Dog days

I bring you this addition of Life in a Holding Pattern with a dog in my lap. That's right a DOG. Friday night I went to my friend Kelly's cookies and cocktails party. Kelly and Brad were going to Brad's company Christmas party in Richmond, VA for the night Saturday, and were talking about Kelly's dad watching Rascal, their dog. Well the weather was looking questionable Friday night. By questionable I mean that it was raining. Down here people freak out if there's RAIN. I kid you not that Saturday was entirely clear, but just talk of "weather" had the news strip on TV showing all kinds of delays and cancelations of church and weekend activities around Charlotte. I digress. Anyway, I suggested that Greg and I could watch Rascal for the weekend if they wanted and could just take him home with me that night after the cookie party. Now, I don't know if I've mentioned this or not, but Greg has been bugging me HARD for a dog lately. It's gotten to the point where I think one of these days I'm going to come home and find a dog that he has picked out on his own, without my permission, when I have explicitly said I didn't think this was the right time for us to get a dog. This freaks me out. I am not a huge dog person. I think dogs have a certain smell I'm not really into, and don't like dog breath or dog poop, or anything of that nature. I feel like bunnies are my perfect speed for animals. They are cuddly, cute, but exist independently and can be left alone for good amounts of time since they have litter boxes and don't have to be walked. I also think they are fairly easy when it comes to taking trips. Someone can come over and feed them or they are pretty easy to transport, and my parents tolerate them pretty well (they are not pet people of any kind). Having a dog would really change everything, and I don't know that I'm ready for that right now. I think if I'm going to get anything that will change everything, I would rather have it be a baby.
Anyway, I surprised Greg by bringing Rascal home with me on Friday night. Greg ended up staying late at the hotel because they had a bunch of stranded airline passengers and he helped out. He got home and Rascal was flipping out growling and barking because he didn't know who Greg was. Greg was so excited though, it was cute. I think I did pretty good with everything, I even let Rascal sleep in the bed with us (he usually sleeps with Brad and Kelly). Yesterday morning I got up and took Rascal out to pee. We went back in and he followed me around. Which has been pretty consistent. Greg calls him my "shadow". We got out his stuffed squirrel and chew toy and he played with those a bunch. Greg plays this game with Rascal where he chases him around while Rascal has the squirrel in his mouth. It's funny. Later we took him for a walk around the neighborhood. Rascal likes mailboxes. And pretty much every vertical object outside. He peed on everything he could. He also pooped twice and we had to go back to the house for an extra bag. Later we went to do some errands and took him with us in the car.
*I interrupt this post to chase Rascal with his stuffed squirrel as he his whining for me to*
We got back to the house and had dinner and Greg took him outside for a little while more.
Last night he slept with us again. This morning Greg took him out to pee early, and then I got up a little later and he came down to the office with me while I checked my email, Facebook, etc...


I did kinda want to see what life with a dog would be like. It's fun, but it's kind of all-consuming. They are total attention whores.
*stop to pick up Rascal and put him on my lap*
Rascal is a Dachshund. He is one of the most well trained dogs I've ever seen. Brad and Kelly have taught him a crazy amount of tricks he'll do on cue. He's small and pretty unsmelly as far as dog's go, which is why I agreed to take him for the weekend. It's gone well, but I think that this experiment can not be taken as an absolute version of what us getting a dog would really be like. Rascal is an extremely good, fully trained dog, and I think one of the things that freaks me out is the idea of training a dog and going through the "craps in the house, eats the furniture, cries all night long" phase. I don't want to deal with that. I also don't think it's a good idea financially. Dogs can be expensive. The whole idea is for us to SAVE money right now while Greg isn't making a lot. I think having a dog would be an added expense we don't need. Also, the time/attention thing. I like being able to stay downtown after work if I want to run, go out, meet friends, etc... I like being able to say "I want to go to my parents this weekend" and not having to really figure anything out. Someday Greg may get called back or be at a job where he's not home a lot again and it'll be all me to deal with the dog. Not up for that yet.
I think someday I'm open to getting a dog, but now is not the time. Like I said. I want a baby and I'm ready to make those sacrifices for a baby, but not for a dog right now.
In the meantime I will go back to snuggling Rascal while we have him for the weekend. I could definitely deal with watching him once a month or so. It's kinda like California- it's a nice place to visit, but I don't want to live there.