It will be so hard

In the past 4 days, I've heard at least 50 times, "It's going to be so hard to give the puppy away."

Yes, it will be hard. But let me tell you why it will be a good thing.

This is no ordinary puppy. And we will not be "giving away our dog."

This puppy was born to do this job. His parents were bred to have him and his litter mates. They were chosen to be born to serve.

In orientation, they told us to "Start with the end in mind."

We have been picked (or offered) the opportunity to train Brodie.

We get to teach him 31 commands and show him how to go help others.

We get to send him to advanced training so he can learn even more.

THEN, we get to fly to San Diego (hopefully if all goes well) in about two years.

We get to present him to a person who needs him. A person who cannot complete their day to day tasks without him.

We are not giving our dog away. Brodie is going to help someone.

Then, it will be hard to come home. But just like children, they go do something bigger and better.

The Best Laid Plans

Planning.

Something I like to do. Something I'm good at.

Planning is actually an art.

If you plan too much - you almost become controlling. Things - anything - needs to go a certain way.

It's great - almost expected - for things to go as planned. Down to the last detail.

I believe earlier this summer I wrote: I'm done planning. I'm letting it all go.

Only, it's not in me to let it go. I like to have a plan.

I also realize, I just like an idea of what is going to happen. Not every little detail needs to be made. That's where we disappoint ourselves.

We don't realize all the "perfection" already in the making - we look at the one imperfection.

In June, we signed up Nolan to be a CCI puppy raiser. We went through the whole process. We got our call. Ambrosia was headed our way.

Ambrosia is a black lab/retriever mix. Female. Born on 8/22/15.

I had requested a blonde male.

As we know though, life doesn't always give us want we want.

"Rosie" was set to arrive today. We were ready. Had all her supplies. Her name tag. Everything.

Only, I get a call this morning. A frantic person calling from the executive offices of CCI. There had been a mix up.

My heart sank.

What was I to tell Nolan?

The handlers put the female black puppy in the other shipping crate and the male in ours. Was a male okay?

I laughed. I told her I had wanted a boy all along.

What's his name? Ambrose. - Ambrosia's brother.

That's a horrible name. I thought this immediately. The boys both said the same thing.

I told her it was fine. We are happy with any baby. It's funny though how your head totally spins in a different direction. We got something we were expecting. Something we were expecting taken away.

She called the other people after us to make sure it was okay with them. I did tell her, will you please connect us to the puppy raisers of Ambrosia, as now we need to know the other side of the story.

We picked up Ambrose - "Brodie" at 1:30 this afternoon.

Everything is going to be alright. As we know, sometimes life works out even better than planned.....

Karma

Once upon a time,

There was girl whom fell in love with the "start-up" dream. Not to mention she usually fell in love with the "start up guy".

You know:

The guys that had all that potential.
The guys with the ideas.
The the dreams.
The places they want to be.

Same for a start-up company. The start-up guy.

Only.

We know. Life is not a start-up.

It's a "start-now" situation.

We all fall in love with the dream.

Several years ago, I was one of those girls. The girl in love with the dream.

Only, I was loving working for a start up.

Long story short:

I bought in

I believed in the start up.

I got screwed.

I didn't get any money.
]

Two weeks ago, the personal assissant to the man with all the money sent me an e-mail.

Information needed was sent.

Today.

I received an invitation to attend a luncheon with an Olympic Swimmer. I'm going. At the end of the month.

I can't wait to "run into her in Rio"

Karma is a bitch

We Bought A Zoo Too

I'm a sucker for those heartfelt movies. The sleeper hits. The ones that make you cry - a happy cry.

A sucker for the movies that are a little sappy. Those that touch your heart in funny little ways you can't explain to people.

For whatever reason, the movie, "WE BOUGHT A ZOO" continues to stalk my life. Or randomly appears in tiny little places to let you know you are on the right track. Or continues to let me know life is filled with magical surprises.

There is a Duncan in the movie. There is a Lily in the movie. There is also a Rosie.

On October 14, 2015 at approximately 1:05pm, Ambrosia II comes to live at our house for a year (or so).

We are going to call her "Rosie"

There are very strict instructions on how we raise and train "Rosie".

The eldest son is refusing to participate in this "concentration camp of a society". He is thinking we can't possibly have any compassion. (This from a kid whom thinks his mom doesn't know anything).

