Today was Megan's last day at the Community College for the holiday break. Needless to say, she is very excited at the prospect of having 11 days off to do all the things she keeps thinking she's going to do the rest of the time. She called me after she got home.

Megan: "I don't have to go back! I don't have to go back for 11 whole days!"

Me: "I wish I could do that."

Megan: "I was driving home and I kept saying, "I can't wait to get home and see my puppy!"

Me: "That's pretty normal..."

Megan: "It's the first time I've said it."

Me: "Well, of course. You've never had a dog before."

Megan: "No, it's the first time even since I got Stevie."

Me: "Ohhh. Yeah, I got like that when I got Big Red. Now my dogs are usually the highlight of my days!"

Megan: "It's all your fault."

Me: "I know."

So a 30+ year "cat person" is converted, completely. :)

Be sure to check out http://foreverwidget.photosite.com for more pix and commentary on Stevie from Megan herself...

G

It was FIELD TRIP DAY today!

Megan came home from work and got Stevie ready for a little trip to her office at the Austin Community College Student Services department. Naturally, Stevie was pretty shaky at first, but when she realized she wasn't going to be in her crate for very long and had about 15 new people to snuffle and lick, she was very excited. She charmed the heck out of everybody, including a big maintenance guy who likes to give Megan a hard time (okay, she gives him a hard time, too). Megan set up "potty papers" in a corner, and darned if that little blind critter didn't know right where to do her business. Not sure how that went over with the staffers, but probably better than if she hadn't!

Megan says Stevie was a huge hit (big surprise!), and Stevie was ecstatic to have new people's ears to clean and faces to kiss. By the time they got back home, you'd think she'd have been tuckered out. Oh, no, she was just getting started!

Of course, it's all my fault. :)

G

Plans are afoot for Stevie to go to work with Megan one day this week before her office closes between semesters. Everyone at the office (Austin Community College Student Services; she's also a teacher of psychology, but classes let out last Thrs) has been with her through this from the beginning, and they have been pestering her non-stop about bringing her for a visit. She won't take her for the whole day, just come home at a break and take her for an hour or so.

I told her to be sure to talk to Stevie beforehand so she knows they're going somewhere new with new smells and new people to kiss and charm. :) Lots of people think that's silly, but I have always thought that dogs understand more than most humans give them credit for.

I always talk to mine before trips, told them about moving, etc. I think it helps... who knows, I don't speak dog! :) If nothing else, it helps me, so it has to count for something, right?

G

Megan has started her own photo gallery of Stevie on her PhotoSite at http://foreverwidget.photosite.com. There are other albums on it, too, and the Stevie album is just getting started (has a bunch of the same pix I've posted here so far), but it will be very cool as it comes along.

Megan continues to call me up and tell me it's my fault that she has a puppy. I tell her, yes, it is, but it's a good thing! :) She called me today and said that again.

Megan: "I think there's something wrong with my dog."

Me: "What, you just discovered she can't see?"

Megan: "No. It doesn't turn off. It's all your fault."

Me: "Well..."

Megan: "It's all your fault. From now on anything dog related that happens to me is all your fault."

Me: "Ummm..."

Megan: "I'm waiting for it to wind down so I can get some work done."

Me: "Yes, well, good luck with that (I say that a lot).

She took Stevie down to the apartment office today to meet some more of the staff. She delivered a new photo and a copy of her new rabies tag for their files. Megan said she was a little scared (Stevie, not Megan) and shaky, but of course, she hasn't gotten to go outside much so far. So it was another field trip and more hearts were won over. Who knew such a little puppy could conquer the world?

G

Stevie has found her voice more frequently of late. When we were on our way to and at the vet's on Saturday, she sounded off several times. I say it's a bark, and yet, it's a very funny one. It's been so long since I had a puppy (my last baby dog was 9 years ago), I forget how that all goes. So to hear her say repeatedly, "Hey, let me out of this crate!" in such a demanding little squeaky barky kind of sound, well, made me laugh. In fact, Megan and I both sat in the front of the car and looked at each other and tried so hard not to bust out laughing. If I had been drinking milk, I would have squirted it through my nose. Too funny. So she knows how to use her voice, but it's still pretty small, just like she is.

Posted a couple of photos from the vet's visit to the Gallery... be sure to check them out. :)

G