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You will notice a marked absence from my blog posting for the next week or so as Beth and I head abroad for our vacation in Paris. When we get back, I’ll have pictures and stories the likes of which have not been seen since the Victor Hugo visited the Poconos. Later.
Roughly six month ago, our good friends Dan and Matt brought a female boxer named Lilly home as a companion for their first dog, a rescued greyhound by the name of Sam. Things went well at first — the dogs played well together and Sam showed signs of greater socialization. But time together in small, New York-style living conditions has taken a toll on the dogs and there simply isn't enough room in Dan and Matt's home for both Lilly and Sam to peacefully coexist. Sadly, one of them must be given up for adoption and, being loyal to their first, that dog is Lilly.
I have had a lifetime of first hand experience with boxers — growing up, one of best friends had one named Hash Brown. Boxers tend to be sweet, affectionate, drolly dogs. Lilly has the first two in spades (and, thank God, none of the last). Very intelligent and quiet, Lilly is a wonderful dog that both Beth and I would vouch for. We want to see her go to a good home and, considering her experiences, it should be a home where she is the only pet. If you or someone you know in the greater New York area would be interested, you can find out more about Lilly on her Pet Finder posting.
On Friday, Beth and I spent about 2 hours on the phone with our good friend Tim Shriver. This was the first time we've talked with Tim since our wedding 3 years ago when he fled overseas to avoid buying us a gift. Oh yeah, and he also selfishly joined the Peace Corps. Stationed in the Moroccan mountains about 15 hours from Tangiers, Tim spent his 2-year commitment as an English teacher and coordinator-extraordinaire of various children's community groups. Learning Arabic and immersing himself in the Moroccan culture, he comes away (presumably) a different man.
Tim then spent the next year finding his way home by way of Granada and is currently in Chicago visiting Nat, who was kind enough to loan his cell phone to our marathon conversation (and was summarily ignored). Understandably, Tim is now experiencing a bit of culture shock and, having spent more time abroad than most do in lifetime, having a bit of a conundrum as to what to do next. Do whatever makes you happy Tim, just so long as you do it here.
Welcome back.
Let me start by saying that I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend. For the most part we took a relaxed approach to our own weekend. Today, however, Beth and I decided to celebrate the holiday in style as we joined tens of thousands of our fellow New Yorkers and bought a new toilet seat. Then we went to the Bronx Zoo.
Having grown up a complete and utter zoo-snob, it is no small feat for me to say that the Bronx Zoo is actually a pretty nice zoo. Operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the zoo has taken great steps in recent years to update their habitats to more natural settings, taking better care of the animals and offering guests a more rewarding experience. That’s not to say the Bronx Zoo can’t go further but, I think they’re moving in the right direction. And being one of the few couples in the zoo today that weren’t charged with herding around a group of screaming children, I’d say we enjoyed ourselves.
