Busy Busy

This will come as no surprise to anyone that has known me for more than two days: I have a very busy life! But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

This weekend is going to be jam packed with fun and exciting things to do. After work tonight I think I'm going to take Harley for her first visit to a dog park. I'm a little nervous: after a rough encounter with an over-excited American Bulldog she has been exhibiting a bit of aggression towards other dogs in Forsyth. When she first encounters other dogs her size or larger, she seems to get defensive and try to show dominance. But once she has sniffed and been sniffed, she calms right down. My hope is that she will feel less threatened in an environment where the dogs are able to sort out their hierarchy and play in a more natural way. Keep your fingers crossed!

Tomorrow morning is my first Georgia 5K: the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I will admit that my training has been pretty slack since I got Harley. I haven't been jogging as much because I tend to enjoy walking with her. I think, though, that this is really a good thing. My knees don't ache as much and I realized that I don't have to push myself, I can just enjoy the process. The three miles a day that I walk with Harley is much more rewarding than the 3 miles I was jogging. I will try to do my best during the race, but I don't have to prove anything to anyone. That's a nice feeling.

After the Race will be the Earth Day celebration in Forsyth Park. It looks like it will be very interesting and I can't wait to check it out. I'm debating whether to bring Harley, as I'm sure there will be lots of people and other dogs. She still gets a bit skittish sometimes and I'd rather not put her in a situation where she's going to feel overwhelmed, for her sake and my own (that is one of the toughest things about adopting a dog: not knowing their history). I also hope to stop by the farmer's market to pick up my veggies for the week.

I bought all the ingredients I need to make a dry dog shampoo. All I need now is a bristle brush to get the stuff out of Harley's fur. If I am able to pick up a brush, Harley will be getting a dry bath this week (I do have photos from the wet bath at Dad's, but haven't downloaded them yet).

Following up on a previous post, I am planning on attending the Celtic Mass at the Parish of St. Paul the Apostle on Sunday night. I'm still not sure that church is where I will find the peace and comfort that I'm looking for, but I figure it's as good a place as any to start. My friend, Eric, and I had a really awesome conversation about religion, beliefs, church, ritual and faith. He made an excellent point: go through the motions even if you're not "feeling" it and it's a pretty good bet you'll start feeling it again. I think this holds true in a lot of situations in life: If you don't feel like going for a walk, get up and go anyway and you'll feel better by the time you get home; If you don't feel like you're in touch with a friend or loved one, reach out and get in touch. It's a better use of the old yuppie phrase "Fake it till you make it."

Oh, I'm also going to try to plant some basil and parsley seeds. I say "try" because, really, I have a lot on my plate already!