Perma-Snooze

Minus a few days in Boston, I'm home for a few weeks before the big move.  Since Maisie isn't going to daycare, I've re-hired Chicago Dog Runner to take her out for a run once a week.  This morning was the first session and Maisie was super excited to see our runner Claudia again.  Claudia's initial comment upon seeing Maisie was "I forgot she was so little!"  I later received this summary email from her:

The run with Maisie today went really well. It's like we just picked up where we left off and Maisie seemed to be having a blast. We ran about 5.3 miles together and I hope to run even further with her next Thursday.

All that activity has resulted in a full day of canine slumber.  Maisie was so quiet that I actually forgot she was here...I didn't walk her all afternoon and she never even woke up to remind me!

 still sleepy-eyed 12 hours after the run

The dog runner is definitely money well-spent.  I haven't found anything exactly like that service in the Boston area, but there are some companies that offer hiking and outdoor playgroups so I will be investigating those further.  In the meantime, I was relieved to find a daycare for Maisie right by the new office.  It's run out of a house with a yard and is small with lots of personal attention...of course,  I still have to check it out in person.  It has good reviews and the owner seems like she really loves dogs.  On the downside, while she does accept mixes she doesn't take "purebred" pitties (whatever that means), which is a policy that obviously violates my usual "pit bull power" position.  But the only alternative open past 6pm in that part of MA is a facility that routinely has 130 dogs a day, all together in a big warehouse and I knew that would be an awful and terrifying environment for Maisie.  I realized in this case I need to set aside my pit bull activist persona in order to ensure the best possible situation for my little girl...so I am choosing the smaller daycare.  I strongly believe Maisie will be much happier there and that's the most important thing.  Forgive me, readers!

p.s.  for more frequent Maisie updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!

Movin' on Up

As I said in my previous post, there was the possibility of a big change happening.  When we last left you, Miss Maisie Lou was eagerly awaiting the details.

 "I'm all ears."

Now, since it appears to be a pretty done deal, I can spill the beans.  Though some of you were sure I was getting a canine (or G-d forbid, human) sibling for Maisie, others wondered if we might be moving...well, the second guess was correct!  Although I only recently started my job, for a number of reasons it has not turned out the way it was supposed to.  So when I was contacted by a recruiter for a position in a suburb of Boston, I figured it couldn't hurt to at least check it out.  Turns out it's an amazing opportunity, and one that will really take my career to new places (literally and figuratively).

I have lived in Chicago my whole life...all my friends and family are here.  Knowing the move would be mandatory, accepting this position was one of the biggest decisions I have ever made.  I've got only about four weeks to try and sublet my current place here, find a new place there, hire movers, pack, then drive my car and my dog from Chicago to Massachusetts.  While Boston does not have a breed ban per se, they do have BSL in the form of a muzzle law and since there are no muzzles in my girl's future, we need to find a place outside the Boston city limits.  I am hoping to find a single family home with a yard for Maisie, but most rentals in the Boston area are not dog-friendly (regardless of breed) so the search has been tough thus far and I know compromises will need to be made.  Plus the cost of living there is surprisingly a LOT higher than it is in Chicago!

I wonder what Maisie would think if she knew about all this impending change.

"making major decisions without canine input???  that's it, I'm outta here!"

I am of course very nervous about all the tasks that need to be completed before the move and about how Maisie will react to completely new surroundings, with no constant other than me.  There will be a new house, new daycare, new dog walker and new doggie friends (and enemies) for her to get used to all at once and I'm afraid she'll be overwhelmed by the sheer new-ness of it all.  Personally, I pretty much feel that no matter where I live, if I have Maisie and we have a roof over our heads, I am home.  Hopefully that feeling will last.

"on second thought, will there be food at this new place?  I may consider reconsidering..."

Please stick with us as we make this major life change.  I'll be sharing our (hopefully big) victories and (hopefully small) defeats along the way.  It's going to be quite a project, but I believe it will all be worth it in the end!

p.s.  for more Maisie updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!

p.p.s.  I just noticed that this is my 100th post...thanks to all my readers for not getting sick of us yet!  ;)

Wordless "Wait, What?" Wednesday

Sorry I have been lax in my posting recently (Two Grad Students and a Pittie, you're putting me to shame)! There's some interesting craziness going on lately that could lead to a potential big change.  Maybe not.  But maybe.

I talked to Maisie about it and she could scarcely believe her ears!

p.s.  for way more Maisie updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!

Castlewood Terrace

Today was a beautiful fall Saturday in Chicago...sunny and and crisply cool.  After running a ton of errands, I decided to take Maisie on a slightly longer than usual walk to let her sniff some non-everyday spots.

Although I live on a residential street, it's within a very urban neighborhood.

So you might be surprised to learn that only one short block away from my house is a cul-de-sac populated entirely by multi-million dollar mansions.  This magical place is known as Castlewood Terrace.

The houses on Castlewood are all beautiful, but vary in size and style.  This is just a sampling...

Maisie practiced her "down/stay" in front of a home with Frank Lloyd Wright inspired architecture.

This yellow mansion is the largest building on Castlewood and is the view from my upstairs bathroom window.  The small gray coach house behind the fence on the right side is where Maisie and I live!

Towards the end of the block is another home with a design influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie style.

On the way back, we ran into my neighbor Wayne and his dog Buddy.  They graciously posed for a photo (though Buddy didn't seem too thrilled about it).

And Maisie ended the walk by doing her happy dance on some leaves in the grass!

p.s.  for even more Maisie updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!

Wordless "Why, Mom?" Wednesday

can't a lady eat her breakfast without an audience???

p.s.  for even more Maisie updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!