Hangin' With "Uncle Tim"

Molly loves hanging out with Uncle Tim. Molly does not like many people (pretty much nobody) so I am glad she likes my roommate. Molly thought my last girlfriend was her personal chew toy (that should have told me something) she bit her so many times.

When I first moved in, I told Tim that he would need to take it slow with Molly and let her come to him. He has been about the only one that has ever followed my advice and Molly is currently napping on his bed. My roommate just recently lost his dog and I am more than happy that Molly can fill a little bit of that void. He takes Molly on walks, he takes her out on the back porch for his smoke breaks, and I am comfortable leaving Molly with him on the weekends when I go off.

A Cold Wind Blows

Molly loves cold weather. Back in her younger days, I can see her pulling a dog sled in the Iditarod Dog Sled race or being the Alpha Dog in an Eskimo Village somewhere in Alaska. Even as old as she is, Molly loves it when a cold wind is blowing (me, not so much any more) and she especially loves the snow. I don't know if the cold wind blows more smells for her to take in or what, but that is when she is truly happy and I love her for it. She bounces into the house and her good mood rubs off on everyone.

Always On Chaperone Duty

My girlfriend called last night and I put her on speaker so I could finish what I was doing without having to stop and talk. Upon hearing my girlfriend's voice, Molly immediately moved in between me and my computer because Molly just knew my girlfriend was in the room with me somewhere. Molly had spent the entire day working her way in between me and my girlfriend including getting on the bed and in between us while we watched TV. Molly is always on duty.

The Emotional Dog

Everytime I see a dog and his handler that were together in Iraq or Afghanistan reunited it brings a tear to my eye. These dogs immediately recognize their handlers even after sometimes several years. These dogs react with such joy and emotion, how can you not view these dogs as capable of feeling emotion. I know Molly reacts the same way towards me when I have been on vacation for as little as two or three days. That is pure joy and unconditional love in it's purest form.

When One Door Closes, Another One Opens

Molly really utilizes this philosophy because she when one door closes, she opend the door herself. It is usually the same door but it doesn't make a difference to her. Molly is always busting through my roommate's door late at night or first thing in the morning just because she has to know what is going on. When I get up in the mornings, I have to follow her around to make sure she doesn't wake him up. I'll get busy and I'll hear the familiar "thump" of her paws hitting the door and I'll have to drag her out of there. She can't stand a door being closed. The first time my girlfriend used the bathroom over at my apartment she was shocked when Molly came walking in on her. I learned to barricade the door. It's Molly's World, I just live in it.

One Lazy Dog

Molly has redefined laziness in her old age. Yesterday afternoon I noticed her laying in front of her food bowl and eating out of it while she was laying there. She wouldn't even stand up to eat.

After about 10 hours of napping (she even slept through the Seahawks fantastic comeback over the Packers), Molly was stretched out on my bed doing her pre-nap exercises. Those usually include yawning, stretching, and she tries to throw in a fart or two. She was laying there just watching me with her eyes. She wasn't even moving her head. I had a pack of Ritz crackers in my hand and I placed a Ritz cracker in her mouth as she opened it and she ate it. I know I enable the dog and I guess she deserves to be a little bit lazy.

Not Without Me

Molly always knows when I am getting ready to leave. When I pack a suitcase, she knows she is going to the kennel. When I put on a jacket or a coat, she knows I am leaving for at least a couple of hours and probably to work. If I have my bookbag thrown over my shoulder, she knows I am leaving for the night.

Molly has a different reaction to every situation. She crawls inside the suitcase hoping she can be a stowaway on my trip, A coat she starts eating hoping I will stay awhile, and a bookbag she just starts barking because she knows there is no winning that argument.

Molly Still Rarin' To Go

Molly, even as she gets older, still loves the cold weather. She has always been a cold weather dog and when their is a definite chill in the air, it puts a pep in her step.

After a brisk walk in the cool night air, she will run up the steps into the house and greets my roommate as he staggers into the living room. At least he doesn't fall on her. Maybe Molly has been in his moonshine?

Surviving The Weekend

I left Molly with my alcoholic roommate this past weekend so I could go out of town and I have to admit, I was really nervous about it. His dog just recently passed away and he really campaigned to be able to do this for me. He wanted and needed to do this for himself as much as he wanted to do it for me and I recognized that.

Molly likes my roommate because she has spent a lot of time with him and she has no problems in going and hanging out with him in his room but the alcoholic part does bother me. I never know what he is capable of or not capable of. Everyone made it through the weekend, I did not worry as much as I thought I would, and Molly was happy to see me when I got back

A Memorial Garden

I am going to get the opportunity this spring to do some landscaping around the property I live on. I enjoy landscaping but have not been able to do it for about three years now because I was living in apartments. I am really looking forward to it.

People memorialize their pets in different ways. My roommate was insistent that we bury his dog Mandy in the front yard in spite of my best efforts to talk him out of it. I decided last week that as part of my landscaping, I would landscape around her and make "Mandy's Memorial Garden." I have some ideas that I think will make it look pretty good and I am even going to include some art work even though I am the farthest thing from an artist that you can get.

Molly Gets Some New Bling

I got Molly some new bling in the form of a new dog collar for Christmas. It is pink and has some diamond style studs on it. A girl has to look her best I retired her old one and I always keep them because they are not in good enough shape to donate to an animal organization.

Molly was well past due for a new collar. I was going to buy her sister "Mandy" one as well but she passed away before I could.

The Petulant Child

Molly is such a petulant child aka "Fur Baby." When I shut her up in my room in the mornings when I leave, she throws her food all over the floor in a bit of a temper tantrum. When I come home at the end of the day, she has thrown her food bowl up against my door. My roommate says he can hear the bowl bouncing off the door about thirty minutes after I leave. I would love to put one of those pet cams on her to see exactly what she does.

Everyone that has ever had the chance to meet Molly has referred to her as "spoiled." I think Molly has taken spoiled to a whole new level but I believe that she has earned that right. She has looked after me for 12 1/2 years and protected me from strippers, an ex-wife, and pissed off girlfriends.

Molly The Therapy Dog

My roommate lost his dog (she passed away) about a week ago and Molly has been trying to act as his therapy dog. I am going out of town this weekend and my roommate volunteered to watch Molly for me while I am away. It makes me nervous but deep down, I know it is the right thing to do for me, Molly, and my roommate.

Molly's New Years Resolutions

Molly is 12 1/2 years old and in light of her roommate Mandy's recent passing, my New Years Resolutions for Molly are fairly simple. Molly is entering her Golden Years and my goal for Molly is to make her quality of life as good as possible. She has been a great friend and I can never repay her for everything she has done for me. What I can do is give her all of the time and attention she needs as she makes the transition into the next life.