Dogoversary

It's Oscar's Dogoversary! A year ago today Aaron was getting ready to go to Germany, I was moving, and a new dog showed up and turned our lives upside down. Max, the VeryBadDog, was sedate by comparison to this little puppy.

We were loading a big chair into Aaron's truck when I felt something cold on the back of my leg. The something cold turned out to be a little black nose, attached to a little brown dog. He was very friendly, and didn't object when we picked him up and examined him. At the time we thought he was an escaped pet, because he looked to be neutered (it turns out he was just a late bloomer).

We couldn't just leave him loose outside, so we carried him into my apartment. Max jumped up in his usual rambunctious greeting, so Aaron tried to caution him, "you can't play with that little puppy like you do with Maggie." I think he got to "puppy" before the little puppy started trying to wrestle with Max. Since the dogs obviously got along like brothers, a few days later he became ours. Choosing a name was harder than choosing to keep the dog. I'd suggested Laszlo, in honor of Aaron's graduation and doctor-father, or Barak, since the dog bounces around the room like lightning. But Aaron didn't like either, since having to say "Laszlo, what's in your mouth?" complicates one's relationship with one's adviser, and Barak would have led to Ehud- or Obama-related political discussion with every walk. So he became Oscar, a name with its own honorable past.

He's celebrating his anniversary by doing all sorts of fun stuff. This morning, there was a lively wrestling match with Maggie, the neighbor dog.


And a break for some good stick-chewing. Even on this special day, sticks are outside toys.


I brought home a present, which Oscar opened all by himself.


It's a squeaky frisbee! Eventually all dog toys are communal, but Oscar will probably spend some time keeping it close by. He's loved playing with these at the Dog Park, so now he has his own.


And I had my own excitement today. Purdue holds an Activities Fair every fall so all the student groups can show off and recruit. I was there to work on behalf of Students for Barack Obama, but had some time to look around. So I visited the Tae Kwan Do booth, and broke this board with my hand. My knitting hand. How foolish cool is that?