Reunions: Sled dogs, roomies, hometowns and ex-jobs

I'm currently snugly ensconced in the curve of my mother's sectional couch, enjoying such luxuries as rum, fig newtons, free internet, and NCIS on dvd and on demand. All at once, even. I'm a multi-tasker.

I had a great visit to the Blue on Black team, almost two weeks ago now. The first question I asked after hugging Karin was "Who's that dog in the middle there??" I was pointing to a tall, dark male. She grinned and answered "That's Chisel!" I was flabbergasted, stuck between "I can't believe I didn't recognize him" and "OH MY GOD HE'S SO TALL!" When I first met the dogs, Chisel was four months old, and able to fit into most average-sized laps. Not to mention, he was all skin and bones, recovering from a digestive issue.

The dogs are looking great- they've all been running with the four-wheeler for several weeks now. Most of them remembered me- Angel did a welcome dance, and I even received the rare Scooby face-lick- and I flitted from house to house, saying my hellos and blissfully letting them cover me with fur and mud. Ah, familiar dishevelment! I've come to the conclusion that tidiness is simply not my natural state. I prefer to be mussed. All the puppies were big, and I got complete report cards on all of them- for full details, please visit blueonblackdogs.com. My friend Adam, who drove me out there, and I had dinner with Karin and Varan and the new handler, and I have every confidence that the whole team, both human and canine will come through the season with flying colors. And Louise, the handler, gets extra approval points for taking some pictures of me with the dogs.

I flew home early the next morning. It was instantly weird being back in the Lower 48. I had mean jet lag to begin with, and spent the first few days in a bleary fog. Shortly afterwards, my college roomie, Amy, arrived to visit for the weekend (YAY!)! We frolicked gleefully- a trip to Boston, to frolic with Tricia, exploration of my native colonial town, all very exciting. Ok, well, the trip to Boston was exciting. It's sad for my curly-haired copilot that Concord doesn't offer anything more interesting than the North Bridge for entertainment. It's fine. I'm entertaining in my essence.

But now my roomie is gone, and I'm picking up some work from my former employers, a dog-walking agency. Good money, and the clients don't talk back. Well,I revise that: there was a boxer yesterday who definitely had some things to say about my presence in his house. We made up today. Anyway, it's something to keep me busy while I plan my exit.

I'm bored. People are encouraged to call and say hello.