her mother was a collie. I saw images of White Fang decending from the mountains to have his way with Lassie. I think this is just a story he made up. She looks like neither breed. If I was a bored inmate I'd make up stories too.

Anyway, all day yesterday the puppy was very well behaved, except lots of "elimination" on the floor. Ahh, but then came the hell of last night. I'd read that crate training was a great way to teach your dog that it can hold it's bathroom needs. This means the dog has to sleep in a crate, and you let it out several times at night to go potty. Well, our puppy DEFINATELY does not like this idea. She cried for probably 45 minutes after being put in the cage. Continuously. Loudly. I began to realize how unpatient and easily miffed I am. Crystal gets super points for keeping her cool all night long. Me? I collapsed in a upset nervous fit on my bed and clammed my ears with pillows. Eventually the pup went to sleep for a few hours only to wake me up again at 7. I think she pretty much wined continuously after that. While drifting in and out of a some really shitty sleep I dreamed that I woke up and got dressed for class. I saw Crystal awake and told her "Thanks so much for watching over the dog last night. I just couldn't take it. I really appreciate it." Then I walked to campus as the sun was dawning. When I got to campus I saw from the Clock-in-brick-plaza that it was only 4:45 am. There were a surprising number of students out for that time. Turns out that Tiffany was up that early as well, and we chatted it up on the lawn of the school, wondering why we were both out so early. At this point I woke up, heard the dog yipping, realized I was dead fucking tired and drug myself to class and work. What a night.

All day long I have been a big pack of nerves. I'm so worried that the dog will cry all night every night like that and I'll never get any sleep. I'll sleep on my grandparents' couch or in my car before I endure that again. Saturday night Crystal will be in Memphis and I can't rely on her to be the dog's caretaker. I'm thinking I'd rather stay up all night or sleep on the couch with her tethered to the coffetable than have to deal with the crate. I'm absolutely worred to death about what we're going to do with the dog when we both need to travel simultaneously. I know I'm almost out of town more than in. I'm worried that......I'm just worried. I haven't been able to eat anything all day and I've just felt sick, sick, sick. I'm never like this, probably because very rarely do I let things invade my comfort zone like this. I don't let anything do this to me, and it's driving me crazy that this is driving me crazy.

Tonight I got "dealing with stress from puppy" supplies. A package of foam earplugs. A selection of "sleepytime" and "stress tamer" teas. a box of Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies (heat each one in the microwave for 9-11 seconds. Warm, calm. I don't know how but these cookies work like yoga). A copy of "Hi Fidelity" to read if necessary to stay up all night with pup. And last but certainly not least a Zanex sleeping pill on loan from my Mom. The last time I took one of these was on a Greyhound bus to Pittsburgh, and suffice to say I don't remember much of the trip. I don't usually need or endorse these things but I'm willing to try ANYTHING to keep me from having a bedtime nervous breakdown again.

Yes, I realy am this crazy.

So we got this puppy named Yuma. See what had happened...we went to Grenada and got the little bugger from their animal shelter, which is actually about 15 miles and many confusing turns from Grenada. We lost our way many many times trying find this place, one time almost driving out onto the middle a runway at the Grenada airport. The shelter building looked like where I would hide if I were a runaway convict. So here's who was running the shelter when we got there: a convict. Complete with striped jumpsuit and a tattoo of a revolver on his inner arm. Something just seemed very wrong about being let into the large caged pen by a convict in a building miles from any other people. This convict pointed out the litter containing our puppy as one that would be gone "come the big killing day next week". He didn't seem very upset about this. We asked what kind of dog she was. He told us her father was a full blooded wolf and her mother was a collie. I saw images of White Fang decending from the mountains to have his way with Lassie. I think this is just a story he made up. She looks like neither breed. If I was a bored inmate I'd make up stories too. Anyway, all day yesterday the puppy was very well behaved, except lots of "elimination" on the floor. Ahh, but then came the hell of last night. I'd read that crate training was a great way to teach your dog that it can hold it's bathroom needs. This means the dog has to sleep in a crate, and you let it out several times at night to go potty. Well, our puppy DEFINATELY does not like this idea. She cried for probably 45 minutes after being put in the cage. Continuously. Loudly. I began to realize how unpatient and easily miffed I am. Crystal gets super points for keeping her cool all night long. Me? I collapsed in a upset nervous fit on my bed and clammed my ears with pillows. Eventually the pup went to sleep for a few hours only to wake me up again at 7. I think she pretty much wined continuously after that. While drifting in and out of a some really shitty sleep I dreamed that I woke up and got dressed for class. I saw Crystal awake and told her "Thanks so much for watching over the dog last night. I just couldn't take it. I really appreciate it." Then I walked to campus as the sun was dawning. When I got to campus I saw from the Clock-in-brick-plaza that it was only 4:45 am. There were a surprising number of students out for that time. Turns out that Tiffany was up that early as well, and we chatted it up on the lawn of the school, wondering why we were both out so early. At this point I woke up, heard the dog yipping, realized I was dead fucking tired and drug myself to class and work. What a night. All day long I have been a big pack of nerves. I'm so worried that the dog will cry all night every night like that and I'll never get any sleep. I'll sleep on my grandparents' couch or in my car before I endure that again. Saturday night Crystal will be in Memphis and I can't rely on her to be the dog's caretaker. I'm thinking I'd rather stay up all night or sleep on the couch with her tethered to the coffetable than have to deal with the crate. I'm absolutely worred to death about what we're going to do with the dog when we both need to travel simultaneously. I know I'm almost out of town more than in. I'm worried that......I'm just worried. I haven't been able to eat anything all day and I've just felt sick, sick, sick. I'm never like this, probably because very rarely do I let things invade my comfort zone like this. I don't let anything do this to me, and it's driving me crazy that this is driving me crazy. Tonight I got "dealing with stress from puppy" supplies. A package of foam earplugs. A selection of "sleepytime" and "stress tamer" teas. a box of Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies (heat each one in the microwave for 9-11 seconds. Warm, calm. I don't know how but these cookies work like yoga). A copy of "Hi Fidelity" to read if necessary to stay up all night with pup. And last but certainly not least a Zanex sleeping pill on loan from my Mom. The last time I took one of these was on a Greyhound bus to Pittsburgh, and suffice to say I don't remember much of the trip. I don't usually need or endorse these things but I'm willing to try ANYTHING to keep me from having a bedtime nervous breakdown again. Yes, I realy am this crazy.
My AIM changed to gingermissippy for now. ginger@mosquitoinc.org