So our attempt to give Boogie a brother failed miserably.
As I wrote about before, we adopted a very cute, senior dog after falling in love with him and his story at an animal shelter. I named him Lolly after my favorite Schoolhouse Rock episode. He’s 12, but had the energy of a much younger dog. His only owner had passed away, leaving him without a home. We wanted to give him a nice home for his retirement years.
Things got off to a rocky start. After we adopted him I had to gout of town for three days, during which the new dog raised holy hell while home with my boyfriend and Boogie. Barking, scratching and hurling himself at doors, escaping from the house and running down the street – the gamut! But when I returned, despite my boyfriend’s exasperation, I was sure that it was just an adjustment period, and that we could make it work. Lolly gave me his perfect “Who me? Make trouble? I’m the sweetest dog ever!” face, and I was determined to smooth things over. We studied dog behavior, got a trainer, did everything we thought was right.
But after days (and then weeks) of Lolly barking, pawing doors until his paws bled and howling every time he was left alone – or even when he wasn’t alone, but was separated from us by a dog gate – the dog trainer gave us her assessment: it wasn’t separation anxiety. The dog was simply pissed off. He had never been left alone before, and he wasn’t going to put up with that happening now.
The trainer said we could try to work on that, but curing the problem would be hard, if not impossible, at his age. Since we were weeks away from moving into an apartment, where barking would not be tolerated, we knew our home wasn’t right for him. Most importantly, he hurt himself when he was alone. He would have bloody paws from digging at the door even if he was alone for only an hour. Even if Boogie was with him. We work everyday – and leaving Lolly all day would essentially be endangering him.
Tearfully, we decided to return him to the shelter. I was expecting judgment, banishment from their adoption services, and goodness knows what else. Instead, the shelter folks were understanding and more – they said we did the exact right thing. We’d done all we could – spent over $1,000 in vet fees, dog training services, supplies and food for him in the time we had him. If our home wasn’t right, it’s better to let him find the perfect home than to keep him in an imperfect situation.
I still cried for days. I felt like I failed him, even though objectively I knew I didn’t. We won’t be notified where he is ultimately placed, but I pray he finds a great home with a retiree, or someone who works at home, or a house with lots of people to love and care for the pooch. And never leave him alone. He has many, many years of life ahead of him (the vet said he’s healthy as an ox), and I hope they are happy ones.
As for Boogie, he was a trooper through all of the chaos! I was so proud of him. He never complained, he always tried to play with Lolly, and otherwise stayed out of the way of Lolly’s wrath. But, I have to say, since we returned Lolly, Boogie has been in the best mood of his life!
I knew what I needed. A George Michael mix. Yes, he may be better known now for doing dirty things in rest stops. Whatever, I don’t care about his personal life. I’m about the music.
Hi, I’m Lolly. At least that is what my new family is calling me. They are bringing me home today! I’m so excited to go live with them that they can call me whatever they want!

I was at the shelter for a long time, though. It wasn’t too bad – the people who worked there saw how nice I was, so they would take me to schools and I would help teach kids about pets and adoption. The kids would always pet me and play with me. I LOVED that.
SBW: Erykah Badu. I love this woman. She does what she wants and she doesn’t give a got-dayum. (Not to mention the fact that she’s dated Common and Andre 3000. Yum!)
SBW: Mary J. Blige. I can guarantee this: if you are ever feeling low and need a spring in your step, put on some Mary. It will be as if she stepped out of your iPod, grabbed you by the shoulders, and said: “Girl, you know you better get yourself together!” SBW!
SBW: Jill Scott! OMG, I love this woman. I love her music, I love her HBO character Precious, love love LOVE!
SBW: Tina Turner. She’s an original SBW. Definition of.
SBW: Chaka Khan. This is the SBW theme song!
This picture just made me happy today, so I thought I’d share.
