Yet Another Benefit of Being a Homo

11:55 pm 5/26/08 / True Conversation:

Setting: John Pelletier is quietly finishing up his closing prayers on the 10 pm to midnight portion of the KPC 24 hour prayer vigil. His partner of 10 years is due to relieve him at 12.

*Cell Phone Rings*
John: "Hello"
Chris: "Would you rather I was very late for my prayer shift... or can you give me your pants when I get there?"

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Surely you are pulling our leg here Chris... right? No... readers, this is the honest to Buddha truth.

I am currently house and pet sitting for my friend Rebel. And being as I leave for Los Angeles with friends in exactly 24 hours from now, I was trying to manage my time wisely and do laundry while I ate supper. This all began innocently enough when I gathered my pile of dirty clothes and inserted them into Rebel and Kenny's modern garage laundromat.

No harm, no foul. It was 9:00pm and I had PLENTY of time to wash and dry before my midnight stint on the prayer vigil.

SO... I peeled down to my boxers (not briefs) and tossed my navy American Eagle corduroys right on in with the rest of the load. BONUS! Extra pair of clean pants for the California trip!!

Cut to - 11:45 pm. I have dined on a delicious DiGiorno pizza (left by my kind house sitting client, Ms. Rebel P. Jones) and I am on MySpace, not as Bowdawg mind you (*GASP*) but as an agent of Jetsunma's. Dara has given me my first Blinded By View/Jetsunma Music assignment and I am twittering away online. Chatting up MySpace musicians who are Blues fans and indicated an interest in Buddhism.

Meanwhile, feeling most impressed with my skillful multi-tasking on the eve of my departure, I have already loaded my clean duds from the washer to the Bounty fresh dryer... and set them threads a tumbling.

Last minute to the hilt, I hop off the chair I have been plastered to for all the aforementioned cyber duties, let the doggy wards of my caretaking out to cop a squat, come into the kitchen again for their post-pee-and-poo biscuits. I ziplock up the slice of pizza I saved for John... toss in a few Reece's PB cups for good measure - cause I'm feeling all generous - and I scoochie myself out into the garage in anticipation of putting on some WARM britches - all fresh and what not... and heading out the door at 11:55, my nightly ritual for arriving on time (or just there after.)

Imagine my HORROR to discover a load of partially dried clothes in a steamy moist tangle of shirts, socks, pants and unmentionables there in the dryer. In a panic I glance down at the red gingham Hilfiger boxers that are the only thing standing between Mr. Happy and the rest of the world. Granted, I had retained my grey Putt-Putt tshirt as well, it being unseasonably cold to be sitting around bare chested in my undies, and I having no intention of taking mentioned shirt to L.A. - but folks THAT'S IT!! I was pending departure to go to my TEMPLE, my place of spiritual sustenance, to perform the time honored tradition of thousand year old prayers... and I ain't barely got nothing on but a SMILE, (and it's turned upside down at this point.)

Total manic fit takes hold of me... I am not comfy rummaging through my hosts possessions to find a pair of britches. I grab the towel off the bathroom hook, fling it around my waist... and bolt out the door with a half hearted hope that I have some unforgotten pair of jeans or khakis in my car trunk. Cause, you know... I'm a slob! It is not beyond reason that I may have tossed some trousers into the car on a recent house-sitting job and just forgotten about them. I rarely "pack" when I house sit locally -- I just pile stuff into a basket or bag and toss it into my little ole Honda. One wide turn at an intersection might have launched an innocent pair of Gap shorts to the nether regions of my dark and cluttered trunk - an it remained hither to un-noticed as a prop of good fortune for this unimagined episode!!!

Damn. No such luck.

I hop into the drivers seat and am dialing John as I hurry my car up the street. I am more panicked because now it feels like one of those dreams of my childhood where I got to school and somehow managed to FORGET TO DRESS, but don't notice until I am sitting nude in my desk amongst all my classmates. Ever have one of those dreams? Yeah, that is what I am feeling like about now.

So I call John (witness the conversation that began this post) and he is fine with me just coming over to temple in my scivvys and he will lend me his pants since he's headed straight home. My concern was not so much that I would be arriving without my drawers on... but that some person of ordained (as in monk or nun) persuasion usually follows my shift. And I was NOT feeling like that humiliation tonight.

