The coolest of all developments is that my beloved dog, Bogart, has finally done what we thought was neurologically impossible - he has learned to wag his tail! I know, most dogs master this during their first week, but Bogart isn't like everyone else, and it has taken him a really difficult year and a half to learn this, the simplest of all cute dog tricks. He was house broken before he could wag his tail, he had double knee surgery before he learned to wag his tail, he learned to walk again before he wagged his tail, he learned to jump and run before he learned to wag his tail, and he had to lose one family and find another before he could wag his tail; but at last, he has mastered the joyous essence of being a dog.
I know, you're thinking, "what's the big deal, it's a tail?" But it's more than that. It's his smile, his fear, his shame as he tucks it and runs away from the thing that he wasn't supposed to do. For Bogart, and any dog, it's the equivalent of a human face. It's his emotions - it's how he tells other dogs that he's friendly. Imagine going almost two years without a smile, without being able to tell your best friend that you like them. It's been tough. The day Laurie from the rescue brought him to our apartment I was ignorant and expected a happy dog to come running up to me with a tail going 90 miles an hour. Instead, Bogart had to be picked up out of the car and set on the ground, it took him a minute to get across the parking lot, he fell three times in the twenty feet between our door and his car, and there was no joyous, "I've found my family!" tail wagging. There was just a sad dog dragging his back legs to an unknown apartment with two strangers that would have probably made him tuck his tail if he could.
Now though, he comes running to the door when I get home. His tail wags so much that he gets off balance, and he jumps a foot in the air at the sight of me. He chews sticks at the dog park, he runs with other dogs, and he always looks over his shoulder at me when I walk him on the leash to make sure that I'm still his family. That's what a wagging tail has given me, and Chris, and Bogart. It's let Bogart give us what we wanted to give him, happiness and a family. Sure, it's just a tail...and a lot more.
The two most impressive updates are that Chris and I have both gotten new jobs! Chris now works for Jormac Aerospace, and although it has a few setbacks it's in the field that he wanted to be in so that's always good. As for me, it's not so much a new job as a promotion and a nice raise. I was working on Discovery at the firm, but now I've been promoted to a Jr. Legal Assistant (LA) and although I'm still training my replacement, the new job should be starting within the month, hopefully. It's exciting, but I'm just ready to begin something new.
The last update is that Chris and I will be moving, with Bogart of course, to Clearwater in about a month. Originally we thought that we couldn't move until May, but Chris talked to our leasing office today, and since they delayed us for two weeks when we tried to renew our lease so that we got stuck with the new management's 60 day notice policy, they have agreed to change it back to a 30 day notice for us. Chris called and reserved our new apartment, which is on the first floor to accommodate Bogart, today and soon the moving process will be in full force. The new apartment is considerably bigger than our current one, and we are all excited about that. We traded our patio for a sunroom which is basically an extension of the living room so that, as we joke, Bogart can have his own room! We also ordered a new dog bed for him over the weekend and it shipped today. We're excited about the move because it means a much shorter drive for Chris to work (which is why we're moving) and although my drive will be increasing, I'll have to drive over the Courtney Campbell Causeway (read ocean) to get to work, pity, I'll love getting stuck in traffic.
Alright, well that's all that I've got for now. As promised, Sara, Disney details will be coming soon. Also, just a thought for interest - Chris and I went to Disney a few weeks ago, and we not only had to wait in our seats for twenty minutes while they got a lady off of Rock N' Roller Coaster (and then ride it without any music) we also got stuck in the Tower of Terror five minutes later!! For anyone wondering, the emergency exit is a service elevator, naturally. Is anyone else creeped out by that? Okay well that's it. I'll write again when I get a free minute between doing overtime for my job, watching Bogart wag his tail, and moving with Chris. Life is good here, I hope it is elsewhere as well. Take care...and if you have a dog...enjoy the tail wagging. I still stop to watch Bogart sometimes. Good night.
