On randoms, dogs, family...

I only moved two pieces of furniture with me from SF to Chicago, and those two only got moved because they could collapse and would be useful. One of them, a shitty IKEA coffee table, broke long ago. The other, a tv tray table thingy from Target, is still rollin on, and I use it as an end table to my couch. I put my laptop on it and type. Recently I've moved it in front of the couch. This closes off one entrance to the couch, but also lets me sit straight forward instead of twisted. I used to have this table the same way in SF - straight ahead, and Audrey would curl up in my lap while I typed away all night. Now that I moved it back into this position, she's curling up again! I love it. A doggy in my lap, a laptop under my fingers, cable tv on...my version of heaven.

Despite blowing the credit card that I had paid off on my laptop, I've been slowly squirreling away money for a new apartment in April. I look at apartments on Craigslist and fantasize about moving. Less than 6 months. Hating your apartment and hating your neighbors can really be a great motivation for saving money.

Also in the money department - this month is the first in 18 months that I will have to pay my student loan payment. So from now until eternity I'll be dumping 236 a month into my loans. Thanks out of state Madison tuition!

Finally in random updates that relate to dogs money and apartments, Christmas. Christmas is a dilemma for me. I have a doggy that I refuse to put in a kennel. I've done it once and I was so miserable I cried and cried the entire time she was there. It really bothers her too, after being in so many shelters before becoming my lil gal. Normally I send her off to her favorite dog-vacation zone, Natalie and Matt's house. They have always been so amazing about helping me and taking good care of her. I don't worry (too much) about her when she is there, and I know she's having fun running wild with their beagles. However, there's no way I'd even attempt to dump my dog at a friends house on such a huge holiday. That's just not right. So I'm left with 2 options:

1. Stay here with Audrey like I did last year
2. Rent a car and drive Audrey and me to Omaha and stay with a family member.

I could do 1, but it was sort of lonely last year. About 2 - I can't stay at my mom's because she has a golden retriever that is a bit too big to be rough housing with Audrey inside a house. They spent the night together when I moved here and it was stressful. Also my mom's creepola husband called Audrey a rat dog and made fun of her the whole time. No pup of mine is going to be ridiculed on a holiday!

So that leaves me with my dad. He just moved to a new house with his wife. I asked him in person if I could stay with him for a few days and bring Audrey. He had dogs with us as children, so I didn't think it would be a big deal. Instead he said no because he doesn't want Audrey on the furniture. I said she can go in her kennel when we go out, and be confined to just the kitchen, but he said he just doesn't want her in his new house.

Wow.

I asked my older brother to try and convince my dad. I haven't been in Omaha for a few years, and I'd like to be able to see my relatives. Big bro tried and also failed and I guess got really pissed at my dad because he is valuing his furniture over seeing his child. I said I'm being equally stubborn because I can't leave Audrey alone. However some of that is financial - a decent kennel over the holidays can be 50 bucks a day. So my big brother is angry, I'm hurt, I have nowhere to go for Christmas now because I can't bear to part with my dog....the whole situation just sucks. This is when being an obsessive dog owner hurts, and when having a creep for a step-dad and a materialistic real dad are problems.

Thankfully I still have my puny Charlie Brown-esque tree, xmas lights, and ornaments to celebrate here in style. I'll make my eggs, muffins, sausage like my mom normally does and watch some sort of tv marathon or something.