TGIFRIGGIN-F

I dropped my puppy off at "Doggie Daycare" this morning (and she was there yesterday as well) and it reminded me of a conversation I had in the subway a couple years ago (this illustrates how much I've changed in the past year, or so I'd like to think). The girl had a tiny Yorshire Terrier tucked in her fashionable Burberry bag (if you call THAT fashion, see: www.bloodyberry.com/) and I struck-up a conversation with her (I was in one of those moods that day, a rarity). I asked her how long she'd had the dog, etc. Small-talk, then I mentioned that I, too, had a Yorkie, etc. Then she asked me what I did with my dog during the day. Admittedly, I had no idea what the hell she was talking about and I most certainly looked at her with a befuddled look on my face. "What do you mean?" I replied. "Well, I take my (insert cutsie dog name here) to the doggie daycare over on (random street/cross street). "I lock her in the kitchen," I replied. She had this look of absolute horror on her face and put an end to the conversation right then.

Now, here I am, schlepping my puppy to doggie daycare, sucking a half hour out of my morning (it's quite far far from where I live). Have I entered the land of no-return? Am I a creepy little yuppie now? God help me. Well, the good news is that my puppy is doing better at DDC (doggie daycare) than she did the first time I brought her. Ultimately, I have the best intentions, I want her to be a happy, well-adjusted dog that I can take to a dog park when she's old enough. I used to frequent the dog parks in the UES, Washington Square and Union Square and I'd dreamily admired how much fun the dogs and their owners were having while my dog wanted nothing to do with other dogs. We felt like I was missing out on something, a fundamental dog owner experience. I want that experience.

I made a decision when I was given this puppy that I would right all my past wrongs. I practically wiped my Yorkie's behind and I know I enabled and created a lot of her bad behavior. She lived a good, long and happy life so I feel comforted by that, but, I don't want to do it all over again with another dog. (I wish it was possible to right my wrongs with people the way I can with my pets.) So, she goes to DDC, puppy training every Thursday and has play dates (now you really think I'm insane) with other dogs. It goes a long way towards getting me out of the house, that's for sure. I also realize how much I love to take classes, so nothing else, I'm learning how to communicate with her. It's all about positive training, but positive training isn't working 100% with the potty training so I think I am going back to yelling when I catch her and carting her outside (she is crated at night though, so I may begin that during the day).

WAIT A MINUTE, DIDN'T I SAY I WOULDN'T TELL BORING STORIES ABOUT MY PETS? Oh well, what else do I have.

On another note: Someone said to me today (during an argument) "Do you want to compare dick sizes about it?" And, honestly, my feelings are deeply hurt by this crude and distasteful comment. I no longer appreciate or encourage anyone to speak to me like that, I feel it is not only immature, but also highly disrespectful. I walked away and am so angry I don't want to talk to this person. Before the shite hit the fan in my life (i.e., before I left NYC) I might have let this sort of thing slide, chalk it up the almighty "Whatever" and let it go at that. But now I trust my gut (the awful night I left NYC taught me, the hard way, to trust my gut) and my gut is telling me not to let it go. I am hurt and that's that. Thing is, I'm left not knowing how to deal with this person. That's always the tough part for me. Any suggestions, dear reader, that you might have are welcome and encouraged. Is this a typical thing guys say? I just don't understand what the hell it even means.

Must return to work now, have a better than great weekend. I'm going home to Minneapolis so just that simple fact makes my weekend look great. Ah, I love my hometown.