The Ninth Strange Day

We made a trek to Stafford, Virginia today to visit a breeder of Welsh Terriers, and yep, this is the dog for us. It’s the right size and the right attitude and the breeder also seems like a well choice. She’s bred and shown champions, and any puppy from her will have a good pedigree, but that’s only important as far as knowing the dogs are healthy and well-loved and cared for. The attitude of the adult dogs made that clear. They’re all friendly and well-socialised (with people and other dogs).

And I fell in love with one pup in particular. He’s much too young to go home with anyone yet, and it’s a very good chance we won’t even get him, because the breeder might keep him for showing if he develops well.

Yes, that’s right. After almost 6 years together, Kitti and I have decided that we’re ready. That it’s time.

Time to have a dog.

Actually, we decided it some time ago and have been researching and considering and thinking and talking and debating and snarking and we’ve decided on a Welsh Terrier. I’ve probably talked about this before, but we’re now to the point where we’re looking around for breeders.

It’s kind of exciting.

The only trouble is, there doesn’t seem to be any IN Maryland, and even checking Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware hasn’t really turned up much.

So… got to be flexible about this sort of thing. Maybe a mutt. I mean, we could still call him Ianto (or her Myfanwy) even if he (or she) wasn’t a Welsh terrier.

Because apparently My Public demands to know….

I forgot to take my keys to work on Friday, so I had to meet Kitti in Fell’s Point (at Slainte of course). Ended up getting Radiohead’s In Rainbows and Bruce Springsteen’s Magic while we were in Fell’s Point. Kitti is currently in horror that he likes a Springsteen CD.

Saturday we drove around at night.

Sunday we went back to Fell’s Point, Slainthe, and a really nice “newsstand” that has magazines from all over the world. We also found the new movie theatre (which is showing Atonement, which I still don’t really want to see).

Now I’m at work, and I’m working. I also just ordered I Am Kloot’s Gods and Monsters from Amazon, because I haven’t been able to find it anywhere.

Gizmo really does have a bladder infection, and the antibiotics are helping, but she hates the special prescription cat food. I suspect it’s because it’s always the same flavour and I understand that most people don’t want to eat the exact same thing every day (I, however, am very happy doing that, and yes I’m aware I just called the cat “people”).

I might’ve found a Welsh Terrier breeder in Northern Virginia, and that’s got me kind of excited. See, this is why we were waiting to get a car before we got a dog.

We’re putting off going to Wales for a while, mostly because Kitti still doesn’t have his green card and we don’t really want to risk travel without it.

Adagio had “Candy Cane” tea for the holidays. It’s not quite like mint tea. It’s actually a lot like drinking a cough drop. I don’t know how I feel about that.

I really have to recommend the Ginger tea, though, and the Lemon, which is apparently very popular because it’s totally sold out.

Still want this…

And there you have it. That’s where I’ve been.

Thursday I was busy at work and left late and he had practice with his band, so he just went home ahead of me. He was leaving just as I was getting home (we passed on the street). Not long after we parted ways, Kate the stray came tearing around the corner, yelling her head off. She saw me, stopped short, and started jumping and shouting.

The short walk back to the house she was running ahead of me and running back and chattering the whole time. Grey was sitting on the sidwalk looking a little angsty.

Kitti had come home, changed, and was heading back out… but he hadn’t fed the cats. Kate was chasing him down, probably shouting “Mister! Hey, mister! You forgot to feed us!”

She was very relieved when I did it, but how damn cute is that?!

Tuesday, 11 September, Kitti and I are going to see Feist at Ram’s Head. In October, Mim and I are going to see Loreena McKennitt (it’ll be a late birthday present for her). Also in October, we’re going to try to see Morrissey again (and if he cancells this time, tears and possibly blood will be shed).

We’re also making vague plans about going to Cardiff and Boston. Well, Boston and Cardiff. Boston sometime in the autumn and Cardiff sometime in early 2008. Early 2008 because hopefully by spring 2008 we’ll have a dog. If we’re really lucky, a Welsh terrier (no, we’re not going to Wales just to get a dog. We’re going to Wales just to get our Whoniverse geek on).

Yes, I know. We should adopt a shelter dog.

And so yesterday Mim’s car broke down. The clutch lost pressure and slammed flat to the floor of the car. Fortunately she was on a residential street with available parking and she was able to pull over safely. It also doesn’t sound like it’ll be a horrible repair. Hydraulics mumble mumble something clutch just isn’t getting pushed back up yadda. I wasn’t there and it’s 9 in the morning and I’m not really awake enough to be clearer about it, but I understood it last night when she was telling me.

Anyhow, long story short, it could have been a lot worse, and a friend of hers has offered to take us to the grocery store today and if there is any justice in the world, Mim will only have to miss a day, maybe a day and a half of work because of the car.

Although if there was ever a sign that it was time to buy a new one, this might just be it. Hint-hint.

C’mon, Mim! I’ll test drive with ya!

I was watching National Geographic channel last night. They had a show on about the genetics of dogs. Apparently all the different variations in size and colour and body type and temperament and ability are the result of a .2% difference in DNA.

A genetic change can be bred into a dog in a very short time, too. Genetic defects happen just as fast, but that’s where the show got interesting.

If they can isolate the gene that causes the problem (the example they used was a breed of dog that is genetically predisposed to blindness), they can inject a virus that contains the correct sequence and improve if not completely fix the defect. Then it can be bred out of the dog.

(Sure, just by mixing the bloodline you could possibly breed it out, but this is a little more of a guarantee, and it means the parent dog has an improved quality of life, too).

If that weren’t nerdy enough, the real big nerdy part of me made an undignified giggle-type of sound when they mentioned “recoding the DNA with overriding information”. I think a lot of you won’t get that reference.