It has officially been one whole year since we adopted our little dog-friend, Bruno! Sunday the 24th was his one year dog-iversary. We know that he was a completely different dog then, but it’s so hard to remember what he was actualy like. When we see him constantly tearing around the house with a toy in his mouth and doing everything in his power to entice you to just play with him, it is so hard to remember that when we got him he didn’t even know how to play. We had to teach him. It’s so hard to remember that his coat was rough and grody, his ribs were sticking out, and he had a big, bad cough.

I met a woman last weekend whose husband had recently passed away. She has a 16 year-old and an 11 year-old, and she said that their pets had been invaluable in helping them all get through it. She said that for 3 months after he died the dog waited at the door for him to come home. It all made me think a lot about the kind of place pets can have in your life and in your family, the kind of companionship that’s somehow just different from anything else, and how being greeted at the door by a super excited Bruno never feels any less wonderful. We know how lucky we were to find each other, and we can’t wait to have many more years of fun with him. We love you Bruiser McGee!

Well, well, well. Look who’s found her way back to blogland. Pardon my mysterious absence. I won’t bore you with details of the hole digging, dump truck driving, and hay slinging that has been keeping me so busy. Instead, I’ll just tell you about the 3 DAYS I HAD OFF – IN A ROW!!!!! YEEEEE HAAAA!!!! After a lovely but too short visit from the Pinolera, some soccer action, a brief reunion with the Caveman and his sweet lady friend (who, by the by, both just moved back to Mpls – yesssssssss), and a bout with some strange stomach demon that briefly possessed Nate, we decided to make for the north shore.

We managed to book a pet-friendly room at the last minute at Caribou Highlands in Lutsen, and we were off. Our mission: to decide where and how to do this whole wedding thing. No small task, to be sure. Particularly for, how do you say, "non-traditional" folks such as ourselves. On our previous visit, we went up and back in a day, which allowed us just enough time to check out one place that we were hoping would be the complete package. Alas, it was not. Though we loved so much about it, it was just too small for the hundreds and thousands of people we wanted to invite.

This time, we had done some more research on the internets, and had several places we wanted to check out. One option was to still do the ceremony at the place we had already looked at and to stay there, but to find another place for the reception. And that led us to Papa Charlie’s. This would be expensive, but ohhhhhh could we ever throw one hell of a party here! Tempting, very tempting. But they won’t let us bring outside food OR alcohol. Since Nate can’t quite figure out how to make the Kegenator a groomsman, we were hoping to at least have a keg or two of homebrew at the reception to represent, you know?

Then we checked out this other pretty sweet idea, getting hitched on top of a mountain (cue the laughter from the Colorado dwellers) overlooking the largest body of freshwater by surface area on the face of the planet. And with views like above, and this:

it was hard to resist. But the place itself had issues and really wasn’t that cool. Everyone would have to ride a gondola to get up the mountain, which we thought would add an extra adventure to the whole deal. But while Nate and Bruiser were having a great time riding the thing, I was trying hard not to vomit, and this led us to think of what it would be like riding that thing down the mountain after having a few drinks at the reception. Blech.

Then an idea was posed to us by a guy at the original place of interest to do a tent thing for the reception, as a couple had just that weekend. But I’ve so been at that wedding like 3 times.

In the end, Bruno and I sat down and talked the whole thing over, and he had some very insightful things to say. He’s so wise for his one and a half years. His advice was to have a much smaller and more private affair on the north shore, and then to throw a bigger, more casual party here at like Town Hall or something, where we could invite the hundreds and thousands of people we want to celebrate with. That way, we don’t inconvenience all the people who don’t know us as well by making them drive 4 hours up north, we just inconvenience those who are closest to us. Perfect. And that way, the original place of interest could work. Well, that dog gave us some good things to think about, and we actually think we’ve got a rough plan worked out. Now to work out the details, make the reservations, drop some cash, etc. etc. And until that’s done, I leave you on the edge of your seat.

I WANT SUGAR! Or salt! Salt would be good too! ANYTHING! JUST GIVE ME A SNACK!!! And don’t ask me how it’s going, because I’M IRRITABLE!!!

Just when I was thinking that detoxing had made Nate a little crabby, I surpassed him by leaps and bounds. Of course, it doesn’t help that it has been raining non-stop for 2 days straight, or that there are two giant dogs (we’re dog-sitting) tearing around our house and needing to go out to pee every 5 minutes and then have all 8 of their muddy paws wiped off.

Even though I currently HATE it, so far I am learning a lot about my eating habits. Basically, I eat when I’m tired, I eat when I’m having a hard time getting my work done, being at my office makes me want to eat, being at home makes me want to eat, and I crave sugary and salty things. Well that’s just great. Only a FEW things to work on!

This picture sums up how I feel on Detox Day 2:

After cleaning room o’ doggie diarrhea on Monday, children suddenly seemed less frightening. However, when things progressed today to (I know I should spare you this detail, but I just can’t) bloody poo, we had to take our little guy to the doctor. I had to go to a seminar thingy at school, so Nate took him in. I waited anxiously for an update, and when Nate called it was to tell me that they were doing x-rays because they thought he might have an obstruction. I yelled "No!", my eyes welled up, and my breathing sped up and threatened hyperventilation. I immediately pictured the poor lil buddy on the surgery table with a tube in his mouth, all unconscious and about to be surgeried. And then I realized, nope, kids are still scary. If I freak out this bad about my dog… It turned out that Bruiser has a case of Cryptosporidium, which, having once had it myself, I can tell you is no picnic. But with some antibiotics and a special diet he should be fine. Phew. Speaking of diet, turns out we made him chubby! "He could stand to lose 5-8 pounds." Wha? Looks like we overdid the original instructions of putting 5-10 pounds on him. Poor little fatty.

The up side of all this is that in his online quest for info on doggie diarrhea, Nate happened across this highly entertaining site.