Wilson began today what we might think of as the equivalent to a Masters Degree program.  He’s gone through grade school, high school, college (where he received his Canine Good Citizen award) and now he’s studing to become a Service Dog.

Wilson, the hole-digging, rock-eating, leash-pulling dog!  Yes, the same dog who started this morning by eating a Poinsettia leaf, causing me to have to quickly induce vomiting (which he performed quite nicely all over the bottom of his crate and then on the family room rug).  This is going to be a Service Dog?  Oh, my.

His first lesson today was to learn to nicely heel and correctly stop.  With a loose leash.  On command, rather than when he darned well pleases.  Double oh my — Wilson keep his nose glued to my thigh and then stop when told? 

The only way I’ll get Wilson to heel in place will be to paint peanut butter on my pants.

Graduate school may be a bit harder than I envisioned. Nevertheless, we’ll continue on.  After all, we’ve ordered a snazzy red Service Dog vest with patches and everything.  Once it arrives, we’ll strap it on and head to a nice outdoor table at Starbucks.

Oh, please don’t let it be a Marley & Me moment on his first trip to the coffee shop!

When I was a child, my parents committed child endangerment by letting me stay up until midnight (as if anyone could sleep) and giving me a teensy-weensy glass of champagne to celebrate the new year.

Things are different now.  I never make it past 10:00 pm and there’s no such thing as a teensy-weensy glass of champagne when there’s a whole bottle of that bubbly consumable on the chill.

For many, 2009 is a year of hopefulness.  At the least, economically, it’s viewed as a year that can’t possibly be worse than 2008.  Many of us saw our fortunes diminish, if not disappear altogether.  Here at the Bloggybirdery, we lost about a third of our feathered nest — not so good.  But we also have a roof over our heads (albeit an upside-down roof that will cost us money should we want to sell our house anytime soon), we have good food (as evidenced by the larger sized pants in our closet), we have our beautiful family, our amazing doggies … and we have each other.  By all standards, that makes us rich beyond rich.

We’re learning our carbon footprint is immeasurably more important than the tracks we might make in a pair of expensive Gucci’s.  We’re remembering lessons from our grandparents about making do or doing without.  I’m practicing once again all those great make-from-scratch recipes to pleasure our mouths and be more healthful.  We’re hunkering down in our little house and happy as heck to have it.

Yes.  We’re excited about 2009.  Even as our current president reminds us of our puppy, Wilson, who’s taken to digging grand holes in the back yard only for us to come behind him and clean up the mess … we’re nevertheless looking forward to the filling-in of all those deep, dark holes in our lovely country and across the world.

The only thing I wish different for the start of 2009 is that I didn’t have to enter it with the WORST so-called professional haircut and color of my entire life! (Think two-inch long, sticky-uppy purple hair and you’re only halfway close to how truly BAD my poor head looks at the moment.)  It was only as I was leaving the shop that I noticed my hairdresser’s “graduation” certificate from Mr. Chas’s House of Trust-Me-You’ll-Look-Fab-in-a-Mullet.

Bad hair and all, though, I wish this year to be everyone’s best year ever …

Good writing, everyone!

Auburn

P.S.  I’m taking suggestions for topics you’d like to discuss here — things on which you’d like to weigh-in, even things with which you’d like to take me to task.  2009 is about YOU in big letters and me in small letters.  2009 is about how we can help each other improve and succeed … and in what areas.  I’ve run out of banal stuff about me … let’s talk about your thoughts!  The Suggestion Box is open!