I'D RATHER BE A RISING APE THAN A FALLEN ANGEL...

Quote by Terry Pratchett

Rob and family left for CA today for Chrissie, leaving me all alone, alone, alone...
This will be my first ever Xmas I have been alone, I think I'm old enough to cope, but It is nice to think that my previous 36 I have been surrounded by loved ones (and loot). In a way I'm still surrounded by loved ones but I tend to trip over them and gag at their poop a lot more.
Alone with 6 dogs and 2 ferrets. I'm the only one left to stem the tide of crap. The thin brown line.
The house is quiet...mostly...if you don't count the pitter patter of 32 tiny feet.

We had a break from fostering since Heidi, who is doing wonderfully. She is on her first CA road trip and will spread doggy love whence she goes.
There were no pups that needed it in the last few months. This month has been different.
I took Samantha and Friday home just for a week because they were looking sickly. A day at home and they were totally fine. They got adopted within days.

Samantha and Friday, foster pups

Last week at work, someone drove in dropped off a box in the carpark and drove away. Inside was four tiny Rotteweiler mix pups. Somehow, despite my rule of only 2 pups at once, Jedi mind trick were played upon me and I ended up with all four. Santa Vaca!

The four amigos

I set up a big pen in the middle of our kitchen, which despite it being in the middle of our kitchen is working out rather well. They are small enough that sleeping, eating and pooping are their main interests so they don't mind being cooped up a lot of the time. Plus the icky bits are mostly confined.
I gave them a bath today. Very cute puppies under all that grime.

Bath Time

I have one on my lap as I type so trying to avoid hand nibbles.
She has fallen asleep now...dang how to reach the wine?!

Onto non related dog news...don't look so shocked.

Rob turned 40 last week...still as gorgeous as ever.

Us camping at Fossil Creek

Rob and lovely Leala...Hopi Salt Trail, Grand Canyon.

He has been mostly unemployed all year, been working on and off for Mike as a construction monkey which I must say has done rather pleasant things for his abs.

The best pressie he got was a offer of a job at the Uni starting in Jan. Yeehaaaa..
We are all very happy. If he hadn't gotten this job then we would have had to seriously think about moving to a bigger city with better opportunities. Neither of us wants to move just yet, and the places we would want to move to are exactly like here, the smaller places with no jobs. So despite the fact its awesome he has been home to walk the dogs and cook me dinner, a reasonable paid job is a great thing right now.

Kate and Co have booked their tickets for Feb for a month. I'm sooooooo happy. They will spend some time here, a week in the Yucatan climbing Mayan pyramids and then off to New York. It will be 2 years since I've seen them (except once on webcam ..omg Hal's voice has broken!..) so I'm very much looking forward to this.
Hal will be staying with us (if all goes well with visa's and such) for 3 months on a school exchange. It will be a great opportunity for him and us. Though I have no idea what to do with a 15 year boy in my house... ummm buy lots of food, NetNanny the computer, insert a GPS chip. Any suggestions welcome.