Happy Belated Birthday - Elliot

One of the most frustrating parts about my current project is that I have lost out on one full year of being with my dog, Elliot.

Because of the long hours I spend at the office, Elliot has spent the past 12 months in the care of my parents.  The time apart from him has been unbearable...

My dad has made the most of it tho'.  They spend an absurd amount of quality time together and I technically get to see him for extended weekends every month.   

I'll get to spend some time with him in about 10 days and when I do, I'll make it up to him.

Drawing by Hellie

DNA Testing

I trust that I'm not alone in feeling that apartment announcements (typically tucked under your door or wedged between door and frame) are equal parts impersonal and bad news...

Yesterday's announcement is too good to not share with you.  Starting January, 2014 - my dog, Elliot - will have the privilege of having his mouth swabbed so that his DNA can be kept on record at some place that I haven't committed to memory.

DNA Testing for Dog Droppings

See... my apartment complex is one of the pet-friendliest-places I've ever lived at.  We have a dog park on our premises and they've thoughtfully placed dog-drop-stations all throughout the grounds.  They stock said stations with plastic bags - better than any place I've ever been to.

Despite their efforts, I have a number of neighbors who don't curb their dog.  Is it cringeworthy to walk around the complex and see unattended droppings?  Yes...  It's also a drag to notify the complex that your neighbor didn't pick up after their dog.

Hell, I was accused of not picking up after my dog once and he wasn't in the same zip code when it happened.  It took three weeks for the apartment to wave the fine...

Nonetheless, this shit feels invasive and a total misappropriation of funds.  I don't know if my rent (or pet rent) will go up any because of this.   I can think of 10 things I would like to see addressed/repaired around here before implementing Doggy-DNA-Tests.

I'm seriously considering the idea of asking friends to bring their dogs over when they visit so that they can shit on the grounds and they end up with inconclusive tests...

I tease of course... 

 

New site / New Start

Greetings,

So I haven't had a chance to sit down and pen an entry after re-vamping september29th.com last week...

Things have been unusually hectic on my end and I with my parental units in the Alamo City - I got to spend an entire weekend with both Amos and Elliot by myself.

It did wonders for the soul...  it also reminded me how much it sucks to walk a dog in 34 degree weather at 5:44 AM.

Anyhoo...  I have a number of new things I hope to try out in the coming weeks and more importantly for 2014.   

In the meantime, here's a few pics of Elliot and I getting back into the sing of things.

-aCr-