TCG and I need to get up to Vermont soon and start looking at possible elopement places, if only so people will stop asking me if we still plan on getting married.

My closest friends got married in Stowe, VT and it was just lovely. Not an elopement, but definitely a wedding for them and their friends, and family could show up if they wanted type of thing. Granted, the place they had it at may be pricier than you'd want to go.

If they'd had the wedding in MA, they wanted me to perform the ceremony (since in MA you can get ordained for a flat fee). They were going to get me a monk's outfit and a tankard of ale for the ceremony. Oh well, I'd have felt awful if I'd screwed up the vows. It was one of the best times I've had at a wedding (of course, the other would have been the bride's first wedding on Nantucket).

I loved eloping. Since it was a second marriage for both of us, the thought of our far-flung families trying to coordinate coming to a wedding and the expense and trouble that would be for all of them was horrifying to contemplate. It is nice to celebrate publicly, though, especially when it is someone's first marrriage (and by "someone," I totally mean the mother of the bride, of course). An elopemnt followed by a shindig sounds like the best of both worlds!

"If you don't see blood...they're just talking."

Uh, yeah. There was blood. The dalmatian got a nip taken out of her ear (not *out,* like now the ear is misshapen; like a cut on the furry surface of her ear, maybe as big as a human's fingernail clipping).

We're keeping them WAY apart for now. Like, *rooms* apart, with gates between them.

You could stalk me! Is it stalking if I *want* you to?

Whoo hoo! I actually don't think we've been back to Vermont since we saw you last. Gimme a heads up when you guys decide on a date so we have a chance of getting a reservation someplace close by...

Uh, yeah. There was blood.

This would be a good time to have a talk with The Boy about about how dogfighting in your living room stresses you out.

There was blood.

Oh NO. What a mess. I'm so sorry.

It sometimes seems like a trial when I take care of our two shih tzu buddies...and I actually LIKE them. I can't imagine how uncomfortable, inconvenient and generally vexing this must be for you.

This would be a good time to have a talk with The Boy about about how dogfighting in your living room stresses you out.

Well, I've got odds on Guest Dog to win, so....

Kidding!

Actually, the dogfight was in the backyard, with *me* in the middle. I didn't get hurt, but my loud, profanity-laden reaction may have contributed to how quickly The Boy decided to separate the dogs (rather than trying to get them to hug it out).

and I actually LIKE them

Guest Dog is sweet and behaves well -- until provoked by Dalmatian. I like Guest Dog; it's just that we *so* don't have room for this menagerie.

(I asked The Boy, when he came to bed, "Is there a llama in the trunk of my car?"

Him: "No, but be careful when you open the glove box."

Me: "Whuzza?"

Him: "Doves might fly out."

It's like I'm living with Gob.)

In case anyone didn't catch it: eye-drop poisoning is no laughing matter.

I know omnis was mostly joking suggesting this as a revenge scheme, but this cannot be repeated enough. Please don't put eye drops in other people's drinks.

Eloping was good - much more fun stories to tell then if we had done anything conventional.

Unhappy dogs and cats aside, it sounds like everything is working out as it should. Not enough room for all.

and that toll thing is F'ed up. How does a non-resident deal? and a rental agency should have the easy pass on all their cars -- you might want to get involved with the BBB in that area.

Stuff I've read about introducing a new dog to a household said to keep them apart until they exhibit no aggressive behavior and that this process could take a month or two. If you can live with them separated this might be the best thing for everyone.