Chris: (to amazing and humble renunciate who has taken rare and precious vows with my lama and wakes up at 2:00 to maintain this prayer vigil) "Hi PHIL-IN-THE-BLANK, yeah, I'm here in temple, in the prayer room, in front of the altar... in my undies..." *Awkward Grin* A proud moment indeed.

So, anyway John spared me the embarassment, but he did laugh heartily when I entered the prayer room and performed my prostrations in a tee shirt and a quilt wrapped around my waist like a skirt. I always keep this red and green plaid mini comforter in my trunk - so figured it was best to enter the meditation sanctuary at least respectfully covered.

John: "You look like a Tibetan lady."
Chris: SILENT GLARE
John: *Giggle... Snort*

The man proceeded to do his own prostrations, then kindly remove his pants... and hand them over to me. He was wearing the forest green boxers from Old Navy with the Organ Grinder Monkeys all over them. I realized in that moment... things could have been MUCH WORSE.

I, in turn, handed him the Tibetan lady's skirt which he proudly adorned. We joked about how this was perhaps the strangest ritual ever performed in a shrine room and how it also negated his plans to stop for gas on the way home... and thus ended the drama - with a good old belly laugh.

In retrospect as I began my prayer shift - I realized it was not only blog worthy, but demanded some reference to the "shirt-off-his-back" kindness that John displayed. Make your own insertion here of some "pants-off your ass" remark.

I also realized the title of this post must refer to the fact that being gay is not only normal and healthy for many people, but some of us actually doubled our wardrobe by sticking to our own gender! Pretty handy in moments like this, eh?

Much love,

~Bowdawg~

Ink in Every Blink

I stare as they walk in the store or walk by our window... people scored with Tattoos. Every conceivable image seared or needled into the flesh of human beings. It is an amazing phenomenon to observe, and I feel like an outsider.

The really cryptic part is when you have a swirl or a scroll peering above a neckline or below a sleeve. You do not have enough information to formulate the entire image that must sprawl up and around shoulders, across the napes of necks or down the full landscape of a back and disappear at the waistline.

Others are fully revealed... riding a calf muscle, branding the inside of a forearm or an ankle... or highlighting the sculpture of a bicep. All manner of color, size, quality... from fully committed total body inking to the mid life crisis tat, discreetly placed for selective revelation. Full spectrum high definition or the blue light special, even an occasional self inflicted ball point memento

I've seen more than I could have ever imagined - with nary a theme left unturned. Maternal affection, deities and ghouls, skulls, flowers, lovers, cartoons, celebrities, memorials, fantasies. Demonic, angelic, sexy, grotesque, obscure, unique and cliche displays of imagination. It seems no subject is too extreme for the perfect ink to skin ratio of self expression.

And with all this exposure - I have yet to find one image that I myself could pair with for the remainder of my life. At an early age I thought that Marvin the Martian would be a novelty, scrolled somewhere on my backside. I would have to make an effort to see it and thus never get bored with him. Fortunately, I never acted on that impulse.

I could easily consider adorning Tibetan or Sanskrit syllables, some Buddhist iconography-- I sometimes see a cool design that I can envision fleshing out into a tattoo. What always thwarts my effort? It is stopping to consider the painstaking lengths that I (a double Libra for any of you who are astrologically savvy) must go to any time I read a new restaurant menu. The idea of establishing a self imposed icon on my body looms as foreboding a decision as I know I'll face many Friday evenings for the rest of my life:

"I'll have the steak, no... on second thought make it the chicken. Actually I am REALLY craving fajitas now. Unless you think I'd like the chimichangas better?"

Choosing a permanent beauty mark seems more confusing than choosing an American Idol. After all, I might go looking to place a Kelly Clarkson on my shoulder, and end up with a William Hung on my ass!? It was novel in the moment... but who's laughing NOW?

I guess the writing is on the wall. It would be best for me to leave it there and not graft it onto my flesh at this time.

Manifesting the Life

Okay, after almost a decade in Sedona listening to people talk about "manifesting their lives" I am on a mission. As you all surely know by now... John and I are destined for Maryland in August. As I comb through web Classifieds and Job Search Engines... I am wondering if I could finally make a reality of my wish to be self employed.

It just seems so depressing to look at listing after listing of occupations that I have absolutely no interest in. I could DO almost 50% of the jobs that I come across.. Foodservice, retail, administration, sales... they are all possible. But the thought of another 3 to 5 years passing with NO CAREER INTERESTS whatsoever - well, it is challenging my Fluoxetine this afternoon.

