Click images for desktop size: "Untitled" by Chris Achilleos A lot going on but all of that minor stuff that just says we're alive.
One thing I'm pretty good about is not dwelling on things that are out of my control.
I'm not much for fretting. Or for thinking things through, in some opinions.

Its been a slightly hectic time again.
Took my puppy to the dog park. It was a rather large group I'd thrown together. There was an equally large group of people already there.
My puppy is becoming a dog. She fretted. She didn't play, not even with the dogs she knew.
She didn't like me being around other people. She ignored all the dogs but fully checked out every person of the human type who was there. After she'd sniffed them all she stayed stuck to my side. If anyone walked too near me she interposed herself between them and I.
She wasn't aggressive but she was having no fun. Her whole mission in life was to not let anyone get to near to me. I don't know what she thought would happen.
The only time she relaxed was when we went far off by ourselves. Then she'd take a treat and try and tell me a bad dog joke or two.
I have no idea where she got the idea that I had to be protected. Might be just a part of the breed.
Problem is, my problem, is I want her just to have fun.
When I was able to take her into work with me everyday she got past the fear of me being around other people. She was attentive but she quickly got over the stress. Now being at home most days she worries.
Silly girl.

I saw the 300 on TV. I think the story of the Spartans' Battle of Thermopylae is the most stirring in history. I think of it often in times of crisis and always remember that it took only one man to believe in himself to change the entire course of history.
Oddly the Rudolph Mate' 60's version, "The 300 Spartans" was more accurate historically . . . 300 keeps a nice feel to the battles and keep the fighting more in line with the Spartan style. The biggest problem with 300 is that the guys all looked like fighters but it was pretty obvious they couldn't fight!
The clocked down swooshy photography became monotonous for me. It did a good job of hiding the lack of skill but the end result let me wishing Liu Li Chian was directing this.
I felt some bursts of anger at someone retelling a story I love - the adultery scene was baffling and added nothing. With all the the fol der rol they never attempted to lay any background to the Spartan culture - "they beat people up a lot" clearly sufficed. (As the directors previous film was the "Dawn Of The Dead" re-make he's proving again he has no respect for the average film goer.)

My coworker had another heart attack. She's in the hospital where my puppy is a therapy dog.
Sadly she is blaming the heart attack on the boss that I also find stressful. I feel they are blowing it by making wild proclamations.
She;s had two attacks in as many weeks. But she is over weight, has high blood pressure and a cholesterol count around 300!
I just think by making wild assertions it makes the very legitimate complaints they have easy to ignore. At best it confuses the issue, making it difficult to sort out and address.
While even I can admire the melodrama of, "Her management technique nearly killed me!" that doesn't root out the deeper problems in a micro-manager, or dealing with being the victim of a micro-manager.
I also admire we came up with the term of micro-management in lieu of saying inept.

Click images for desktop size: "Fish In A Toucan Mask" by JC Christensenl
The foster puppy is doing better. Little Noelle is nearly ready to be seen by the world! On Sunday we'll take her to an adoption event so she can make her debut. I expect her to be nervous around people especially the way people will all try and rush up and pet her head.
I'm tempted to take my puppy along but she's the sort who'd try and charge people for petting her . . .

There was a lost dog. Found him.

Lots of conversations with customers about the inane hypocrisy of our government when it comes t the war in Iraq. I mean all the bumper "magnets" supporting our troops but demanding tax cuts to the point that the young men who return with shattered bodies and minds have to share their sick beds with rats and filth.