All I want for Christmas...

...is a dog. But I'm going to have to wait. I know that if I want a young dog, puppy and the like I will need a LOT of time to dedicate to training and so I will need my summer months to do it.

Step one. Get my own place.
Step two. Settle in. Save money. Read puppy books. Research breeds. Find a dog.
Step three. Celebrate my birthday with a new dog instead.

Some breeds I'm considering...
Bichon Frise
Yorkshire Terrier
Maltese/Shih Tzu
Papillion

I need a dog that is hypo-allergenic or as close as one can get... so non-shedding. A dog that is small, not too barky, is friendly, doesn't need long walks in sub-zero weather etc.  I think I'm in the right ball park with these breeds. We'll see.

Merry Christmas

Wisdom from my Favorite Wise Ass

Read this today. It resonated. Someone needs to remind me of this frequently.

"I enjoy making lists and spreadsheets and plans of attack, but I can get a little obsessed with efficiency. When things get really bad I realize that I am not only multitasking, but mentally rerouting my actual steps to maximize my efforts (I will take the laundry downstairs and bring X and Y on the way, that will save me a trip, blah blah blah). There is no prize for doing everything correctly, you know? At the end, we’re all just dead, no matter how sensibly and rationally we complete our activities of daily living."  -- Mimi Smartypants