So what CAN I do? I am reaching out to the Universe, through my practice of meditation and my Buddhist principles, through my friends that inspire me and through my history of cycles that do not bear repeating. I hope you all will manifest with me.

My vocation is stabilizing the dharma in the West as a student of Ahkon Lhamo and the Palyul lineage. I will always make the "big decisions" from that reference point... so I am trying to create a livelihood that would dovetail with that nicely...

I am vague in the head about it now. I am very full of "air" in my natal horoscope - trouble grounding the ideas in reality - but the ideas are profound and abundant. Let's hope that this move East will drop me back into resources that help put the rubber to the road, where Sedona is a lot more "spacy" energy... the thoughts come a dime a dozen, but the wherewithal to accomplish is sorely lacking in my life.

Oy Vay - sitting behind this counter day after day feels like a prison sentence. And I am sooooo looking forward to my parole!

Hear Ye, Hear Ye...

Okay, a bad pun at the least!

But thanks to my dear friend Jack spending many hours each Thursday teaching me the fundamentals of ASL (American Sign Language) - I have become quite excited about the prospect of learning more!

In an attempt to create a sort of "tutor appreciation" project - I made this effort at a video signing the song "Breathe Me" by Sia. It is significant because after one of our signing lessons, Jack and our friend Jon Spenser convinced me to watch all the 5 seasons (or is it four) of "Six Feet Under". This song is the finale from that fantastic series!

Anyway, it is a rough interpretation in ASL because I have a limited vocabulary, and the editing was sort of the best I could do to "jazz it up" so I don't look like the little ladies in the corner of the TV church windows (that is a dated reference, I'll bet some people will scratch their heads and go "huh"??)

Apologies for any mistakes in signing or editing (and after many "takes" you'll see there are parts where I am reaching to turn off the camera or look at the camera or bopping to the music - cause you know, the groove just gets ya sometimes):


Find more videos like this on Signing Up Sedona

Under The Thumb

I have been observing the all pervasive experience of desire lately. I know that we theorize and discuss that a lot within the context of Buddhism... but every now and then (especially at work) I just really explore the depth of this sentient truth.

It often starts early in the day - I have clocked in, gotten myself relatively organized in the store - and I have that first "pause" in the day. A day that usually starts by my sleeping late, hustling through a morning routine of showering, feeding dogs, dressing and hauling butt to make it to work tardy...

So at the first moment of "space" in the day - I often begin a craving... perhaps something sweet to dismiss the still lingering taste of sleepiness in my mouth. Or maybe it is a moment of thinking about an activity that is on my event horizon... a social engagement, a sign language session, a meal with friends over the next evening or two.

Whatever the "beat"... my mind travels away from the moment at hand and begins exploring expectation or memory. It is usually not until the next level of desire manifests that I return to the moment at hand.

And, okay, if mindfulness of the moment was where I remained, then maybe I could see the benefit of this level of desire. It is what happens when "that guy" walks into the store. And "that guy" manifests in a million different forms. He can be young or old... caucasion, asian, or latin... he can be tall or short, muscular or thin.. there are SOOOO MANY ways this guy can look. But he mesmarizes me... I become enraptured in the appearance... and then begin an assessment of what I think he is like. He must be into such and such, or really like to so and so. Pre-conceived notions about him then are re-enforced or debunked by an actual interaction with the customer - I perceive an attitude or a trait that I like, or that I judge. And on, and on... the cycle continues.

It happens all day long in a myriad of displays. Food, people, smells, songs, sensations... any of my senses grab the steering wheel and we are OFF!! We go backwards in time to 8th grade when we slow danced to this song with Tucker Austin, [grinding gear shift] we fly forward to an unknown moment in time when this guy browsing in my shop allows me total romantic access to his nude form, [screeching brakes, down shift] the Baltimore accent I hear walking by our shop door throws me back to an argument I had with a friend who no longer communicates with me...

You get the gyst right? Ping pong balls of emotion and experience slapping me around ALL DAY LONG. Every day. Today is simply Mother's Day 5/11/08... and within that contains a whole plethora of issues and emotions, ideas about what my family is up to today while I stand at a cash register computer... acting as an information booth for people from all walks of life - answering the most repetitive and mundane questions and imagining all the remaining members of my family laughing and dining together in a far away place.

