I'm thankful for...

I'm still trying to get back into the swing of this technology thing. Since my old laptop crashed its final time, I was forced to revert to more rudimentary forms of communication. My primary medium of mass mail was reduced to the sending of smoke signals for conveyance of important bulletins to my neighbors. Messages such as; "my chimney needs cleaning" or "my scones are highly flammable" etc. It's been hard re-acclimating myself to this "typing while sitting still" thing and, even more difficult, doing all of it without catching things on fire. Ah well, let me give it my best college try here.

 

"So where did you run off to, Mr. Steve?" You might ask...if you enjoy the drivel of my ramblings. Well, folks, much like captain Ahab, I have been obsessed in a quest; not in struggle with a white whale but rather, with conquering a black dog. Don't be alarmed, as it is not of the Winston Churchill variety, but instead of a much more literal sense. Yes, "the taming of the chew" saga continues with our powder keg of a puppy, Niko. 

Niko's training is actually progressing better than I anticipated, and, happily, some of my hair is even beginning to grow back. I have discovered the benefits of keeping him on a grueling regimen of physical exercise to burn off some of that puppy zeal keeping him just a tad more relaxed and giving greater retention to his obedience training exercises. A great method our family has found for killing four birds with one stone is to practice "sit, stay and come" while running up and down our stairway. It can be done anytime rain or shine, and it is fun for everyone. Niko gets exhausted physically, learns obedience commands, understands stair safety rules, and I get a work out walking the stairs when it's just me and him. Of course, it is no substitute for a good old fashioned walk to get him accustomed to the world outside the four or more walls which confine him but I do find it to be an often necessary addendum to the sometimes too short walks of the Ohio wintertime.

All and all, I would have to say he's got great manners for a puppy...especially when he has temporary lapse of being just that.  

.................

This morning, as Amelia, Zach and I sat by the living room window watching the snow fall in front of our Gators 2006 National Football Championship flag, I witnessed an incredible sight quite foreign in these parts: some completely unprovoked sharing. Amelia had stacked several blocks next to the window. Zach, sitting at my other side, began to state with distress that he too wished to stack blocks but possessed none with which to construct. Amelia glanced over at his sad expression and pulled a block off the top of her stack and handed it to him to much smiles and gratitude. 

There is truly so much happiness to be taken from an act so simple as this. It gives to me hope for the cooperation of all humanity to rebuild whatever block stacks whether they were knocked down by inherent weaknesses in infrastructure or a gradual slant in hardwood sub-flooring. I know we can all work together to make those stacks even stronger and higher than they originally were. Look to the stackers, people. Look to the stackers.