A year living with a bitch.

(yes, that's another Penny post but I promise it will be the last one for some time)

Around this time of the year, last year, I agreed with JJ to completely change our lives and introduce a new four legged member to our family! After a couple of visits to the Battersea dog and cats home, while I was at work, JJ brought home, our little Penny. Oh, no. Don’t get it wrong. Both of us had met Penny beforehand, just on the day of her ‘release’ I was at work.

 

I can’t say I completely knew what I was getting myself into back then. The first couple of nights I didn’t sleep at all. I was worried about her and kept stressing out on every little noise heard from the room where her bed is. The first morning I had to leave her alone to go to work, I felt so bad for abandoning her in the new strange house.

Since then, lots of things have changed. We are now all used to a new weekly routine. Penny being (mostly) a Jack Russell, she’s full of energy and requires more than 2 walks a day. It’s really not easy to make that dog tired, I’m telling you. It’s a good exercise for us as well though. At least we have a really nice massive park close by, that we can easily visit.

We’ve also found and successfully tested places for her to stay over while we’re away on holiday. There’s a couple that JJ knows through work that have a dog (Penny’s boyfriend). We look after him when they are away and vice versa. The dogs really get along so well! There’s also a ‘dog hotel’ we found with a couple looking after a small number of dogs in their own house. It’s much better than kennels. Being able to go away on holidays was something that worried me and I’m happy we’ve sorted it out.

In general, Penny makes both me and JJ so happy. It’s so great having a dog that is always so happy to see you and our bond is getting stronger by the day. 

New beginnings?

I’m not really sure where to start. I can’t even remember where I left it off. So, bear with me till I figure this out. This is the fourth or fifth attempt at beginning to write this. I have even finished two other posts during the last month that I didn’t upload. I don’t really know why. At one hand, I miss writing. At another, I don’t want to write a couple of posts and then fail to continue. Anyway, I will keep on writing and see where this leads.

 Please? Give me a treat or take me for a walk! Anything will do

The thought crossed my mind of leaving blogger and moving to another platform. I could really start fresh and create a site on either tumblr or wordpress. From what I can see though, tumblr is mostly used to share things (images, videos, gifs) and for small posts. I think it’s very easy to use but it has a ‘tweeter’ and pinterest feel to it. Wordpress is something I’d like to investigate. My main problem is of course continuity. I wouldn't like to lose my previous posts and being able to refer to them. Yes, I can simply create simple links to blogger from wordpress, but I’d like to ask you whether there is a way to do something better? Have any of you moved from blogger to wordpress?

Having a coffee with the acropolis as our background.

Generally, we’re all doing great. I started a new job a bit more than a month ago in the City that I really enjoy. I managed to find something that pays better, but demands less. I’m not managing a team anymore which is weird because I kind of miss being part of the decision making team and mentoring people. But I lead a far less stressful life. I no longer spend my working days in long meaningless meetings but still stay long hours and work weekends to keep up with demanding projects. And talking about being underpaid; the role I am now is in theory more junior, but still pays better than before.

JJ was the one that commented the difference the change of jobs did to me. We were in a coffee place where the service wasn't the best and the food we were served was slightly burnt. I didn’t really make a fuss about it. I got slightly annoyed but got over it quite quickly. JJ said that if the same incident happened a couple of weeks earlier, it would have annoyed me much more. I don’t think I had anger management issues, but a stressful work life is definitely reflected on someone’s everyday life. I’m happy to say that I’m in a much happier place now. I feel a bit sorry for JJ having to put up with me, really.

Speaking of which, JJ is doing very well, so does our little Penny. Next month, it will be a whole year that she will be living with us and it’s been amazing. She’s the best dog in the world (yes, the whole world). She’s been so much easier than I feared she would be. We even managed to sort her out during some small holidays we had earlier this year.

View from the top

It’s been a while since my last post and I have lots of catching up to do with your blogs. I will get down to it though. I’ve missed doing that. In my part of the world life has been very busy and time just flew by.

In the house front, we undertook the project of creating a new patio (?) in the back of the garden. Do you call that a patio or a deck or what? Instead of going with a wooden deck, we decided it would be easier to put slabs to create a bbq area next to the small shed. JJ had some days off work and he loves working on the garden, so we went for it. After checking YouTube / ‘how to’ videos and things online we went for a quick dry and easy slab layer solution and ordered bags and bags of them. We also got the number of slabs needed. Thank god that JJ’s good at DIY. I was basically the little help boy, but I believe I helped a lot by carrying various stuff around and taking care of the minor details.