Envisioning my upcoming move - picturing my current family of John and dogs in a home we have never even seen - that must exist, because that time is coming... and so possibility holds court with reality and mingles with memory.

And it all brings me back to the point I started with, I am under the thumb of the present. I can exist nowhere else in time. I simply am living 12:05pm in Sedona Arizona, listening to the Counting Crows, seeing a 60 something year old lady paw through plush dog toys - and I stand here "speaking" to an imaginary audience through this Dell keyboard at my finger tips.

And in the time it took to type that thought - the time has changed to 12:06, the lady in yellow has left the store, and the soundtrack has progressed to a new tune... the world I was describing to you no longer exists. And where in all this do we get the idea of ANYTHING that could stay put, unchanging, "under the thumb" as it were. Impermance is tricky... because we have CONVINCED our minds things stay the same for such a long time. When the reality is - none of us has EVER stopped shifting, growing, changing and dying for even a millisecond.

In all this, I feel pretty silly for ever claiming to be bored!

The Next Big Thing (indeed!)

Hello everybody!! (That is such a trite way to begin...)

Today one of our nuns in Maryland shared this link with us:

http://nextbigthing.libsyn.com/

It is a very exciting development in the expansion of Jetsunma's outreach through music.

Many people might be confused as to why a Lama (the closest we can understand that in this culture is like a high priest, or a minister... but that is not really a good comparison... I will elaborate later) is making very modern music and involving themselves in "pop culture" as it were.

It is actually a two-fold display in my mind:

1) When dharma (the teaching of the Buddha) makes its way into a new culture - there is always a period of assimilation. The actual teachings of compassion do not change - EVER. The four noble truths (of suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the method of ending suffering) remain timeless and intact. But just as you may witness the silence and profundity of a Japanese tea ceremony, and wonder what on earth it has in common with the tribal drumming and ornate ritual of Tibetan practices. Each is the embodiment of the predominate culture when Buddhism seeped into the culture to offer relief from the endless cycles of Samsara (death and rebirth without any choice.)

2)It is taught particularly within Vajrayana (translated as "the great vehicle") Buddhism that when the teachings of Guru Padmasambhava (historically the Lama that brought Buddhism into Tibet) are entering a new country or territory... the first phase involves dakinis (female wisdom beings) appearing and giving prayer in song that invokes Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche = "precious teacher") to come be present for those beings that live in that time and place. The dakinis appear with a wish to provide all beings the opportunity to be free of suffering. And WHO doesn't wish to be free of suffering?

So with these elements in mind, it is sometimes miraculous to cut through the ordinary idea of a lady that is a Buddhist minister that composes music (which is true on a very mundane level) and instead see the appearance of the dakinis in our culture paving the way for the Great Vehicle, that which offers exclusively the ability to attain enlightenment within the course of 1 lifetime. What appeals to us more than music we enjoy? And if the lyrics that stick in your head are about the liberation and freedom of all living beings from suffering... well doesn't it stand to reason that is going to serve your consciousness better that " tappin' hos, bustin caps, and buyin' all these ices"!?!?

Well - if Hip Hop ain't your cup of tea, there is now a stellar blues CD that Jetsunma has released as well. I'm telling you - the next big thing is your spiritual awakening, and what better flavor than that of the culture you were born in to? Accessible. Sexy to your ears. Familiar to your eyes. And if you are a practicing Christian or Jew or any other path of spirit... don't worry. Buddha just wants you to be happy, He (or she) could care less if you ever become a Buddhist.

So ya'll check it out! Jetsunma is the second artist profiled here - so it is about 4 or 5 minutes into the hour long program. Two of her songs and a brief message from Jetsunma are included.

The link is: http://nextbigthing.libsyn.com/ (and at the top left corner of the page you see an icon that says "POD" - click that to listen if you have sound!

PEACE....

Been There, Done That!

This little treasure is courtesy of Mike via Jack's profile and is especially here for Terrie, Suj and Padi who have a VERY SIMILAR rendition of this archived from Panama City!!!

Ahhhhhh the good ole days of drunkin' O'Malleys Star Search Wanna Bes...

Grim Reader

I cannot imagine either the scenario that would require this, or being in a position to implement this... but here is the human condition of late, that they consider this a "pragmatic" use of resources...

