Thanks for the kind feedback. Although sometimes I still think it's odd how in touch I am with my inner ghetto dweller. Although it was supposed to be for a Dylan anthology so where else would a crime freak like me go? But it felt like a coming-out of a sort to share that side of myself with a disability mag; I'm not sure why.

Retractable leashes are of the devil. When I did my walk workshop, I *begged* people to trade them in and get static leads. I even convinced the shop owner to add a discount to the deal. Nobody bit. Sigh.

Todd, I'm with you. When I walk down the street and see an owner hauling their dog back. I'll ask, "Is your dog friendly?" In the time they take to hem and haw about 'sometimes yes, but you never can tell', their dog is on Bartleby. Dude, no is a perfectly acceptable answer.

Dogs on retractable leashes are without exception the least-trained dogs I see on the street. Dogs off-leash tend to obey verbal commands well enough to, say, not come over to my stroller and start sniffing my kid. Dogs on retractable leashes tend to come with owners on cell phones.

Kristin, tons of ~ma to your student, ex-student and their family.

We have a woman who brings her dog to our local dog park and yells at us all to keep our dogs away from her dog. @@

Also, parents shouldn't yell at me to control my dog (who is on a leash) when their children run up to Sass screaming, "DOGGIE!" with their arms waving and she barks at them.

Also, parents shouldn't yell at me to control my dog (who is on a leash) when their children run up to Sass screaming, "DOGGIE!" with their arms waving and she barks at them.

Right? We have a dalmatian. Thanks to those damned Disney movies, every kid in our neighborhood runs up and starts petting her before we can stop them. She's generally friendly, but she has been known to bite when she's had too much frenetic activity going on (like, oh, screaming kids running up to her and lunging at her neck).

She's not bitten a kid yet, but I need to perfect the quickly-step-between-the-dog-and-the-kid maneuver, so that she never bites a kid.

Kristin, healing and miracle~ma to your former student, and peace and Light~ma to her family, and to her graduating class.

All the dalmatians I've known have been EXTREMELY nervous creatures. Very friendly if they know you, but also prone to snapping if they get spooked, which is a LOT.

Between 101 Dalmatians and Finding Nemo, Disney has really done a number on pet-ownership issues.

Oh, Kristin, I'm so sorry. What a horrible situation. I hope it does not turn tragic. Much miracle~ma.

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I need Trader Joes help- what should I tell Tom to get there that will be pretty easy to prepare and that is yummy? I know that there is often some notes of numminess regarding one TJ's item or another but I can't recall them now!

ETA: this is for dinner, and we're looking for a rounded/full meal type thing.

Kristin, so much ~ma for your student, former student and family.