A couple of things have happened while I've been gone. First of all, D and I got puppies. That's right - "ies." We got two. Are we insane for doing it? Yes. We are.

We got the dogs from a rescue organization, so they're essentially mutts. Quincy looks kind of like a beagle, and Sadie looks somewhat like a terrier, but they could have a million kinds of dogs in them because their mama was a stray. They even have different fathers. Did you know that it's possible for puppies from the same litter to have different fathers? I didn't either. But it is. I love to tell Quincy and Sadie, when they're looking up at me and wagging their tails and licking my face, "You're mama was a 'ho. That's right. A straight up 'HO." Maybe you think it's wrong for me to tell them that, but I decided they should know about their histories as early as possible. Lord knows I don't want them digging through our papers in a few years and stumbling across that kind of shocking information on their own. ("What? We have ... different fathers? Oh my GOD!")

As much as I wanted puppies, the moment we got them, I was scared out of my wits. Here were two helpless little beings, totally dependent on me and D for everything - food, shelter, love, entertainment, etc. It was kind of overwhelming.

As adorable as they are, puppies need a lot of attention, and they're not afraid to let you know it. The first night we brought them home, they woke us up at around 2:30 in the morning, howling and yelping and crying and just generally going out of their adorable little minds. For something. We didn't know what. Were they hungry? No. Did they want to be held and petted? No. Did they want to play? No. No, no, NO. This continued for about a week.

Thank God my maternal instincts kicked in, is all I can say. Around the fourth night of being awoken by howling puppies, I truly began to feel like a new mother, tired out of her mind, but unable to ignore the cries of her infants. So I did what came most naturally for me - I poked D in the ribs and told him to go see what they wanted. And like a champ, he did. Shows what a great guy he is.

Slowly we developed a routine. D was the night/early-morning shift, I was the 7am shift. We've had the puppies for 4 weeks now, and I'm pleased to say that they are finally "sleeping through the night."

Boy, these puppies are a lot of fun. As much work as they are, they are too cute for words, and it's so much fun to watch them play together.

OK. Enough about dogs.

Are you still there? Because I have more to say.

Work: One of my bosses just returned from a six-month leave of absence, and her return has been rather .. interesting. There has been much turmoil and upheaval, and everyone is just trying to figure out what's going to happen next. People are preparing resumes, etc. I hate upheaval and turmoil, especially in the workplace.

I don't want to say much more about it here, but I've been thinking about my job, and why I'm still there. Obviously, the working at home thing kicks ass like nothing else. I love it. But. I'm starting to think (OK, I've thought so for a while) that I've gotten everything I can out of this position, and that I'm not growing at all. I don't want to get into another situation like the one I was in at BTA, where I stagnated for years because I was comfortable. So I don't know.

The stagnation issue has been coming up a lot lately with me, and it might have something to do with my upcoming birthday. As you know, it's a big one, one that generally forces people to reflect upon their lives, examine their navels ad nauseum, etc.

Well. I've a lot more to say, but this entry is so long, I fear most of you are asleep by now. So next week.