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Who should MDs let die in a pandemic?
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical WriterMon May 5, 9:47 AM ET

Doctors know some patients needing lifesaving care won't get it in a flu pandemic or other disaster. The gut-wrenching dilemma will be deciding who to let die.
Now, an influential group of physicians has drafted a grimly specific list of recommendations for which patients wouldn't be treated. They include the very elderly, seriously hurt trauma victims, severely burned patients and those with severe dementia.

The suggested list was compiled by a task force whose members come from prestigious universities, medical groups, the military and government agencies. They include the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The proposed guidelines are designed to be a blueprint for hospitals "so that everybody will be thinking in the same way" when pandemic flu or another widespread health care disaster hits, said Dr. Asha Devereaux. She is a critical care specialist in San Diego and lead writer of the task force report.

The idea is to try to make sure that scarce resources — including ventilators, medicine and doctors and nurses — are used in a uniform, objective way, task force members said.
Their recommendations appear in a report appearing Monday in the May edition of Chest, the medical journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

"If a mass casualty critical care event were to occur tomorrow, many people with clinical conditions that are survivable under usual health care system conditions may have to forgo life-sustaining interventions owing to deficiencies in supply or staffing," the report states.

To prepare, hospitals should designate a triage team with the Godlike task of deciding who will and who won't get lifesaving care, the task force wrote. Those out of luck are the people at high risk of death and a slim chance of long-term survival. But the recommendations get much more specific, and include:

_People older than 85.
_Those with severe trauma, which could include critical injuries from car crashes and shootings.
_Severely burned patients older than 60.
_Those with severe mental impairment, which could include advanced Alzheimer's disease.
_Those with a severe chronic disease, such as advanced heart failure, lung disease or poorly controlled diabetes.

Dr. Kevin Yeskey, director of the preparedness and emergency operations office at the Department of Health and Human Services, was on the task force. He said the report would be among many the agency reviews as part of preparedness efforts.

Public health law expert Lawrence Gostin of Georgetown University called the report an important initiative but also "a political minefield and a legal minefield."

The recommendations would probably violate federal laws against age discrimination and disability discrimination, said Gostin, who was not on the task force.

If followed to a tee, such rules could exclude care for the poorest, most disadvantaged citizens who suffer disproportionately from chronic disease and disability, he said. While health care rationing will be necessary in a mass disaster, "there are some real ethical concerns here."
James Bentley, a senior vice president at American Hospital Association, said the report will give guidance to hospitals in shaping their own preparedness plans even if they don't follow all the suggestions.

He said the proposals resemble a battlefield approach in which limited health care resources are reserved for those most likely to survive.

Bentley said it's not the first time this type of approach has been recommended for a catastrophic pandemic, but that "this is the most detailed one I have seen from a professional group."

While the notion of rationing health care is unpleasant, the report could help the public understand that it will be necessary, Bentley said.

Devereaux said compiling the list "was emotionally difficult for everyone."
That's partly because members believe it's just a matter of time before such a health care disaster hits, she said.

"You never know," Devereaux said. "SARS took a lot of folks by surprise. We didn't even know it existed."
___
On the Net:
CHEST: http://www.chestjournal.org
U.S. Govt.: http://www.pandemicflu.gov

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Sometimes I truly am amazed that "humanity" does not realize we created the conditions of desperation that would lead to this hypothetical pandemic event - and that the very decisions discussed here create the conditions for continued cycles of suffering.

It is a vicious cycle... and the saddest part -- we CHOOSE it everyday.

Insane is the New Sane!

I was responding to a friend's blog post when this poured out of me... I realized it was not a personal message for that friend (although totally applicable) but was almost like a message channelling through me... to me: So I removed names and I offer it here:

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Great Post!

I know it was probably springing out of a painful place, but the observations you made in your most recent blog are great insights.

I don't know if we all have completely different filters for experiencing the world - my guess is that we do. But you have amazing deeply rooted spiritual glimpses... and I so wish I could inspire you to act upon them.

Thanks for your note on Myspace. I miss you too my sweet friend. But as I realized my pattern was repeating (a habit I have of grasping to "have" something I cannot have), I probably wedged a little distance into my life recently.

As if to confirm my suspicions perfectly, John and I received news Friday that we haven't shared yet, but that showed me a lot of my intuitions lately have been right. The "outer comforts" sneak in and I relax my internal practice and "kick back" and start drifting, and then I am miles from shore and having to swim twice as fast!

