Pupdate #13 (See Linus catch!)

Again, with the no posting! Here's a video to tide you over. This is us in the local park, polishing Linus's "catch" skills. We got kicked off the tennis courts one time too many (useless sport!), so I've taken to putting him on a 20' lead and working with him in the open grassy area. It's a good system most of the time, until Linus sees something he wants and forgets that he's still on a leash, hurling himself to the end of the line and then wha-BAM! turning into a canine tetherball.

Sorry for the the long silence, folks. I've been busy GETTING A JOB!

Yes, I have found a theater company in Washington, DC that is actually willing to hire me to sell their shows, run their blog, and be an all-round marketing and internet lackey. So Linus and the cats can continue with their gourmet pet food habit and I have Saturdays off for the first time in three years. I can't wait!!

But wait! My story gets better. A college theater buddy has just recently bought a house in the Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast DC with his wife... a house that conveniently features a finished basement with separate entrance. And is three miles away from the theater I'll be working at. Oh, and did I mention that they love dogs? It's perfect! The only downside is that Nate the Great is highly allergic to cats, so Pepper and Brenin will have to live with my parents in Maryland until I can find a permanent place for myself and the menagerie.

More posts soon. We celebrated Take-Your-Puppy-to-Work Day the other week, and the pictures are fabulous.

Pupdate #12 (The joy of playdates)

Got back from New York at midnight (!!) Friday a week ago. I've been spending most of my time since then either working at The Store or chiseling away at the Federal disaster area that was my apartment. It had reached a state I call Critical Mess: so cluttery and fuzzy-around-the-edges that spending time at home was no longer enjoyable and I couldn't concentrate on anything.

I am happy to report some success in my efforts: the carpet is green again and the stove is white, the bathroom is less of a biohazard than it was (still a work in progress!), and there is no longer a big scary pile of clothing-and-blankets threatening to topple from the foot of my bed and smother me in my sleep.

Linus thoroughly enjoyed his stay at Casa John and Melissa's, coming home covered in cuts and bumps from having been flung about the yard by their three big shepherd dogs. The next day, he was still... subdued. Well-behaved, even. Amazing.

"A tired dog is a good dog," the saying goes. Unfortunately for me, on an energy scale of 0 to Border Collie, Linus ranks about a 9. These pictures are a small taste of what he gets up to when he CAN'T burn it all off.

Yep, that's my hammer sticking out from under his pillow.

So I take every chance to introduce him to new doggy pals who will run him around and beat him up (in a good way!). We also perform the same service for our own dog friends--Linus is much in demand as a play-pal for his ability to run any other dog (including Stella the whippet mix!) into the ground. On the weekends, we've taken to visiting our friend Nonprofit Dave, who has a new Scottie puppy. Teddy was adopted as a companion for Paisley, the grand old lady of the house; however, he is less than a year old and more eager to play than Paisley likes. After our first visit, Dave called me and said, "You've gotta bring Linus back. After your visit, Teddy didn't move for TWO DAYS!"

Here are Linus and Teddy playing:

Arrrr! Death to the stuffie bone!

Spring is here! Doesn't it make you want to leap off your couch and run in circles on the grass?? Me too.