This is our new greyhound Joey. We had already decided to adopt him before we knew Morrison had cancer, and we decided to go ahead and take him on Friday, as scheduled. It wasn’t Joey’s fault that we had misfortunes on Friday. It turned out to be a great decision: We needed him as much as he needed us.

Joey is a four year old, 71 pound sweet guy. He comes to us from Greyhound Pets of America Central Texas, where we adopted both of our other greyhounds Phoebe (age 2) and Daphne (age 6).

Joey ran two races in Florida under the racing name Joseph’s Dance, and like Phoebe (who ran under the name Rayna Ann Walker), he didn’t do very well. Seems he prefers retirement and got there was quickly as he could.

So far Joey has made a wonderful addition to our home. He’s quiet and gentle, and has proven himself to be quite the gentleman. And our other greys love him. He likes to follow me around, sticking right by my side, and to cuddle with me in the mornings. Perhaps he knows I need a new friend…

technorati tags: greyhounds, dogs, pets

My beloved cat Morrison died on Friday. He had been sick off and on for the last couple of years with a variety of ailments: diabetes, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, etc.

Over the last few months he had started to slow down. I knew something was wrong, but we could never figure out what. Finally on Friday his specialist discovered that he had a huge tumor in his chest. She didn’t think he’d make it through surgery, and I didn’t want to have him doing chemo once a week when we all knew it wouldn’t cure him. He had between two and eight weeks left, and eventually he would suffocate.

So, I decided that enough was enough, and to let him go before he really started to suffer. It absolutely broke my heart, but I firmly believe that it’s the obligation you have to your pets to know when to say goodbye. They give so much to you over the years and ask so little in return, and it’s the least you can do.

I got Morrison on September 24, 1993 when he was 13 weeks old and I was 19. He was the first thing I got when I moved away from the dorm and into an apartment in college. He was my roommate when I lived alone, always welcomed me with a purr no matter how bad my day had been, traveled with me countless times to visit my parents, moved five times without complaining, welcomed my new boyfriend who later became my husband, lived with four dogs, slept by my side every night for 13 years, and took his entire illness in stride.

What I learned from Morrison was to take things as they come and to not sweat the small stuff. And to always be friendly to anyone and everything… life is just easier that way.

I’ll miss you, little man.

technorati tags: pets, cats, death, loss

Today we had to have out our beloved cat, Morrison, put to sleep. He’s had diabetes and arthritis for the past two years, and today we learned he had cancer and that there was nothing that could be done. We let him go before things got really awful for him.

This is probably going on in Heaven right now (after Zephyr finished sniffing his butt that is)…

Believe it or not, there’s actually very good news today too, but it will have to wait.

technorati tags: pets, cats, death, loss

It’s amazing the number of near car wrecks one hears daily working downtown. Today alone I heard cars skidding on the road at least four times.

I haven’t heard an actual crash yet, though. However, at least twice a day some sort of emergency vehicle comes wailing through our block. Could it be racing to the scene of a crash?

It reminds me of a story I once heard about a minor wreck near The University of Texas, at 24th and Guadalupe. A motorist edged out onto Guadalupe, hitting a person on a bicycle at a very low speed. The person on the bicyle was fine, but picked up his bike, slammed it down on the car hood, and scraped it along the hood.

He then jumped on his bike and rode off, leaving the motorist stunned.

technorati tags: cars, working, downtown, austin, bicycles

Sporting a new pedicure, brushed teeth, and fresh bath, Saturday morning greyhound Phoebe took her first trip downtown and first ride in an elevator.

Greyhound Pets of America has a booth at this weekend’s Austin Home and Garden Show, and like a good girl Phoebe was a goodwill ambassador, along with her new greyhound booth pals Daisy, Fancy, Mary, Grappa, and Phoenix.

The Austin Home and Garden show is a great way to spend a couple of hours on a hot weekend in August when it’s pretty much too hot to do anything outside. The show features a variety of vendors ranging from portable buildings to interior items. One area to check out is the Go Texan row, which features Texas vendors. Here you’ll find a variety of products from Texas-based businesses… let’s support any little guys there, won’t we?

The hounds have a great piece of real estate pretty much right in the middle of the show, and this is a great way to get introduced to often misunderstood greyhounds.

Greyhounds generally ARE NOT:

• Hyper
• Aggressive
• Sad
• Hunters
• Outdoorsy
• Stoic

Greyhounds generally ARE:

• Gentle
• Affectionate
• Intelligent
• Mellow
• Loyal
• Non-slobbering
• Non-shedding
• Non-barking

Greyhounds are great companions who can thrive in many homes, including those with children, cats, and small dogs. It all just depends on the personality of the greyhound, just like people.

If you have some free time this weekend, please go check them out and even give them a buck or two. These sweet dogs need all the help they can get. To learn more about the plight of greyhounds, please visit the Greyhound Protection League.

To read my husband’s post on this event, please click here.

technorati tags: greyhounds, pets, volunteer, charity

This week I’ve been plagued with a sinus infection, which makes walking around in 100+ degree heat especially unpleasant. I bought some facial tissue with lotion from the local HEB, and I noticed something curious on the box. It’s covered with words like “timeless,” “beauty,” “serenity,” and “romance.”

What about being sick conjures up those words? Are they trying to make me feel better?

technorati tags: life, humor, illness

After an extended break to acclimate to a new job, I’m back. I am now working downtown for a start-up, and I love it.

I’ve never worked in downtown Austin before. One of the advantages of working downtown is the lunchtime scene. One can walk into just about any restaurant, no matter how crowded, and be out of there within an hour. I haven’t ventured out of about a two block radius so far, but I’ve been frequenting Thai Passion, Jimmy Johns, and Hickory Street Bar and Grille.

Thai Passion seems to have been around forever, and I used to only go there when I was going to a show at the Paramount. What I’ve noticed about this restaurant is it seems like it never has a lunch rush, which is surprising to me given the great food it serves. I’m particularly partial to the Pud Thai, which is not a lunch special but is the perfect amount of food for lunch. And guess what? Thai Passion is open until 3 am, 7 days a week. I’m so curious as to who goes for Thai food after a night of drinking…

I recently discovered Jimmy Johns while wandering around looking for somewhere new to eat. I usually avoid chains if possible, but this one seemed interesting so I checked it out. This restaurant is about doing things quickly: You order quickly using their lingo, and they deliver your food in record time. And the sandwiches are good. One thing to remember here is to ask for wheat bread, though. It’s not something they will ask you. But they have an entire menu of club sandwiches, which makes for several lunches of experimentation.

Hickory Street Bar and Grille is one of those places I had always meant to try, as it looks interesting from the outside but always seemed too small or crowded. I had no idea how large this place actually was. Their soup and salad lunch is pretty much your standard soup and salad fare, but it’s only $5 and you’re out of there in 20 minutes. It’s also got a dark, comfy vibe that while hopping with people and noise, it’s somehow relaxing. How could you go wrong? It seems like a great place to jump over for beers after work.

I’ll likely be finding new places to dine for a long time, and it’s really making my mid-day break an entire adventure in itself. And there’s no doubt that downtown has some of the best people watching in Austin.

technorati tags: downtown, working, austin, food, dining, restaurants