Good news!
My sister isn't going to be a stupid pet owner! She's getting a baby shih tzu in two weeks, and has apparently been researching and working with the breeder to figure out exactly what she's going to need to keep the little boy happy and healthy. We went to a few pet shops today looking for good toys and stuff for him.
If you're curious, his name is Toby and yes I will take pictures when he comes home. Lots, probably, as I will be puppysitting for the first week or two. Monique doesn't want to leave him all by his lonesome and she and John both work, so.
I'll probably run a few posts at SPO_Prevention as we get closer to Toby's coming-home date about things I should do to make his transition easier and whether or not I should actually let my sister dress him like she's planning. I just don't want baby Toby to end up like our old family dog Coco. Poor bitch. She had two litters before we finally talked our mom into getting her fixed, and she was always so poorly groomed because we couldn't talk mom into taking her to a groomer. The only time her nails got trimmed was when she went to the vet, which was only when she was /really/ sick or hurt... *sigh* I know better now, and I'm old enough to yell at people about it. It /did/ bug me to see Coco like that, don't get me wrong. But I was just a kid. 14 or 16 when she died, if I remember correctly. Poor poor bitch.
Anyway. I'm determined to never let another pet go the way of Coco, and it looks like my sister is too. She was really good with her cats Phoebe and Chloe (and later Taylor, when Phoebe had to be put down), so I think she'll be good with little Tobe. I can still fret though.
Oh, and if anyone was wondering what my sister thought of Once, she didn't like it. "I can tolerate anything for an hour, but after that you're pushing it." At least I got some good music for a bit. Then she put in the Dixie Chicks, I retched, and she laughed at me.
I asked my sister about some of the things mom's been saying that were really bugging me. Apparently I /am/ "antisocial" which I should "try to work on", but I don't push people away. Sometimes I come across as "calculating" but not "manipulative" in any way. I'm not a bad person, and I shouldn't listen to what mom says. Just nod and smile and brush it off like it doesn't matter. And I'm not crazy. Mom is.
So yeah, a little peace of mind now that I know I really don't come off as an ice bitch or whatever to the people around me. I'm not sure about how much of the social stuff I can fix. I mean, I've tried, but after a certain point it's just easier for me to walk away than it is to ignore the confusion and overloady feelings. Eh. I can try again, but I have a feeling it'll end up like the other attempts- okay for a while but I'll just get burnt out and go back to what's comfortable.
*snicker* That happened when I tried to become more of a "girly girl" too, come to think of it. Maaah well. No biggie. I don't piss people off by existing (other than my mother) so it's all good.
Oh! And I got the new Kamelot today. I'll write something up tomorrow.
If you're curious, his name is Toby and yes I will take pictures when he comes home. Lots, probably, as I will be puppysitting for the first week or two. Monique doesn't want to leave him all by his lonesome and she and John both work, so.
I'll probably run a few posts at SPO_Prevention as we get closer to Toby's coming-home date about things I should do to make his transition easier and whether or not I should actually let my sister dress him like she's planning. I just don't want baby Toby to end up like our old family dog Coco. Poor bitch. She had two litters before we finally talked our mom into getting her fixed, and she was always so poorly groomed because we couldn't talk mom into taking her to a groomer. The only time her nails got trimmed was when she went to the vet, which was only when she was /really/ sick or hurt... *sigh* I know better now, and I'm old enough to yell at people about it. It /did/ bug me to see Coco like that, don't get me wrong. But I was just a kid. 14 or 16 when she died, if I remember correctly. Poor poor bitch.
Anyway. I'm determined to never let another pet go the way of Coco, and it looks like my sister is too. She was really good with her cats Phoebe and Chloe (and later Taylor, when Phoebe had to be put down), so I think she'll be good with little Tobe. I can still fret though.
Oh, and if anyone was wondering what my sister thought of Once, she didn't like it. "I can tolerate anything for an hour, but after that you're pushing it." At least I got some good music for a bit. Then she put in the Dixie Chicks, I retched, and she laughed at me.
I asked my sister about some of the things mom's been saying that were really bugging me. Apparently I /am/ "antisocial" which I should "try to work on", but I don't push people away. Sometimes I come across as "calculating" but not "manipulative" in any way. I'm not a bad person, and I shouldn't listen to what mom says. Just nod and smile and brush it off like it doesn't matter. And I'm not crazy. Mom is.
So yeah, a little peace of mind now that I know I really don't come off as an ice bitch or whatever to the people around me. I'm not sure about how much of the social stuff I can fix. I mean, I've tried, but after a certain point it's just easier for me to walk away than it is to ignore the confusion and overloady feelings. Eh. I can try again, but I have a feeling it'll end up like the other attempts- okay for a while but I'll just get burnt out and go back to what's comfortable.
*snicker* That happened when I tried to become more of a "girly girl" too, come to think of it. Maaah well. No biggie. I don't piss people off by existing (other than my mother) so it's all good.
Oh! And I got the new Kamelot today. I'll write something up tomorrow.