Doesn't make much sense, I know, but when I read your words of frustration.... trying to "pin down" some security in this world.... I wish I could snatch us all out of the matrix, the confusion, the "cruel joke" and just show the truth that I have been blessed to see a glimpse of. But nobody can do it for any of us... we must make the seemingly impossible decision for ourselves. We have to decide that no matter what challenges arise, for the sake of all others, we will forego our personal comforts. And I tell you this... there is no GREATER happiness. I swear it. I have known pleasure and pain like you describe in your posts... and it all gets "put in perspective" when you take the steps to become the hope for any who need it.

You don't solve anyone's problems for them, but you offer them a lifeline. A place holder. IF we can remember this truth... it is always available to us. But when it arrives and tells us what to do... we have to DO IT. Otherwise it looks like it goes away... but it DOESN'T - we just forget, get distracted, blame "life" or "god" or somebody out there.

MERIT. If I die tomorrow and you remember nothing else about me in this life - I hope you remember that word. It all boils down to MERIT. No matter what your senses tell you - if you want the TRUTH - you HAVE TO GENERATE THE MERIT to receive it.

Stepping off my soap box now. Whether you meet me as a parent, a sibling, a lover, an enemy - - in all future lives I will use the connection I know I have with you to inspire you to PHUCK PHEAR and practice dharma. Dharma is not a religion. It is the truth manifest in your life. It is the escape hatch from suffering. It is what you are looking for when you write these posts. And you are (to quote my teacher) "both in trouble, and free."

The choice is right in front of you. Blue Pill. Red Pill. [If you haven't seen the MATRIX, drop everything and go watch the first one. The other 2, whatever... but the first one... WHAT A MOVIE. The metaphor is so perfect it is scary.]

I truly love you no matter how convoluted it is appearing. I don't care if you find a boyfriend, girlfriend, a good job, or have another great coffee meet your lips in this life. But I PRAY you escape from Samsara, the endless cycle of death and rebirth, and join the legions of bodhisattvas who simply choose be of service so that all may be free!

PRINT THIS> READ IT DAILY, until you find some real dharma to read. FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, EVEN IF YOU SEE OTHERS FAILING, PERSEVERE. IT IS WORTH EVERY SECOND OF EVERY LIFETIME!!!

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I hope that I can read these words and realize that although I think I am composing them for my "friend" out there... they are truly meant for me.

I Got Stoned...

and no, that is not what it sounds like. It has been about 10 or so years since my last kidney stone... but once you have one, you remember the symptoms!

Was feeling achy in the lower back most of the week, and nauseous yesterday... but didn't connect the dots until I got home from work with the urge to pee... and nothing was forthcoming. *GULP* I know this sensation. And sure enough the feeling of needing to void the bowels and bladder, but the inability to produce more than a teaspoon or so of pinkish tinkle... ALL HANDS ON DECK!!!

So I calmly showered, petted my dogs and waited... like clockwork, the pain begins near the hip/groin area. I waited until I knew the passing was a "sure thing" and I drove myself to the E.R.

The staff were very kind... I did my best to give them a urine sample, and lo and behold... LOTS of blood present in the urine... the doctor gave the nurse a green light to shoot me up with some good ole painkillers... and I went into a labor of sorts.

Historically it doesn't take me long to pass my stones and the worst part is the constant urge to have to go wee, but not being productive when you try!

The CAT scan confirmed 2 stones about 2 mm each... one about to drop into the bladder (the one causing all the enjoyable sensations that brought me to the doctor) and another hanging around up the urinary tract a bit. Not descending yet... oh no, that would be too convenient! ; )

SO I have my painkillers in hand for when that 2nd puppy drops - but for now it is "business as usual". Gotta get out of the house cause sitting here... my mood could turn morose. Joy is getting spayed today, so she was a very sad and shaky puppy when I left her with the vet this morning. Alright, a poor night's sleep... not feeling a hundred percent... and my dog giving me that "PLEASE DON'T ABANDON ME" look that breaks my heart. Lovely start to the day!

But Jack is meeting me for sign language which will occupy my mind - and then some friends are gathering for lunch which will take me right up until time to pick up my little monkey from the vet!

Dude... ya eve have one of those weeks??

Much love,
Bowdawg!