Daily Archives: May 11, 2010

Adopt a Dog

Posted on May 11, 2010 | Leave a comment

I only get pets from shelters. Except my first cat that traveled 3,000 miles to get to me and he was talking to me, getting the last word in, for 13 years.

Four animals in 20 years. My volunteer work has gone to help others. No longer able to have cats because of my husband’s allergies we have one dog and can’t believe she’s over six years old now, and we had to have her hips removed as a pup. The shelter didn’t know she had severe hip dysplasia as she’s a small dog and it doesn’t present symptoms for several months.

I did tons of research and in the end, at six and nine months of age, both her hips were amputated and she grew her own from cartilage. Most people would have returned the dog, humanely killed it or left it by the side of the road.

Today, an infant could reach into Zoe’s food bowl and take something out and she’d just look at me. She is the sweetest dog and we are so lucky that the shelter gave her to us and that we could afford to have an Aggie vet take out her hips. She’s so happy and loves people and other dogs.

After a lifetime of working with somewhat damaged pets and ferals, we wanted one “normal” dog. Zoe’s no way normal, but she’s ours and will continue to be so for many years. My last dog was loved enough in the community that forty neighbors and friends gave a tree to the city in her memory. She’d been abused her first year, in a shelter I volunteered in for her second year and she was my favorite and couldn’t be euthanized so she spent the rest of her life with me.

If you’re looking for a small dog get to know the people at the shelter, these dogs go first. For a larger dog, or one who’s been abused or has behavioral issues get to know the dog by visiting multiple times. If you have enough money to just order a dog from a breeder, get to know that dog. This takes time. You’ll be with this animal for 8-15 years.

Shelter pets are my choice, mixed breed and precious, each and every one. If you and your kids want a pet, please check out the local shelters and don’t pick the first one you see. Interview the dog/cat, and let them interview you. This is a lifetime job for a dog, a lifetime vacation for a cat.

Give one a chance and see your family in a whole new light. This post is dedicated to our hipless wonder, Zoe. Dee

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Posted in Education

Worst Jobs

Posted on May 11, 2010 | 2 Comments

OK, I have three. The first lasted 20 minutes, second two days, and third, six weeks.

My mother got her paralegal degree. I was 18 and had a drivers’ license. She had me act as a process server, at my request, to make $18. Of course she wouldn’t send me somewhere where I’d get beaten or shot. I only had to go to a nursing home. I didn’t know what the papers said, only that I had to deliver them. The family of the old man was there, and apparently I was delivering papers that gave the family legal control over this man, despite his repeated objections. I left, burst into tears and said that despite the money, I was done with process serving forever.

After spending my life savings on cooking school and a culinary expedition via a non-paid apprenticeship when I returned home with pennies in my pocket I took a job at a local hotel. I had to enter through the basement and didn’t even know how to punch a time card (did it wrong and never got paid). They gave me pants and coat of a 300 lb. man who’d been fired in the past week. I pulled the pants up way above my waist and someone gave me a length of rope so the pants wouldn’t fall down around my feet as I worked.

There was one sink in the kitchen area and it was smaller than a household pedestal sink in a very small powder room. It was filled with cans. My job as garde manger was to scrape cheese off French onion soup bowls that had been through the dishwasher. Two days, 16 hours. Done.

My first trip back to my alma mater brought a temp job that corrected applications for college scholarships. Yes, these geniuses couldn’t even fill out an application. As I corrected by school district, I got many poor areas and even my school, in a fairly well-off neighborhood. The numbers frightened me and years later I got to work in education in some of those poor areas. But that’s not the point. The point is the pencil with the name “Ned” on it. Ned was a year-round unionized employee and he labeled all his pencils. We were allowed to use our pencils to edit applications, had scheduled breaks and it was as if we were robots. No time off was allowed.

When I asked for time off for a job interview (this particular job was only six weeks) I was denied. I asked to give up lunch and two breaks was denied. Fifteen minutes before the interview I quit, walked across the street and changed my life. I was offered two jobs that week, each would have sent me in very different directions. In the end I said no to the arts job that would have me as PR person in the summer and secretary in the winter. When I turned down that dream job I told them I had my own secretary.

Cheers, Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Education