i'll have what she's having

yes week was a mixed bag of awesome and ugh.  the ugh being the desire make impulsive (but awesome) decisions and sometimes making them but most times not. more about that in a bit.  all in all, the seven days weren't too abnormal.

my blue period, aka sophomore year

so i offered myself up to participate in an as-yet unformed support group for women on the staff here.  it just came right out at the end of my short session with bob last week - the "is there anything available for x and i would be happy to be a part of it if so".  i know that being part of a community is an important for me and i really do enjoy being able to share my experience with others and learn from their own.  i know that my own journey has been full of twists and turns and an underlying fear of labeling myself as one thing or another, so open conversation is key to moving forward.

bob is proud of me. that makes me feel awesome. when you're doing the right thing, you kind of know it.

last week we also found out that coco's birth parents (my fancy name for her actual dog parents) had another small litter of puppies.  this sent both juan and i on the rollercoaster ride of should-we-shouldn't-we get one. pros: they would be coco's true sisters and we know that she comes from good, purebred stock.  cons: the apartment is not totally ready for a brand new puppy and we'd be financially set-back if we did get one. we're not talking the typical breeder price, either, but it'd still do some wallet damage.

ultimately, and with a lot of guilt, we decided that it's not in our best interest to get another pug puppy.  

what we have decided to do, instead, is to rescue another small dog closer to coco's age.  they'd most likely be better playmates. the fee is also less than the price we'd pay for a pug puppy, and adopted pup would be up to date on shots and likely spayed or neutered.  that is a huge cost that we would not have to bear.  

so while we've started the search for the new puppy, we are not quite rushing the process yet.  there are applications and home visits involved, and we want to be ready for those whenever we do intend to add another pup to the household.

aside from big, nay, huge weigh-ins, juan and i had some wonderful friends over to the apartment and were able to cook up a ridiculous amount of food for them. we are super happy to be hosts and, for once, to celebrating in our own space with most of the nearest and dearest.  the whole day felt really affirming; we are very much loved. 

this week, to continue on the good vibes train, i will not be picking scabs, pimples, my nails or digging away at juan - oh yeah, i was raised to be a nit-picker. my skin suffers and the anxiety flourishes, so let's hit the breaks for a few, eh?

see you then!