Long time no see...

So first of all, I'd like to start off with an apology for being MIA lately. It has been a weird week for me, and I can't even begin to explain it. It was spring break this week at the University of Arkansas...and I really kinda planned on not having a "spring break," because...well, I'm a grad student. We don't (and really shouldn't) get much of one. But some unexpected things hit me this week, and unfortunately I did not get a lot of work done in my lab :( I do have a few things to share though...some accomplishments, I guess you could say :)

One really productive and exciting thing I did this week was completely detail my car. I just bought my car in August...it's nothing fancy, but the price was right, it gets excellent gas mileage (which was nice before, now I don't know what I would do WITHOUT my little 31 mpg car!), and my favorite part...it's a standard :) I just can't help it...my very first car I drove when I turned 16 had a manual transmission, and I just love them. Anyways...I digress.

When I first bought the car I went all out and cleaned it inside and out like you would not believe. But since then, I have not done much to keep the appearance up (I've done plenty maintenance-wise, just got really lazy in the winter with cleaning it and keeping it washed). Plus I had been traveling quite a bit, and things just tend to get out of control a bit when I do. So I finally decided it was time for a spring cleaning overhaul. I spent an entire day almost cleaning it out, vacuuming it, hand-detailing it, and got it spiffed up with Armor All. The Silver Bullet is sparkling! :) Somehow though, I managed to find some gum in the carpet under the passenger seat. Really?! BUT, that leads me to something else I would really like to bring up!

I just entered to win a giveaway for some Shaklee products from First Comes Love Blog, and I've heard really good things about these products. They are apparently really effective, but also very safe (no harsh chemicals) and green. I am really hoping I get a chance to try some of them out for free! One of the uses is to get gum out of carpets...how appropriate! :) 

I better get started on my next topic of conversation, or this post is going to end up being a mile long...

I have another dog!

I know what you're thinking...and trust me I'm thinking it too: I need another Pit Bull like I need a hole in my head. BUT, a fellow grad student texted me last night while I was out to dinner with a friend, and said that she was told there was a Pit Bull at the Johnson Police Department (Johnson is a little community just north of where I live) and they had been keeping him for 2 weeks and couldn't find his owners, so they were planning on putting him down tomorrow (now today obviously...). Well, let's face it, I have a soft place in my heart for Pit Bulls! I have two of my own, one of my sisters has one, and the other one just recently had to put hers down at 5 years old because of a heart tumor :( Now don't get me wrong...I am very cautious, to say the least, about Pit Bulls that are not young. There is a lot of crap, AND I DO MEAN CRAP, that goes around about the Pit Bull breed being these evil, vicious creatures...while I do not believe for a second that any of them are that way just by nature, I am not in denial about the fact that it just takes ONE bad owner to create a mean animal. All that to say, I was a little skeptical at first...both for my own safety, and the safety of my two 4-legged children. But I thought I had to give it a shot...

I got a phone number to call to see about getting the dog so he wouldn't have to be euthanized. I called it a few times last night...straight to voicemail (he was off-duty, so his phone was off). I left a message with my name and number in hopes that they would hold out long enough to at least let me see the dog. After dinner, I found out where the dog was being kept and went and saw him...he is HUGE, but he is a big baby. SO sweet, you wouldn't believe it. There was a little Bassett Hound puppy in the kennel next to him, and Cortney and I contemplated stealing them both...HA! Then our survival/stay out of jail instincts got the better of us, and we decided that was a bad idea. We were driving around and we spotted a Johnson police car...so what do we do?! DUH, we follow him for about a mile and a half until he finally pulls into a parking lot. I run up to his car and motion for him to roll down the window...he looks at me like I'm a crazy person, but he complies. He didn't know many details about the dogs, but said he would leave a note for them in the morning so they wouldn't put him down.

I go home, go to bed, and have these horrifying nightmares of how this dog is going to come to my house and rip my dogs to shreds....then I get a 0730 wake-up call from the guy I left the message for...yikes! I decided to ignore my nightly visions, and grabbed a leash and went to get the dog...

He is just the happiest big guy I've ever seen! He was so excited when I got there and they let him out of that little dog pen. He jumped right in the back of my car and laid down in the back seat, and we went straight to the vet. Two reason for this: 1) Obviously I wanted to make sure he was healthy, current on all his shots, heartworm free (that's an expensive fix..), and figure out his weight and approximate age. 2) I knew there would be other dogs in the waiting room, and I really wanted to see how he reacted to them before I brought him home to my loves! haha. Turns out, he is just a big sweetheart. He was licking on one of the other dogs in the waiting room...not the slightest bit agressive. WHEW!

$121 dollars later...he is one healthy boy! He is brindle and white, neutered, weighs 87 lbs (that's more than TWICE the size of my female by the way...haha), is about 6 years old, no heartworms, and is now current on all his vaccinations...including his flu shot! (I think it's weird that they make you give your dog a flu shot...I don't even get a flu shot every year...but whatever!) The only minor thing was that he does have some hookworms, but I got a prescription for him and those should be taken care of in about 2-3 days! I brought him home, introduced him to my dogs, gave him a bath, and he is just as happy as he could possibly be.

Here's my disclaimer...

I cannot keep him forever :( I am only serving as a foster parent until I can find him a permanent, loving home. I just could not stand the idea of this innocent boy being put down for no reason at all. I honestly don't get it...he is absolutely perfect: super sweet, friendly, gentle, gets along great with my other two dogs (honestly, he's more well-behaved than they are...and that's saying something!). He sits, shakes, lays down, and appears to be house-broken. He walks well on a leash, was a champ in the bathtub, and is an excellent car-rider! 

As I said, I just cannot keep him. I have to move to California for 3 months this summer for an internship, and have had a hard enough time finding a place that would let me take TWO Pit Bulls...there is absolutely no way I can take THREE. I would really like to find him a good home, so please let me know if you or anyone you know might be interested! :) He is such a good dog and it kills me to think I will have to put him down myself if I can't find someone who wants him :(

I have yet to come up with what to call him, because I don't want to name him knowing that I'm hoping someone else will take him in and give him a permanent name, so I've just been calling him "Big Dog" haha :)

How could you not love that face?! :)

Sleepy boy...awww :)

I already love him. I just want him to have a good, healthy and happy remainder of his life with someone who adores him and can take care of him :) Please help!