Can You Stand The Rain, New Edition
As those who know me know, I have luuuuuuved me some Jason Varitek for years. Ever since sitting in my friend Theo’s Fenway Park seats behind the on deck circle and witnessing – up close – the wonders of the world known as his thighs. The hotness. The hotness!!!
Clive Owen. Ok, I refuse to go see that stupid Julia Roberts movie, even though that yummy specimen of man Clive Owen is in it. (I got suckered into seeing that hot mess Closer a few years back. Fool me once, shame on – shame on you. Fool me – you can’t get fooled again!) But I do enjoy watching the trailer. He’s a hot hot hottie.
Gerard Butler. Ah, my King Leonidas. I remember going to see 300 with my BF very begrudgingly, and not being disappointed. At. All. Lordhammercy. Oh, and the Scottish accent is totes sexy, too.
Jon Hamm. Yes, my Mad Men hottie. The fact that his character is such a dirtbag, yet so, so sexy, disturbed me a little. Then he did SNL and FunnyOrDie.com and was so hilarious, that I loved him. Plus he’s a hot hot hottie.
Common. I have flirted with putting him on my list for a long time. I’m not sure of it’s his looks or his lyrical flow, but I love, love, LOVE him.
Michelle Obama. HOW could she have spent a second NOT on this list, right? From now on, she is the KAC by which all other KACs are measured. I love, love, LOVE her, and I love that the whole friggin’ world loves, loves, LOVES her. She is a rock star, exemplifying how being a well-educated career woman, a devoted partner and mother, and a fashionista (budgetista even! J. Crew? Holla!) are not mutually exclusive propositions.
Kate Winslet. From her Oscar-worthy performances, to her endearing emotional response to winning awards – even in the face of snobby criticism, I realized this year how big a fan I am of this lady. Oh, and her performance on Extras shows that she is a friggin’ riot to boot. Awesome.
Tilda Swinton. Aside from being one of my favorite character actors out there – I will see anything with her in it, even if I know nothing about the film – I love Tilda for being the most fearless fashion icon out there right now. Like I said before on this blog, she somehow manages to embrace the most avant guard side of fashion while simultaneously giving a loud “Eff you!” to it. And it works. Amazingly! I think she is stunning and awesome, and she is my fashion hero.
can make even the most accomplished, normal, respectable person look like a lunatic. It’s all about the editing. Yet somehow, Bethenny looks like pillar of witty, well-reasoned grace on this season of the Real Housewives of New York City. Every episode leaves you wishing she were your friend and that you’d chat with her over cocktails this weekend. She’s the quintessential no-bullshitter New Yorker that everyone wishes they knew. And how she puts up with the loonies on that show, I will never know.
Diana Ross. Ah, the original diva turns 65 today! I’m truly happy to share both my sign and my hometown with this lady. Happy Birthday Diana! I think I’ll watch Mahogany tonight in celebration. ADORE that movie. That Billy Dee scene. “Success is nothing without someone you love to share it with.” And Tony Perkins is so awesomely creepy. Oh, and I still want that hat!
Aretha Franklin. Ree Ree turned 67 yesterday. I still think Di is the original diva, but Aretha sure has her beat now. And that is all right. She is the queen, and if Beyonce or Tina Turner or anyone says otherwise, she will
Leonard Nimoy. Today’s his 78th birthday! I’m a total Trekker, so this pleases me! Spock is second only to Data as my favorite Trek character, like, ever! (Capt. Jean Luc Pickard comes in a close third). Live long and prosper!
Sarah Jessica Parker. Carrie is an Aries! Her b-day was yesterday too. Of course – she is a writer who had great friends and loves shoes! Yay!
Elton John. Ok, it is confirmed – Aries is the diva sign! I need no further evidence. Happy belated b-day Sir
Elton.
ADDENDUM: Mariah Carey. Oh, good heavens! Mimi as born on March 27. I’m not even sure that there is enough room in universe to fit all these Aries divas under one sign. Maybe there are different levels: the VIP Aries get their own rooms and we mere mortal Aries are not allowed to look them in the eye or to speak to them directly.