I've been here less than 48 hours...

I've been here less than 48 hours and I've already gotten a call about 2 more dogs.  I want so desperately to help them, but this is not my house and I'm trying to be respectful of that.  I also don't know how much my current vet bill is going to be, so taking on vetting for 2 more feels like a bad idea.  Also, I have no way to get 3 dogs back home with me, not to mention that Shaun is already not thrilled with me spur-of-the-moment taking in one like I did.  (He has a kind heart, but worries about my mental and physical health).  The constant need here is exhausting.  🙁

In other dog news:  I found out that the dog I took is named Oreo.  He belonged to a homeless man who passed away.  He then took up with another homeless man who also passed away and I guess he's been on his own ever since.  I don't have the timeline on all of that, but it sounds like life has been rough on this fella.

So far Oreo is doing quite well.  No accidents indoors.  He whines or barks when he needs to go out.  He is not reactive to being barked at by the neighboring dog.  He's pretty quiet except for moving around a lot; even though I got him a padded bed I'm sure laying on skin with bone directly underneath still gets uncomfortable fast.  He's doing ok on the leash.  He went into the crate I bought him last night unprompted.  He did fine in the car when I brought him home yesterday.  He looks more relaxed than before when I pet him (not completely, but I'm happy with progress).  He's already started coming back to me and into the house with just a little sweet talking.  He even tried to poke his head through the laundry room door so I feel like he'd enjoy being in the main part of the house, but I'm holding off until he's clean and flea-free before I allow that.

He's got a vet appointment Friday and I'm planning to take him to Tractor Supply or Pickette's for a bath afterwards.  I want him to be more comfortable with me before I try to do something as uncomfortable as a bath to him.  But so far we're doing ok and I think he's gonna blossom into a really great companion. ❤️

Not even here for 24 hours...

Not even here for 24 hours and I'm back on my bullshit. I saw a photo of him with his location last night and cried myself to sleep. It was so heavy on my heart.

I want to be mad, but I can't. Jonathan Moses posted his photo and location to get him help. The Sonic employees were feeding him and called me at my request when he showed back up today. He was also being fed by a volunteer Kathleen Blow who showed up just as I was bribing him into my car. She sent food and money and dishes to help me help him. So it sucks to see a being in this situation, but there are good people out there and this was a group effort.

I'm gonna rest easy tonight because this fella is fed, has access to clean water, has gotten flea and tick meds, and a warm place to sleep. I'll call the vet tomorrow and see what I can do. I work until 6, but if anyone could take him to the vet tomorrow or Wednesday I can pay for the visit. If not, he'll have to wait until the weekend to be seen.

So far, he eats gently from your hand, but he's skittish. I'm assuming that he hasn't been treated very well, unfortunately. But I think he'll end up a sweet fella.

Having some nice New Mexican food...

Having some nice New Mexican food before I head back to Alabama. QuesaBirria tacos give me life. ❤️

Look at this perfect little cinnamon roll. 😍😍😍

Look at this perfect little cinnamon roll. 😍😍😍

I made a quick trip to the bathroom...

I made a quick trip to the bathroom and came back to Scar watching work for me. Then he flipped over looking all cute. Two minutes of my job must have exhausted him. 😂😂😂

I took this yesterday after work.

I took this yesterday after work. I think this is the first time this one has bloomed. She's got a whole crown coming! ❤️

I'm finished swatching...

I'm finished swatching 8/12 of my helmers, or 48/72 of my helmer drawers. Or I'm just 2/3 of the way finished, if you prefer that. 😂

I'm taking the rest of the week off. I do have 2 small paint shakers, but I've been hand-shaking each bottle after the machines as well. Since I've been working on this basically every day since I started (in August? September?) my hands and wrists are hurting and I don't want to damage myself. And I'm tired. And since I'm about to be away from home for a couple of weeks I want to spend my time with Shaun.

I'm so excited to be closing in on a "maintenance phase" for this project. I'm having a great time playing with my polish, but it's gonna feel so good to my brain to have it all organized. Plus, it'll be so much easier to plan out nail art and jewelry. 😊