Bliss

I've been in a mood the last few days.  I worked all weekend and was supposed to have Tuesday off due to the holiday (I have Monday's off so if there is a holiday that day I get the next day off as well  I worked both of those days).  I usually love working on the marshes, but with Ryker at home and DH working all the time it's stressful for everyone.  Now I'm just waiting for Friday off!  I've been doing more yoga and trying to head off my negative mood with positive thoughts, it's working slowly but surely.  Camping this week before my first race since the foot injury should help (as will the race).  It is a 10k on the trails.  I'm nervous since I haven't really ran over 3 miles (I've hiked 8 though while working in full field gear).  I'm thinking that this might end up being a walk/run thing and I'm ok with that.  I'll do what my foot says is acceptable.  I'm the most nervous about the 1/2 marathon in April.  That's when memories come in and remind me of what happened 6 months before.  Maybe I'll be pregnant and I can worry about that?

Dynamics

Quetesh and Ryker

Welcome Ryker, to the Love household!  At dinner Friday of the week I picked the sweet boy up, my husband noted that 1)  It can be hard to place a large dog 2)  It makes it even harder to place a pitbull 3)  He is a good boy and deserves someone who understands him so we should keep him.  So Ryker is a permanent addition to the family.

Run to You

Lots of love & food going toward this guy!

I'm back running.  :)  It feels great to run again.  I've been running at a local park and went there again on Wednesday.  We just had a front come through and there was standing water in some areas plus it was chilly (38 and windy).  I was scheduled to do 3 sets of 8 min run/2 min walk.  Everything was going good and then I started the 2nd rep.  Tied to a pole in the middle of the park was a dog.  Skinny and afraid.  I went up to him and he was starving for attention, but timid.  I grabbed the tie out they used to tie him up with and brought him to my truck.  He was afraid of getting in at first, but after some encouragement, we managed.  He's around 55 pounds right now and has been abused.  Looking at his teeth, he's just under a year old (I figure the might be able to give me a better idea tomorrow).  He's decent on a leash and just a bundle of gentle energy.  This morning while I was playing with him I'd sit on the floor and he'd get real low and wouldn't get rough.  As I stood up taller, he'd get a little rougher.  Pretty sure he's an American Pitbull Terrier, but no way to know for sure if he's mixed or not.  We think someone wanted a fighting dog and he wasn't a good option.  He has a few fight marks on his ears and nose.  There is a mark on his head that we cannot figure out if someone tried to brand him or beat him so hard he has a scar either way, he's with me and he'll be staying. In my house the cat rules the wild kingdom.  Quetesh thinks she rules all food (as we've seen with her trying to steal the 10# bone from him).  He just looks at them both like they are nuts.

Who could beat this sweetheart!?!?

The only signs of any fight were when Quetesh nipped him.  He didn't bite, just barked and baked up, so not aggression, but submission.  Still we will keep on our toes with them since he's still young and getting comfortable and Quetesh is cranky in her old age (and I need to stay on her).  Bonus:  I have a running buddy.  It's good that I have him now, since you need to start them out slow as well, and I'm more likely to take it easy on a pup than I am myself.  :)  I survived telling my husband pretty well in tact and I think he wants to keep him.  He fits well in our dynamic, a couple of broken people with broken animals.  Love is the glue that puts us together and makes it all work.  When I told him I figured he'd ask why I didn't just leave the dog.  Instead he said, leaving the dog would have made you just as bad as the person who abandoned him. When he got home from work, the dog backed behind me then when straight up to him and sat giving my husband his head for a good loving.  This won his heart, pretty sure.  We do need to decide on a name for the guy (preferably before tomorrow so that I can give the vet an actual name for him).  I already have dreams of him with a doggie back pack carrying his water bowl and a hands-free leash on a run...

Those bones might be bigger than I am, but they are mine!

It's funny how what you need finds you just when you need it.  Despite my acceptance of infertility, I still have my bad days and all I want to do is cry.  Running and dogs are the best cure for me.  On top of helping a less fortunate baby, which allows that motherly instinct to come out, I feel better.  Ovulation is just around the corner and maybe we can complete our family with 2 sweet pups, a crazy cat, and the joy of a new baby. I can dream can't I?   Here's to my New Year hopes!