Back on the air

After almost a month long absence I'm back to my blog. Today is a record, at least in my book. A bank thermometer I passed this afternoon read 49 degrees. That might not seem so bad to you folks back east, or up north, but I've lived in Southern California for 15 years and this is the first time I've been able to see my breath in broad daylight. I dodged hailstones while unloading groceries from the car. My poor old dog is practically catatonic with the miserable cold. I know how he feels.

Speaking of dogs, I recently read Marley and Me, by John Grogan. If you like dogs in the slightest, read it, read it, read it. Ditto if you're just thinking about getting a dog, so you'll know what you may be getting yourself into. It's a totally realistic chronicle of Marley from puppyhood on (I'll let you figure the rest out yourself), the extensive trouble he gets into, the love he brings to the family and the life lessons he teaches. As a former (sniff) owner of a large dog, I was able to identify with Marley's insatiable appetite (my Rottwieler loved to nosh on door frames). There's even a website called Marley and Me, with message boards with cool titles like The Things They Ate where you can find adorable pictures of a Lab puppy caught in the act with various household items.