I always knew these last few years were going to be challenging.

I think we are buying a zoo.

When you meet good people

Sometimes, you can see a person in the middle of a crowd. They don't even have to look directly at you. There is aura about them.

You can tell. From across the room - this is person I need to know.

Or I person I need to steer clear. All from a look across the room.

My senior year in college I dated a guy 11 years older than me. He had come back to school to finish his degree. We met on Valentine's Day. I graduated in August.

The first time I went over to his house, I met one of his roommates. He lived with two girls - sisters. Identical twin sisters from outside of the Dallas area. Their birthday turned out to be the day before mine.

My bff tells the story: She came home and said "well, he's a good guy, but I really like his roommates."

The rest is history.

One of the roommates was a bridesmaid in my wedding.

We've never lost touch with each other.  Yes, time passes before we connect, but there has never been a "loss".

They are part of the weave who makes the fabric of me.

Something I don't think I even realized until this past weekend.

Girls weekend. A reunion. In theory, it was a reunion with an old boyfriends former roommate. We meant to stalk him. Find him on Facebook. Send him a picture of all of us.

We never got around to it. Actually, after the first discussion, I'm not quite sure we mentioned him.

As that is not what really mattered.

The people in the room mattered.

When you meet good people, hang on to them.

The Rosie Project

Last spring, or maybe some spring before, I read a quirky little book titled "The Rosie Project". If I remember correctly, the premise is quirky professor whom has not dated much. Very neurotic. OCD. Not sure how he met "Rosie", but he embarks on a quest to date her. The antithesis of himself.

It's a British book. I believe even a movie is coming (already came) out?

What I remember:

• quirky
• OCD
• a woman that met none of the "requirements" for the professor
• a professor whom was a bit odd

Which brings me to today.

We got our phone call. Yes, the "I SAID I WOULD NEVER DO THIS" phone call.

I had requested, ideally, a golden retriever and/or golden lab and/or retriever/lab mix and/or first available MALE. (IN THAT ORDER).

You guessed it.

Your puppy, Ambrosia II will arrive on October 14, 2015.  The pup will be shipped directly to the Denver Airport on that day and you will be responsible for picking her up. I will send you her flight information one week prior to her arrival.

Ambrosia II is a black lab/retriever FEMALE. 

We have our orientation some time during the next two weeks. My friend whom said we could use her kennel (as she is the one whom some how got me involved in this) is in Spain for 3 weeks. Luckily, the pup Ambrosia II comes in a crate that will work until my friend returns.

The CCI puppy lady and I were on the phone. We were going through the details. She did say:

When a puppy has a II or III or on and on, the FIRST one must have been a good one.

We looked up the name AMBROSIA - it's Greek. The food or drink of Greek Gods. Ambrosia was typically reserved for divine beings.

We know she was picked for us. She was supposed to be going to another family and the other raisers had to change their dates.

The puppy lady also said:

When the name is rather long, they usually end up getting a nickname.

We looked up some nicknames:

• Amber
• Amy
• Asia
• Bro (after all she is coming from California)
• Bria
• Rosia
• Rosie
• Si (see or sigh)

As of right now, we are going with "Rosie". The Rosie Project. Only, we are thinking WE are Rosie's Project.

Writers are Crazy

Think of:

• Hemingway  (actually if you are female, read The Paris Wife - you can see her side)
• Hunter S Thompson
• J.D. Salinger
• Virginia Woolf
• Jenny Lawson

When you read their works, my first thought is "these people are messed up".

Then, I started to write......

And, I joined their club.

(And yes, Jenny, when you read this-we can include you with the rest of the list).

I'm an extrovert, whom is also an introvert. I like people. I like to be around people. I also love my alone time. The time, all by myself.

I write. 

Tonight, after having dinner with a friend, I had 14 million 3 hundred and 66 thousand ideas for my articles.

By the time I got home, I don't even think I had one.

If I was one of the people listed above - I would have pulled over to the side of the road and made notes.

This is half the article of what would be half way decent. Of course, if I had pulled to the side of the road.

Thank goodness for editors.

Thank goodness for the people whom keep us on our path.

Thank goodness for the people whom understand at the depths of the ocean, we are totally worth the crazy......