After last week's short "ease" back into work life after taking the week between Christmas and New Year's off, today felt long and unfair! What's even more unfair is that our work calendar has no more free days off until Memorial Day, which makes winter feel like a true enemy.
It's strange to come home everyday to a dog. With having Dallas comes new responsibilities that I hope I don't grow to resent. I have to plan my mornings to begin a little earlier now because she tends to dawdle outside when I let her out. And all I want to do when I get home is eat and chill out, yet poor Dallas has been cooped up inside all day and needs a brisk walk to shake the doldrums out. It wouldn't be so bad if she didn't act like such a bratty toddler when we try to put the leash on. But I know she is just so excited to get going that she just can't be patient enough to let us get her, and ourselves, ready. All in all, however unfamiliar this new chapter in our lives is, we love Dallas and are very happy to have her.
She did really well with our New Year's guests. We hosted a last-minute New Year's Eve get-together, and despite an initial bout of nervousness with every arriving guest, she calmed down and soon became everyone's best friend. At about 10:30 PM Dallas looked a little tired and "lost" so I put her to bed. She actually took a good nap and came back for more partying. On New Year's Day, Rob's mom and Aunt Shannon and family stopped by for a brief visit, and Dallas loved them too.