My walking buddies

I never had any pets growing up. Both my parents worked all the time, and my mom didn't want the responsibility of taking care of another living thing. (Funny, because I'm an only child and it really wouldn't have been that hard, and oh, hey, I wouldn've had something to play with, but whatever.....semantics.)

A few years ago, my aunt got a dog. Her name is Cookie and she's the smartest Wonder Poodle I've ever met. Definitely not your typical yippy, lap dog. Because I was deprived of the love and affection of a pet as a child, Cookie became my sidekick.

We take walks together, she sleeps over sometimes, and I'm kind of her pack leader.

When my aunt got divorced, my cousin and I brought home Bacci. And how could you not love that face?!

Bacci is almost 5 months old now, and I just taught her how to walk on a leash. (And I also may or may not have caused her to take a dive off that couch while I was playing with her. Oops.)


If anyone ever tries to break in, beware the brigade of little dogs! They're pretty vicious-looking, no?

Things I never thought I'd like

But it turns out I actually do.

Turkish coffee. Being from a Balkan country, Turkish coffee was ALWAYS served in my house. How does it differ from regular coffee, you ask? Well it's basically espresso, but without the fancy machine: you boil sugar and water in a small pot (a cezve) and then add finely ground coffee beans, pour and serve. No filter, no electricity needed. The grinds sink to the bottom and you just avoid the last few sips.

Winter. After doing cartwheels on the beach in California last Christmas, I realized that I would miss the change in seasons if I moved out there. I still despise the fall, though.

Poodles. I always disliked little yippy lap dogs. All they seemed to do was bark shrilly and bite. And they always had designer collars and little coats that I found just ridiculous. I never met a dog smaller than a beagle that I actually liked....until my aunt brought home Cookie. She's a poodle and she is awesome. She's smart, she does tricks, she obeys commands, she doesn't shed, and you can easily bring her places....like the park. And my house. And NOT the grocery store.

Cookie

Long hair. Not since freshman year of college have I had my hair longer than my shoulders. For some reason I always cut it the second it grew past a certain length. This summer I let it grow to just above my boobs and I actually liked it. But last month I cut it all off and regretted it the second the hairdresser took the first snip. ::Tear:: I'm now letting it grow out again.

Garden Gnomes. I can't explain this one. I just really, really like them. I have pictures of them, with them, and I plan on eventually having a (tasteful) garden full of them.

Das ist awesome