Greetings lovely Steptalkers. The summer over here has been quite nice, one day drifting gently into another. The mornings are cloudy and cool, the afternoons sunny and warm. Our little enclave has become a bit more famous for things such as a Monaco Billionaire and a super stud actor, but really nothing much changes. The tourist crowds and those seeking shelter from the interior US heat have decended.

Im home, taking a sick day and sleeping in and relaxing. We just got a new dog, a shelter adolesent husky-shep hybrid we both agreed on. It was probably part of our grieving process plus the news that the local shelters are at 104 percent. Dogs needing homes and we needing a dog was the perfect storm for us to acquire a wriggly squiggly package of unconditional love. Plus there can be only one cat in our household and the cat was crying for her dog...now she has another pooch to fluff her tail at.

As we go through our introduction period, SD18 Princess Powersulk Do Nada has actually been helpful! She has been continuing her visitation schedule (not sure why) and she has experience with husky hybrids, from the dog her mother got during COVID, so while shes been with us during this period we have been relating as regards different problem solving and dog "things", which is nice.

AND of course during these discussions, when I ask about how her "other" dog is handled and its personality traits, her mother invariably comes into the discourse. Apparently since her mother does work with children somehow relating to the school system (the same system she sued and won over) she is not currently working and stays in bed all day every day. Which leads to a husky hybrid unsupervised. Knowing Im sympathetic to animals, and as we are discussing training and punishment styles, she came to me last night almost in tears because her mother BM Toxic Troll just texted her that the dog had "ripped the cushions of the couch so she had to punch her in the face and throw the b!tch outside".

I assured her that I would do no such thing, if something similar happened with destruction, underscoring why I am being so cautious with our new dog and restricting household access. I have barricaded her to one side of the house, and the cat gets the other side. Im researching different types of things for when we are not at the house. I bought a dog gate to replace the makeshift barricades and am looking at other ways to restrict access and plus we just need to get rid of stuff. Im looking at the cost of training classes for after the introduction period (shes been really great so far without but I like a dog I can walk off leash sometimes with excellent recall) We have a medium backyard that has a covered porch and still have all the dog stuff from our previous guy that she can use. Ive purchased some toys and chewies, and SD informed me of a chewey supply club. But.

I just cant understand Toxic Trolls low mentality and I dont want to. Where I come from, animals are family, like little kids. They do stuff and you try not to take it personaly. You work hard to prevent stuff from being destroyed. If its meaningful it must be protected, and dogs with destructive tendencies, must be excercised and supervised and put in places they cannot destroy. You dont punch them in the face. And this is a smallish dog, a pure white shiba inu/husky hybrid.

Additionally, SD18 PPDN has indicated that her fafsa was not turned in because her mother Toxic Troll did not understand that the grant money would not affect her super-subsidized housing status of paying around 300$ for a two bedrooom apartment in beach town (soon to have their own Trader Joes!). But as soon as she can get that grant money shes going to use it for training this 4-year old little destroyer to not destroy and do tricks and go off-leash.

Im just so frustrated with this. I did not say a word, because Powersulk, but I did say things like "how many classes are you taking? what subjects?" And I couldnt help but insert a "dont you have to buy books and stuff for school?" and "about how much do you get?" Because its obvious shes NOT going to work (I havent mentioned that topic, or asked any questions, but I do not buy groceries when shes over) and shes going to use that grant money to live off. Im trying to hide my disgust. Its work. Meanwhile, I slogg it off to work each and every weekday whilst Toxic Troll and Princess Powersulk Do Nada languish their sunshiny summer days away. Please Karma bus-universe-whatever, please take me out of this pit of endless work and no vacations watching others work the system that I pay into.

I KNOW! Not my business. Im going to stick to the dog topics from now on. MY doggy only...

So thanks for reading my rant.

The short version:

We got a dog, her name is Emerald, we call her Emmy. Shes mainly black with cream-colored points, one light blue eye and one brown with cream "eyebrows". Shes smart and mellow and sleeping in her bed right now as I type this out.