Can We Count One-Year Anniversaries in Dog Years? If So, Then I Achieve More Than I Thought. 365 Days with Karal Lynne Karma Caramel Cupcake

Truth is we did a long walk in the morning, and it wasn't until Facebook reminded me, that I realized it was a year ago yesterday that I adopted Karal (here's the post from a year ago). After the walk, I drove to New Haven Schools, did work with teachers, stopped at BJs to get snacks for next week, and came home and walked Karal again. Then I drove to the University where I worked until 8 p.m. teaching a Capstone course. Of course, this morning I'm hitting the road for what I thought was going to be a vacation, but turns out to be a road trip between work obligations. But, I get 10 hours of car riding this week, and that means a new book. That's all the vacation I need for right now, plus, I get to see family in Syracuse for a couple hours on the weekend. 

Meanwhile, Colorado. 

This is the way things roll.

Ah, but back to Karal. I've told the boys I'm good with all terrains and mentorship except for relationships. Not good at them, am too selfish to maintain them, and I much prefer my isolation, bachelorhood, and randomness. I am a much better human outside of relationships.

Then, of course, there are the dogs. One at a time. Karal is a character...perhaps The Great Whatever's most amazing revenge: she's high maintenance, unpredictable, annoying, irksome, mischievous, sometimes loving, aloof, aggressive, hyper (hyper, and hyper), and routine. I've written before that I've never had anyone or anything so in love with me, and I guess I'm flattered, but her loyalty is also what creates her to be a $@#$@ around others. We've come to learn that Karal does not put on the obnoxious performance when I'm not around. It appears to be something I trigger in her when others are in my presence. She doesn't like to share me at all. So she seeks attention...competes for it, actually.

We're working on that. It's only been a year in my house and she's come a long, long way. It will be curious how she does at my parents the next couple of days when I fly to Denver. I imagine she'll be amazing - every dog is at the folks...it's the backyard and excessive biscuits. 

Okay, I'm hitting the road really early and it's me and Does My Body Offend You? as my choice book on audio. Karal in the backseat (okay, she'll jump to the front, guaranteed) and the debut novel by Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt. So glad for the Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones recommendation.

And we're off!