It's a Girl!!!

We're having a baby... kinda.  Actually we've had a puppy, and she's almost completely weaned from her mother (we should be bringing her home either this weekend or early next week). She's a fawn-colored Great Dane, and now she's about 5 weeks old.  I'll post some pictures of her and her puppy family.  We're not sure what her name will be.  Any ideas?  

Puppy:

Brothers and Sisters:

Daddy:

Momma:

Vive la Différence!

 I worked at an IHOP during the 9/11-inspired vogue of calling french toast "freedom toast."  Every time a customer said "I'll have freedom toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon" I wanted to scream (or at least pour hot maple syrup in their hair).  

OK, lets "Rally behind the flag," "Support our troops," "Show our national pride," or whatever.  Be careful, however, because this sentiment can be (and has been) taken too far.  I took this picture at at a gas station in Nebraska City during our move to Omaha.  It is a product being advertised on a condom dispenser.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

[I'll preface this story with: My immediate neighbors are really quite nice and friendly.]

The first night that Greta was missing, I absolutely could not sleep.  During the night I kept getting up and looking around thinking that maybe she would have returned.  Then, at about 3:30am I went driving around the neighborhood looking for her.  It was dark and a pretty useless cause.  I saw a lady walking alone and very quickly (she was definitely walking with a purpose), so I didn't ask her if she'd seen my dog -- she didn't seem approachable.  Then I turned the corner and saw another much friendlier lady.  She was smiling and waving, you could say she was walking with a different purpose.  This was exactly one block from my house.

Here's the tally:

3:30 AM

North Omaha

Lady, alone on street corner, smiling and waving

It's probably best I stay indoors after dark.  (For what it's worth, she didn't look like Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman.")

Gone But Not Forgotten

Back in September, Jack, Greta, and I moved to Omaha.  We are nicely settled in our new home (although we are STILL waiting on furniture that we ordered about 6 weeks ago!)  The first month was groovy, but October has proved more difficult.  3 fish that we had for at least 3 years all died, one of the fish was a beautiful Rainbow (Melanotaenia Duboulay) that our friend Jennifer had given us way back when we lived in Cookeville.  We had moved the fish with us the last 4 times we moved.  They all died on the same day, which I think was a result of poor water management (although I'm not pointing fingers...)

Then Greta got out of our yard.  There was a break in the fence that neither Jack nor I had noticed.  We looked for three days, reported her missing at the humane society.  Then the Nebraska Humane Society called and said they had found her.  Jack and I were SO excited we grabbed her leash and rushed to the shelter -- we couldn't get there fast enough.  Then the nice lady at the counter told us she was deceased when they found her.  She had been killed in traffic about 6 blocks from our house.

In the last 6 years, Jack and I have had many pets: zillions of fish, frogs, crabs, snails, anemones, crawfish, 2 turtles (Tootle-One and Tootle-Two), 2 ducks (Dolly and Fafner).  You just don't get attached to other animals the way that you do with a dog.  Greta was the best companion we could have hoped for and she'll certainly be missed.

Thrown Under the Bandwagon

OK, I have started a blog.  I have purchased my one-way ticket to "Bloggerdom" and am getting ready board the plane.  On the trip, I'll not get a package of over-salted peanuts.  I probably won't even  pick up any cheesy post cards, thimbles, shot glasses, or other souvenirs. At least I didn't have to take off my shoes at a metal detector!

Unlike the millions of other bloggers flying on Babble Airlines each day, I do not ACTUALLY think that I have much to say.  I'll just try to get a window-seat, and enjoy the trip.