Back To Basics

Well, you knew it and I knew it. Once I returned to the “doggie dating pool,” it wouldn’t take long for a new dog to make it’s way into our home. Lori found her on Petfinder. She was being fostered by New Albany Pet Rescue. They were calling her Gigi. Part Terrier, part Mastiff, she is a long, slim, brindle-coated girl with a white stripe running down her snout and chest, and four white little socks on her feet.

When we visited her at the foster home, she was a bit tentative, especially with me. She warmed up though, and shared a few tail wags and kisses. On Friday, she visited us, and was more curious and friendly. When Karen offered to let us keep her right then and there, we figured “why draw this out?” She’s a good girl, so now she’s part of our family.

This takes us back to the beginning - the early part of pet ownership. The part where we train her, and she trains us. The part where she is watched by us, every second, so that we can catch and correct any behaviors that need correcting. It is a version of time travel. We are reviewing all past dog training decisions and outcomes, deciding which to repeat and any new methods that we want to employ. Lori and I are collaborating closely, to ensure coverage and consistency. Every dog makes us better at having a dog.

So a fair amount of focus and energy are going to go into this little girl for a while. A return to basics - and not just on the dog training front. We’re going back to basics in many ways. I’ve been running hot, saying “yes” to lots of things which have added complexity to my life. These are good things, but no more additions like this for a while.

We’ll be walking more, to give our girl every opportunity to do her business outside, where we will throw a party every time she does so. (There have been only two weeks in the past year where my average daily step count fell below 10,000, and they have happened since Nova passed away.). I’ll probably have an earlier bed time for a while. When the “baby” sleeps, you better sleep too. Lord knows I’ll be getting up earlier.

While we’re in “puppy training mode,” we’ll keep things simple. Eventually, a new normal will materialize, new routines will firm up. It was quite a week - I shot a personal low 36 on the front nine at Denison Golf Club - the second week in a row of good play (I shot a 40 on the back nine the week prior). It’s been quite a year, actually. Work, play, sadness, joy. Life keeps rolling.

Welcome to Hotel Bell, Rosie. We’ll do our best to give you a good life, and this effort will make our lives better, too.

Sunday Supper

Goodness gracious it has been hot and muggy! After a few more days of rain, the weather forecast is for temperature to drop. In the interim, my focus is on chilled foods. These Green Goddess Chicken Salad sandwiches look amazing. Grilling this Flank Steak w/ Worcestershire Butter will at least keep the heat of cooking outside. This Panzanella Salad would be good, with or without the Lamb Chops (I would grill the lamb chops, again to move the heat outdoors).

Sunday Music

We can’t return to basics without reviewing our ABCs. The guitar playing of Toshiki Soejima is not a bad soundtrack to enjoy while sipping coffee and solving Wordle this morning. These jazz covers of Beatles tunes are another relaxing option this Sunday morning. Enjoy!

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Have a great week ahead!  You can do anything you set your mind to. Let me know how I can help.


Peace & Love,