So, I've committed one of the most atrocious sins of social media. It's a simple, reasonable rule that you would think I'd follow after consistently blogging for months. Never, ever, under any circumstances, abandon your blog.
I realize that because my last blog was posted in the middle of July, any "followers" who might have fancied our stories or put us on their online radar may have since lost interest. And I humbly take the blame, but invite everyone back. Lord knows I've thrown my audience for a loop before (thanks to Uncle Noah!). But, blog abandonment is not an easily forgiveable sin. It's detrimental to readership. I can imagine visiting my abandoned blog was like attempting to shop at a boutique that's always closed because of its weird hours or going to a restaurant that was always out of your favorite item on the menu. A series of letdowns only leads to disappointment, and ultimately, distrust. But I hope, if you've ventured to the blog to read this post, you'll be persuaded to stay. And, maybe, we can rebuild that trust.
First off, it's not Linus' fault that Mommy abandoned the blog. So, if you're simply a fan of Linus the character (and don't really care about me), staying tuned would be worth your while. Because Linus has accomplished some extraordinary feats while we've been away the past few months. Here's just a few developments we'll be blogging about in the near (EXTREMELY NEAR) future:
Paging Dr. Linus. Linus has passed an evaluation to become an official trainee for Love on a Leash, the Bluegrass Chapter. This means in the future we will be providing "pet therapy" in the community, visiting hospitals, retirement homes and other venues where people can benefit from Linus' jovial presence. I expect the most heart-felt and warm blogs to come out of these experiences. For more information on Love on a Leash, click here.
Wedding bells. This fall, Linus will become the unlawfully wedded husband of a yet-to-be-named female Frenchie. My sister, who is moving back to Kentucky from New York, has been promised a female Frenchie by her loving husband (who is desperately hoping this pup will appease her desire to have a real baby). Laura Marie (the sis) suggested this little girl become Linus' cousin (which would make sense), but I think he needs a wife. It will, however, have to be a childless marriage due to Linus' lack of... potential. I like to think of them as a hip, new age couple that doesn't want to pollute the earth with more creatures and are so in love they don't need children to distract them from each other. How romantic! However, talking to Laura Marie about her new baby girl kinda makes me feel like a creepy mother fixing an arranged marriage.
New stuff. From nutritional supplements to clothes, we're trying out some great new stuff to make life Linus' as a dog much more groovy. We've grown out of our old UK jersey and bought a shiny new one for football season. We're taking a supplement that a pet store owner swears will take away all the goop in our eyes (still trying that). We've tried another medicine out that is proven to eliminate your dog's desire to eat some less than delectable items left in the yard - would love to write a blog explaining my thoughts on that stuff. What's more exciting, we've got a brand new doggie specialty store that opened in our neighborhood, we're just dying to "review!"
New friends. Linus has several new friends to speak of. We've made doggie friends through LOAL, including a Cocker Spaniel named Tucker and my boss' dog, Jake, an English Setter. We met a fellow brindle Frenchie a couple weeks ago at the Farmers' market, who was named after some wizard who turns into a dog from the Harry Potter books (does anybody know this name?). We met the biggest guy we've ever encountered, a Great Dane, at the Woodland Arts Fair. We've become good friends with our English bulldog friend Matilda, who welcomed Linus to her Dad's birthday party.
New tricks. In preparation for LOAL, we've been working on our behavior. This process has led me several conclusions about Linus: he is, infact, smart. He is adaptable. He learns quickly, but not easily. He really does need formal training. I've learned he doesn't like to heel, but he picked up on "high five" like he was born to raise that awkward little paw. We're going to continue to learn together, and will be sharing these struggles with you on the blog.
So, perhaps those reasons are enough to convince you to stick around and see what happens. Life is never dull with Linus. And I've had so much fun raising him, teaching him and enduring the trials of life with him at my side, that I owe it to him to share our experiences. And I hope, occassionally, we can touch your heart, make you laugh, reveal something about your relationship with your pet you never knew or at the very least help you burn a idle hour at work. Thanks for reading. Love,
Linus and Elizabeth
Linus and Elizabeth
