Friday, September 30th, 2011
Central Park East - 7:35am
It was a spectacularly beautiful morning in Central Park today! Nice and cool, dewey grass, and sunny blue sky. A perfect way to bring in the weekend!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
My dog is bad
Central Park East - 7:30am
Sofie was bad today. She ran away from me in the park (something she always does), but did not return to me when I got out of eyesight (something she never does). I called her and squeaked her today, thinking she'd burst out of some undergrowth somewhere - covered in burrs and leaves - indicative of chasing birds and squirrels. NOPE. I quickly turn the corner of where I know she is, and she is harassing this poor man who gives her Meaty Bones when she jumps up on him enough. (Something that gets reinforced to her on a daily basis because the treat-holders always give her a treat when she jumps up on them).
She's run to the top of the hill where he and his very nice german shepherd are playing fetch and has completely interrupted the game, not to mention gotten his pant leg muddy and wet. The worst part is, she is shamelessly and frantically sniffing his pants pocket - which looks awkward but I know is only happening because he has treats in it. Thinking she will return to me when she sees me, I call her and squeak her toy again. NOPE. She doesn't even look my way. At this point, I realize I'll have to carry her away from this guy. I drag myself up the hill, apologize for his now dirty pants and my obnoxious, rambunctious dog and carry her writhing little wet, muddy body down the hill. When we get far enough away, I set her down. Within 10 seconds she is again out of eye sight and back at the top of the hill harassing the nice man again....so embarrassing. At this point I realize that Sofie would leave me and start a new life with just about anyone who has a Meaty Bone or 2 that they would be willing to give her. I'm pissed now, mainly because she's exposing my ineptness at being her master, so I run up the hill and angrily snap her leash on her. The man can't withstand Sofie's cuteness, though, and asks if he can give her one more bone.....great. I'm pretty sure I'll have to reroute my walk because otherwise this poor nice man will have my devilish little dog clawing at his pant leg on a daily basis.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Hello & meet my blog!
Monday, Sept. 19, 2011
Central Park East - 7:15am
The other morning after my boyfriend had left for work, I threw on a pair of running shorts, sneakers, and an old raggedy T-shirt. Sofie, my dog spent about 10 minutes snorting, panting, and galloping around the apartment before she slid snout-first into the front door where I always put her leash on. I was having one of my morning conversations with Sofie, asking her ridiculously and enthusiastically if she was excited for our walk (how could she not be). She was sitting in front of the door, frantically wagging her tail, staring at me with crazy-eyes while I put her leash on.
This routine happens every day of the week and because I am simple-minded and possess a somewhat insane love for my dog, it is also my favorite part of the day. Every morning when I leave my apartment and see all of the folks with their coffee mugs hurrying off to start their busy days, I’m filled with satisfaction that I’m also off to start my day, too. When I cross Madison Avenue and pass the beautiful architecture of the Ralph Lauren Store, the green borders of Central Park come into view and both Sofie and I quicken our pace. We then cross 5th Avenue, smile and chat with the doormen, and finally walk into the park where hundreds of happy dog-owners (and even happier dogs) are running about and spreading general merriment. Whomever said New Yorkers are unfriendly never stopped by Central Park before 9am (the hours when dogs can be off-leash).
I started this blog for two reasons. The first reason is sentimental and maybe a little silly, but I’m a sap when it comes to my dog. I was reading James Herriot’s Dog Stories a few weeks ago and I was struck by a sentence in his introduction. He described his feelings about the fact that our dogs’ lives are always far too short. We must remember to relish all of their mischief and love, because they grace our lives for only about a decade, give or take a few years. This brings me to my first reason: Simply, I want to record the good times I have with my dog in Central Park.
My second reason for starting this blog is, this might seem a little odd at first – bear with me, borne of the fact that I grew up in rural Pennsylvania. I get a little depressed when I don’t see enough green and when I decided to move to NYC to go to grad-school, truthfully, I had a bit of anxiety about whether I would hate it or not. Fortunately, my new apartment is located 5 blocks from Central Park. On that first morning when I walked through the park, I was struck by it’s magic. Vast green lawns punctuated by healthy thick Birch, Elm, and Maple trees; spots of blue sky and white, fluffy clouds – It really is a beautiful place. This, finally, brings me to my second reason: I wanted to show my appreciation for The Park by depicting its evolution over the four seasons.
In any event – I’m not an expert on anything. To put it simply, I just want to tell people funny stories about my dog and show pretty pictures of Central Park as the seasons change.
Enjoy,
Jen
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