 Last week was, without a doubt, one the very best weeks I’ve ever experienced in my professional career. If I could have scripted a perfect first week on my own as a freelance writer, editor and media consultant, last week would’ve been it.
I started the week energized, feeling for the first time in years that I was at the mouth of a vast tunnel, beginning an exciting and important journey. While I can’t see exactly what’s waiting for me at the end of this new tunnel, there’s an intense, vivid light beckoning me forward. Last week, I took my first steps toward it.
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 I will submit that I have a classically codependent relationship with my dogs, Charlie and Sam. If I'm still single when my teenage son, Ethan, moves out in the next year or so, I run the risk of becoming the Crazy Dog Lady of the neighborhood. Y’know, the unkempt old maid shuffling around in a caftan and slippers, reeking of kibble and wet fur, chattering away in third-person baby talk. (“Mama wuvs her widdle angels, YES SHE DOES!”)
Charlie and Sam have the same mom and dad, but were born of different litters. They are a trendy mix, called Teddy Bear, which is not officially recognized by the AKC or whatever entity it is that makes breeds official. My best guess is they have Shih Tzu, Bichon Frise and possibly terrier in them. Charlie is a 3-year-old boy who weighs about 11 pounds, and Sam is a 1-year-old girl who tips the scales at around 15 pounds. Neither are technically babies anymore, but I frequently refer to them as "The Puppies."  It was around Christmas time last year when I finally grew the cojones to stand up for myself in the context of an extremely rocky juncture of my marriage.
Needless to say, it did not go over well, and it marked the beginning of the end of that relationship. I remember feeling very anxious and unhappy during the Christmas season, not to mention resentful of my husband for casting such a pall on my favorite holiday. This year, I am in a much better place on nearly every level, so I have been looking forward to Christmas for months. I decorated my house the day after Thanksgiving, I've been blaring Christmas music in my car every day since then, and –- as evidenced by my Facebook posts -- I went into a baking frenzy a couple weeks back. This year, the spirit grabbed me by the waist and vigorously spun me around on the evergreen-adorned dance floor, and I let it.  I spent a pleasant afternoon running errands with my mom yesterday, and one of our stops was Feeders Supply. Mom and I both have dogs. Hers is a 6-year-old Japanese Chin. Bridget is a pushy little bitch, but that’s true of any alpha female, canine or otherwise. She is sweet and sassy, and my mom is really attached to her.
I think she would say the same thing about me, but I digress. Anyhoo, I have two very spoiled little pups, Charlie and Sam, aka Sammi Sue (see photo at left). They have the same mom and dad but came from different litters, two years apart. Their breed is what I call a fancy mix, because it’s trendy though not yet recognized by the AKC. As “Teddy Bears,” they have Shih Tzu and Bichon Frise in them. I am willing to bet they have terrier or something else in there, too. All I know for certain is that they are damn cute. |
About Amy HiggsA former newspaper columnist, Amy takes her random, slice-of-life stories to the web. After 12 years, she's still just saying. Archives
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