Ugh, I'm sorry vw.

I had kick-ass cramps and drastic weariness this weekend. They coincided with the first weekend this month that I've been home and a heat index of 110F, so I was planning on staying in and lazing about anyway. Ibuprofen, steak, red wine, avocado, and Wodehouse books--the best way to spend the first day of a period, I think.

Oh, vw. That sounds awful. And has anyone noted recently that both you and Emily are just exactly the World's Best Roommates to one another? 'Cause, so very true.

bt's Bottomless Well of Shimmering Mutual Doom is just about the loveliest, most heartening doom I have ever heard of. I sit here quietly grinning every time I read a Wally report.

The peaceful catful nesting-in of Andi and Dan is a close second, though.

Three different first-time Faire performers came up to me over the weekend to thank me for doing the dialect class, and two others came up to tell me that several old veterans had told them that this was the best dialect class they'd ever taken, and one woman came up to me after the second period class to ask if I was an English teacher. Buffista teachers take note: It was most definitely the last compliment that made me completely blushy and stammery and speechless.

And ION, The Cutest Puppy In The World lives on my block, and it is killing me dead. I used to talk to Hec about my encounters with TCPITW, and he'd nod and make little polite noises and wait for me to talk about something else. And then last week he met TCPITW himself, on his way home from work. He instantly recognized TCPITW from my tales, he went on and on about the eager loving soft kindly nature of TCPITW, and much later in the week I was talking about something else and had a spasm of OMGWTFTCPITW!, and he said dreamily, "Yeah, I was just thinking about what an amazing puppy that is."

We've come to the conclusion that this is the Hypnotoad of the dog world, existing solely to draw the entire human race deep into its thrall of cuteness. This should be alarming, but somehow we're just... it's... We hail its glory. We can't help it.

We've come to the conclusion that this is the Hypnotoad of the dog world, existing solely to draw the entire human race deep into its thrall of cuteness. This should be alarming, but somehow we're just... it's... We hail its glory. We can't help it.

Hee!

I'm generally not a dog person, but sometimes I am reminded that I am not immune to the charms of a cheerfull, enthusiastic puppy/doggie....

{{{vw}}}

(((vw))). That sounds no fun at all.

JZ, what kind of dog is TCPITW? I need photos of similar dogs so as to judge for myself, though of course no mere photo can fully capture cuteness.

{{{{vw}}}} Poor thing.

Lyra, I think it's probably a King Charles spaniel; Hec is less certain, but hasn't offered up a solid alternative.

It's just ridiculously soft and silky and full of that boneless springy baby-mammal energy; when it sees a new human it wants to meet, it stops dead in its tracks and lies down on the sidewalk and won't move, no matter how hard its owner tugs at the leash. Then when you kneel down, it lunges up into your lap and nuzzles at your face and licks your ear (also, its breath is entirely free of the usual ripe wet-food-and-brackish-puddles dogbreath stank) and bumps its big high forehead under your chin. I don't even know its name; its owner has very limited English and seems, on top of that, rather shy and befuddled about owning such an incredibly gregarious dog. The only things she's ever said to me are (head ducked, avoiding eye contact, but smiling) "Hello," "Goodbye," "So happy!" and "Such good puppy!"

HypnoPup. IJS.

Aw bless!

Mr tea, you're SO doomed! Doomed doomed doomed!

I'm not a dog person, but King Charles Spaniels are gorgeous. Also, my mother (also not a dog person) came THIS close to adopting one last year, on the basis of the preternatural cuteness, intelligence, friendliness and general adorability of a KCS called Sam.

For a limited time only, some new-member-of-the-family pics are here. (From Sunnydale Press)

The big brother with little sister pictures are amazingly cute.

Lyra, I think it's probably a King Charles spaniel; Hec is less certain, but hasn't offered up a solid alternative.

Oh, my! Those are just about the sweetest dogs ever (with the exception of Toto, of course). My parents have one, and he is just full of love, energy, kisses, etc. Just sweethearts of dogs.

I am finally feeling a bit better and ready to tackle my day. Thank goodness. I was getting afraid that I might have to go to urgent care for a while there.