Cutest puppy EVER

Talk about cute!!! My new puppy is something else. I bring him home next week. We are still talking about names. I'm leaning to Blue (for my old hometown) or Rusty.

I'm in Florida with Scott for Christmas. We are having a great time. Last night we had drinks at the Ritz and then went to the late night service at a tiny Episcopal church on Saint Georges Island. Scott's sister and future brother in law are also in town. We've been having a great time hanging out together. Best part is we are staying in a swanky condo with an amazing view of a very clean very empty beach. :)

My only complaint is the hand foot mouth is getting worse. The skin on my hands is coming off in sheets and my feet look like pizza. I'm also sort of nauseous. The nice part is I have my puppy to look forward to so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Time Off

My last official photo shoot for the year was on Saturday night. I'm happy to have some time off. Between now and mid March things in the photographic front should be pretty quite. The only chatch is I'll have to remember not to spend too much money, because I won't be making any. :)
This year has been an amazing for me and my little company. I've come so far. I finally feel like I have a career and I'm making enough money to support myself. Quiting a day job to start a business is no easy task and the first two years are supposed to be the worst. I'm almost to the two year mark. Yipee!!!!

The sores on my hands have no relented. They are red and itchy. Today I'm going to the acupuncturist to see if he can give me any relief. *sigh*

I got new photos of my puppy from the breeder this morning. He is being attacked by a toe headed child in these. :) When they advertised that puppies grow up well loved and underfoot they mean it. In my extra nerdy way I've read 5 books on puppies from the library this week. All of which seem to disagree about many dos and dont's of puppy raising. The most important things to me is that he is ok with cats and children and that he will come when he is called and doesn't bark neurotically. If I can teach him other things great - if not I'm ok.

Babies = Germ Bags

Don't be fooled by the giant heads or tiny clothes. Babies are GERM BAGS. They terrible colds and viral infections waiting to happen. I've been doing Christmas cards the last few weeks so I've been in contact with many a little slobbering cutie pie. One of them gave me Hand Foot Mouth. I terrible malady that causes sores/blisters on the palms of the hands, souls of the feet, back of the mouth and in the diaper region. To make things extra special it comes with a fever and lack of appetite. The blisters on my hands don't seem to be getting any better and last night I started balling because I couldn't sleep and I couldn't itch because I'm worried they are going to get infected. Moral of the story is wash your hands in the event that you are in the same room with a baby.

My Future Puppy

Meet my future puppy! I've been thinking about getting a dog for the last year, but I've been far too busy traveling and photographing to get one. At the end of this year I'm planning the big slow down! I'm going to raise all of my prices and become much pickier about which assignments I take. With all my work the last few months I've been able to save up some money. :) So... I'm going to re-work all of my portfolios and start offering higher end products. Hopefully this will mean I'll be less in demand.

So - the new puppy is an Australian Shepherd like Scott's dog Gregor. He is a red merle with a split colored face. Although his litter mates have blue eyes his look like they are going to be brown. When I decided to get a dog I was thinking about getting a Red Tricolored Aussie and the breeder sent me the photos of the new litter from week one and when I saw this one I thought he was the CUTEST PUPPY I'D EVER SEEN!!! His birthday is November 19 and I can take him home on New Years.

The reason I want a dog is because I spend so much time alone working on my computer. I want an excuse to go outside and go for walks. Dexter, who is going to become friends with the puppy come hell or high water, just isn't as good of company as he was when he was little. After he got a taste of the outdoor life he prefers to spend his time chasing squirrels and eating birds. Alas, he has become a cat. He will still come when you call him and wear silly outfits, but I've come to accept that he is not a dog.

I'm going to tell my mom about the puppy today. I don't think she will be happy with my decision. She already things I'm over-worked and she will see this as one more responsibility I'll have to juggle. She is right. However, I'm 26. I've wanted to get a dog for the last 10 years and never did because everyone around me said I couldn't handle it. Tons of people have dogs. People FAR less responsible than me. So. Meet my new dog. Isn't he SOOOO CUTTTTEEE!!!! I wanted to have a puppy shower, but Scott thought that was strange/crazy. I may still have one despite him. :)