What I'm Trying To Forget:

There are a few things to note before I can move on to all of the great things that are happening in my life and around the country right now...

One. The North Face jacket I just talked about... it was stolen right out of my office over the weekend. Someone with a key came in and just thought it'd be okay to take it for themselves. It really requires a low-life to do something like that...

I was extremely angry at first and was ready to give a severe tongue-lashing to the person I believe was the perpetrator, but now I am just disappointed in people. What a sucky thing to do to someone, really.

Two. My childhood dog had to be put to sleep over the weekend.

I've mentioned how my sister, Amanda, and I were complete animal freaks growing up... well we had cried ourselves to sleep many a night begging our parents for a pet (a real pet, not like the hamsters and fish that always served to shortly placate us). One afternoon, we climbed into the car after an ice skating lesson (yes, I'm pretty good at ice skating... no, I can't do any jumps) to find a dog in the backseat. Our mother was full of practical jokes and scare tactics so we were sure that this was another one of her cruel pranks. It wasn't. I was 11, Amanda was 12, and we got our first dog... our very own dog.

My dad was none too pleased with the surprise addition to the family, but he warmed up quickly and fell in love with the fur-ball... so a fence was built and Rusty stayed.

I hadn't seen Rusty in over a year given the state of my relationship with my parents, so I definitely feel very disconnected from the situation... but it brings a tear to my eye thinking about the pure and utter joy we felt on that day, and now he is gone.

Dogs really are the most wonderful thing in the world... a forever companion through thick and thin.