Reading time this week is precious hard to come by. Last weekend was a complete and total wash, between time spent working, going to the library’s staff dinner, watching the Bears’ game and various and sundry.
Monday was a day off for my children, due to “school improvement day” (your guess is as good as mine, it never looks any different to me…), and days off don’t generally equate to mucho reading time. So, what reading time I’ve managed to find has been clawed out of my everyday schedule.
Maureen Corrigan kept me company yesterday evening. I had a two hour wait whilst loinspring #1 had singing lessons for her musical theatre group, and Leave Me Alone functioned well as both a good read and a message to anyone who dared look my way. I bundle into a ball pretty well when I’m reading in public, but still there are people who feel compelled to ask what I’m reading. Message to you all: please don’t. I’m not sure what more I can do, body language-wise, to discourage people from asking that particular question, save go feral and snarl at them. Considering my daughter may continue on in musical theatre it’s probably best I don’t lead the other parents to think I’m rabid. That could impact her chances of getting future roles.
In other news, the puppy has been in chew-overdrive lately, after a short period of time in which we dared get optimistic about her behavior changing for the better. Here’s a partial list of what she’s ruined in the past week:
1. one pink marker (which she chose to chew on the white sofa)
2. one pen (blue, chewed on white carpeting)
3. several pencils (she has a graphite obsession)
4. one leather shoe (mine, thankfully from an older pair)
5. two strands carpeting (she has good taste; it’s expensive berber)
6. one-half stretchy robot toy (we’ll get the other half back later)
She also has a favorite new game. It’s really fun! Here are the rules:
1. Go outside to do “business”
2. Dig hole to China, snuffle in the snow
3. Repeat
4. Run around spasmodically for approximately 10 minutes
5. Sit down and shiver piteously
6. Come inside and eat proffered “good girl” treat
7. Find favorite piece of carpeting
8 Unload like a dump truck
9.Look at Master with appearance of remorse:
(Photo by Lisa Guidarini)
Sigh.
Here’s hoping I find some more reading time. I need something to take my mind off the dog’s ruinous rampages. At least she’s not eating my books. Yet.
Bluestalking 
No I’m sorry, I don’t believe that sweet little creature could ever be naughty:-)
That’s some chew list Lisa I hate to think what Mr BSR is making of all this especially as you “homed” the dog so covertly when he wasn’t looking.That man on the back of that trailer knew something I think!
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Dearest dove, I know, she LOOKS the picture of innocence but I have evidence!!
Mr. BSR remaining quite stoic throughout, perhaps because he’s just resigned to the fact of how things are. Stiff upper lip!
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The puppy’s antics have just reduced daughter and self to howls of laughter/sympathetic tears.
Daughter, btw, also used to do masses of musical stuff. What I really hated was the people who would dig me in the ribs whilst waiting and say, “Good book, is it?”
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Jan, have just rec’d the copy of Stage by Stage you sent me, thanks very much! Can’t wait to dive into it.
Can only nod agreement with you on the subject of people who MUST drag your attention away from a book in order to ask you if you like the book you’re obviously absorbed in. Vile wretches!
As for puppy, well, it’s a good thing she’s cute!
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Lisa – have just finished reading Stage by Stage – just think Darcy and wet t shirt and I guarantee you will love this book! When people ask me what I am reading my reply is A Book. That usually shuts them up.
Your puppy’s picture and look of total and utter innocence is simply wonderful
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Lisa, your puppy tale reminded me of a friend who had a boxer puppy. Said pup learned how to open the cupboard doors in the kitchen (the only room Anne felt it even relatively safe to leave him while they were all at work). She used to come home to every packet stored in the cupboards ripped to shreads and the contents, regardless of what they were, eaten. The usual follow through was identical to point 8 above. When his teeth became strong enough to start puncturing the tins, the mess just got bigger.
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Elaine, I have just started on Stage by Stage and so far, so good. I despise the husband already!
Lia provides some pretty good photo opportunities. She’s quite the character. Actually, both the dogs are goofy and I could photograph them endlessly. I’ll have to take a photo of them both sleeping with their legs held stiffly up in the air. It’s a very funny image. The two of them love to sleep on me, actually, which must mean I have extreme animal magnetism!
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Ann, I feel your friend’s pain! In our case, terriers have an extreme urge to DIG, and that combined with the keen curiosity of all dogs is really an “interesting” combination. Our older dog used to rip wallpaper off the wall, for who knows what reason. Thankfully she’s grown out of most of that sort of behavior, so we have hope!
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I could forgive that adorable puppy anything :<) Who needs material goods anyway?!
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HA! Well, she is cute, but she’s also capable of some of the most outrageously grotesque behavior. Yesterday she left a “special treat” for me on our WHITE SOFA.
She’s challenging…
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