I'd like to have a dog.

From the Daily Update (5/13/09)

Hi.

When I was a child living with my grandparents, we had a dog. Her
name was Frosty and she was Australian Shepherd. We got her when I was
in the first grade. They wanted it for me, this only child tucked
back in the woods of Douglasville, living with the dear old people who
loved me. I believe that we had some distant relatives that were
looking to get rid of the dog, and so they decided to take it, and I
knew for about a week before we went to pick her up that she would be
mine. Originally, her name was Gladis. Don't ask me why. I was
given the task of a renaming of the animal.

So it was around Christmas time and the song that was stuck in my 6
year old brain was "Frosty The Snowman." That would be the
appropriate name for my dog- who was a very dark grey. Of course I
assumed that since she was Australian that she would have a very cool
bark. I also imagined that she would know what to do in the certain
event of being attacked by a crocodile.

I say this because I see people running with their dogs out on the
paths and I get a little jealous. I can't really run and talk at the
same time, so a dog would make a great companion. I think I would get
one if I were going to be in this country for a long time. Let's hope
I'm not in this country for a very long time.

Anyway. I loved that dog. She was as smart as a dog can really be.
The fetching, the name recognition, the sitting, the laying down. She
had it all. And I remember how she loved connection with us- that
after playing for hours with her, we could still hear her cry outside
of the door when we went inside.

And I still remember how she was scared of me when I dressed up as a
vampire for Halloween in the 5th grade.

And I remember that she was would run huge loops in our spacious
backyard--- I imagine that she was herding the sheep of her homeland
from some distant generation.

So yes- I could love a good dog again one day.