The final result is quite good. We didn’t manage to get the exact elevations we wanted but I think that it looks quite decent and functional. JJ is still working on the final touches but we’re almost done. We will order some grass to put on the sides of the path…

On a very different note, it was my beloved ‘JJ’s 40th birthday last week! He insisted on not doing much about it, but I couldn’t help myself. He was working an early shift that morning and finished around noon. So, I did the same. I booked half a day off work and met him at home. I took Penny for a small walk while he rested for half an hour, since waking up at 3:00am can be a mood killer. After that we jumped on the tube and headed to ‘London Bridge’! There we went up the elevator and went outside in the 69th floor to admire the views from the top of the Shard!

Tower Bridge with the Isle of Dogs at the back

The birthday boy and me with the Thames at the back

Facing west

We were really lucky with the weather. It was sunny with some occasional clouds here and there casting beautiful shadows over the buildings. Since it was a weekday the place wasn’t very crowded and we were able to freely walk around and enjoy the experience. Unfortunately the sunny sky meant that we couldn’t take many pictures with us and the background view together because we either came up really dark or the background very bright. We managed to take some photos nonetheless. Overall, the views are breath taking. The building is perfectly situated over the Thames overlooking the whole city. Especially in days with good visibility, you can see for miles.

View of the City

After that we headed to a delicious dim sum restaurant overlooking the Tower Bridge. We were able to sit outside and enjoy the weather. We couldn’t stay long or have lots of alcohol since JJ had to get up the same time the next morning as well. But I hope that he enjoyed the day as much as I did.

And to wrap things up, here’s a few pictures of Penny:

Enjoying a day out in Clapham Common

Going crazy for a tennis ball

Living with a dog

The last couple of weeks have been quite interesting. As I mentioned in the past, I never had a dog, but some cats who we kept for years living in the garden, outside my parents’ house. So, I didn’t really know what to expect, but I had prepared myself for the worst.

Hello you

On the contrary, Penny has proven to be quite a surprise. We didn't have any chewed shoes or furniture. She’s not begging for food when we eat and gladly welcomes other people, children or pets when out and about. She doesn't bark much and happily sits on her cushion napping or observing what we do (most of the time). She was somewhat house trained on her previous homes and we didn't have to do much. She also does this ridiculously cute thing of standing up on her back legs and moves frantically her front ones in the air! It’s adorable.

Someone's outside... 

New Chewy toy

The first day we got her was a nightmare though. She cried during the night and I was extremely unsettled and couldn't sleep at all. To be honest her cry didn't last for long, but it was enough to make me miserable for the whole night. I was twisting and turning fearing that we’re making the poor creature’s life a living hell, which of course is not true. During the first days, we also had a couple of misfortunes when she left us some surprises on the dining room floor.

Going frantic over a tennis ball 

Since then, we changed her eating time and I’m glad to say it hasn't happened since. We’re managing to keep a schedule of long morning and evening walks which occur more or less at the same time of the day.  We’re also adding walks during the way, but these depend on our work and can’t be daily planned. Since she’s not allowed inside shops, we can’t really take her with us when we go grocery shopping or running errands since for the time being I can’t just tie her and leave her outside, it’s too soon.

Exploring the world

Yesterday night we had a minor incident that we’ll need to look into. Penny woke up during the night when JJ left for work and started crying again. I’m not a happy camper when I’m been woken up like this at 3:30 am. I only managed to fall asleep at 5:20 for 30 minutes before I had to get up to take her for her morning walk. We need to make her a bit more independent.

During the last week whenever we left to go to work there was really no problem. She just watched us from the bay window leave and when we returned she was napping on her cushion. I’m not sure whether she didn't want to be left alone after spending the whole weekend with us, or maybe we pampered her too much. She’s started following us around the house wherever we go again.

Someone's hungry

I’m pretty sure we’ll deal with this. I was reading that there is a honeymoon period with rehomed dogs and they tend to taste the waters for a period afterwards. I think she’s now trying to see if she will be given access to our bedroom or to sleep on the armchair. She’s generally not allowed either. We have established some ground rules with Penny that we intend to keep. We fell in love with her but we also need to be firm with her, it’s the whole alpha male of the pact that Cesar Millan keeps saying...    

