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various essays on, well, art and culture lessons learned from this profession
ok, I'm not the guy from SNL,
mostly true stories from my Personal Essays
No matter where you go . . .
I’m at -7.13/-7.33 on The
Political Compass. Where observations on the human condition take a trip with me
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8 March 2005
Announcing: Alwyn!So, I got a dog.I wasn't really meaning to, and in fact had come to the tentative conclusion that we needed to wait until Martha Sr. was gone before I could/should get a dog.
We were both surprised: this dog could be the clone of Alix's dog Miranda, other than being male. Same size. Same markings. Same mannerisms. Whoa. We all hit it off, and we decided to bring the dog home. We discussed names en route, but didn't settle on anything which seemed to really fit. Later that day, with recourse to a Welsh names book, we found one we liked and seemed appropriate: Alwyn. It's pronounced "All-win" and is the Welsh version of Alvin. Anyway, the first couple of days were getting to know one another, figuring out how much socialization Alwyn had had, et cetera. After a few missed cues and messes, I think we've sorted out the housebreaking issues already. And this afternoon I built a temporary pen off the west side of the house, with a full fenced area to follow this spring.
The vet (his name is something like Frankenkowlskiczarinkannannabobanna - but he
tells everyone to call him "Dr. Frank") came by today, and did his thing with
Alwyn. Typical for Dr. Frank, this involved him coming into the kitchen,
meeting the dog, setting down his kit, then laying down on the floor and playing
with the dog, all the while making assessments of Alwyn's temperament, vitality,
and general condition. Dr. Frank approved. Alwyn approved. Then
the more formal exam, and we got the word: 29 pounds, will probably go to
And we've already bonded. Alix gets along fine with him, and he has adopted the habit of going in to cuddle up with my mother in law whenever we are in the front room, parking himself right at her feet, being friendly and bringing a pleasant brightness to her eyes. But he and I have bonded. I'm "his people," and he isn't happy when we part. Right now, getting him past his abandonment anxiety is our biggest task. If anyone has tips, I'd love to hear 'em. For my part, while the responsibility is a little daunting on top of being a caregiver for my mother in law, I couldn't be happier. I've really missed having a dog in the house since Miranda died. Except for the last few years, and a break while I was in college, I've had a dog all my life. My time obligations with the gallery wouldn't allow me to properly care for a new dog, so recently my life has been emptier.
So, I got a dog. Come meet him, if you'd like. |
contact me: jim@afineline.org |
all work © James T. Downey, 1993-2006 photos © Martha K. John, 1994-2006 |
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