23. Get A Pet

Hello.

My apologies for the lack up updates lately. I haven’t been busy, I just haven’t felt like writing.

To update you: I quit my shitty job, got my summer job back working with kids (loved it!), and now I’m back where I was when I graduated college: unemployed.

Things are different this time around though. For starters, I moved back to my home state of Connecticut. My talented boyfriend had no trouble finding a lucrative job here, which is why we decided to stay. And, since we had saved up enough money, we got a house!

“The Rock House”

It’s nicknamed “The Rock House” because it’s built on a rock. Now, don’t let me fool you we don’t own it, we just rent. Which is actually cheaper than you’d think! And a hell of a lot cheaper than an apartment in the city. It’s beautiful, spacious, it has all hardwood floors, and a view that makes it feel like paradise.

View from the living room… sigh.

AND, now it is official – I have moved out of my parent’s house. There are no more boxes, clothes, sheets, furniture, stuffed animals, books, dirty laundry, electronics, posters…. no nothing that belongs to me (except a few keepsakes my mom still wants). This is my home now. Me moving back to CT?? Who would have thunk it?

But back to my point here.

I’m right where I am in 2010 but, I have a beautiful house, a loving person to share my life with, and… a dog.

“HEWWO EVEWYONE, MY NAME IS BEWWA.” (Hello everyone, my name is Bella)

Yes. Meet my beautiful, chicken-loving, energetic puppy, Bella Marie. AKA Bella.

Since my first dog (and best friend) Samantha passed away 4 years ago, I had been hesitant to get another dog. It was too painful to think of getting a replacement Sammy. But, over the past few years, I had been longing to get a dog. I’d go into puppy stores and see them all running around playing, but none of them were even close to being like my Sammy.

Sammy in the snow – 2007

Then one day, while going to Walmart to get paper towels, we stopped in a local pet store that just opened up. We decided to go in for fun. And there she was… A 9 week old Golden Doodle (1/2 Golden Retriever, 1/2 Poodle) that couldn’t sit in one spot because her paws couldn’t grip the floor so she kept sliding around. So cute.

She reminded me of Sammy. Not just because she was part golden, but because she came running up to the door and sat. No barking, no jumping, just a small tail wag. That’s exactly what Sammy did when we first got her.

Bella’s first picture in the pet store

The saleswoman on the floor asked if we wanted to play with her. She took us into the play room and all this dog wanted to do was cuddle next to your neck. We asked a million questions and actually learned a lot about this new store.

The Yuppy Puppy is a small shop in Guilford, CT that only gets dogs from local breeders. They have the best pet food/treats that’s all natural, and a wide selection of cages, collars, etc… all reasonably priced. They love animals and just want them to find the right home.

Back to Bella.

Obviously, this was a HUGE decision to make. We were a little tight on money because we just bought all this new furniture for our house. Plus, we just got a house, was getting a dog going to be too soon? But, every time I looked at her picture, I knew this was my dog.

SO WE TOOK HER HOME!! She’s now 11 weeks old and she’s perfect.

She helps with the laundry:

She helps me apply for jobs:

And helps you navigate as you drive:

Seriously though, she is the best.

And I guess what I love most about having her, is she makes me being unemployed feel okay. It’s nice to have someone to watch TV with, and bounce ideas off of during the day. It’s nice to feel wanted I guess that’s what it is. She tags along with me all day, sleeps by my feet, and always makes sure to crack me up when I feel sad, she’s quite the character!