The loves of my life happily having coffee

Introducing: Penny

I have mentioned in the past that we were looking into getting a dog. It was an idea that were discussing in length. At first we mentioned getting a puppy. Then we realised that a puppy has needs that we couldn't meet since we're both working full time. And the decision was made to visit a dog shelter to get a dog. We would preferably look into an adolescent or adult dog, somewhat house trained of small to medium size.

So, two weekends ago we visited the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. We registered, had an interview with a member of the staff and walked through the kennels. By the time we were there, most of the dogs were already taken by other people. So, we decided to visit the centre again, which we did, last weekend.

On that visit we saw a dog called Bart. He was very cute and happy to get to know us. Unfortunately we were told that his medical examinations weren't cleared and they could take up to some weeks and we were asked whether we’d be interested to meet Penny who looked very similar to Bart and we said yes. As they say, it’s all history after that.

Penny at the kennels

Penny is an 18 month old Jack Russell mixed breed. She was at the shelter for only a few days. One of her previous owners had asthma and the other were expecting a baby and couldn't take care of her. At first we stayed alone in a room with Penny for about 30 minutes. She was a bit apprehensive. She didn't bark at all but was reluctantly friendly. We played catch with a tennis ball and since it was going all well, we went for a walk around the shelter building accompanied by a member of the staff.

It was love at first sight. As we ‘speak’ JJ is picking her up from the shelter. She finished all her medical examinations even dental cleaning, she got a chip and was spayed. I can’t wait to go back home to properly meet her.

2014 Update

Happy New Year everybody! I know it might be a bit late, but it’s my first post of the new year and it’s never a bad thing to wish something nice!

Anyway, 2014 has already began and from what I can see it’s going to be quite a year. Already, I’ve moved offices. I’m now based in the general area around Monument, Tower Hill and Aldgate underground station. I’m still in the same company and team, just in a different building. We’ve also started some major changes in the house. The scaffolding was put up yesterday to help the builders that will come to replace our roof and guttering and install windows and insulation for the loft conversion. In the meantime, we ordered to get connected to the gas network again. I need with JJ to prepare the house for that, digging a trench, routing some plants, etc. It’s all very exciting. And all these are only planned for next couple of weeks.  

In the meantime, my lodger who stayed with us for the last year, will move out mid-February. We had some ups and downs as all people have living together. I believe there were more ups though during that year. We had said we’ll help her out till she finds a proper job and everything, which we did. It is time now she moves on and for me and JJ to enjoy our house alone. I’m saying that because it’s been decided that in the summer we’ll be getting a dog! I can’t say how excited (and scared) I am of that prospect. It will be amazing! More of this, I’ll definitely explain later.

Since I’m talking about arrivals and departures, I need to add how excited I am of the arrival of my nephew in spring. If all goes well, and I pray that they do, the dynasty of my family will live on through my nephew that is due in April. It will be my only brother’s first child! With the child of my first cousin arriving a month earlier, these two children will be the first of that generation. It’s going to be truly amazing! And my parents will become grandparents which means that they will have something else to worry about! Hopefully that child will keep them occupied enough!

This is more or less how my year will go. It is said that in order to make God laugh, tell him your plans. So, I’m going to stop here and try not to jinx anything. I will definitely keep you posted on what happens though

Water and dog issues

I was at work and it was early in the morning. Generally, I can’t properly function without a morning cup of coffee. And there are occasions that I don’t even mind that horrible thing that comes out our coffee machine that it calls ‘cappuccino’. Yuck! Anyway, I walked in the kitchen and there was one of our senior accountants. She’s a lovely lady of mid-forties of Indian origin. She’s generally polite and even sent my manager a ‘thank you’ email for some help I had given her in the past, so she’s on my very good side.

However, that morning I saw her pouring water from our cooler in a plastic cup and from there to a bigger half empty bottle. I said my good mornings and looked at her puzzled. She turns around and tells me: ‘I want to see how many cups there are in a big water bottle’! I was speechless! You have a cup with a visible 200ml mark on it and a bottle with another very visible 2 litter mark on it! How many do you think it would take? And she’s supposed to be good with numbers! I didn’t want to make her feel embarrassed so I didn’t say anything and just left. Would you? I did run into her later that day and she happily announced to me that the bottle was able to hold 10 cups of water!!! Imagine that…

On another very different note, there’s been quite a lot of ‘puppy’ talk in my household. I have mentioned it before, but the plan (for now) is to get a dog next year. If you ask me why next year, because it’s someone’s (JJ) big birthday and we need to celebrate with a bang or a woof. He’ll probably kill me if I even mention how old he’s turning. So, since he’s not happy with that number, I know that a dog will definitely make him happy. I couldn’t keep something like that as a surprise, so we have discussed about it.

