A whole new life...

So, DC has been busy. I've worked almost, if not, 7 days a week since April, long hours and drastic changes. I moved into the city June 13 and brought Hank and June to the city yesterday. Chris had been nice enough to keep them in Harpers Ferry until I was ready for them (less work, dog walker, moved into new place, etc), and so here we are, Hank and June and I ... awesome job, new little place on Capitol Hill, a block away from a large dog park, and finally a weekend where I have a day off (4 of them in a row actually!!). So, it's July 4th, Happy Birthday America, and we're lounging around in the heat, doing laundry, doing dishes, making tuna fish, listening to Pandora, letting the day slowly slip past us as we move in cadence with nothing to do but whatever happens to move us.

Friday I went to yoga, YAY! It was an hour and a half class on Capitol Hill and I loved it. I can't wait to go back. Um, yeah, I'm still sore today, but that's because I didn't go back this morning to work out all of my ouchies. One day on two off and then back again, should straighten out some of those 'beginning to exercise again aches'. After yoga, I packed up the car and drove out to Harpers Ferry to pick up the hounds and spend a few days relaxing. Chris' father came out to visit as well, and them working on the house does not = relaxing, so I packed up early and came back to the city with Hank, June and Babe (Amber and Kevin are in Italy so I'm taking care of Babe) and began to relax in earnest. So far, we've done 3 loads of laundry, reorganized the shoe closet (hahaha, I know!! that's not relaxing but I'm so glad it's done), made tuna fish, ate a hearty lunch of tuna and crackers went to the dog park (twice!) and had 2 cups of coffee... oh man, the house looks great and we're feeling good. Tonight I was thinking about making firework pictures on the Mall, but I may just stay in and enjoy the apartment, which is finally starting to feel like home, now that the dogs are here. Apartment pictures are coming up next!

Right, so anyways, while in Harpers Ferry, I went to visit Dean and Steve and they had a gaggle of the ugliest rescue dogs ever put together which made me laugh hysterically, and a litter of rescue kittens... enjoy!
So here's Momma cat, Griz... she's got beautiful eyes, and is a winky little thing, maybe 7 pounds and that's while feeding her kittens...
and here's her most outgoing kitten, hahaha, oh man... they're just about 5 weeks old, and they're fat and stupid, and their eyes are still not completely registering what they're seeing... they run into one anothers butts when they play and they wail like baby birds, high and reedy
oh and they're amazing little climbers!! 5 weeks and look at how strong they are!!
It looks cruel, but this little one was only up in the air for a second and right over Dean's lap. He just wanted to show me their amazing ability to hang on
oh kitty... sorry 'bout that...
hahaha, ok, really, we didn't torture this little one for more than a couple of minutes... but he was just adorable and so adventurous... he was squirmy and quick and quite happy to run around on the deck and the dogs didn't bother him at all...
oh wait, but before all the circus freak hounds, check out the Australorps, I'm not a big fan of birds, sharp talons, feathers, airborne, all that, 'oh god no, watch the eyes!!' but these ladies were very well behaved and very cool looking... walking dinosaurs...
of course, like every other animal in the house and probably around the world, they all loved Dean... hahaha, this one would have sat there all afternoon letting Dean rub her neck and enjoying every second. Dean is a modern day, sarcastic (hahaha, very sarcastic) St. Francis, watching him with the animals is amazing... talk about someone finding exactly what they should be doing... rescue work fits him to a T, and there are hundreds of happily rehomed animals that would vouch for that), my June Bug included!
Here's Kip to prove it. He was a puppy that was adopted out but then brought back for anxiety... he's now wearing an anxiety jacket and learning how to cope with being a neurotic dog... Dean just refuses to give up if there's an opportunity to make the animal better or give them a second chance on life...
So, let's get to some ugly dogs... hahaha, check out this fat little thing... she's not so bad right?
Well how 'bout her!! hahahaha!!!! This is a very flattering picture of her, because the rest of her body looks like a horribly sunburned fat lady's arm... spots, dots, moles, tufts of hair and so very red and angry looking... ugh... gross... oh man, when they all came racing to the gate to say Hi, I almost fell off the stairs I was laughing so hard, my god, what an ugly bunch of raggedy rescue hounds...
I mean, my gosh!! it's a hairless!! hahaha, ugh, she felt so nasty!! But she was so nice, what a sweet little dog, rescued from a nasty overcrowded situation of filth and neglect, and lucky her, Dean found her... I'm sure she'll be rehomed with no problem
and this girl... ugh schnauzers... not my cup of tea, but she too was a sweet one... little bossy but all she wanted was love...
and this old dame... 8 years old, so docile, slow moving, so sweet, non barking, going blind, and left at the shelter... who does that!! I don't care what the situation... find a friend, find a relative, put her on craigslist in search of a loving home because you're a dick and don't want her anymore, but you don't just abandon your animal! This animal who lives to love and please you... people are so amazingly cruel...
and of course, little Moses, who came to Dean with so many fleas on him, Dean didn't think he'd survive... Below is a picture I took off of Dean's blog from when he brought Moses home... Dean and Steve kept him, this little ugly bugger just stole Dean's heart... (but don't feed him anything after midnight or he'll go all gremlin on your ass and eat the family while you're sleeping... hahaha!!!)
The person who had Moses before Dean rescued him should be in jail... those black spots are fleas... not dirt, but fleas... ugh and his fur had matted one of his back legs against his body so he couldn't use it to walk on!!!
Anyhoo, Moses is in heaven now, he's loved and spoiled mercilessly... Just like the sign says at the top of this post... The whole sign says 'almost heaven' and is posted right on Dean and Steve's porch... so true, my friends, so true...
Donnie ran by on his way to Brooklyn to see Amy, and showed me his new rescue... named Butters... hahahah!!! Oh Donnie... good looking to women before, lady killer with a Chihuahua named Butters in tow... hahaha, nice move, friend!
yeah, couple more kitten pictures and then on to the work Chris has been doing at his place
ugh!!! so adorable!! If anyone needs a cat to love and adore for the next 15 or so years, please let me know... they have not all been adopted out yet...
hahaha!! Steve, you're adorable too... (sorry men, not up for adoption though, no matter how cute he may be) Dean and Steve are a perfect pair of friends... Dean and I talk about animal rescue and get all bitchy together, and then Steve and I talk about books and knitting projects... you guys are the best boygirlfriends a girl can have... I love yous twos!!
Thanks for being such good friends!
Oh Dear, the hat's making it's grand escape... someone better put it back up on shelf... hahaha oh kittens...
so while I was visiting with the mens, Chris and his Dad were working on the house.
Chris is putting in an incredible amount of time on the rehabilitation and it's really paying off.
he is so close to being done, and the rooms are turning out beautifully... here's a crappy picture of the new bathroom!
and here's the new version of the old TV room... lovely!
and in a couple of weeks, these walls will look like the pictures above... (here's Babe trying to be good and June, trying not to be scared of Babe, who is a bit of a bully and kind of a spoiled, only child jackass... hahaha, oh old dog, you're still ok by us)
yup, yawning is contagious, even in canines... June is sleeping in the backyard right now, and I'm sure she misses Cane, but she's doing better than I expected. I know it helps to have me at home right now... we'll see how she fares during the week while I'm at work.
Cheers and Happy 4th!