I've been getting ready for my new "family member" tonight, lots of cleaning and putting away to be done. Although I'm not sure why I care if the dog comes home to a clean house, since she peed on the floor during her first visit. A stickler for housekeeping she's not. I'm nervous, which I realize is probably a little strange, but it's how I am. I want to do things right. It's been a stressful week, and I've gotten very little sleep the last two nights. I'm exhausted, but I doubt I'll rest any better tonight - too much going on in my brain.

I've thought about getting a dog for a long time, and I'm not sure why I finally decided to take the leap. I have a couple of theories, but I think I'll keep the most likely one to myself. What I can share, without too much embarrassment, is that I think I wanted something that would give my life a little more purpose and make me responsible to something other than myself. There are other routes I could have taken to accomplish this goal, I guess. I could have gotten married or had a kid; but honestly, I'm not sure about the concept of marriage (several people have told me they think I'm even more ambivalent about it than I'll admit) and apparently my biological clock was never wound up. I think, in the end, I made the most socially responsible decision.