a chill is in the air

kim: today was a sad, sad day. i bought a jacket for my dog.

i generally don't believe that dogs need to wear clothes. that's why god invented fur and put it on the dog. however, peanut is a small, skinny dog with short hair, and this is minnesota, so i bought her a coat. i had to go to three stores before i found one that didn't have arms in it.

so long, $641.56

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peanut: i look like a race horse. is this my halloween getup?

nothin' says lovin' like something from the oven

kim: peanut has figured out that there are good things in the kitchen. she's taken to following me in there, just in case something good happens, like i'm slicing up cheese and some falls on the floor.

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peanut: little dogs do too like jalapenos!

fun with chores

kim: i have all the ingredients for a few minutes of fun: 1 swiffer mop, 1 cloth rag (swiffer pads are insanely expensive and create waste), and 1 puppy. just put the rag on the mop head, place assembly in the same room with the puppy, and get to cleaning. follow the canine's lead.

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peanut: banzai!

puppy porch fundraiser

kim: if you've been following along, you may recall that i adopted peanut through puppy porch, a local rescue group. they are having a shindig (code word for fundraiser) this saturday from 11-3, so pack up your dog and join in the fun. there will be lots of vendors on site, a silent auction, demonstrations, and treats for your pup, of course. if you have some used or new supplies (leashes, towels, kennels, food), please consider bringing them along for a donation.

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peanut: can we go? huh? huh?

dog park

kim: peanut and i went to the dog park today for the first time. it was a nice day out, so there were lots of dogs there, and about 2/3 were larger dogs. peanut got pummeled by an overzealous lab a couple of times, but she is fine. she got pretty dirty, though. which brings to mind another thing i really like about this dog: her smooth coat. it practically repels dirt. by the time she got home, she looked perfectly clean.

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peanut: i'm like a self-cleaning oven. but i'm a dog.

chewing phase

kim: life is full of stages, and peanut is going through a chewing phase. she seems particularly enamoured with slippers. i had to inform her that they are not chew toys. i also have to remind her: do not to chew on my clothes that i left on the floor. or on my hoodie strings, especially if i'm wearing the hoodie. or my hand.

$601.65

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peanut: don't be mad at me. i'm cute.

good retriever

kim: i lost a sock months ago. literally. i've had one lonely sock in the drawer since at least mid-summer. but i'm a person of faith, and my belief that the other sock would eventually appear kept me from throwing out the one that remained unlost. well, i found the lost sock today. right on top of my bed. apparently peanut found it in its hiding spot and kindly left it in an obvious place for me. as a bonus, there were no holes in the sock.

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peanut: good job me.

school is in session

kim: yesterday was our first day of puppy kindergarten. at 4 months, peanut is one of the oldest pups. we both had a good time, but i couldn't believe what a squirmy bug peanut was during lecture time. thus, the homework for this week - dominance reduction. and look upon hearing your name. and sit.

r.i.p. dollar bills: $597.92

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peanut: i like school! i go for a car ride and get lots of treats and play with other puppies.

up almost 10% in 8 days

kim: last thursday peanut was 15.5 pounds, today she was 17.0. i wish my stocks were doing that well.

took peanut back to the vet because she's still having tummy problems. sadly, i need to fast her until tomorrow morning. she's not going to like this.

current cost of priceless dog: $512.92

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peanut: i may have to resort to cannibalism.

getting tougher

kim: when i first got peanut, she had little pink tender paws. now that she is running around more, her paws are starting to callous up. during today's operation-tough-paws maneuvers (a walk around the block), we saw not one, not two, not even three, but four deer. fun to see that wildlife is still in the area. peanut froze in her tracks and watched them cross the road.

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peanut: those were the biggest critters i've ever seen!

make yourself at home

kim: there are ups and downs to having a feline guest. today was a good day; lucky's choice to enjoy some r&r cracked me up.

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peanut: good spot for him. i like having the whole bed to myself.

zzz

kim: peanut had a play date with lulu from across the street this afternoon. they tore around the back yard so much that eventually they were too pooped to run any more and just wrestled.

running total to have my very own peanut gallery: 457.21

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peanut: zzzzzzzzzz

a hole in my pocket

kim: today was peanut's first visit to her new regular vet. the impetus was twofold. she's been sickly for a few days and she needed her rabies shot. turns out she had tapeworm, but is now on the road to recovery. she did a great job taking her meds and getting her shot; she totally won over the crew with her sweet demeanor. oh, to have the charms of a puppy.

for an experiment, i'm going to attempt to capture how much money this dog costs me over her lifetime. she is priceless, of course, but here goes anyway. so far on the tab we have an adoption fee, two trips to petsmart for food and toys and stuff, and one vet visit. owning a dog for 10 days = $448.89

that's a lotta lattes.

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peanut: come out, you coward! (addressing yella bellied tennis ball)

sicker 'n a dog

kim: if you're a dog, can you really be sicker than a dog?

peanut has the little doggie flu. it's not very fun cleaning up the messes. i'm sure peanut isn't really enjoying it, either. she seems to be doing better now. poops are starting to look more like poops than lumpy puddles.

yesterday, i didn't want her to mess in the house while i was gone, so i put her in her kennel. so she messed in the kennel. today i left her out. the floor is easier to clean up.

she has taken to making herself at home on the bed when i'm not looking. upon discovering her misplacement, i gently remind her that she is in violation of the little dog proper placement treaty. and she politely gets down.

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peanut: she doesn't know it, but i sleep on the bed when she's gone.