More summer fun

Behold: the "weekend" tag!

Yesterday was incredibly busy. Spent the late morning and early afternoon at an AKC dog show, run by my supervisor at work. It was so neat to see so many different breeds of dog - most recognizable, some not so much - in one area in such great shape. Beautiful dogs everywhere! However, it still pains my heart to see dogs cosmetically altered for what has simply become tradition. Yes, your (insert breed here) needed its tail docked and ears cut when it was hunting rapid jackelopes in the wilds of Tanzania. But today, most individuals of most breeds are not used for their original purposes. They are the treasured pets of families, young people, old people, comfort dogs in hospitals, aids to physically impaired persons, etc. They absolutely may retain their working nature (Border collies, anyone?) or they may be excellent couch potatoes. Either way, I do not think it necessary or humane to continue to subscribe to a breed standard created who knows how long ago for outdated purposes. Just because you think something looks nice (and have been taught to think that way by people seeking to preserve only the aesthetics of a breed) does not mean it should be done. I really wish they'd knock it off with that. And don't get me started on not fixing your dogs. You animal can be just as beautiful an example of the breed as it can be with its testicles or ovaries intact - you just wouldn't make the megabucks from breeding them out. (Yes, I understand that they seek to breed the very best of the breed to advance the breed genetics. I get it. But why not breed a litter or two and then cut them off? Ugh.) So it was a general mixed-feelings experience.

That afternoon, I whipped up some dessert things (phyllo dough cups, whipped cream with fruit on top) for the cookout we were attending. The food there was excellent, the company was even better and it made for a truly wonderful night. I have awesome friends.

Today is going to be productive, despite the fact that we slept in until 11am. We've already gotten lunch and done some shopping (can I argue "back to school stuff"?) and now Danny's mowing/edging the lawn before we hit up Home Depot and the grocery store. I'm going to make a pot of black bean soup that I can hopefully bring to work for lunch for a few days this week.

(Home Depot is a story for another day - some creature has eaten the tops off one of my tomato plants and half of one of my green tomatoes. Grrrr.)