looked like a fetus with an adult face and tentacles.

Straight out of Men in Black?

Yay for new puppage! Baby Beagles are made of cute.

Train it NOT TO BARK

Tough job with a Beagle...however, training the SPEAK (or BARK, since that might be easier to remember on the fly) command and then reinforcing NO SPEAK might work. This is how I taught Bartleby to quit jumping on everyone. We made JUMP into a game with sticks and such. Now, NO JUMP means butt on the ground. Works a treat.

Hey Steph, about what waist size is The Boy?

Freaking TINY. I don't know the measurements, but if I had to guess, maybe 28." Certainly no more than 30."

Vortex, and other rental savvy folk:

I've been giving this $300 rent increase a lot more thought and I have to give the landlord an answer tomorrow.

I'm thinking of saying that I can either a) increase the rent by $100 per month for the next 4 months, then increase by $100 for the next 4 months... or begin the $300 per month increase as of March 1.

I have fantasized about saying, 'If the $600 is important enough to you to take action against me, please do. I'd love to go to court and discuss your behavior as a landlord.'

This is, I suppose, an empty threat, but the spite I feel is huge. And while I dream about him experiencing a fraction of the discomfort and fear he's caused me over the years, I know I should leave emotions out of this discussion.

Does any of the above seem like a rational option?

I'm thinking of saying that I can either a) increase the rent by $100 per month for the next 4 months, then increase by $100 for the next 4 months... or begin the $300 per month increase as of March 1.

I would say that you agree to a $100/month raise and leave it at that. That gives you room to negotiate if need be.

Honestly? It sounds complicated, and it will end up with you still paying the much higher rent.

I guess it all depends on what you can actually afford, and what your "I'm outta here" point is. I'd be more inclined to go back to him with a straight counter offer (say, current rent +100) and be prepared to move up to maybe +150. How hard you play it depends on how prepared you are to walk, I guess.

What are market rents like in your area anyway? Does this increase, unfair as it is, put you in general market range? Or is he jacking things up to where you could do better elsewhere?

So far, they claim they've only heard her bark once at the shelter.

Ollie didn't bark for the first time til he was 6 months old.

Then again, we're bad Beagle parents. He never went through obedience school and it shows.

We did break him of the howling though. Thanks heavens.

Freaking TINY. I don't know the measurements, but if I had to guess, maybe 28." Certainly no more than 30."

Jeebus. He and Joe could share pants. I ask because I have one of my great-grandmother's vintage (maybe 40's?) waist cinchers and I thought he might love it and it's teeny.

also an interesting moment when the Dalek opened itself so that we could see inside.

Dalek physiology's been canon since the 1st Doctor.

In an eBay search for "Jayne Cobb hat", the "Other Related Searches" was "Dr Who scarf".

Ollie didn't bark for the first time til he was 6 months old

Barking, like shedding, sometimes doesn't really develop until adolescent/adulthood.

I ask because I have one of my great-grandmother's vintage (maybe 40's?) waist cinchers and I thought he might love it and it's teeny.

Wow! How teeny is teeny?