How My Heart Behaves

but a pretend friend is worse.

Recycle your shopping bags.

Highlights of the past week:

Spending time with Ms. Fowler and sleeping with her sister.
Spending the one and only day off of the week making soup from scratch with my man.
Studying as a lab snores on my lap.
Overtime.
The arrival of a new month means it is one month closer to the Jaunt.
The church misses me less than I miss it, and I don’t miss it very much.

sound off: Weird Fishes/Arpeggi - Radiohead
word up: disparate

Noteworthy items:

Danielle has …
Confirmed a fall class schedule.
Welcomed an addition to the family.
Been reading A New Earth and Harvest for Hope, and so should you.
Fallen back in love with her favourite foreign film.
Her playlist ready for the June Jaunt with Joy and Justin.
Realized who you are and what you’re not.

sound off: Handlebars - Flobots
word up: ubiquitous

Unchain a Dog. Let a pup off the hook. Whether the dog is yours or one you see at the end of his rope, you can make a difference. Unchain him or convince the owner to do it. With a little training and behavior modification, the dog will make a great indoor pet – and a better guard dog.

Improve the Conditions. Even if a dog must remain chained, owners and concerned neighbors can make their lives more tolerable. Important considerations: lengthen the tether, spay/neuter the dog, provide shelter against the cold, beat the heat with shade and a kiddy pool, feed and water the dog every day.

Influence Your Neighbor. Make suggestions that will help free a neighbor’s dog from its chains. Suggest or even offer to pay for…a fence, a run, a tie-out, obedience training. Or offer to take the dog to a shelter like BHS where staff members care and will work to give the dog a chance for a better life.

Make a Canine Friend. See if your neighbor will sell you his dog. Offer to walk the dog. Provide the dog with toys. Every dog needs interaction, stimulation, and exercise.

Contact Animal Control. When a dog looks sick, when you can see his ribs, when you see that he never has food, water, or shelter, call authorities to intervene. And follow up.

Educate Your Community. You can find all kinds of literature from Dogs Deserve Better that you can print and distribute. Place a brochure in your neighbor’s doorjamb or give flyers to an educator to share with children.

Legislate Animal Protection. Sign petitions. Write your representatives. Send editorials to the local paper. If you live in Maine, find out what Maine Friends of Animals (mfoa.com) is pursuing in the legislature and do what you can to help.

Brought to you by the Bangor Humane Society Spring 2007 Newsletter.

Recent chaos made the Anniversary Move pass by unnoticed. Unnoticed anniversary = unnoticed haunts. Excellent work.

I love my job, minus the part where I become increasingly cynical and callous toward humanity.

I solemly swear that I will never, ev-ver, refer to myself as “preggo”.

On a lighter note, I am very excited for the party dress to arrive. Unfortunately, that means the wedding diet starts tomorrow (Chinese tonight, famous last meal). Speaking of, congratulations!

sound off: New Amerykah, Pt. 1 (4th World War) - Erykah Badu
word up: busker

Today I’m in my head. Grateful for the handful of friends that reach out when it’s rough, relieved that I am who I am and that she is learning and loving.

sound off: Needle in the Hay - Elliot Smith
word up: extempore

I think I might move to Bangor for the safety of a big city. This standoff occured just north of us. During the night Tim and I peeped out our window like curious kids as we watched the police make a plan, load ammunition in guns meant for serious business only, then walk down the road to their destination, all outside our house under the dim streetlight.

Aside from having Timmy on suicide watch from the Patriots’ devastating loss, this weekend I painted, watched The F-Word, started the novel How To Be Alone by Jonathon Franzen (Wendell Berry is on deck), and worked a shift here. I absolutely love this new job. It is such a return to my roots and has refueled dormant passions.

sound off: Intuition - Feist
word up: magniloquent

2007 was a horrid year, and 2008 is proving to be much of the same.

sound off: The Pretender - Foo Fighters
word up: mien

I have a confession. I’ve been listening to Mars Hill podcasts. I’m so ashamed, there was a long time (meaning: from birth until this morning) when I thought Rob Bell’s methods (read: NOOMA) were lame. But the sermons are tolerable. I actually applied myself to the message on October 14, 2007.  That’s all I have to say about that.

Gunning up for CADC certification and need to get this fine ass down to Portland for a visit with some favourite peeps and frequent Coffee By Design.

Update on The Resolutions for the 2008:
1. Attend a Radiohead concert.
2. Paint my nails once a week.
3. Make my home and lifestyle exceptionally eco-friendly.
4. Go vegetarian one week out of the month. If not for seven consecutive days, then ten to twelve random days of the month
5. (in progress)

I know my posts are short. I’m conquering crypticness in small bursts. Because I bring you the genius that is Sia, all is forgiven.

sound off: The Girl You Lost to Cocaine - Sia
word up: lacuna

My holiday was absolutely grand, despite the lack of Bingo.

However,

I have been feeling rather malcontent with things of late.

sound off:  Bodsnatchers (Scotch Mist version) - Radiohead
word up: faineant