There are numerous websites on which breed is best for you. There are online quizzes with simple questions to match you with the dog of your dreams. You can select the size of your house / flat / garden, the size of the dog you prefer, how much time you’ll spend grooming it, how active you want it to be, how much time you’ll be spending playing with it, about other pets or children in the household etc etc. Generally, we’d like something small to medium size and not very demanding (we can be selfish like that). I have a day job that keeps me out of the house from around 8am till 6:30pm and JJ has a shift job. So, some weeks he’ll be home in the morning and me in the evening or sometimes we’ll be both gone for hours. Also, I never had a dog, so to be honest I’d like something easily trainable and somewhat independent.

There are times when I feel tired and I wouldn’t like a hyperactive dog in constant need of attention and play. For example they say that Jack Russell Terriers as a breed are supposed to be extremely clever but also very energetic and in constant demand of attention. I’m not entirely sure, but that might cause me a problem. Although to be honest, they are very cute and I wouldn’t mind having one. They look ridiculously adorable. As you can see I’m even beginning to learn breed names and general characteristics.

And of course, there is the matter of personal taste. There are some breeds more appealing to my eyes than others. For example I don’t really like Chihuahuas. Apart from the Jack Russell Terrier I like dogs like the beagles or a cocker spaniel. JJ really likes pugs. All this is theoretical of course. Most likely we’ll pay a shelter a visit and see what’s available. I don’t mind having or not a specific pure breed dog. Having a dog will definitely change our lives, but I believe for the better. Any advice you can give us?

PS. Some of you have amazing cute dogs and I could have stolen some of your pictures, but I decided against it not to do injustice by forgetting some others.

Treat him like you don’t want him AND a doggie post…

I was thinking that I should change tactics. I have to come up a new plan to change jobs. That will be my ultimate goal for the next year. I will leave defence and try being more visible. I’ve acquired some agents’ phone numbers and I will be giving them frequent calls so that my name will be the first one to consider when a new position opens.

I'm a man with a plan

However, in the same time I’ll try to play it cool. I’ll be all polite and pretending to not really care. It’s like when you want a new boyfriend. If they smell fear and desperation in you, you’re screwed (in a bad way).

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In a very different matter, ‘JJ’ suggested that he wants (us) to get a puppy!

Yes, one of these cute four-legged creatures…

I have to admit that I am very intrigued. I never had one (I grew up in a small flat in an urban area, it would be a shame) and I always wanted one.

I am a bit worried if I’ll manage though. Dogs are more dependent than cats. And I think about Torn’s horror stories of Georgie eating stuff he shouldn’t (I can’t even say it) and I get even more worried (=disgusted). Also, I don’t leave with ‘JJ’ (yet) and my current living arrangements are not suitable for dogs. I live now in a flat, carpeted everywhere, that I am not sure allows pets. My current housemate doesn’t allow them anyway, so it’s the end of the discussion of having a dog staying over (at least for many nights in a row)…

On the other hand, ‘JJ’ lives in a semi-detached house with a lovely back garden and a nice big park close by. He grew up next to a big South African lion park (he’s an animal person) and his family always had dogs. He knows how to train them and what to do with them.

I admitted that I would love to get a dog but it would be mostly his for the time being since the dog will be mostly staying at his place. That means that it must be mostly his decision. I wouldn’t mind taking care of him / her and walking him / her but we need to think of the impact it will have on our lives. I draw the line though at some breeds I don’t really like. I am not a fan of very small dogs and I know that very big ones are difficult to handle even if they look amazing. I also know that dogs with long coat in a house are a problem (huskies are very beautiful dogs but difficult to have). Generally Chiuauas or Greyhounds are a ‘no’.

I am not sure if that ‘talk’ will be just a talk or we /he will get a dog at the end. If we move in together it might be easier to decide. For the time being I can only be there for him and help him in every way that I can. I can’t offer him more for the time being…