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we are now an official two-dog household. both bassets are passed out in the living room as i type. i’ve wasted the last three hours and will be starting laundry and cleaning shortly. mom and dad came over last night to drop bacon off. mom got all teary-eyed and said she was going to miss bacon. i know she will, but at the same time, i know that they’ll be better off with less dog (they still have two active ones at their house). turco and bacon weren’t so sure of each other at first, but i have seen a quick improvement.

i had a red brick consult this morning in dallas (with the most adorable bride and her mom and sister… such a joy!) and then ran by work to grab some files… i have a report due monday morning that i found out about yesterday afternoon. and that’s fine… i’ve just got some more schedule re-arranging to do, as tomorrow has commitments. sleep is optional, right? i had tried to get some red brick edits done this afternoon but my laptop is flaking out and running abnormally slow. roadblocks to progress are popping up. bleh.

jeromy is working on installing a doggie door… we bought a new door, hoping it’d be an exact fit, but that’s not the case… so we need to replace the jam. i think daddy is going to help out with that. i can’t believe daddy’s day is next weekend. i have no idea what to get the guy. he’s been so amazing lately… well, he’s always been amazing … but moreso recently. there has been a new bond and some good discussions.

it’s really sweet… when daddy met my mom, i was in my terrible twos. despite the fact that i managed to ruin all of his things and demand attention, he married her and adopted me and has treated me like i was his own. it’s been experiences like these that have shown that “blood” doesn’t really matter all the time. my birth father ran off and left us. i know his name… daniel schultz… and i’ve seen a couple of pictures of him. but that’s it. i’m told that i have his nose. there is no desire on my end to ever have a personal relationship with my “donor” (although it would be nice to have his family’s medical history). he missed out on his opportunity and i doubt i have crossed his mind over the last 25 years (nevermind that i have half of his DNA). my mom’s dad was an abusive alcoholic - he would tell her “i love you” all the time and would do unimaginable things to her as a child. empty words and meaningless blood. i’ve never subscribed to the train of thought that harmful actions or a break in trust should be overlooked or dismissed just because someone is “family.” my mom and dad didn’t tell me she loved me very often, but i knew i was cared for because of my parents’ actions. through the years, i have understood how actions speak louder than words and are indicative of character and intent. heck… my ex husband had told me he loved me just hours before i found out i had been betrayed. actions seem to rank #1 on the communication list - most of our communication is nonverbal, and with good reason. don’t get me wrong - i absolutely adore when jeromy tells me that i’m beautiful… but it’s even more powerful when i catch him gazing at me from across the room. so…does that mean we should stop saying things? no apologies, words of affirmation, etc.? not at all - speech has a great ability to move mountains and build/destory bridges. i guess what i’m trying to say that words are great… but they are only meaningful if they are supported by genuine follow through. when the two conflict, typically people go with what they have experienced rather than what they have heard.

i digress…back to my original train of thought…

considering all the crappy fathers there are in the world, it really has been a blessing for dad to be in my life. he has integrity and it’s a quality that i have admired the most. he is stalwart in his convictions and morals and his approval meant the world to me growing up. he taught me the meaning of hard work, independence, and humility. i remember how hard it was when we all lived in stephenville and we were living on dad’s janitor wages and he was going to tarleton full time. he was still a good father and heavily involved in church. there were many things then that i didn’t understand that i have come to appreciate now. i honestly don’t know how they got through some of the trials we have had. i cannot say enough good things about my dad and i enjoy our relationship now more than ever. so if anyone has any rockin’ ideas for daddy’s day gifts, pass them along.

jeromy is with the fire department today - he is going on a ride out with them. he won’t be back until late tonight, so i guess i should get busy and clean so he doesn’t wonder what the heck i did all day. not really… he doesn’t care. but yeah. have a great weekend!