2006-01-06 - 3:32 p.m.
I spent the morning slaving over a hot database, trying to remember how to make charts in Excel (boo hiss). Eventually, I emerged victorious. Stupid Microsoft. Then I drove home at lunch to let my dog outside.
I was greeted, as usual, by barking. The neighbors across the alley adopted a young lab, who was found loose on a corner somewhere. His name is now Albert. Albert looks almost exactly like Dolly, and he barks like her, too, except a lot more. I think he's bored. The yard he's fenced in is about 200 square feet, at most, and I've never seen him out getting exercise. Poor Albert. Anyway, I always speak to him, since I know his name, and today I gave him a cookie. He looked so sweet, gently taking the cookie through the fence! (Uh oh. I am not allowed to get another dog. Period! Besides, if I had another dog, I'd have to get a different car. Dolly barely fits in the back seat as it is.)
We are on a corner, but across that side road is a fenced-in cocker spaniel, crazy as it can be. It races about in the yard, spinning in circles, and barking its head off. The yard is all bare at the edge where he spins and spins. Poor creature. I'll bet that dog never gets walked.
Driving through the neighborhood, I spotted a new area where I might be able to take Dolly. I haven't been able to get over to explore it yet, since it's dark by the time I get home. Perhaps this weekend. It's my favorite - a utility right-of-way. The winter has been very mild so far, and I bet the birds migrate through earlier than usual. I'll keep my eyes open. Orioles especially like edge areas like the right-of-ways. I haven't seen an oriole in ages. I need a mulberry tree - they can't resist mulberries. Of course mulberries + birds = purple bird poop on the sidewalks, cars, streets.
I was thinking about taking a pottery course this spring. Then I realized it's held on Saturdays from 9 to 12, every weekend between now and March. I think I'll spend those Saturdays with David, instead.
