Day 354

Okay. Actually had pizza today for dinner– sort of. Had one of the self-rising kind here and it was pretty good. Ate about half what I would have, so that is a good thing. KL and I were both beat so we decided what the heck. Easy, not too bad, and I drank water with it. Had a store-brand V-8 wannabe earlier that we bought to give a try (different spices or whatever), and it was even worse than regular V-8, but it got a serving of veggies in me, so it helps even if it is not particularly good. I can drink them straight down if I can chase them with water – otherwise it’s difficult, as I really don’t like tomato juice much. Tomatoes in stuff, tomato sauce, catsup. Other derivative tomato products, yes. Tomato juice, nope.

Breakfast is now the standard cereal as it is so easy to do and fast to clean up. With just to two of us here, it’s relatively easy to stay on top of things like dishes needing washed, etc. if we just do it, and washing one bowl and one spoon is the ultimate in simplicity from a cleanup standpoint.

Lunch was more-or-less non-existent today, and I feel that hurt me. I was actually hungry, and I hadn’t been until today. I guess it was a good way to find that I need some lunch, even if its not the best available. I’ll have to either look into what is available on campus at the second college (where I am on Tuesdays and Thursdays only), or maybe I can figure out how to bring something.

An adventure is about to start here as we are about to take in another dog. Our current one is a rescue. She is a cockapoo, and she was found dodging traffic at a major intersection. A kind woman scooped her up and took her home, but she couldn’t keep her. I was perusing Craigslist ads and found the one she put in. I’ve always been a big dog guy, and the last dog we had was a Great Pyrenees. Loved him – a lot. This was KL’s turn, and she has always wanted a lap dog – something a Great Pyrenees will do, and likes to do, but a hundred-twenty pound dog is a bit of a lapful. The cockapoo is 20 pounds and a true lap dog. She was obviously a woman’s dog and must have just gotten away from someone, because she took to KL immediately – me she growled at. Took a while, but she likes to climb into my lap now too.

The new pyr is the one I rescued from a local town that was underweight by about 60 pounds. Had mange and was really very near death from starvation. Absolutely the worst looking dog I had ever seen that was alive. The vet said another week or less on the streets and he would not have made it. The rescue group I work with saved him and he’s been fostered by someone who had brought him back from the brink. He is now going to live with us for about three weeks and then go though a painful and difficult treatment for heartworms. Then we’ll have him for another 6-8 weeks while he (hopefully) recovers. After that, he’ll be ready for what the rescue group calls his “furever” home.

Again, the “main” (I love saying that!) house is only 1100 square feet, so another dog – one that will be one hundred-one hundred and twenty pounds or so eventually may be a small issue. KL saw him when he was so bad and I’m glad she is okay with taking care of him for a while now. HE looks like he will be beautiful when we get him healthy.

I’m not writing fiction at the moment, and it makes me antsy as all hell. I had about a hundred student papers to grade today, and that takes priority, as I have to get things back to them so they understand where they are and what I need from them next. Feedback stuff, so it’s important to stay on top of it.

The blogging might suffer too - even though I will try to get something out as often as I can. Doesn’t really matter I guess, as I am apparently writing this about me and from me to me and there is no one else out there. No problem. I’m a writer, so I’m used to both talking to myself and talking to imaginary friends. It’s really nothing new for me.

So, I guess I’ll see myself tomorrow, and if I can find time, I’ll talk to Sampson, or Hoodoo Red, or Angus, Moses, Gullah Jack or maybe Jimi, Janis, or Jim, or one of the other characters that exist only in my stories and my head. Oh, yeah, there’s also the young Hitler. But that’s another story. Literally.

For now.

-Average Joe
Somewhere, USA