The more things change....

New dog: He's really great. I worry about his dominance, of course, but he's so darn cute. When he sees something he doesn't understand or needs to study, he sits very straight and puzzles over it, his ears attempting to stand up straight and the wrinkles in his forehead becoming more pronounced. You can just see him going, "Hmm, what's this?" So far he knows "sit" and is pretty good at "down," especially for the jingle ball or a treat, and he goes into his crate and settles down when bribed, but "come" is abysmal. He definitely seems to have a sense of humor -- the other night he went racing in circles around the living room furniture, grabbing pens or papers in his mouth without even stopping. I was in hysterics. He's killed all the stuffed toys by shaking them (high prey drive), and had his butt kicked repeatedly by Sturmz and Hazel the cat. Huey the rooster ran at him the other day too. I figure he needs all the limit-setting from any quarter that he can get. He still growls at me sometimes and puts his teeth on me when I try to get his leash on, tho less frequently. He plays well with other puppies, I was relieved to see, even though I won't be able to take him to puppy class (not enough vaccinations yet, not enough bucks yet, time conflict). More photos soon!

New job! I started at the Redwood Coast Senior Center on the day after Labor Day. My title is Outreach Worker, and for 30 hours a week I answer questions about various services, assess people for home delivered meals, schmooze in the lunch room, keep track of contracts with the county social services department. It's very laid back, and my direct supervisor is more like a friend. I actually know her from Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The difference between this non-profit and the private business I was with before is like night and day. There, I couldn't do enough, know enough, do anything right. Here, they're so grateful that mostly I know what I'm doing and take initiative. It feels great! They're also willing to train me in areas I'm weak in or interested in, so today I went to a seminar on communicating with clients with dementia.

Old jobs: I'm still looking after Michael 2 afternoons a week, and getting Todd up on weekends, so effectively it's still 7 days a week, but feels more spacious. Frank is getting set up in real estate (is working for a broker in town) and we both feel quite hopeful about his prospects, like there's some sacrifice now, but at some point things will change for the better -- like we'll be able to buy some land and I can quit the weekend job (which is in trade for part of the rent).