If a dog is out, the mailmen around here do not deliver you mail. period.

I can understand that if there are actually dogs out.

Have you ever seen me do this David?

You didn't get clinical and give her a named condition, but you were pretty clear about diagnosing her as *not* having a phobia of dogs. People do some really weird shit, you know. And that doesn't make her distress less real, and your followup to tell on her must just have made things worse.

You can't win them all. Some people are just going to be strongly negative about stuff. I don't think it's our place to judge them for it, especially in a situation where it could jeopardise their job.

You can't win them all. Some people are just going to be strongly negative about stuff.

This is absolutely true. And in this case, it was me being strongly negative about someone making a public scene. I'd have been just as bothered if it didn't actually involve me.

Happier dog thing. Darby has been such a rockstar recently. For one thing, I finally got her together with my friend C's dog Craig for a playdate at the beach. They got on like gangbusters, which is a)fun to watch and b)hugely helpful because it means we can do overnights when one of us needs to go out of town.

Much bigger though, we went to a "reunion" last weekend at her rescue group. The group operates out of a dog day care. Lucy adored daycare, but for Darb, I suspect because she spent so much of her life in shelters, it's harder. Environments like that with lots of dog smells, cleaners, etc - what I like to call the Canine Industrial Complex - freak her right the hell out and turn her into a shaking ball of pitiful.

But she didn't! She was engaged and perky and exploring. The woman who runs the group and daycare was amazed. She got a little intimidated here and there but would just come and stand behind me and watch for a bit until she ran back out.

Awwww, brenda, you've done such a good job with Darby. Love and patience goes a long way.

::note to self - as a parent also. patience...::

my friend C's dog Craig

We need to get Craig together with Bartleby's friends, Gary, Bob, Gus and Joe.

Dog names make me snicker. (My most recent personal favorite is a French Bulldog named Scrapple. I want them to get a Pug and name it Spam.)

b)hugely helpful because it means we can do overnights when one of us needs to go out of town.

Doggy share is an awesome thing!

I'm highly amused by the idea of playdates and reunions for dogs. I guess in a more urban setting it makes more sense, but I grew up with a rural idea of dogs, that they're primarily an outside critter. But I guess they are a lot like children, being pack creatures who like to touch base with the alpha and all that.

Still, I prefer cats, I don't have to worry about their mental well being.

I just found out one of my cousins is a big Joss fan, and now I'm wondering if she is a lurker.

Found out today that Em got spoken to about her pbj sandwich in her lunch Friday. I keep forgetting that there her new classroom is allergen-free. Em didn't get yelled at or anything, just asked to remind us that she can't take peanut butter to school. I feel horrible. On the other hand, Em is excited thinking that she's going to get just jelly from now on. She will be getting salami or turkey.

Aims, is it just peanuts or are all nuts forbidden? Because there are other nut butters out there that are nummy. Also, did you see that Prince William willnot be wearing a wedding ring?