days like today...

here we are. 7pm on a thursday night. i'm relaxing on my bed with the laptop "watching" along came polly. the furry, four legged love of my life is laying on my bed too. chewing on his favorite bone. leaving residue and crumbs all over the sheet. good thing tomorrow is laundry day. one more thing i never thought i'd let him do. but when he looks so happy...how can you take that away from him?

we've been on a few adventures lately. this week i spontaneously began trail running. yes. you heard me. i have worked for the leading manufacturer in trail running footwear for three years and didn't give trail running a try until this week. sue me. the beautiful thing is that i'm in love with it. we'd probably be out on the trail at this moment if my lower half weren't so sore i've contemplated the amputation of my legs.

our first run was tuesday after work. poor kenai had been pent up in his kennel for 9 hours both monday and tuesday while i worked. he needed to get out. to blow off some steam. and so did i...so did i. so i decided to take him on a hike. minor problem: i can't find any shorts suitable for a hike. well, my exo compression tights are clean. i'll wear them. but if i wear running tights i'll actually have to run...deal. but my dog tries to herd me when i run...we had a deal. we hit the trail. i started to run. my herding dog followed in a happy jog. no herding. no barking. no nipping at my calves. just a happy existence and the joy of being together with nature. then we made it to the canyon. where the water starts. my dog, the one who is frightful of waterfalls, got into the river up to his belly! mommy was proud. very proud. he drank. he cooled off. and i just rested. trail running is work.

my dog, whom i was convinced could not jump due to the fact that when we get in the car he simply stares at me waiting for me to lift him into the front seat, jumped over boulders twice his size. on the descent he maneuvered down the scree like a mountain goat. there was a moment when i questioned whether my brother had sold me a dog or a goat. alas, he cannot be milked so he must be a dog.

to sum this all up. becoming a dog mom has most certainly been the best decision of my life. he loves me even when i'm not happy. he always wants to hang out with me. when i have a bad day seeing him makes everything seem less horrible. having him in my life has inspired me to try new things. like trail running. i used to ride my bike obsessively. that's a little harder these days with my four legged companion. trail running is perfect for us and we'll keep doing it for a long time. i'm sure.